F.A.Q.
Celebrants are highly trained professionals, legally qualified to marry couples. As a celebrant, I specialize in custom, one-of-a-kind ceremonies that reflect “your story” and the most important parts of your personality and life. Many couples who are not formally connected with a religious institution and are not interested in having a simple civil ceremony don’t know where to turn—this is where celebrants can be very helpful. Celebrants work with couples who wish to draw upon their faith tradition in interesting and symbolic ways. Celebrants provide a valuable option when the bride and groom come from different faith traditions, and we serve the ever-growing number of brides and grooms who consider themselves “spiritual, but not religious.” And finally, we respect couples who want to have an entirely secular—but fabulously customized and special—ceremony. Just because someone is legally qualified to marry a couple, does not mean that he or she will provide the couple with the level and quality of service that is key to having an extraordinary, unforgettable wedding ceremony.
The thing I try to impress upon my couples is that I am here to do the work; I want you to enjoy the process. I certainly don’t want to contribute to the hassles and pressures of wedding planning. I usually begin by learning about “your story”….how you met, fell in love, what you love about your partner, hopes for the future, and so on. This is done through conversations and a tried and true set of questions developed over the years. I draft a narrative of your personal story, which generally anchors the ceremony—all with your approval and suggestions. The narrative can, I believe, reflect the levity and seriousness of the day, in just the tone you wish. It creates an intimacy among the guests that is not possible in a standardized, ceremony.
I then work with you on the other components of the ceremony, helping you review vows or assisting you as you develop your own. I will work tirelessly with you to find ways, large and small, that your ceremony speaks to your heart. This would include reviewing readings, discussing rituals and wedding rituals from all faiths and cultures, considering the participation of your friends and loved ones in the event and much more! My hope is that you find this a creative process that gets you excited about the wedding and re-affirms all that you love about your partner.
Obviously, the goal is to strike a balance between a ceremony that is sufficiently long to recognize the importance of the day—while not being so long as to bore people. I believe that a noteworthy ceremony leads to a great celebration, so the goal is to create a script that makes your heart sing. Formal wedding ceremonies tend to be about 25-35 minutes depending upon processional, music, and rituals, among other things. Micro-weddings and elopements usually run about 20 minutes.
In days gone by, the typical itinerary included a rehearsal (and dinner) the night before a wedding. However, these days, for many reasons, that is not always the case. For larger weddings, venues tend to guard their time carefully and may be unable to accommodate a full rehearsal the day or evening before a larger wedding. Should a couple feel strongly about a rehearsal, many venues will allow for a quick “run through” the day of the wedding. And, if it is impossible to have a rehearsal at the actual venue, one can always organize a practice at a different location. Whatever is your preference and desire, I am here to make that happen!
I perform many ceremonies in New York City as well as ceremonies in the tri-state area. I am prepared and registered to officiate in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, as well as on Long Island and in the Westchester and Upstate regions of New York State. If you are marrying elsewhere, please let me know! I am happy to accommodate your plans.
Yes! New York (and surrounding areas) have become a fabulous location for destination weddings. Likewise, there are many local couples who wish to marry without fanfare and great planning. I am pleased to accommodate your wishes and assist you in preparing for a last-minute affair.
I Do! I am delighted to speak with you about a meaningful vow renewal, commitment ceremony, or civil union. My practices for these ceremonies are the same as outlined for traditional wedding ceremonies.
I am not a wedding planner or coordinator—although I work with many qualified professionals in this field—I am happy to assist with certain wedding planning aspects for my clients. Particularly for people who are planning weddings from another city (or country, in some cases!), I am delighted to assist with a variety of tasks, be it helping with venue research, making hotel preparations for guests, or assisting with flowers, music, and other details. My goal is to experience the least amount of stress during your wedding planning, as possible. Working together, we will figure out how to make that happen.
For those individuals who have selected another officiant, I am pleased to offer a personal consulting service to help you develop a special ceremony, that will meet your needs. These partnerships will be customized based on the needs of each individual couple.
I do have a short, concise contract that I ask my couples to sign. It is straightforward and primarily outlines my responsibilities to you with respect to ceremony preparation and revisions, working with your other wedding vendors, participating in a wedding rehearsal, and other wedding details. It is designed to help you think about my services for your wedding and help everyone feel assured that we are functioning as a team. Normally, I request that half of payment be paid when our contract is signed. The other half of the fee is due when the ceremony is over.
I am pleased to say that I have never missed a ceremony! Typically, I arrive very early for the event and stay through all of the paperwork (signing the wedding license) and any photographs you might want. Under catastrophic circumstances, you will be served by another officiant trained by the U.S. Celebrant Foundation & Institute or One Spirit Learning Alliance, institutions from which I graduated. I am part of a strong network of professional, caring wedding officiants throughout the Northeast and America.
As with all aspects of the ceremony, my goal is to please my clients. I am happy to wear a sophisticated and appropriate dress or suit that blends with the color and style of the bridal party. If you prefer, I will wear a conservative black dress or suit. Likewise, I can accommodate more specialized ceremonies with a beautiful robe or ceremony-specific attire (casual clothing for a park or beach wedding, for instance). I am happy to photograph several clothing options and allow you to choose exactly what you would like for me to wear.