How about adventure and romance- Elopement? Holly, the Bride-to-be, called me about a month ago - specifically, less than 4 weeks away from her proposed elopement date, to talk about possibly playing my violin at her ceremony. I was intrigued at the prospect of witnessing and performing music in an elopement ceremony at the top of a mountain, at sunset, with the beauty of nature as our venue, for two people very much in love, joining their lives in matrimony.
Holly had worked out meticulous details and timeline of her date with a follow-up email after our initial phone call, which gave me total faith in the likelihood of this event happening. I felt immediately invested!
The date for the elopement was meaningful and specifically chosen, 10/21/21, the 55th anniversary of the groom’s grandparents.
As the 10/21/21 approached, the weather forecast looked gloomy, showing 40% chance of rain at Pinnacle, so Holly and I talked about moving the elopement location to other scenic outdoor locations. However, it would prove to be tricky because there was a margin of 40% to 90% chance of rain in all the various locations we talked about. To add to the equation, Holly’s photographer was flying in from Colorado, and needed to be picked up at Albany airport at 2pm and that was a firm part of the timeline! So, our itinerary needed to stay fairly close to Albany, and the timing needed to stay on schedule for a “before sundown” ceremony.
With a lot of variables hanging in the air, we forged ahead with the optimism and determination that makes magic happen!
Yes, this was turning out to be an adventure, and the surprise element was that Holly had hired me unbeknownst by her fiancé. The plan was for me to hike the trail and arrive at the summit well in advance, set up my equipment ( in the bushes) and be ready to “appear” and play at the right time for the Processional of her specifically chosen music.
Everything came together like a perfect constellation or stars. When Holly and Christian arrived, I was sitting on a rock overlooking the view, just waiting with my husband ( who accompanied me) and we nonchalantly watched Holly and Christian ( her fiancé) set things in motion. I disappeared for a minute or so, and re-appeared just as Holly was walking toward him with her bouquet. It was pure magic and a flood of emotion to be surrounded by so much love and beauty. You can make your dreams come true, just believe and go for it!