Drumming Circle Weddings
You may have heard about drumming circles...you may even have participated in one! We are excited to offer group drumming as an add-on to any of our a wedding ceremonies. We are also pleased to offer a complete Native American based wedding ceremony with group drumming as prayer!
Picture yourselves on a beach as the sun launches itself from the sea to greet a new day, (or settles over the horizon as the day ends...), and a group of friends gather on a quiet, sandy beach to participate in a ceremony as old as time and very uniquely human: the joining together of 2 people in a committed and loving relationship. The officiant has his usual say-so and asks his questions, and the couple each nervously proclaim their undying love, but will this be enough? Will your "true self" be able to break through and really touch this other person in a deeply satisfying way? How do we convince your "inner child"- and your inner bohemian caveman or woman- to emerge from behind the emotional bushes to be present at this visceral moment?
The answer is to beat on some drums! Read about our ceremony.
After the vows are spoken, the rings exchanged, and the emotional roller coaster ride is nearly over with, the wedding celebrant picks up his drum, dusts off the beach sand, and begins a slow but steady rhythm that represents your beating hearts, and when you are ready, the groom begins his own beat, searching for his energy, getting into the flow. Soon the bride joins her unique music to the pattern and we arrive! We communicate at the level that all of life understands: the rhythm of the universal energy that connects us all. We can maintain this for a few minutes or so, and the celebrant (me) will initiate a "break" that will allow all drummers to come to a unified ending, the drums are placed back on the beach, and we have done what 99% of people getting married never get the opportunity to experience in their wedding ceremonies these days...
....a true and lasting connection with something greater than ourselves- a transcendent experience- and a communion with all human beings who ever lived and breathed on this earth. We can only imagine our ancient ancestors partaking in such a ritual. How exciting and deeply moving it must have been! Their bodies would react to the beat, and their spirits would climb and fly in the currents of primal rhythm. How could we have forgotten such a compelling experience?
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this drumming thing work? Won't we need to practice? I'm the type that needs to be in control of everything!
It's easier than you might think! We can discuss the process over the phone beforehand. The ability to play drums is in our genes, and you will be very gratified and surprised at what will happen! Human beings have been drumming for millions of years, so trust in what your body can do. Control freaks may get nervous at the prospect, but it will do them good to discover potential that comes unbidden from the spirit rather than deliberately from the brain!
I have no drums, and no idea how to play one. Won't we look (and sound) like rhythm-less nincompoops?
Ah, young Skywalkers, just relax and let the force be
with you! I will provide the drums...I have 3 sets of very good quality bongo
drums that are tuned together, or if you prefer, 3 frame style
drums
with beaters (for richness of sound and portability), and even a monkey can play
them! (Just watch me!) At this time I do not have enough Djembe drums to provide
for everyone, so the couple will need their own. Don't worry even
if you never have beat on a drum or might think that you are rhythmically
challenged. We'll just get started and you will find rhythms inside of you that
you didn't know you had. Your guests can also bring drums or simple percussion
instruments, like a shaker, a bell or wood block. They can be purchased at a
musical store or made from items in and around your home. Be creative! We can
have us an impromptu drum circle!
Our beat will be slow and passionate, because this is the language of love! Drumming is in our DNA, and you will be surprised - most couples are - at how simple yet powerful this experience can be.... if you let it happen!
What will our guests think?
Who gives a damn! We are not auditioning for "American Idol", and we really don't give a hoot at that moment about anything but our connection through our drumming. In fact, I have a feeling that your guests will be talking about your unique wedding ceremony for days, regretting that they missed out on such an experience for their own weddings!
Won't this be kind of pagan? And what the heck is a bohemian?
While many of us think we've graduated to higher titles,
pagan is a word often distorted and miss-represented in the religious world, and
still unknowingly applies to many of us. Many, many, MANY (in fact, all) of the
world's religions have roots in earth based beliefs, and after many centuries of
ridicule and slander- and after all the hype from Hollywood- it's become a term
that can mean literally anything. All of humanity shares this common
denominator, this connection that transcends language, skin color, religion, and
recent history.
As for bohemian, here is a definition;
"Being Bohemian is all about living in an alternative space. Bohemians express themselves without regard for social convention. They attempt to experience the mysteries of life through their unique perspective. Today Bohemian is used to describe free-thinking, free-living people - usually artists. Its modern roots are with the Beatniks of the 1950s. Their poets now stand as icons of progressive libertarian thinking."
What will this cost?
To earn back the money I spent for all these drums, and to account for the Old Geezer Beach Crab lugging them out to the beach (after all, I just joined the AARP), we do charge extra for drumming in your ceremony :(
Visit our Ceremony Extras page for details!
Conclusion
To us, drumming represents our connection to Mother Earth, the cycles of life, and all of our brothers and sisters who share this planet we call home. But most importantly, drumming provides a spiritual experience through rhythmic expression, and when we drum, our bodies, brainwaves, and spiritual energy centers begin to vibrate in response. The various frequencies of the drum interact with our own resonant frequencies, forming new harmonic alignments. According to percussionist Dru Kristel, this sympathetic resonance “leaves reverberating effects up 48 to 72 hours after a session.”
If this seems like an unneeded expense on top of all your other wedding costs, just ask yourself where your priorities should be for this important event, and if you want to have a unique and fun-filled experience for your once in your whole life wedding ceremony! I don't mean to be a wise-guy about money, because I do know that it's hard to come by, and all too easy to spend! I've been there and done that, and still owe money on the tee-shirt to prove it! Give up the custom embroidered napkins for the reception, and have some drumming instead!
(Trust me when I say that I'm not looking to get rich from drumming in your ceremony. We have drumming in our lives anyway, whether anyone chooses this option or not. So what do we get out of this? To put it simply, we want to share this unique experience with those of you looking for more spiritual content from this special event in your lives: to evangelize drumming!)
You can save money and hire the hum-drumless, or have a little fun and uncontrolled excitement with me....because it's been my observation that you usually get what you pay for, and I'll leave it at that!
(I am ordained through the Church of Healing Energy and am a Rhythm Healing Drum Spiritual Practitioner.)
Drumming Links
http://www.healingdrummer.com/?drum=1
http://www.shamanism.dk/shamanism-drums-rattles-books.html
http://www.sunreed.com/NativeAmericanDrums.htm
http://www.mountainvalleycenter.com/