Outdoor Ceremony Altar

The ceremony altar represented the four directions, seasons, and elements: Orchids and clear pebbles represented the east, water, and spring; live fire was extinguished before the ceremony to symbolize the south, fire, and summer; pine cones and leaves symbolized the west, autumn, and earth; and bamboo and black river stones symbolized the north, air, and winter. Guests were provided with brightly colored fans to shade themselves from the Malibu sun.