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Can you perform a classic, traditional ceremony?
Absolutely, after our initial consultation, I prepare a
ceremony according to my couple’s wishes. I can perform classic, traditional
alternative, non-denominational, multicultural, ritual infused, no ritual, theme
based and family oriented weddings. My policy is “Your wedding, your way”
Do you include children in the ceremony?
Only to the level the couple desires. I do not impose my
agenda. If you want your children to play a small role or if you want the
children to play a large role, I will help create an ease of how to integrate a
ritual at whatever level they wish to be included at. I’ve performed ceremonies
where a child reads a poem or letter they have written and I’ve ministered a
ceremony where they were only mentioned in a prayer. Whatever the couple wants
and if they’re not sure how to do it, I will help them create it.
Does it matter that the bride and groom don’t attend any
church?
Not at all, they don’t need to have any religion or they
can be very religious, any end of the spectrum and they could be as wide range
as a Muslim and a Jew, a catholic and an atheist.
Will we be able to write our own wedding vows?
Absolutely. If you want to write your own
wedding vows, I can help. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. I can give
you samples I’ve written, I can recommend books and websites that can help you
write your own wedding vows. You can cut and paste or use these examples to
guide you into creating wedding vows that connect you.
Whether you write your own or they have
chosen longer vows, I will read a few words over the microphone, so you will be
connected to each other.
I stand to the side so the couple is facing
each other as they say their vows, I hold the microphone to their faces. So
their guests can hear the wedding vows they promise each other and they don’t
have to worry about technical issues.
Do you perform same-sex weddings or
commitment ceremonies?
Yes, I do. I look forward to the day when
the law is passed in New York State. I work closely with the couple to help with
issues that same sex weddings may have. During our initial meeting, before a gay
marriage or lesbian wedding, we discuss family situations, problems and I meet
the couple at the level they are, I minister gay weddings just as I do any
wedding, honoring the desires of my couple.
Is your ordination legal?
Yes, I was ordained by
My ordination certificate is accepted in New York City and
my name is in a big brown book at City Hall. So when I perform weddings in
Manhattan or any of the four other boroughs in New York City, I have a number I
must put on the license. Long Island and Upstate New York, do not require this
special number.
Each municipality has different requirements, depending on
where you get your license.
How far are you willing to travel?
Traveling a reasonable distance is incorporated in my
normal service ”fee”. A travel fee is charged for any additional distance. I
have flown to Virginia Beach and the Bahamas. I did a wedding ceremony in
Princeton NJ and I have been flown to Buffalo to marry a couple. I go t
Manhattan, New Jersey, all of Long Island from Hamptons and the North Fork to
the tip of Brooklyn.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Cash, checks and credit cards through PayPal.
How far ahead of time do we need to book you?
Quite frankly, if I’m free, I’m available. My appointment
book fills up quickly during the months of May, June and July, I recommend
booking me as soon as decide to get married. To provide you with the
personalized service I’m known for, please schedule an appointment as soon as
possible.
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Do you have a location where you perform ceremonies?
No. I have performed weddings in churches, backyards, cater
halls restaurants, in homes, in state parks, arboretums and at beaches. I’m
willing to minister your wedding wherever necessary. It is your wedding, your
way.
Different them, unique and personal.
I won’t do anything that is against my values, that is
illegal or is not ethical.
What if you get sick on our wedding day and can’t perform?
I have never been unable to perform my duties but I have
two colleagues that I can call on a short notice. I will give them my prepared
script that has been personalized with your information.
I’ve had clients call me at the last minute because their
minister has rescheduled and I have been able to give my personal service that
honors the couples values instead of a generic ceremony.
What if I had an interpreter?
I’ve performed ceremonies where one member needed an
interpreter. The bride was Jewish and the groom was from Santo Domingo. I had
the scripted translated into Spanish. The bride wanted his family to understand
the meaning of certain rituals, like the “breaking of the glass, the wedding
vows and more. I would read a paragraph and one of his brothers would read the
Spanish script to his family. It was a very vivacious ceremony because of all
the participation, everybody felt included.
When is your fee due?
Most people pay me as a deposit on the day that we meet
(this holds your wedding date) and then they pay me the balance, in cash, on
their wedding day. If they want to pay with a check, it must be two weeks ahead
of time to allow the check to clear. I accept credit card payments through
PayPal.
Do you attend rehearsals, should we hire you for the
wedding rehearsals?
I don’t feel my presence at a wedding rehearsal is
necessary but I’ve been hired to help coordinate larger wedding rehearsals. At
times, I’ve had to attend the rehearsal because I hadn’t had an opportunity to
meet the out of town couple that obtained my services, but this is very rare. If
you feel the need to have your minister help with your wedding rehearsal, I’d be
glad to work with you.
Will you attend our wedding reception?
I’d be honored to attend and many times the bride and groom
develop a closer relationship and invite me to their reception. If I don’t have
any prior engagements and it isn’t too late, I don’t like driving late in the
evening.
How long have you been doing this?
I was ordained in June 2003 and since then I’ve performed
over one hundred ceremonies.
Suppose we don’t connect, do you have other ministers you
could recommend?
Absolutely, I have two other ministers I feel comfortable
recommending if I am overbooked or if a client wants a different option.
What kind of Christian wedding ceremony
do you do?
I really honor my couple; if they want religious elements
in their wedding I will include them. I don’t follow a strict agenda or outline.
I customize the ceremony to fit the desires of my couple.
Are you licensed to officiate anywhere?
Yes, my credentials are accepted anywhere. Some
municipalities have different procedures and may require my submitting paperwork
ahead of time.
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Do you have any restrictions?
Nothing illegal or unethical. Sophisticated is fine,
conservative is fine, alternative is fine.
Do you perform vow renewals?
Yes. It’s very romantic to see loving couples recommit by
renewing their wedding vows. For a recent vow renewal, I had a couple that were
college sweethearts come to me. I had their college friends write to me, I had
their daughter write to me; I had their grandmother give me little tidbits of
information. I had everybody involved and included when I wrote the ceremony
around the history of the couple. I helped them truly celebrate their vow
renewal.
I’ve had families come back to me because they’ve come to
know me. I performed their wedding, I married their friend, married their sister
and then I performed a baby blessing. The families all know me.
Are you familiar with various cultural traditions?
Yes and if I don’t know I’ll do the research or have the
couple provide them for me.
Large weddings?
Oh yes. I’ve ministered extraordinarily large gala weddings
in Martha’s Vineyard, Southampton, wineries and more. The largest wedding I’ve
ever done had over four hundred guests, horse drawn carriages, and magnificent
ice sculptures. From my experience I was able to make the bride and groom feel
comfortable.
I was able to make the bride and groom focus on the moment,
to look into each other’s eyes, to put aside all the planning and realize all
the hard work was to celebrate this moment and I wasn’t going to let them not
appreciate how precious this moment.
Do you work with wedding coordinators and
wedding consultants?
Yes, I’ve worked with some of them. Not everybody uses them
but if they have one, they usually contact me to go over the itinerary. Through
my experience, I’ve been able to offer advice, tips and techniques that enhance
a wedding coordinators effect on a wedding. And through my working with them,
I’ve been able to learn techniques I’m able to apply to my couples that don’t
use a wedding coordinator. It is always important to keep abreast what other
wedding vendors are doing to stay current.
Wedding poems, readings or a love story
I have lots of examples or great poems that I can integrate
in the wedding or if they want to integrate in the ceremony. Traditional
readings from the bible, from a love story or from a Dylan song can be
incorporated to add your personal flavor.
Theme weddings
I’ve done several weddings with a theme. I’ve done beach
weddings with a beach theme, beach balls, sand in jars, seashells etc. I’ve
performed a wedding ceremony when many of the guests were dressed in Renaissance
clothing. Theme weddings can be very fun giving a brief reflection of your
character.
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