Lisa Francesca
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Thoughts about weddings, writing, and the world

A May Wedding in 1905

7/28/2017

 
I've been writing my Masters' thesis, a slim biography about my maternal great-grandmother, for three years. At first the book was mostly in my head as I struggled with structure and voice. Finally, scenes began to find their way onto paper.

During year two, I constructed a long, awkward 'spine' of a book with clunky pieces. I was still in the gathering and placing phase, and many of the pieces went off in all directions. It was such a mess! I shared it with friends who gently reflected back that yes, it was such a mess. Still, the book had come alive now, and we were in a rather obsessive relationship.

This summer, in shifts of between one and four hours of work on it every day (and dreaming about it all the time), I managed to cut and sand away the rough edges, find an internal logic, and let the story begin to shine by itself. I didn't answer all the questions I had about her, but now I could see parts of her life more clearly.

I'm a month away from submitting it to the first committee for their round of edits, and I have not performed a wedding for a year. And yet. Weddings are around me, I remember them, I think about them. Here is a clipping about my great-grandmother's engagement to my great-grandfather. . . 
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And here is what the wedding was like: ​
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Somewhere I have a blurry grey and white photo of the couple, but I actually think the reporter's breathless words do them better justice. A gown trimmed with Valenciennes lace! Orange blossoms on her veil! My family remembers that the wedding took place in the 'keeping room' because it was a little too chilly to hold outside. The keeping room is where dairy products were kept at a steady temperature. My guess is that the milk and butter were removed, and the room was filled with flowers.

Thank you for reading, and wish me luck on this thesis.
David Charles Brandon
3/20/2018 03:14:48 pm

I'm starting to investigate the idea of becoming a wedding officiant. I have read your book "Wedding officiant's guide". I liked it. What do you do if someone wants the blessed sacrament bread and wine?. Like Episcopal and Catholic weddings.

Lisa Francesca
3/20/2018 04:50:36 pm

Hi David,
Thank you for your interest and for your excellent question. If they want a specific church sacrament, they may want a church wedding. But I believe that you can bless anything -- food, and environment, a couple -- when you have aligned yourself into a prayerful and sacred space. Maybe that's during a wedding in a park, or delivering last rites to a friend on the battlefield. We can all minister.


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