Amy Kortuem, Fruit Cup Lady

My friend Nicole got married last weekend, and she asked me to play the harp. She was having a Celtic handfasting ceremony - the bride's and groom's hands are bound together by cord and each guest comes forward to tie a ribbon around their hands to symbolize their union. It promised to be a beautiful, unique wedding and I was so excited about the music Nicole chose - Renaissance songs and Celtic folk songs.

I arrived at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship early and went downstairs to see if I could help out. Nicole's Mom handed me a knife and pointed at a pile of fruit - "Make fruit cups!!!!" she said and rushed back to making punch and coffee.

I think I did rather well, don't you?

About 20 minutes before the ceremony was to start, I went into the sanctuary to tune the harp and get ready for the prelude. A wedding guest was in there taking photos. He looked at me, looked at the harp, look toward the stairs leading to the basement, frowned, and said, "I thought you were the fruit cup lady."

HA! All over town I'm known as "Amy Kortuem The Harpist." Now I have a new title: "Amy Kortuem The Fruit Cup Lady."

Nicole's ceremony was so beautiful. The service she and her husband planned was filled with elements of nature, spirituality, solemnity and humor. I had shivers through most of it. During the handfasting itself, I played the Irish song, "Give Me Your Hand." Sniff, sniff.

Nicole wore this gorgeous flower crown in her hair.

I got to place it on her head. She glowed like a fairy queen.

The aftermath of the ceremony - bouquet, golden shawl and bundle of ribbons

trickily removed from the couple's hands so they could walk back down the aisle.

And cupcakes. (I love cupcakes.)