On October 27, 2012, in the warm embrace of Lokahi Garden Sanctuary, our daughter Lila Rose Young Liebmann celebrated the love and commitment between her and Yumbel Marassi in a marriage ceremony on our land. Hosting a wedding here is a clear expression of the meaning and intention of this sanctuary as Lokahi means harmony and balance within and without. On this day, the beauty of this environment was augmented by rainbows, a spectacular sunset, a rising full moon and the fullness of the love abounding.
Ceremony and ritual are ways to promote well-being, healing, abundance and feelings of connection…to each other and the Sacred. Ritual and ceremony empower human beings and connect us to the divine within. We can be lifted beyond the mundane to experience other levels of being. When a ceremony is heartfelt and engaging, we find ourselves totally present in the moment. The mundane world slips away and we can experience a sense of magic.
That sense of magic and well-being was afoot at the wedding that took place here recently. The wedding ceremony was a resounding expression of love and the union of diverse cultures. The love, respect, admiration and enjoyment that the couple felt for each other was palpable.
With a view of the sun setting over the blue pacific ocean and the island of Maui , the wedding ceremony took place on the lawn next to the food and flower gardens. A luminous full moon rose in the east following the sunset.
Holding a wedding at this sanctuary, where Lokahi means balance and harmony within and without, supports the foundation of what every couple wants in their relationship. I am imagining Lokahi Garden Sanctuary as the perfect place for me and Richard (or any couple committed in love to each other) to renew our vows.
The benefits of attending wedding ceremonies are easily felt. We laugh, cry and feel our hearts swelling with joy and nostalgia. Performed by a couple, Dr. Barry Blum and his wife Gloria Blum, this ceremony was done in 5 languages…English, Spanish, Hebrew, Hawaiian and French. The bride, born in Hawaii with Jewish and American heritage and the groom, born in Argentina and living in the Patagonia of South American as well as having lived some time in France, wanted to honor the languages they speak, their families cultures and the countries in which they were raised.
It was a blessing and a joy for this sanctuary to host this ceremony filled with flowers, song, prayers, dancing, laughter, tears and LOVE. Congratulations to Lila and Yumbel.
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