Amy and Chelsea spent 16 years spending time in the same places in Atlanta without ever meeting, but in 2020 their paths finally crossed. They had both had turned toward spiritual practice and found their own connection to Reiki.

They explained, “As if cosmically initiated we both experienced individual relationships with Reiki that eventually pulled us together like soul-centred magnets. As we spent more time together, we both realised how aligned a life together felt. In a city bustling with the living, we found peace, ease and clarity spending time walking in Oakland Cemetery with the spirits, ancestors, animals and plants that reside there.”

This mutual love of spiritual practice informed their wedding massively, from the Shamanic officiant that let the ceremony, their choice of vendors and the cemetery location. “Our wedding ‘theme’ was Anam Cara, the ‘Soul Friend'”, they continued. “This ancient Celtic philosophy, serves as both the inspiration for this day and the foundation of our devotion. It is a sacred promise to move through the world not just as lovers, but as a spiritual team.

The couple got ready together at their hotel and did photos on the rooftop before heading to the cemetery together. The ceremony itself opened with a land acknowledgement, recognising Indigenous stewardship and inviting accountability. They also reworked the structure of the ceremony itself, walking in together and writing their vows as a team. “We included many spiritual practices within our ceremony. Many of these practices were born from Reiki and Shamanic traditions. These traditions are the guide posts for our lives and it was incredibly important for us to honour these traditions in our commitment to one another.”

The reception took place at Kimball House, a restaurant they had both spent years visiting so it was somewhere they already knew and loved. The invite list was intimate and friends were woven into the day in many practical ways. One friend handled the florals while another baked the cake using local tea blends. Their photographer was someone they’d met through part of their Reiki community. Their rings were made by another friend who is a jeweller. “We were gifted so much time with the people in our community whom we love so deeply.”

“Navigating the patriarchal, capitalistic, cultural conditioning that comes up in wedding was difficult”, they admitted, “The conditioning that is often attached to organised religion and peoples ideas around who you are allowed to love and what that love is supposed to look like. We did have some underlying nervousness about being a queer couple and navigating whether each place you go, from the venue, to the bridal boutique will accept your love for one another without judgement. However we were very lucky with our vendors, they were all amazing.”

“We want to shout out every single person who helped us co-create the magic that was our wedding day. We chose to build our wedding with the support of our local community and friends. We could not have done it without these relationships and we both find it deeply important to support small businesses when co-creating such an important day.”