as much as you do....
WEDDINGS, RENEWAL & COMMITMENT CEREMONIES
Whether planning a small, quiet wedding for a few close family members and friends, or having a large wedding with several hundred people, the wedding ceremony should reflect who the two of you are as a couple. No matter if you are getting married for the first time, renewing your vows on an anniversary, or celebrating a commitment ceremony, I treat every wedding as if it were my own.
I encourage couples to involve others in their wedding ceremony... use bridesmaids, ask a favorite family member to share a reading, present mothers with roses or have them help in the Unity Candle ceremony...if children are sharing the day, involve them in a sand ceremony, or have a son escort his bridal mother down the aisle.
If you want to include something in your wedding ceremony which I do not already offer, NO PROBLEM! I have written or helped couples write many different items for their personalized ceremonies.
What is included?
Personalized wedding planning sessions either in person, or over the phone
When possible, if requested, one pre-marriage counseling session
A personalized copy of your wedding ceremony (not available with some elopement packages)
When possible, availability to you on your wedding day, after the ceremony
(many couples request a meal blessing at the reception)
Ever wonder where we got the expression "Tie the Knot," when referring to a wedding? In most Ancient cultures, knots were tied over and around the hands of a couple being wed, in order to ensure them health, happiness and fertility. This ceremony was called a "Handfasting" and so we acquire the expression "Tie the Knot."
Today, I offer couples a memorable way to add this ancient handfasting custom to any wedding ceremony, giving them a truly unique memory on their wedding day. In fact, many couples believe it is bad luck to "untie" the cords, and so they choose to purchase the cords in order to keep them tied.
Including a handfasting in your wedding truly offers couples something different, which will have guests talking for a long time.
I recently performed a handfasting at a wedding, for one couple whose friend had just returned from his military service in the Middle East. He told me afterwards that the ceremony was the most moving thing he had ever seen in his life, including his time in Iraq.
- UNIQUE OFFERINGS to Re-Traditionalize Your Wedding Ceremony
- Unity Candle
- First Cup of Wine
- Rose Ceremony (Bride & Groom)
- Rose Ceremony (Mothers)
- Sand Ceremony
- Second Rings such as Soul Mate or Family Heirloom
- Tartan Presentation
- Wedding Coin
- Varmala or Lei Ceremony
- Mandala & Cord Ceremony
- Blessing of the Four Winds
- Glass Breaking
- Broom Jumping
Jumping the Broom
Similar to lighting a Unity Candle, the
Sand Ceremony
is a beautiful "First Act," especially for outdoor
weddings where candles would extinguish.
The couple, and sometimes their children,
pours different colors of sand into one single
container, symbolizing the further joining and
blending of their lives. 
