Your Wedding Ceremony

Building a celebration around you and with you

​It Is Your Ceremony

My philosophy is simple: It is your ceremony, so we will build it around you and with you.
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The Stoic philosopher, Epictetus, once said that "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak." I will keep that in mind in our meetings.
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I will not come with a "checklist" of things I need to do or I need to say. I will concentrate on you. Your wedding ceremony is about you, and should be about creating a memorable ceremony that will stay with you and your guests forever. 

​To achieve this, I will meet with you a number of times, in person or virtually. Like everything else in this process, the number of times we meet, how and where we meet, and how we plan your wedding ceremony will really be up to you. 

Our Process

How we'll work together to create your perfect ceremony

Getting to Know Each Other

We'll meet in person or virtually to discuss your vision, backgrounds, and what matters most to you. During the initial stage, I will spend time getting to know you as people, and I will ask you questions – general and specific – to gather information regarding your needs and desires. You need not worry about coming up with clear answers to each question (though it is certainly OK if you do) at that stage. The main thing is to get you thinking about what you want to see in your wedding ceremony. ​

Ceremony Design

After you have had some time to think about the questions we raised during the initial stage, we will begin to craft your wedding ceremony together, and the ceremony elements and order will start to gel. During the more advanced stages of preparation we will together continue to make progress towards carefully crafting a ceremony that will reflect your individuality and uniqueness, as no two couples are alike. 

I include personal remarks based on your life and love story. I see myself as a learner, first and foremost, and I try to learn from every person I interact with. Therefore, I frame these remarks in terms of what I learned from you. You can read examples of these personal remarks on my blog, Wise Student.​

Final Preparation

At the end of this process, and well in advance of your wedding, you will have a written copy of your ceremony, based on our discussions and approved by you. You will be confident that your wedding ceremony will make your most special day truly wonderful.
You may wonder why under the heading Your Wedding, I do not actually describe what your wedding will look like. Of course, in light of the above approach, it should make sense. Since we, together, will build the ceremony around you as a couple, rather than me "shoehorning" you into a pre-written ceremony, there is no way to describe exactly what it will look like.

Click through to the Full Wedding Videos page to watch examples of weddings I officiated or co-officiated.​

After Your Ceremony, Every Guest Should Say:

"I understood everything, because everything was explained"
"I felt welcome, comfortable, and validated, because everything was explained in an inclusive manner"
"I could tell that the officiant had taken the time to get to know the couple"
"That was one of the best ceremonies ever; I am ready to party!"

Ready to Start Planning?

Schedule a free consultation with me!
​Let's discuss your vision and begin creating your perfect ceremony.