I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, Do, Do, Do, Do, Doo!!!

Every single wedding ceremony that I perform is special and unique -- my philosophy is that each couple is unique, so their wedding ceremony should be, too!

And, every once in a while, I have a couple whose joy and enthusiasm make for a ceremony that doesn't go exactly as scripted!  Shana & Howard's wedding at the beautiful Rose Garden at Leu Gardens in Orlando was one of those ceremonies -- and what an amazing time it was!

Prior to their wedding day, the three of us worked beautifully together to create their ceremony -- they had great ideas and contributions they wanted to include, and the end product was a great script that we were all thrilled with!  

On their wedding day, I arrived as photos were being taken -- they had a "First Look" session, which is such a great idea -- and Shana & Howard greeted me with big hugs. I met their families, and as the photographer gathered the group for a photo, Shana shouted "Wait -- I want Renee in the picture, too!"  Wow -- I was so honored -- in all of my years of officiating, that's only the second time that's ever happened!

Here we are before the ceremony!

The time for the ceremony arrived, and we gathered for the processional.  Shana began to get teary -- Howard gently wiped her tears, and they whispered to each other so lovingly -- their sense of excitement was palpable!  

Howard and I walked down the aisle, and waited for Shana's arrival. The radiance on her face was amazing!

Things began with the two of them hugging and kissing with joy -- definitely not in the script, but it was amazing, and so spontaneous and natural -- they were simply overjoyed to be getting married!

They had a friend sing an a capella aria from "The Marriage of Figaro" that raised goose bumps -- then, after I welcomed their guests, a friend read a beautiful verse called "Why Marriage?" that had a lot of meaning to them.  

Then, as the scripted part of their ceremony began, it became obvious to me that although we had selected wording and direction, things needed to be modified so that their absolute joy could be acknowledged, and be a part of the event.  So, with the outline in mind, the ceremony turned into a very "interactive" experience between me, the two of them, and their guests. The essence of the ceremony remained, but with the flexibility of allowing for actions and wording that enhanced the ceremony, it made for something that I (and, I hope, the two of them and their guests) will never, ever forget!  I still can't find the proper words to describe it!  It's something that rarely happens -- but when it does, it's magic!

As they walked back down the aisle to Colbie Caillat's "I Do," I'm not sure whether they were dancing, or floating on air -- it was that high an experience!

I can't wait to share some photos from Howard & Shana's wedding -- but in the meantime, here's a great pic that shows their joy and playfulness!

It was a hot day, so Howard was helping Shana stay cool!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- I LOVE what I do -- and wonderful couples like Shana and Howard are the reason why!  

May the two of you share a long, loving life together, filled with all of the joy you shared with us on your wedding day!  

A Fun-Filled, Nature-Based Wedding!

One of the things I love most about officiating is working with so many diverse couples -- each couple has something they want to emphasize in their ceremony, which is what makes each ceremony unique!

Megan & Bill's joyful ceremony tied in with their love of nature and trees.  It was held under a beautiful oak tree at the Dubsdread County Club, a beautiful venue in Orlando.  The weather was perfect for an outdoor wedding!

Megan's engagement ring also reflected their love of nature -- the center stone is Mystic Topaz, an unusual, unique and beautiful choice!

And aah, their ceremony -- it was truly unique, from a verse from "Captain Correlli's Mandolin," about how love erupts like a volcano, and when it subsides, how you've found that your roots have woven together into one -- to the vows they wrote to each other, which included love, humor, and nature references - to their ceremony ending with the touching wording:

"Marriage creates from two committed spirits one beautiful tree of life.  Its roots are the trust and devotion that underlie each action, thought and motive.  Its branches are experiences shared, hopes realized, and dreams pursued.  And its blossoms are the kisses, gentle words, and tender sighs that decorate each day and beautify the union of two loving hearts.

Bill and Megan, may your love grow like a beautiful tree, sending roots deep and branches high, with new beauty every season of your life together. May you find constant reward and challenge as you pursue the ongoing adventure of learning who you are and where you want to go. May you always have a special sense of your mission in life together, and may you never tire of the endless possibilities of exploring your shared existence.  And long, long years from now, may you look at one another and be able to say, “With you, I have lived the life I always wanted to live – with you, I have become the person I always longed to be.”

Check out their wedding favors --
they stayed with their theme!

But do you know what the most touching part of their ceremony was?  When Bill saw Megan coming down the aisle with her father, his face began to glow, and his tears began to flow -- which is exactly why I carry tissues in my officiant's book!  Both of them cried happy tears during their ceremony!

This was the first of several tissues!

Congratulations, Bill and Megan, and thank you for choosing me to be a part of your joyful day -- may your Tree of Love grow to astounding heights!

Take a good look at the picture to see what it spells -

LOVE it!  

I must... I must... I must...

Okay, I said I was going to post more often, and have I done it?  No, I haven't!  Today I said to myself, "Self, you ARE going to sit down and post to your blog today!"

The reason for my fit of conscience, you ask?  Well, yesterday as I met with a wonderful couple who are getting married in May, and I asked them how they found me, the groom said that he had seen a photo of a bride in a beautiful red gown, and had read that their ceremony included a Wiccan "Blessing of the Directions" -- and he said that he knew then that I was the kind of creative officiant they were looking for!  Where did he see that?  On my blog!  And when did I create that post -- my most recent one, by the way?  Back in January!  

So, here I am with a short, but sweet, post about a couple of weddings that highlight what's been going on since my last post.

Caitlin and Thomas' wedding at the Reunion Resort close to Disney, just a few weeks ago, was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I've ever officiated.  He looked so handsome in his white tux jacket, and her gorgeous gown and soft pink sash coordinated with her bridesmaids' dresses and flowers.  But the real highlight of their ceremony was Thomas' emotion -- his tears flowed as he looked at his beautiful bride, and I guess the photographer must have caught my look as I suddenly realized that I needed to grab a tissue from my book to give to him!

I'm not sure if all their guests saw what happened, but it was truly a touching moment!

Last weekend's wedding of Teri and Anthony was held at the Longwood Community Center, a beautiful venue that has an outdoor gazebo for ceremonies, with a large front lawn for guests.  Thankfully, they had arranged to have their formal photos taken prior to their ceremony.

As their ceremony time approached, the clouds began to get more threatening -- and wouldn't you know it, five minutes into their ceremony, the rains came down!  Thankfully, the Community Center is an Old-Florida style building that has a large, wrap-around porch, so the guests scrambled up and assembled on the porch, as the ceremony continued.  I was able to make room for the photographer at the front of the gazebo, and everything turned out perfectly!  

After the ceremony, I found out an incredible piece of information -- when the bride's parents got married almost 40 years ago, it also rained just a few minutes into their ceremony!  I guess it was meant to be!

Well, this post has turned out to be not so short -- but I'm really going to try to post more often, since there are going to be some incredibly creative and fun ceremonies coming up!  I'm also working on many ceremonies for the fall that will be unique -- so stay tuned!  

12-12-12!

What a magical day 12-12-12 turned out to be!  So many couples decided to get married on this numerically-lucky day, and I was honored to officiate at one of the best (if I do say so myself!) and most love-filled ceremonies ever!

Nadia and Marcell met when she was only 14, and he was 18 -- she had a crush on him, but at that time their 4-year age difference was too much for anything to ever develop.  Well, their love was meant to be, because ten years later their paths crossed again, and love blossomed! 

December 12th arrived, and the weather prediction was for thunderstorms, but the weather held out for their beautiful outdoor ceremony on the dock at Gemini Springs, which included a "Mother's Kiss" and heartfelt vows.  Their faces were just glowing!

The two of them are truly a match made in heaven, and one of the sweetest couples I've ever worked with!  Even if they hadn't been married on a lucky date, I know that they will have a wonderful marriage!

Congratulations, Nadia and Marcell -- you're going to share a wonderful life together!

And "thank you" to Celeste
Sheaffer of Celeste's Photography for these great
photos!