About Us Beachpeople

My name is Don, and my wife Kathy and I have always had a huge interest in human spirituality. Like a growing number of people today, we've gone beyond traditional religious views in our own spirit quest. And as with most people who've lived a bit, suffered some painful experiences, been divorced, lost jobs, been abused, (and in my case, even been shipwrecked!)... we've been around the flagpole once or twice only to have the *@!!# flagpole fall on us. We've seen much of what life has hidden in it's deck of marked cards.

Along the way we've discovered that we are that rare breed of humanity called beach people. While most people usually claim to enjoy the beach, we are passionate about beaches  and the coastal life-style. We are on the beach in fair or foul, rain or shine, all 4 seasons of the year, to the extent that most of our family think we're crazy! (They just might be right about that...)

You see, we found our answers- our spiritual home- at the beach. There is a different way of seeing life at such a place, and the folks who live there full time have a more relaxed way of life. It's the island way. We experience nature as a living force, and appreciate the power, the fury, the peace, the solitude, the ebb and flow that is nature's way. Nothing is guaranteed but the cycle of tides, the seasons that come and go, the brilliant launching of the sun from the predawn ocean's horizon and (as inevitable as the escape of our fine, white Carolina beach sand through our fingers), the golden brilliant end of another day.  

Beach people take things slow. They are observers, watching the crab's cautious probing from their perfectly round home/bolt-hole in the sand. Beachpeople can look a stalking seagull in the eye and empathize without feeling pestered by what inlanders call sand-rats. We tend to think Jonathan Livingston Seagull, not sand-rat. We deeply yearn to sky-float like they do, envying their temporary separation from the earth...their total freedom. Nothing in the sky has their effortless grace. Never cumbersome, never a wasted beat of a wing. Sigh.  

We don't spend alot of effort theorizing over being spiritual, because in our long sun-snoozy periods of wave induced thoughts, we discovered that being spiritual "just is". The feeling of the sun on your skin, the perfect flow, temperature, and movement of a wave, the fluid and methodical embrace of the water on your body, the refreshing coolness of the air when your dog-eared Sidney Sheldon book and beach chair beckon you back from the intoxicating grip of the sea...this is by God spiritual!

 We live for the real, visceral feel of waves pounding the shore after a journey that spanned thousands of miles: a journey that may have been born on a distant wind driven sea where mysterious and musical languages might be spoken. Beach people prefer the bright sunlight of life, and the pure human impulse to shed all barriers (like your bathing suit) that get between you and total contact with earth's warm, nurturing ocean.

Beach people are deeply interested in healing and renewal. They see first-hand how the beach and the waves interact to erase all the mighty efforts of mortals with the coming of the tide, with the cleansing of the sea. They see the cycle of life repeat itself with each sea turtle that comes ashore to continue it's millennium old chain of procreation, following the moon and the tides, dodging dinosaurs in one era, and late night beach combers in another. We rejoice with every parent who brings their child to meet the deep, eternal ocean for the first time!

(And for every child who brings their parents to the sea as well...)

As for some personal stuff about us, both of us have a longstanding connection to the sea. My wife's family origins began in the Azores, with evening tales around the kitchen table of mighty Atlantic gales battled by her fisherman relatives, recalled to her by her grandparents. She grew up surfing the waves and collecting seaweed with her grandmother to use in making Portuguese soup. Both of her sons are professional divers and avid surfers, with our latest grandson being presented with his first surfboard at 6 months old! Katherine is now an avid photographer and artist, totally enraptured with the Coastal Carolinas, documenting it's sunsets, and the ebb and flow of life by the sea with camera and canvas.

My grandfather was a sea captain and longtime coastal pilot for the old Fall River steamship line, becoming a senior harbor pilot in New England in his later years. Both of my uncles were ship's pilot's, one retired as the senior Panama Canal pilot, and the other a harbor pilot to the Navy, bringing aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers and submarines safely to their berths from the sea. I have always been passionately in love with sea-tales and the lore of brave and lonely mariners who met the challenges of exploring the vast, intractable and mysterious oceans of our world. I also love helping people to discover their inner potential. It's a wonderful reward to see folks discover that really had the power to "return to Kansas" without needing red ruby slippers, wizards, or any outside agency other than love and validation from those around us.

For us, the sea is our mother, our counselor, our source of strength and inspiration. It's art in it's purest form, an ever changing canvas that we never tire of experiencing.

Somehow, through all the trials and tribulations of life, we still love each other, our children and grandkids, (all 9 10 of them), the beach and tales of the sea, the history of lighthouses, shipwrecks and hurricanes along the Outer Banks and the Cape Fear River area, restoring old Volkswagen busses, motorcycles, and growing roses.  We are fascinated with the diversity of life on our planet and work to blend spirituality with a respect for all that wonderful and creative effort that humanity manages to do.  We are fans of ZZ-Top, blues music, the History Channel, the first Blues Brothers movie (but not the second one), Neil Young, classical, bluegrass, and surfer tunes.  

We have many years of experience in compassionately helping you to realize this very special dream...your wedding day!

Together as a team we offer weddings that capture your feelings...through Katherine's photography and creative decoration options, and Donald's relaxed style of officiating, you will experience a romantic and memorable ceremony! 

I strongly believe in wedding ceremonies that are human events, fun and spiritual celebrations rather than dry, sacrament laden services that leave you yawning (and anxious to just get it over with). I find much value in the passion of life. My wedding focus is on the feelings and meaning of those vows.  I'm a big believer in celebrating our humanity and the wonderful milestones that mark our journey through life. I consider it my job to help you two to relax and let go of all that wedding tension so that you can simply concentrate on loving each other. I won't require you to memorize anything...not one word! (Unless you want to!) I don't want to you to be embarrassed or a candidate for a stretcher and smelling salts. I'm a very relaxed and laid-back person, with a healthy sense of humor that might just creep into your wedding ceremony! I promise to do all that I can to make this moment be painless and memorable for all the right reasons.

I'll go where you want me to go (within my service area) to perform your ceremony, seven days a week, year round, rain or shine, hurricane or snow blizzard. I'll marry you in the air, ( I did actually jump out of a perfectly good airplane once!), on the water but not under it, ( I haven't worked up the courage to learn diving yet), under the beam of a lighthouse or standing in the pounding surf, sunrise or sunset, or anytime in between. Non-traditional weddings are welcomed. I am more than willing to offer a custom wedding ceremony that suits your needs, but do have many sample ceremonies that you may use or modify as you wish.

My wife and I love the Coastal Carolinas, with their rich and proud histories of sacrifice and service. Few places on the eastern seaboard today have claim to the rich traditions, sense of honor, and long standing history and connections to the sea.                                                                                                                                     

Let us be part of your history...                

Contact us at donnybeach@gmail.com  ,  or call me

910-575-8171