Voice of Clear Light
Volume 14, Number 4 / August 2014
A Wedding at Serenity Ridge
Alicia Frew and Tony Nassif Married in Traditional Tibetan Wedding
Wednesday, July 9, was a special day at Serenity Ridge. Alicia Frew and Tony Nassif, longtime students of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, were married in a traditional Tibetan ceremony at Serenity Ridge Retreat Center. They were joined by family and friends, and by all of those who were participating in the third week of Ligmincha’s annual summer retreat, in a ceremony officiated by Rinpoche.
Tony has been a student of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and coming to Serenity Ridge since summer 2007, and Alicia since summer 2008.
Dressed in traditional Tibetan clothing, the bride and groom were escorted by a picture of the Wheel of Life (to ward away any harmful energy). The Yanguk ritual for prosperity and good fortune was performed. The bride and groom turned the long life arrow, “dadar,” as part of the ceremony. At the conclusion, the groom put the dadar into the back of the bride’s sash— showing that from this day forward she will be wedded to him.
Tenzin Rinpoche bestowed the blessings of body, speech and mind upon the couple. This is a special blessing, aspiration and invitation to ignite the qualities within through the doorway of the body, speech and mind—to discover the spaciousness, awareness and warmth that bring benefits not only to ourselves and each other, but in our relationships with others and to the rest of the world.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, participants shared butter tea and sweet rice, and offered khatas to the bride and groom. The event concluded with a buffet and reception, with offerings of music, poetry and more from sangha members and retreat participants for the new couple.
We wish Tony and Alicia all the best in their married life and hope to see them at Serenity Ridge for many years to come.
