Here are some of the photos I took.
John Kolher showing us how to properly eat a young Thai Coconut. He also had some very useful information about different kinds of coconuts and what each one is best for what use.
Our table. We were late and all the reps were gone but we used it as a base camp. Very handy.
There was a kids talent show before the ceremony. The boy was very active on the mic.
The couple after the ceremony having their photo taken by the "raw-parazzi" Papa-RAW-zzi? :)
I missed the actual ceremony.
This was the centerpiece on our table. There was one on every table, of course. Each one was different and had shells in them to take home as souvenirs. Are seashells vegan? IMO, no. Did I take one home anyway? Yes, I did.
Dinner. Some kind of broccoli with what tasted like a spicy thai-stlye sauce. (Must duplicate only not so sweet), a chutney of some kind, sprout salad and some seed pates on raw crackers.
Everyone got a plate like this delivered to their seat. If you wanted more you could wait in line and get all you wanted. There was a lot of food. I went back for seconds and got plate full of that broccoli. NOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM
Kevin Gianni giving the Man some silverware and the Boy taking his obligatory taste.
"No, I don't like it. But I tasted it, BYE!" There was a playground with a trampoline. We didn't see him for most of the day.
The Beautiful Altar was made from Empty coconut shells, juiced lemon rinds, empty pistashio shells and flower petals.
Cacao elixer. There was an open cacao bar. Long lines, well worth it. I also had some chocolate covered durian. It was my first taste of durian. It tastes sort of like puke at first but then it has a sweet aftertaste. I will save my judgement of durian until I have some fresh.
The crowd. Happy couple is on the left.
These two guests seemed to be having fun.
Sunset. The line for cake.
Cake. I think it was made by Victoria Boutenko. There is chocolate and coconut creme. So rich. There was also a almond cake that I like much better. I did NOT get good photos of the cake, sorry.
Ahem. A shell, a flower petal, a spoon and a finger.
Me, high as a kite on cacao. More, more, more, more, more, Please!. They ran out. Damn. The addict in me loves that stuff.
The line for cake. The Boy was working the door back there. He earned his cake. I think that is Bunny Berry from RawFu, but I'm not positive. In the back in the white coat is Chaya Ryvka Diehl.
Blurry Cake
The bride and grooms view of the altar. That flat of wheat grass is covering a hole where a time capsule is now buried. Open in 50 years. Be there!
The audience view of the altar. I can't remember the name of the man who, I assume, designed and set it up, but he was very talented. It was beautiful and made entirely of organic substances. Inspiring.
Chaya Ryvka Diehl looking like she is fretting over her vita-mix. In that carafe is blueberries and Irish Moss. I got some very good tips from her demo and we bought some irish moss for experimenting with. I'd like to see what it tastes like plain. Irish moss is a seaweed that has "jelling" properties. I want to make cheese with it.
The Trip: It was a very nice drive. The weather was gorgeous. It sprinkled a tiny bit in the morning and there were some big clouds all day but it was warm enough to go without a jacket and all around perfect weather.
The Farm, Angel's Organic Farm is a perma-Culture, organic farm, gathering place, venue type thing with an animal sanctuary on the premises that I didn't get to see.
The People: There were a couple thousand people there. It was nice and busy but not too crowded. I was very happy to be in a place where there were people who were not only vegan but interested in healing through food. As always you have to weed out the people who are just trying to sell you something and the people who genuinely care about animals, the planet and the future of all living beings on the planet. They are out there and quite a few were at this event.
The Water Blessing. World wide and simultaneous. Matt read something and we echoed back. All about love and hydration. There was a lot of energy involved and it felt very positive.
My feelings summed up in a few words: Hopeful, Romantic, Renewed, Inspired, Peaceful, Joyous, Energized, and part of a community.
Thanks for reading. I'm sorry it's not a longer entry. If I try to over think it ti will never get published. I have been looking around the internet and haven't seen any other articles or blogs about it. Get busy People!!!
Cheers!
Wow, great pics! I think I'm getting hungry! And that one pic of you is a quite nice one, too!
ReplyDeleteShells are vegan as far as decorations go, after all, the occupant of that shell had likely abandoned it before it ended up being picked off a beach.....
ReplyDeleteThank you, OP! It was a really fantastic day, I wish I could have been there for the entire time but am glad to have spent the time that I did.
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Beanie, the shell was made by an animal and is therefore, not vegan by definition. Feathers that you find in the forest are not either. I did take it though. There are shells and feathers all over this house that have been gathered at the shore and in the woods, so I guess I'm not a very good vegan in that respect :)
The unfortunate truth is that some humans exploit and kill marine animals for shells and birds for feathers. I'm not trying to argue, just clarifying my reasoning. If someone sees me with a feather or shell, they may go out and BUY one that wasn't found in the woods or on the beach, that is the problem.
If it was made by or came from the body of an animal it is not a vegan product. I took it anyway.
great summary! sorry i did not meet you there. i must tell you to please make the following corrections: the cake was made by Chaya Ryvka Diehl who was also giving kitchen demonstrations and is in your picture. other smaller cakes were made by the kitchen staff but the main wedding cake was made by Chaya. http://www.thelivingvision.com/ the Boutenkos were unable to come. I was in the kitchen helping out and it was a blast!
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