Romanticism and Vow Renewals

[Merlin the Elder]

I thought this would be a good place to start (in the Scarby section). I am wanting to have a vow renewal, with my wife of course, at Scarborough. I'm looking for ideas, and experience with how things go at these ceremonies. Although I'm a fairly long-time Scarbite, I've never witnessed one one the ceremonies there.

This is semi-planned for spring of 2012. Although our wedding anniversary is in late May, the anniversary of the first time I asked her out is in late April, a time much more conducive to cooler weather. The April date falls on a faire date, which also makes a difference. And, it will mark 45 years since we began courting (May will be our 40th wedding anniversary).

Even as maudlin as it may sound to some, we've really come to love Scarborough and the faire in general. We want to make it the centerpiece of this milestone. I think we would want a handfasting, and if there is any way possible, I would really like Henry VIII to do the honours, tho' that's probably non-HA. A Druid priest would probably be closer to HA. But even if not, his and Anne's presence is a must (which I will pay for, I'm sure!). In my mind they are the epitome of Scarby. I want it to be more fun than serious...I hate solemn occasions! I'd love Queen Margaret to attend as well, but I'm afraid I may get distracted!    I also want as many of my yet-to-meet-face-to-face R/F friends to be in attendance—you will be fed and watered.

So is this crazy? Sound like fun? Are you a Scarbite that would attend? Suggestions?  Ideas???  I want this to be AWESOME! HELP!

[LadyStitch]

The Pink Pirate and I's 10th wedding aniversary is a Friday before a TRF weekend.  I'm not sure if it will be Romance weekend, but I'm thinking I might have to bring out my wedding dress. (If I can still fit in it) to wear that day.  I actually did a rennisance wedding dress.  Might be nice to do.
I took pitty on the Pink Pirate and made our dating anniversary the same as our wedding. That way he only has to remember two days of the year. New Years eve and May 20th

[SirRichardBear]

Can't help with the English but I'd suggest getting with one of Queen Margaret sectaries early in the morning and getting on the Scottish court list then you can be called to court introduce your wive and anotice the reason.  I did that and had the rose guy bring one rose for each year and presented them to my wife.  Worked out pretty good.

[raevyncait]

Wedding info from the Scarby website.

http://www.srfestival.com/weddings/information-booth/weddings.html

[Lady Kett]

Huzzah Merlin and Lady Nimue (hoped I spelled that right)! Though not quite as significant, Sidekick and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage on 5-29-2012 - which should be closing Sunday for Scarby. Mind if I ride your coattails on the info gathered here?

I fear we will have no choice but deal with heat...we met in August and married in May, LOL. I envy you the ability to legitimately use a date in April!! 

[Merlin the Elder]

Thanks, Raevyncait. I've been checking their info. I'm hoping though that I can get something arranged with the Scarby wedding planner that varies somewhat from their preplanned soirées.

Lady Kett, 25 years is quite significant in my book, and feel free to ride away! Better check the calendar, though—the 29th is on a Sunday in 2011, but a Tuesday in 2012. Sir Richard, Nim loves roses, but I would have to buy the entire rose forest! But I like your thinking. Lady Stitch, does the Pink Pirate have that much difficulty remembering the date of New Years Eve?

When Nimue and I got married, we had a terribly modest reception. We were paying for it because the parents couldn't afford to help, and we were quite limited on funds ourselves. We couldn't have alcohol because of a troublesome relative that could not be asked not to come, and no alcohol at a Catholic wedding is an aberration — just ask any Catholic.

I'm wanting to make up for some of that this time around. We're short-timers here at R/F, and we've only actually met a handful of you—Lady Kett and Sidekick, and Doña Catalina and Don Juan, Angus MacInnes, Al-Nimer, maybe one or two others. We hope to meet many more at Scarby 2011, and with any luck, RenDezvous 2011.

I've read about the way R/F'ers like to party, so I'm looking forward to throwing a humdinger. Does anyone know how many R/F'ers are Scarbites?

[LadyStitch]

Lady Stitch, does the Pink Pirate have that much difficulty remembering the date of New Years Eve?

You havent' been to our New Years Eve! 

Seriously, the goob proposed on New Years Eve, stroke of midnight of the Millenia.  We were broke then and he couldn't afford a 'proper' ring. (He actually used the 1 karat ruby ring that he had bought me as a promice ring the year before.  The money for that was from his first professional acting gig, so to me it is worth FAR more than dimonds. ) 5 years later on NYE he re proposed with a real dimond, now that he could afford it. 


We need to do something for our 10 year and I think it might be nice to do this at Scarby.

[Merlin the Elder]

Stroke of midnight, huh?...What a guy!  Is his official name "The Goob?" 

Ah! Romance! Nimue will tell you that I'm a romantic, but it does tend to be slightly warped. And we've been broke before as well...when she got pregnant, she was still in school, and I was grossing $400 a month. Admittedly, things were cheaper back then. Our 1200 sf apartment was $65 a month.

Through all of the trials and "tribblations" (Trekker??), we've managed to have a lot of wonderful years together, and plan to have a few more! Growing old together is fun, not withstanding the inherent aches and pains that go with it.

[raevyncait]

Thanks, Raevyncait. I've been checking their info. I'm hoping though that I can get something arranged with the Scarby wedding planner that varies somewhat from their preplanned soirées.

Merlin, good luck with that. My roommates wanted to have their wedding at Scarby, quietly, in Pecan Grove under the trees during a time when NOTHING is scheduled in that area, however we were told that weddings are ONLY allowed in the Rose Garden, that a list of ALL attendees had to be provided, even though 95% of the attendees already had season passes and didn't need to purchase tickets. The impression we got was that if what you want doesn't fall specifically within one of their packages, too bad. We were also given to understand that if we held the ceremony, even quietly, on shire without permission, we risked our passes, permanently. In the end, we had the ceremony at a lovely park before faire, and then everyone who wanted to go to faire, did, the rest did their own thing for the day and joined us at a restaurant in town for the reception.

[Merlin the Elder]

Wow...that's kind of discouraging. Was that recently? I wonder how loudly money talks...

[DonaCatalina]

I would love to watch you and Lady Nimue renew your vows. I hope you and the Scarby wedding planners can come to some sort of agreement.

[Merlin the Elder]

Well, thank you, Doña! I haven't contacted the planners yet, because I needed to kind of get an idea of what I wanted first. Logically, I should check with them to see how much latitude they do allow, if any.

[raevyncait]

Merlin,
We posed the question in October last year for a May 1, 2010 wedding.  The response we received was

"If you choose the Festival as your wedding venue, you may choose either our officiant, or you may bring in your own. All our weddings take place in the wedding garden; we are unable to have weddings in any other place.
We are unable to change the wedding packages. We are only able to schedule weddings at the times given, and are unable to alter the packages in any way."

Perhaps they have become more lenient in the last year, however I wanted to be sure you have as much information as possible before you get things all planned out in your head (as we did), and then get it shot down by the Festival.  I am sure whatever arrangements you do make will be lovely. 

Truthfully, we had a lovely day, the wedding was about 10:30 at a park in Waxahachie, and we were through the gates before noon, having done photos at the park as well. Ryan's was very helpful about allowing us to bring in the wedding cakes and set up one of the private rooms for our group.

[Merlin the Elder]

Thank you for all that, Raevyncait. I'll have to weigh having it elsewhere against the desire to have it in the surroundings of Scarborough, and having as many of the R/F community as guests as possible. Whatever we decide, there will be a party!!

[LadyStitch]

Stroke of midnight, huh?...What a guy!  Is his official name "The Goob?" 

Oh he is a man of many names depending on what trouble he get's into.

We will see what happens closer still.  Even if all we do is show up at faire in our best garb and play the part.  I think it will make for a nice day,