Witch Wedding

By Virginia Huie

A devil witnessed the wedding of Tara Hughes and Nick Tomeo in Lindenhurst. So did a pirate and an angel and a fairy. The guests came in costume to get into the spirit of the Halloween day ceremony. An unconventional wedding for a nontraditional bride. Tara Hughes of Centereach is a follower of the Wiccan religion. That makes her a witch. Not the wicked, wart-on-the-nose creatures made infamous in storybooks -- but a worshipper of an ancient earth-based religion. Wiccans believe the divine exists in everyone and everything, and they pray to a god and goddess. Wicca has been recognized as a religion by the U.S. since 1986, when the Internal Revenue Service ruled that contributions to it were tax-deductible. Followers estimate there are about 1 million Wiccans in the country. Tara and Nick tied the knot the Wiccan way with a handfasting ceremony. Colored cords bound their hands together to symbolize their union. They exchanged vows and rings. The ceremony ended with the couple jumping over a broomstick to signify their leap into life together. I've seen many nontraditional weddings -- ones held atop skyscrapers, on the ice, under water and in the air. Tara and Nick's wedding was out of the ordinary. But it was touching and romantic -- a true celebration of love. Tara told me she was a rebel as a kid and made her share of mistakes. She never thought she'd find lasting love. But then she met Nick -- and her fear of commitment melted away. She says he takes care of her. Nick is not Wiccan. But he says he embraces Tara for everything that she is. That's true love.

Comments

[hahahhahhh]

Every 'witch' way. Cute.
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And I liked your Veteran's day story, too.

[sshhhh]

Hey- that story is wicked! Good for them, I'm glad they found love and a unique way to celebrate it.