What a great New Jersey wedding Ceremony!

What a great idea for a party~ A Brazilian theme buffet, complete with roving waiters brandishing armfuls of…um….MEAT! Your guests are provided a coaster with a green side “MORE MEAT” and a red side, “I HAVE HAD ENOUGH….GO AWAY”. Add some luscious side dishes, a beautiful wedding cake and a New Jersey Wedding Officiant (smooth, eh?) and you’ve got a party going on! Sure beats, “Will you be having the Filet Mignon or
the Salmon?”

For starters, check out Churrascaria Plataforma, in NYC, billed as “The steakhouse even vegetarians will love”. Their cool menu and fun atmosphere would be the perfect place for a stylish and unusual wedding. I’ll be there; just call me!

You want your favorite friends and relatives to be at your wedding ceremony (or you wouldn’t have invited them now, would you?). One of the best and sweetest gifts you can give them is good directions. Downloading them from any one of the popular sites is fine, but before you print and send those babies out, test them. Drive the route and see if it is accurate. Nothing is more frustrating, in so many ways, than getting lost. If key guests (or your photographer, etc), are late, not only will they be flustered, but your time conscious vendors and catering staff will be thrown off as well.
Take the time too, to subtly remind your guests that your ceremony is going to start when you have said it will. The rhythm of a wedding is a fragile and lovely thing that does depend on graceful and appropriate timing.

One of my favorite couples,(now this is tough because ALL my couples are my favorites) was actually at trio; Jessie, Philip and Milo. Milo is a fuzzy four footer; a sweet little gentleman who was very much a part of their wedding. As part of the wedding ceremony, we did a tiny “Blessing of the Pet”, and it was quite moving. Milo was a perfect gentledog! As a wonderful and thoughtful surprise, Jessie and Philip sent me a beautiful little book called, “Blessing of the Animals”, by Diana L. Guerrero. As Katherine Blanc, (The author of Bad Puppy’s Guide to Life”) writes, it is, “A celebration of all animals wild and tame; a rich infusion of timeless tradition, heartfelt meaning and sparkling wit”.

If you’re thinking of including your pet in your ceremony, this is a wonderful resource, and you’ll love checking it out!

We all get to that point in our lives when we say (either to ourselves or out loud), “If not now, when?” That moment came for me this week, when I resigned my consulting gig to build my celebrant practice (as a new jersey wedding officiant, smooth, eh?) full time. It’s a little nail biting, going down this road without an economic safety net, but it is also exciting as well.

Those of you who know me, know that I’ve been considering this since I graduated from Union Seminary in the City of New York (yes, that’s the official title, lol), and the Celebrant Institute, but the timing never seemed quite right. Last summer I started to make moves that could make this a reality, (not that it feels QUITE real, but it is getting there).

I approach life with indescribable gratitude. I have been lucky enough to do most of the things, professionally and personally, that I’ve dreamed of. This is because I have had the great fortune to be surrounded by inspiring teachers, supportive friends, and my wonderful, wonderful couples and clients.

Anne Lamott, one of my favorite writers, says her favorite prayer is “help me help me help me; thank you, thank you, thank you”. And on this morning, the first one of the rest of my professional, spiritual life, I send that prayer to you. Use it! Use it whenever it seems like your dreams are too big; your ideas too weird; your bridal party too chaotic, your dog too bad! It’s just that simple.

So here’s to an exciting ride! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!