A Blessing Circle is a gathering of family and friends to acknowledge Rites of Passage within a community. Among their many purposes, blessing circles can be held to support new mamas, welcome babies, honour passed loved ones, and celebrate unions.

Our Circle weaves together our humanness as we are currently, and is inspired by indigenous traditions from around the world, of the First Nations peoples of Turtle Island, the Welsh, Scottish & Irish Celts, the Norse, the Romani, and the many tribes of the Amazon. As we bring this gathering to life, we acknowledge these indigenous cultures with respect and reverence, honouring this land and the lands of our indigenous ancestors of Europe and South America.

Anthea will lead the group through a few songs, then after a brief exchange of promises between Anthea & Lucas, and a prayer from Anthea's mother, Joanne, we will open our circle for family and friends to share songs, poems, stories, and well-wishes. Our intention is to create a living prayer of love and kindness, witnessed and amplified by those present, to bless our marriage, our family, our community, all humans, and Mother Earth.

For those inspired to lend their voice on the day, we ask that you keep your sharing to under 3 minutes, as there will be limited time before food is served! Alternatively, if you wish to share a silent prayer, consider bringing a small item such as a bead, rock, or cutting of a plant to add to our altar in the middle of the Blessing Circle! Feel free to call or email Anthea with any further questions.

778-584-4223

agaunt42@hotmail.com

In lieu of gifts, we humbly ask that guests from Vancouver Island bring camping chairs and beach blankets for themselves, and a potluck lunch food dish to share.

We appreciate the extra costs for guests traveling from out of province, so please just bring yourselves! We will have seating arranged for you.

Let your imagination fly! Keep in mind whatever you bring cannot be reheated, so dishes best served cold or at room temperature that will keep in a cooler on the drive over are ideal.

FOOD ALLERGIES:

Peanuts (& all nuts)

Seafood

Chili Powder

We request that any dishes containing these foods be labelled clearly. We also have a few gluten-free, vegan & vegetarian guests, so if your dish fits those descriptions please label them!

Here are some general potluck categories to pick from:

Main Dishes

Side Dishes

Salads

Cold Teas

Juices

Desserts

Disposable plates, cups, and cutlery will be provided. Feel free to bring your own if you wish.

We will provide water, cake, and sparkling juice for a toast!

Yes, children are absolutely welcome! Our two year old will be there! If you are bringing your children, please include them in your RSVP.

The Blessing Circle will be a brief time that we request our guests' quiet attention. If children are feeling restless, there is a field with lots of space to run around, a playground, and the beach a minute's walk from our picnic area.

We will also provide a cushioned 10-person tent for babies and young children to nap and enjoy quiet play out of the sun.

No. Dogs are not permitted in the day-use or beach areas of Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, which includes where our event is located at Picnic Shelter #1. Please leave your pets at home. We appreciate your understanding.

Picnic Shelter #1 is located in the day use field area on the left side of Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, nestled in beside the trees, a little further from the beach.

As seen in the map above, ideal parking spots are marked by red arrows and Picnic Shelter #1 is circled. A path from the parking lot to the picnic area is also marked by a dotted red line.

The Blessing Circle will be unplugged.

NO LIVE VIDEOS on social media at our gathering.

Feel free to take lots of pictures at the potluck!

Express permission from Anthea or Lucas must be received before posting any pictures or recorded videos from the event to social media.

Be especially mindful of children in pictures. Express permission from parents must be given before posting any pictures or recorded videos of children to social media.

Thank you for respecting our social media guidelines. Your heartfelt presence on our wedding day means a lot to us.

Guests can send pictures and videos directly to Anthea via Signal app, Telegram app, facebook messenger, or google drive link.

778-584-4223

agaunt42@hotmail.com

We will compile all the pictures in a single google drive and email the link to all the guests once the pictures have been collected after the gathering.

No. Picnic Shelter #1 is in a public day use area of Rathtrevor, and so consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.

There will be plenty of beverage options at the potluck, and we will provide a sparkling juice for a toast!