I think you’re beautiful. This is true, first and foremost. What you wear, has to be fair for you. I don’t care what your age is, whether you’re skinny, tall, overweight, bulky, baggy, saggy or boney. You’re a part of this world, and you’re beautiful. Not about a Dress Code Depending on who you are, and your style, there is something telling about what you wear given the role you play. Underlying guidelines rather than saying you must wear something specific like a black suit and a pastoral collar. So let’s start here: how do you feel about the way… Read More »

How to Start Your 2021 Wedding Day with Less Anxiety You, like every engaged couple, want to have a wonderful, memorable wedding day. Don’t you? Don’t you love knowing your friends and family are going to be together for your most special day? Or that everything, down to the last detail, will go off as planned? But what happens when your hopes and dreams, i.e. wanting the wedding day of your dreams to be totally awesome, turns into unmet expectations, and huge disappointments because of safety protocols, lockdowns and vendor cancellations? I started 2020 with more couples booked than ever… Read More »

We deserve a hug, no doubt about it. So we’re here to share a replacement we hope will only last for part of 2021. But for now, the next best thing could be the wisdom of Bob Marley. Click the photo to enlarge, my friend, and let his words hug your heart and expand your mind!! Click >>>>> Bob Marley marriage for your pdf of Bob Marley’s words. Want to incorporate Bob Marley or Arctic Monkeys for that matter, into your upcoming wedding ceremony? Contact us for a chat about how we can highlight how who you are and the… Read More »

“Thank you for giving us such a wonderful wedding! We thought, at first, that we just wanted some quick, blah ceremony. We were, in fact, disappointed that we couldn’t just go to the courthouse! As our plans changed, we discovered you. Your words were powerful and so perfectly fitting! We both shed tears, and realized the true meaning of a legal and lifelong commitment.” Kellie and Barbara Perfectly Fitting Ceremonies The email above came a few days ago from a couple I recently officiated for. It’s very gratifying for me to know the ceremony I’ve tweaked over the past two… Read More »

One of the skills you learn or build on when you get married is how to solve problems together. You are a team member now who’s taken on the challenge to negotiate with each other the kinds of things you enjoy as a couple. Then there’s all those things you did because you didn’t have to check in with or take action with anyone but yourself. As a team, you’ll need to build an emotional bank account with each other. Cooperation, support, encouragement – these make deposits in the bank. Criticism, shame, digging your heels in without merit make withdrawals.… Read More »

One of the skills you learn or build on when you get married is how to solve problems together. You are a team member now who’s taken on the challenge to figure things out with each other. As a team, you’ll need to build an emotional bank account with each other. Cooperation, support, encouragement – these make deposits in the bank. Criticism, shame, digging your heels in without merit make withdrawals. Calling Card of marriage This emotional bank account building is a calling card of marriage. If one person does all the giving in, eventually all the sacrifices one of… Read More »

Bells and whistles of creativity Creativity is being able to take simple elements and let our imagination add bells and whistles in tasteful ways to reveal the wow factor. This is a quality I believed I had in large measure. You could see my creativity in the paint on the walls in the house, the finishes on my cabinets, the names of my dogs. If you read my bio, you’d think it was either creative or crazy how I traveled from one side of the country to the other. Over the years, my couples and I applied inventiveness to their… Read More »

During our pandemic times, As your officiant, I practice social distance as recommended by our national health team from the NIH.  I encourage you to make the safest choice regarding what you will do with your guests. Masks may not be pretty but they are part of today’s reality, and during your ceremony I don’t wear a face covering. Before and after, I do. You’ll exchange rings in a new way for me, but it’s so nice I’ll be keeping this new option even after we’ve got the all clear. These pandemic times  require extra precautions above and beyond the… Read More »

“Time is very slow for those who wait. Very fast for those who are scared. Very long for those who lament. Very short for those who celebrate. But for those who love, time is eternal.” William Shakespeare Forced to wait to get married Having to wait to get married would be difficult for me. Nope, patience has never been one of my virtues. I’m sure affirming this fact has never helped me develop that quality. When COVID-19 hit our world, and couples began postponing or rescheduling their ceremonies, I could hear the disappointment in their voices. Some lost large sums… Read More »