By Jeremy Johnsen
Moisture Festival Development Coordinator
A lot of knots get tied at Hale's Palladium, but those knots usually suspend an aerialist above the audience or secure the ends of a tightrope traversed by an acrobat. On April 14th, less than a week after the close of Moisture Festival 2012,
Ben and Kelsey Curran tied a different kind of knot in the Palladium. Having fallen in love with the festival in 2008, Ben and Kelsey decided to make their love for each other official with a Moisture-Festival-themed wedding.
Ben and Kelsey are big fans of moisture of the comedy/varietè kind, but they also share a love of the fermented variety. Shortly after proposing, Ben got the idea to have a wedding at Hale's Palladium while attending a beer fest therein. Kelsey thought her groom-to-be had a great idea and the two dreamt up a big day full of beer and revelry, surrounded by all the trappings of the festival they'd laughed and cheered at together for years; but the happy couple never imagined that they'd be able to have their own matrimonial Moisture Festival. When Kelsey started planning, she discovered that it might be possible to book Moisture Festival performers for her big day. "That's when I got really excited," she recalls. "I got in touch with Ben and we looked at each other like, 'Can we do that? Moisture Festival wedding?'"
With the help of
Kathleen Hale herself, denizens of northwestern varietè emerged fresh off the festival circuit to join the roster of a very unique wedding reception and Moisture Festival President
Ron Bailey signed on as Master of Ceremonies.
“A few of our friends who we’ve brought to the Moisture Festival in past years speculated that we might have something up our sleeves,” says Kelsey. “But we really wanted to keep the entertainment factor a surprise.”
And the surprise was packaged beautifully. With the help of friends and family, the to-be-weds turned the Palladium into an elegant banquet hall. Long tables topped with white linen, candles and flowers replaced the theater seating of the festival and, for one night, the Moisture Festival Stars came down as mementos and photos from the life and love of Ben and Kelsey went up.
After the guests arrived - and gathered their popcorn and beer, of course - Unitarian Reverend, joyfulness consultant and comedic playwright
Amanda Aikman began her contextually appropriate, jovially tongue-in-cheek and ultimately touching ceremony.
“During one of the planning sessions, we came across a wine ceremony that [Aikman] does for people,” Kelsey remembers. “The three of us looked at each other and thought, “Beer ceremony?! Absolutely.”
And Aikman did not disappoint:
"Ben and Kelsey, there is a substance that has flowed like a river through your relationship, as a shared interest, a hobby, and a vital part of Ben’s chosen profession. This is a most ancient liquid, believed by many to be humanity’s very first fermented beverage. Yes, I’m talking about beer. "
"To represent the transformation of your life together as you enter into marriage, and also to be the very first nourishment that you share as you now are transformed into becoming a married couple, how very fitting that you should share a few sips of beer from this beautiful bridal cup, given to you by Kris Larson."
"May the hops and the barley of your two distinct personalities ferment with the yeast of love and commitment to create a hearty, flavorful brew, with just enough of the bitter to keep it interesting -- bubbling with never-ending delight, and intoxicating you both with enduring joy. Drink now, and may your life together be robust, flavorful and deeply satisfying."
“She actually couldn’t get all the way through it without busting up,” mused the beaming bride. “It was great.”
After they were man and wife, the Currans sat down with their friends and loved ones for some comfort food in “a wonderful dinner of mac ‘n cheese, fried chicken and meatloaf,” followed by toasts from their nearest and dearest.
Then, to the guests’ surprise, a ukulele rendition of "Till There Was You"(from The Music Man) by the best man’s father transitioned into their “
own little Moisture Festival!”
Bill Robison brought out his telepathic microphone, a “crowd favorite,” to start things out;
Fuchsia Foxx conjured up some “wedding night inspiration … (wowza!),” in the bride’s own words;
Baby Gramps then sang a few songs for the very tickled newlyweds;
Godfrey Daniels made the night a Moisture Festival classic; and aerialist
Tanya Brno gracefully scaled and descended her “very cool corkscrew-type apparatus.”The performances gave way to joyous dancing, with the band,
Lucky Brown, getting everyone to circle around the new couple as revelry and, of course, “Moisture” coalesced into an evening they’ll never forget.
“I’ve never felt so much love in my life,” the bride remembers fondly just a few weeks later. “It really was the best day of our lives.”
