What could be more romantic than a bride arriving for her wedding by horse drawn carriage? In the Hunter a selection of magnificent carriages are available to hire from Oakfield Ranch in Thornton.http://www.oakfieldranch.com.au

It wasn’t that long ago that “people believed that reminiscing was a sign of senility—what we now call Alzheimer’s disease,” wrote Robert N. Butler (Kunz 2007). After working with healthy volunteers for 11 years, in 1961 Butler “postulated the existence of the life review as a normal function of the later years and not a pathological condition. Memories, reminiscence, and nostalgia all play a part in the process. 


"Far from living in the past or wandering, as was thought, older people were engaged in the important psychological task of coming to terms with the life they had lived. They sought to make amends for acts of omission and commission, resolve conflicts, and reconcile alienated relationships.”

Although some aspects of brain function do decrease as we age, Gene D. Cohen  says the “older brain is more resilient, adaptable, and capable than we thought.” When we’re young, for example, we tend to favour one side of the brain over the other. In the second half of life we tend to integrate the hemispheres.

Autobiography engages both sides of the brain and as we age we have a stronger impulse to tell our life story —not only because storytelling and reminiscence are part of the natural work of elders, but also because they “become appealing ways of giving back—sharing what we have learned” (Cohen 2007).

But writing your own life story is a difficult and daunting process so why not let author Rebecca Skinner do it for you? It will stimulate your brain and be a wonderful legacy to leave for future generations. 

Looking for something different to include at your wedding?

What about a Sand Ceremony?

This is a lovely, unifying idea based on the idea of blending the bride and groom's families. Two containers of sand represent the single journeys the bride and groom were once on as well as their own families and friends. During the wedding ceremony the couple blend the two containers of sand into one, representing the coming together of their friends and family through their marriage. And as the sand blends, the solitary journey of both the groom and bride finishes as the couple  walk a single path together into their future.

Hand tying or handfasting adds a lovely new dimension to a wedding ceremony. But what coloured ribbons should you choose?

All colours have their significance. For instance red is the colour of passion, strength and fertility; orange represents attraction and kindness while yellow is linked to confidence and joy. 

Green, often used by financial institutions, represents prosperity along with health while blue, the colour of the ocean, stands for tranquility, devotion and sincerity. 

Purple represents power, white- purity and peace and black, strength and success. Pink is the colour of romance, brown is very grounding while gold is linked to energy, wealth (of course!) intelligence and longevity. Silver on the other hand is the colour of creativity and inspiration.

So knowing all that, which colours would you choose? Maybe a mixture of them all...

Have you ever wondered where the saying ‘tying the knot’ or ‘giving one’s hand in marriage’ come from? ” They both stem back to the ancient tradition of handfasting, originating from the Old Norse ‘hand-festa’ – ‘striking a bargain by joining hands.’ 

In a wedding ceremony Handfasting involves lightly binding the hands of a couple together using a cord, rope, ribbons or even a scarf to signify a couple coming together as one.

It’s now a popular addition to a ceremony – adding a new way to honour a couple’s love and commitment.

Handfasting was practised by both the ancient Greeks and Romans, with garlands made of flowers wrapped round a couple’s wrists signifying love and fidelity. Celtic handfasting, common in Ireland and Scotland was the way a couple was ‘officially’ married before the church introduced wedding ceremonies.

We have the movie,  Braveheart, which featured a handfasting, to thank for spearheading this colourful revival in tradition.