07/06/2017
"Weddings Are Alive!"
Happy Thursday! My name is Marisa, my traditional name is Ayngughaghaq. I am the creator of Epoch Weddings & Events. I am a proud Siberian Yupik, & African American. Epoch Weddings & Events was created primarily because I needed to do something with my organizational, creativity, & problem solving skills. My passion for coordinating spectacular weddings also came to mind after doing some research on the history of St. Lawrence Island Yupik, & African American marriages.
I was curious to understand why enslaved African American couples had no official recognition with marriages. Couples joined traditionally through their African cultures on plantations....but then I wanted to dig deeper, & understand why their owners did not allow them to legally marry. My research lead to the horrifying facts of forcible family separations which made it extremely difficult for couples to live together. Husbands, wives, & children were separated & sold during slave auctions to different owners. Most people like myself cannot begin to comprehend the historical complexities; however, Ive learned to understand that despite challenges, my ancestors practiced the importance of consecrated marriages. They jumped the broom!
I grew up in Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island which is extremely rich with the Siberian Yupik Culture. Ive learned through my grandparents oral history that marriage on the Island was practiced by family members arranging marriages for adolescents as soon as they reached puberty. Young adults were forced into marriage with no consent. The culture of marriage has evolved overtime on St. Lawrence Island. The opposite of dowry & dowry are still practiced, couples choose their own partners, & modern day weddings occur in Savoonga.
The idea of putting together a beautiful, well organized, & highly celebrated wedding helps me to vanquish the mental images of historical trauma.
History has helped me to develop a strong desire, passion, & motivation for coordinating weddings. At Epoch Weddings & Events, all Weddings are Alive & recognized!
