CIRCLES OF LOVE
Ritual Art:
A wedding deconstructed and reImagined to create
a year long four season themed We-Doing with friends and family.
by Toshi Hoo & Liza Bender
Why Circles of Love?
When Toshi and Liza decided to get married they decided to deconstruct and reimagine a wedding ceremony.
They chose to create a welcoming, inclusive and connecting gathering where the ceremony was created to celebrate all the loving connections of their wider community of friends and family, not just the connection between themselves.
The circle formation of the gathering was chosen as a way to include everyone into the "inner circle" as part of the ceremony.
What is a We-Doing?
Besides the fact that Toshi and Liza have a relationship pep rally cheer of "Team We-heee" when planning or doing fun things together. The idea of having their community engage with the gathering and the wedding ritual in a more active way felt more authentic and meaningful. So a We-Doing is literally the idea of creating a wedding together. Instead of a wedding produced by wedding industry professionals, these gatherings were made, produced and catered by everyone attending.
Why a year long seasonal wedding ceremony?
Each Circle of Love was held during a different season cycle (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) for practicle and metaphorical reasons.
Many peoples lives, schedules and travel plans had been filled with uncertainty for many years, so the four seasonal wedding gatherings held in different regions of the USA made it easier for guests to join the celebration and emphasized that love is a journey, not a destination.
The intention was to have the ceremony reflect and acknowledge the seasons in life and love, celebrate people in their lives by including a fun and interactive ceremony ritual that was designed to connect all the guests to each other, to us, the region, and to the season.
What made the ceremony different?
The ceremony ritual included a special ceremonial chain made of circles and hearts. That chain was brought to each seasonal gathering and passed around each Circle of Love. The ceremonial chain was passed around to bless the wedding rings attached to the chain in a round box and the chain was held during the Wedding Vows.
After the Wedding Vows guests passed the chain back around the circle and pulled a "Love Link" (a custom carabiner with a heart connector) off the ceremonial chain as a gift. They were encouraged to repeated a "Community Vow" while they held the individual "Love Link".
The "Love Link and the "Community Vow" were meant to imprint the idea that even when we are apart we still have the loving moments we create together in our hearts and minds.
SPRING
Dunedin, FL April 9th 2022
Attire Theme "FLORIDA FLORALS"
Attire Theme "FLORIDA FLORALS"
SUMMER
Anchorage, AK July 2nd, 2022
Attire Theme "MOUNTAIN FORMAL"
Attire Theme "MOUNTAIN FORMAL"
FALL
Brookline, MA Sept 24th, 2022
Attire Theme "FALL FESTIVE"
Attire Theme "FALL FESTIVE"
WINTER
Fremont, CA Jan 1st, 2023
Attire Theme "WINTER ONSIE"
Attire Theme "WINTER ONSIE"
REMEMBER...
LOVE IS A JOURNEY
NOT A DESTINATION
...WEDDING ;)