I’ve been involved in family weddings since I was about 7 years old, the youngest of six in a ‘blended’ family. I was a flower girl and junior maid for my older sisters and bridesmaid for my brother and a cousin.
Until my late 40s, I was a single mother. When Warwick and I married, my fabulous daughter was my bridesmaid. A few years later, I helped organise her wedding; the same minister was also the celebrant for her special day.
Wedding earrings emergency
At a bead shop in town, I’d made some pretty seed pearl drop earrings to go with my cream, handkerchief hemmed dress, and was very pleased with them. But the evening before the wedding Warwick presented me with a beautiful, real pearl necklace! A hurried delve into my jewellery box unearthed some faux pearl earrings my late mother had bought years before. They looked real enough – much better than the seed pearls would have. A year later, Warwick gave me matching pearl earrings for a first anniversary present.
Honeymoon jewellery inspiration
In Christchurch during our South Island honeymoon, we visited the (pre-earthquakes) Arts Centre, and in a fabulous jewellery and bead shop, I fell in love with some pretty metal daisies. I bought them and some jewellery-making tools, and that was the beginning.
Here are some photos of my own wedding, and other family wedding parties I’ve been in below.
Fashions change and come back again, but the joy of bringing family and friends together to celebrate continues. Twenty years later, I remember my wedding day with great pleasure. (Although I still hate that bouquet… it was nothing like the one I requested!)
Other BronzCreative enterprises
You can read about my everyday jewellery here, and my other activities (fibre art, knitting, creative writing) here.
Bronwyn
BronzCreative : Bridal 