Weddings and Commitment Ceremonies
The day of your wedding or commitment ceremony is a memory that lasts forever. By simply saying a few words and signing a document in the presence of your family and friends, a miracle happens. Two lives are brought together and a new family begins. Marriage is the only life ceremony that requires specific language. By law, I am required to recite only 29 words to officially wed a couple. If you wish to pay tribute to a specific faith tradition or include certain customs, we’ll do that. If your desire is to have something non-traditional, there are no limitations to where your dreams can take us. I will carefully take you through every phase of the ceremony, from details in the script to suggestions regarding your vows, and from getting your marriage license to your first kiss as a united couple.
Vow Renewals and Special Anniversaries
Performing a vow renewal ceremony is near and dear to my heart because it represents a commitment that’s grown even stronger. We will create the details for your celebration together with consideration for the significance of the time for your celebration. Have you accomplished a shared goal or a challenge that you both had to overcome? Is it a milestone year? Are you celebrating a family structure change that you want to honor together? Every day is an accomplishment and offers new reasons to celebrate. We will work together to create a unique ceremony that builds upon your life of unity.
Baby Blessings, Celebrations of Parenthood
There is no miracle greater than the birth of a baby. Welcoming a new life into this world can be a time for ceremony, celebration and the sharing of joy. Whether it is a shower, a baby naming, or baby-welcoming ceremony, this can be a wonderful way to express gratitude with a large or small group, including the baby’s mother, father, brothers, sisters, grandparents and godparents, other relatives and friends. You could also choose to express this event as a celebration of parenthood—complete with its blessings and responsibilities, the sleepless nights, and the unparalleled bliss.
Funerals, Memorial Services, Celebration of Life Service
A memorial service, often referred to as “a ceremony or celebration of life,” is an opportunity for family, friends and colleagues to gather to honor a special person who has passed. While there is no certain right time to have a memorial service, it is traditionally held sometime after or in lieu of the funeral. Memorial services usually include more participants than a funeral. You may want to include family members and friends to speak, read a prayer or poem, and share fond memories. The tone of the gathering is specific to the person whose life you are honoring. Your service may be joyous or solemn, scripted with care, or completely unstructured. My duty is to lace the elements together so that the event has meaning for all in attendance. For many people, the topic of death and dying is taxing and difficult. Let me help you by having that conversation together. A funeral is a time both to mourn your loss and to celebrate the individual’s life. I will work with you, your family, and the funeral director to create and officiate at a funeral service of any size for people of any faith, or no faith at all. Regardless of the ceremony, cremation or burial, or a headstone unveiling or a scattering of ashes, we will create the service you desire.
Pet Funerals
Our pets are an important part of our families and for many, a best friend. When a beloved pet dies the grief can be as intense as the loss of human being. I can help design burial and goodbye ceremonies where the love for this special friend is acknowledged, and feelings of gratitude and completion are achieved.
Spiritual Counseling
My listening skills are a gift and I have an appreciation for improving self-acceptance and inner peace and how it enhances all of us. My Unity and Science of Mind studies have greatly broadened my ability to be a spiritual counselor. I believe we are all a product of our experiences, I appreciate the opportunity to learn from every experience and to use that growth to promote the life around me and through me!