Notes on a Narragansett Wedding

There are few things in life more romantic and sweet and emotional and wonderful, than a wedding.  Even the most cold hearted and cynical and soul-less among us (yours truly included) can find themselves misty eyed and smiling like an idiot all day long.   Last weekend is a testimony to the power of the wedding ceremony: my husband's sister and her fiance and father of their newborn baby boy, were married.  I consider myself a mostly heartless individual who succumbs to my emotions in moments of weakness.  But watching my beautiful sister in law walk down the aisle, the culmination of so much work and so much love, even I was overwhelmed with happiness. I hate it when that happens.

On the morning of I awoke to these bad girls all done and ready for the bride made by my talented and gorgeous husband! Moosehide center seam moccasins with white glass beads and wampum and deertail detailing.  A definite must for any stylish Narragansett bride.  The husband was awake late into the night before putting the finishing touches on these and they turned out AMAZING.  

I rolled out of bed way too early and helped my industrious and creative and all around party thrower extraordinaire mother in law decorate the venue. (Other than "hosting", and I use that term loosely, our gracious and wonderful family friends from Bermuda, I had not contributed much to the wedding preparations.  So I was all over reception site set up.)  Feast your eyes on these beauties all packaged and assembled and ready for the party! 

 


And once the centerpieces were assembled by aforementioned Bermuda family and mother in law:

 

Table numbers were written on paper lattice punched tags and burned onto small wood pieces.

Mason jars were wrapped in burlap and lace-on-ribbon and were placed on multi-tiered wood discs with glass milk jar vases, purple votives, pictures of the happy family and strewn with pearls.

 

   

All set and ready for the bride and groom!  I will die a happy woman if I never have to tie another chair bow again.

Back at our bedroom turned bridal suite, here I am breastfeeding our littlest yucca-fruit.  Our daughter was dressed and ready to do her duties!  Not pictured: me applying more false eyelashes on girls than a makeup artist backstage at a drag show.

The beautiful main event:

The wedding ceremony was conducted by a very well respected fixture in the Narragansett community and took place on the same spot where the bride's parents (and her brother and I!) were married.  My brother in law's girlfriend carried their newly born son in a Narragansett cradleboard, I carried shiyazh in his Dine' cradleboard, and one of the bride's best friends carried her newly born son (the ringbearer) in his Narragansett cradleboard.  And while the bridesmaids all looked beautiful, given the sad state of my arms, I wish I had worn yazh on my back pre -colonial style.  I want to go cradleboard hands free. Please. Next time. 

Of course after the ceremony the bride and groom were busy with pictures and we had time to mill about and take selfiiiiiiieeeessss!!!!

Shiyazh doo his bizhi! This is yazh and my mother in law's cousin.  I also worked for her for a number of years.  I am so thankful and happy to be able to call her my family.  These two are connected in some very special ways. I love when I get to document them together.  

This is my newest nephew! (I have all nephews and no nieces!)  My brother in law and his girlfriend's baby is snoozing in his cradleboard and being held by his auntie from Atlanta.  She and her husband whisked into town for the wedding and whisked out much too soon.

The bride and groom and their baby boy.  Take note of the footwear! 

Three yucca fruits and one non.  Yazh is a cradleboard baby!

Nizhoni was a great flower girl! But she didn't achieve this status on her own.  Her nali kumas ("paternal grandmother" and "grandmother" in Navajo and Narragansett respectively) worked with her and months before the wedding began explaining to her what her role is.  We ripped up little pieces of paper and put them in an old basket and sang the wedding march song and made her walk around various makeshift "aisles" in our home while scattering the pieces of paper.  Needless to say, yazhi rocked it. 

Our little flower girl and her auntie!

Shiyazhi and her cousin (her Nali Kumas' sister's daughter)

L-R: Tuscarora, Navajo/Ojibwe/ Chickasaw, St. David's Island Bermudian

The wonderful reception was a little bit of a blur, only because I was exhausted and malnourished and also it didn't help things that our flower girl was smelling less like a flower and more like a poopy diaper at the height of the party.  Nonetheless I can provide what I have! 

Shiyazhi and I felt very prestigious eating at the head table.  In fact, when she was asked to go sit with her father with the commoners for a while, she threw a fit fit for the head table.  

Shiyazh and his handsome father!  The bride and groom supplied all three newborn boy cousins with coordinating purple suspenders and bow ties.  Yazh debuted his new bow guard too and daddy rocked his custom designed turkey feather tie and wampum accessories.  

  SWOON!!!!

The weather was perfect, the bride and groom got choked up during their vows, the venues were idyllic and the love was in the air! It was a nizhoniful day and we were so happy to be a part of it! 

The next morning our yucca fruit prince and princess were sporting their best "we survived auntie and uncle's wedding" faces as we all slept in until 8:30am!