My cousin Patrina and Shady (Lloyd) Spotted Blanket were married in an Indian ceremony on the Spokane Reservation. I had the honor of performing the ritual.
The wedding ceremony had all the legal and cultural requirements of a normal wedding -the vows, the ring exchange, the walk down the aisle- but the couple infused the ritual with a beautiful Indian spirit. The entire wedding party dressed in traditional Salish clothing, wing dresses for the women and ribbon shirts for the men. Traditional singers sang the bride down the aisle and accompanied the vows. It was truly one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever seen.
In the photograph above, my uncle Pat walks Patrina down the aisle.
Shady accompanies the two mothers down the aisle.
The flower girls wore wing dresses and tiaras. They carried flower petals in traditional birch bark baskets.
The ring bearers.
Performing the vows.
Standing with the certificate.
The couple greets well-wishers after the ceremony.
i love all these personal photos of your native culture, barry!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jen. The wedding was one of the highlights of my year. It was absolutely beautiful!
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