Once in a Blue Moon
So the girl who never wanted … the gown and veil … who blushes and deflects “congratulations” … becomes the “bride” … not the opposite of groom … but “the tie that connects a pattern of work” … and the “groom” is the care that we give it … Colleen
Every wedding anniversary my husband Joe and I threaten to do something fun like throw ourselves a party to celebrate. The truth is that there are years when both of us forget to even notice the date. 
In part, it’s because our wedding took place on a blue moon in June. The actual date of that June full moon was less important than the fact that it was the second one that month.
I think we also forget our wedding anniversary because we lived together for 9 years before we were married. During that time we exchanged vows informally in a yearly ceremony we dubbed “United Untied.” 
Our actual wedding took place on the Blue Ridge Parkway in a grove of trees by a rolling overlook view. The idea was to exchange our vows when the setting sun and the rising blue full moon were in the sky together, opposite each other and representative of a great celestial romance.
It was a folk ceremony. There was a Native American Flutist and a drummer with a South American Machi drum. Poetry was read. A chalice of elixir was involved, as well as the ceremonial eating of an apple. 
Tomorrow is our 10 year wedding anniversary.
“Ten years! We’ve got to do something to celebrate,” Joe insisted.
“Alright,” I conceded. “I’ll post some pictures of our wedding on my blog.”
Happy Anniversary to the love of my life.
June 28th, 2006 9:23 am
What beautiful pictures! You looked absolutely radiant in the first picture. I can feel the joy of the day by looking at the last picture.
Happy, happy 10th anniversary!
June 28th, 2006 10:19 am
Everybody’s pretty!!!
Congratulations! Wishing many more happy anniversaries to you.
June 28th, 2006 10:53 am
Congratulations on 10 years of marriage — and nearly 20 as a couple! I have to say in the past few months I’ve discovered a deeper reverence and appreciation for not only the institution of marriage, but also the amount of effort and strength required by two people — married or unmarried — to build a life together.
Here’s to many more wonderful years.
June 28th, 2006 11:57 am
Congratulations on your anniversary! In October, we will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary! We didn’t date for 9 years beforehand, but we dated for 9 months before!;) Hope you have a wonderful anniversary!!!
June 28th, 2006 11:58 am
I forgot to tell you….you made an absolutely beautiful bride!!!!
June 28th, 2006 12:39 pm
Beautiful bride (and groom). Beautiful blue moon ceremony which I’m sorry I didn’t get to attend :>( I WILL though be at your son’s wedding which is not far away.
June 28th, 2006 1:29 pm
Congratulations Colleen and Joe! That is something to celebrate. You two seem so happy and well matched for each other!
Your pictures are beautiful and you look absoulutely stunning! A goddess bride!!!
Love the story today, thanks for the inspiration.
June 28th, 2006 1:36 pm
Thanks! My friend Jayn (who is mentioned on this blog frequently) made the bouquet and hair wreath and my friend Katherine performed the ceremony. She marries lots of people here in Floyd. Many are refered to her by the Floyd courthouse.
PS What, nobody’s going to ask me what kind of shoes I’m wearing under the dress?
June 28th, 2006 1:43 pm
Enjoy your anniversary tomorrow 🙂 I love the pictures!
June 28th, 2006 1:44 pm
You looked sooooo pretty; I love Jayn’s flowers in your hair, and the setting is so serene and beautiful. Happy Anniversary to you and Joe, Colleen. May you have many, many more together.
June 28th, 2006 2:18 pm
wow, good thing i got time to check your blog today. Now i can rustle up some flowers or chocolate or poetry or something to remind you i love you 28 today.xoxoxo
June 28th, 2006 3:43 pm
ooh so what shoes were you wearing?? 😉
what lovely pictures of an incredibly beautiful day!
thank you for sharing that. and congratulations.
wonderful 🙂
June 28th, 2006 4:32 pm
Thanks for sharing the happiness. Love to you both.
June 28th, 2006 4:32 pm
Happy 10th Anniversary! And many, many more.
June 28th, 2006 5:13 pm
I remember that day like yesterday!!!
Happy First Decade together xoxooxoxox
June 28th, 2006 5:26 pm
Full moon is symbolic in our lives because my husband’s mother said she was always thinking about us on the full moon. That is sort of special to us. Happy Anniversary and here’s a toast to many more!
June 28th, 2006 6:12 pm
Happy anniversary!
June 28th, 2006 6:47 pm
It sounds like a fabulous way to celebrate each other. You’ve been together 19 years, 4 more than my Hub and I. You guys look so content and joyful in the pics.
June 28th, 2006 8:01 pm
Oh, Colleen…what a radiant, gorgeous, bride you were! LOVE the wreath of flowers in your hair, your dress and the setting…just gorgeous. How neat to have a blue moon…pure romance!
A VERY Happy Anniversary to you and Joe…and many more happy years together.
(Can’t wait to meet you guys in October)
June 28th, 2006 9:09 pm
A very happy united union, to the both of you. What a gorgeous setting for such a lovely celebration.
P.S. I like to think you were wearing no shoes under the dress.
June 28th, 2006 10:19 pm
I agree with everyone…beautiful bride, love the wreath in your hair, he’s looking at you like he looovves you. What a lucky pair you are. Annie Hall
June 28th, 2006 11:05 pm
I was wearing white high top granny boots! I might have gone barefoot but then my dress would have been too long!
June 29th, 2006 1:00 am
Lovely Colleen.. And A VERY VERY Happy Anniversary to you and Joe! Have a grand day, my dear and many many more!
BTW: I am leaving off the Anonymous Commenter thingy…so if you want to come back and read and comment, you can…If I have to change that, I’ll let you know…
Thank you for coming to the oarty and for helping to make this one of the most memorable birthdays I’ve ever had by your presence…! I thank you with all my heart, my dear.
June 29th, 2006 7:06 am
Beautiful bride, handsome groom, and a blue moon to boot! Well doesn’t that just figure? Is there anything about your life that isn’t absolutely perfect? Having read you and gotten to “know” you a bit over the past year+ … I can honestly say “no.”
The granny boots? An adorable and very “Colleen” touch!
Thanks for sharing these pictures – and congrats on your first decade “tied.”
June 29th, 2006 7:31 am
Like Jen, I would have guessed you were wearing no shoes. Thank you for sharing your pictures-you both look beautiful.
Happy anniversary!
June 29th, 2006 10:25 am
Congratulations! your pictures are wonderful. You had a machi drummer? such a special ceremony! happy anniversary and many, many more!
June 29th, 2006 10:37 am
Several of my friends spent time in Chili studying with the Machi Shamans. For those of you who don’t know the Machi Shamans are all women! The Floyd women who went have done quite a few “Machi Tuns” for people in our community, which are healings with drums, and hosted a Machi teacher here in Floyd at one point.
June 29th, 2006 5:12 pm
Happy anniversary! Those are some good photos!
June 30th, 2006 2:11 pm
Happy ten year anniversary! (Sorry Im a day late!)
Your ceremony sounds like it was beautiful, I especially love that you had a Native American flutist. Altogether it sounds like a magical event.
June 30th, 2006 8:12 pm
What a lovely, lovely wedding scene. Happy anniversary to you both.
August 28th, 2010 7:02 pm
[…] remembered the crown of wildflowers she made for me to wear when Joe and I got married. The dogs drank from the creek as we mingled with the flowers of all colors. Something yellow […]
September 3rd, 2010 11:13 am
[…] remembered the crown of wildflowers she made for me to wear when Joe and I got married. The dogs drank from the creek as we mingled with the flowers of all colors. Something yellow […]
February 15th, 2011 12:42 am
[…] sounds so unromantic, but Joe and I are a couple who mutually forget the date of our wedding anniversary. We both agree it was a blue moon in June but need a pencil to figure the rest. […]
September 15th, 2014 12:17 am
[…] and an apple, which represented the fruit of our love and was eaten ceremoniously. (More on that HERE.) But we got married on a blue moon in June and we both tend to forget the actual date, which is […]