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Lighthouses don’t just send out the light, they can create a brilliant “light” in the hearts of others, too. The Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation recently had the pleasure of hosting Sherry Coursey and Chris Perry at Delaware’s Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse. The couple exchanged vows during the first ever wedding ceremony held at the offshore sentinel. Sherry and Chris could not think of a more special place to embark on their new life together than high atop the 76-foot lighthouse that marks the entrance to the Delaware Bay and safe harbors of Cape Henlopen.
During the ceremony outside the light’s watch room, retired Reverend Cynthia C. Quillen alluded to the fact that life and its rough seas are a lot like a lighthouse but told Sherry and Chris that they were each other’s safe refuge. Reverend Quillen then said to the couple, “Just like you climbed the steps inside Harbor of Refuge, your love for each other is like climbing stairs that is taking you to a place you have never been before.”
Lighthouses are more than simply historic structures - they represent many things to many people, from special moments to family memories at the beach. To coastal communities, the lighthouse is one of the unmistakable foundations of their heritage and culture by the sea. DRBLHF president Bob Trapani commented on the first wedding at Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse, stating, “By sharing Delaware’s lighthouses with the community, the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation is able to preserve more than the historic site - we help preserve our connection to the sea as well.”
This story appeared in the February 2005 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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