Donkeys-For-Good: Countdown to Latham’s Donkey Wedding (rain or shine!)

Our Donkey Wedding is less than a month away! On Saturday, May 11th at Taylor-Bray Farm in Yarmouth Port, Latham Centers’ miniature donkeys Esther and Esau will be “getting hitched” – and the wedding will take place rain or shine!

While our volunteer donkey wedding event committee has been busy making plans for the special day, our adult residents who work with the donkeys have also played an important support role. Latham adult resident Jen and our donkey trainer Kristiane Thompson welcomed us to observe the vocational program at a recent photo and video session. In the video clip below, Jen shares why she enjoys working with Latham’s therapeutic donkeys, before taking them out for a neighborhood walk. The donkeys will make a pre-wedding appearance in the Brewster in Bloom parade on Sunday, May 5th, decked out in their wedding finery and walking behind Latham Centers’ “Donkey Wedding” themed float. The parade kicks off at the Eddy School in Brewster at 1:00 p.m. and runs along Route 6A (Main Street) in Brewster to Swamp Road.

The Donkey Wedding is a fundraiser for Latham Centers’ Asinotherapy Program (donkey therapy), and Jen gives us a glimpse of just how much this program means to her. “I just like everything… there’s nothing I don’t like” about caring for the donkeys, she said. Jen enjoys brushing them, petting them (“they’re soft”), feeding them hay, giving them fresh water, and walking them. 

On May 11th, we are hoping for a gorgeous spring wedding day for Esther and Esau, but if it rains guests are encouraged to dress for the weather and bring an umbrella. We will have seating under the tent, along with food and drinks, but the animals (including Esther and Esau) will be outside – a little rain won’t bother them. After all, a rainy wedding day brings good luck!

Tickets for the Donkey Wedding must be purchased in advance. We are pleased to report that the event is nearly sold out, so if you’d like to join us and have not yet purchased tickets, you can do so here. Pre-registered guests should plan to stop at the registration table when they arrive at the wedding.

Thank you, Jen and Kristiane, for sharing some moments with the donkeys with our Latham community and beyond!

Photo/video credit Denise Pressman, Fleeting Moments Photography