By McKenzi Taylor – Las Vegas Elopement Photographer
This sounds silly, but I was really drawn to photographing Tara and Austin because I had a good feeling about them. I got a fairly frantic phone call from Austin a few days before their ceremony in Las Vegas because they decided to change their photographer last minute and I could tell that Austin just wanted to make Tara happy. I thought it was sweet! 🙂
When I arrived to photograph their in-suite wedding they also let me know that it was going to be a Wiccan Ceremony. I had not done a ceremony of this nature before this time, but was absolutely thrilled to hear the news because I love doing new things and having a new experience.
Just a little bit about a Wiccan ceremony based on my findings from The Universal Life Church:
A handfasting is the Wiccan equivalent of a wedding in which two people that believe they are matching halves of one whole dedicate their lives to one another. A handfasting tends to be a very different ceremony than a traditional wedding, since the traditional wedding ceremony is based upon monotheistic beliefs and traditions. A handfasting can vary based upon the couple’s wishes and the coven’s traditions, assuming that the couple has affiliated themselves with a coven, though there is generally no aisle to walk down and no white dress for the bride, as these are not Wiccan concepts. Generally, the four elements of the earth are incorporated into as many aspects of the handfasting as possible. Exactly how the four elements are incorporated vary upon the wishes of the couple and the traditions of the coven.
Handfasting ceremonies are equivalent to legal marriages and more and more Wiccan clergy members are becoming online ordained ministers, so a handfasting can oftentimes accompany a legal marriage. Many same sex Wiccan couples announce their commitment to each other in a handfasting ceremony. This is true even in states and countries that do not allow same sex marriage. Usually, either member of the couple can reverse a handfasting, which would be equivalent to a divorce, if they see fit.
I bring you Tara + Austin who got married in their suite with Lady Elzbet Whitefire as the High Priestess.
