Stormy Outside, Sunny Inside!

An outdoor ceremony is always beautiful, especially at a lovely venue like Casa Feliz in Winter Park, Florida -- but sometimes, in spite of our plans, Mother Nature has other ones in store!

Amanda & Francisco's wedding was supposed to be outside, but about an hour before their ceremony time, the storm clouds began to gather, and it became obvious that things would have to be moved inside.  Thankfully, Casa Feliz has a beautiful, intimate indoor spot for ceremonies, so although it wasn't their original plan, they still had a beautiful spot for their ceremony!


Thankfully, before the storm began, they had chosen to have a "First Look," so their photographer, the amazing Heather Rice of Heather Rice Photography, was able to capture a good amount of photos before the lightning, thunder and rain rolled in!

Are they adorable, or what?!

We had worked together on a wonderfully customized ceremony, which began with a nod to how they met -- "Who would have thought that reaching for an engineering textbook in a bookstore would have led to this day?"  It started their ceremony off with a gentle chucke, and from there, it became more tender -- and as a tear came from Amanda's eye, Francisco wiped it with such sweetness!

Their Sand Ceremony celebrated the two of them coming together, along with a third color that represented their future children -- a truly unique and wonderful touch!

And oh, the wonderful kiss as they were pronounced husband and wife -- so full of joy!

So, we let the thunder, lightning and rain roll on -- it was sunny and bright inside!

There were sunflowers everywhere in their decor, including inside!

Congratulations, Amanda & Francisco -- may your life together be filled with sunshine and happiness!

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!  

Plenty of Fish!

When I meet with a couple for the first time, one of the first questions I ask them is "How did you meet?" It's always interesting to find out how they got together!

I asked that question a few months ago to a wonderful couple who are very well-matched (believe me, after so many years of working with engaged couples, I have a good "nose" for these kinds of things!), who told me they had met on "Plenty of Fish."  At that time, I had no idea what that was -- so asked them for an explanation.  It turns out that Plenty of Fish is a free dating website, similar to the paid services -- but this one, besides being free, also seemed to make them feel that their choices were their own, and not controlled by the "powers" of the paid dating services.  

A couple of weeks ago, at another couples' consultation, when I asked the question, I got the same answer -- and then just this past week, got the same answer from a third couple!  

Okay, I'm seeing a pattern here -- and it's a good one!  It sounds to me like Plenty of Fish has my philosophy -- give couples a good service, and let them make their choices, and the end result will be a happy one!  

So -- all you single ladies (and men) out there -- my advice is to check out Plenty of Fish -- you just may find the "right catch" out there!  

(And no, this is NOT an ad for Plenty of Fish!)

The Groom's Halo (and a Surprise Recessional)!

One of the things I love most about officiating at weddings is that each ceremony is different, although sometimes there are similar elements.  For example, there's a verse called "The Art of Marriage" that many couples like to include in their ceremonies because of the beautiful and realistic wording.  Most of the time, I see tears and an occasional chuckle when the verse is being read -- but this past weekend's wedding evoked much more!

From getting to know Chelsea & Seth, I knew that Seth was a bit of a joker -- and as I came to the line of the verse and read "It is not expecting you, Seth, to wear a halo," the room exploded in laughter!  I paused to let the laughter stop, then poked my head out and said, "I guess that means he usually doesn't wear one!" and more laughter ensued.  

Their ceremony came to a close, they kissed, and were presented as the newly married couple -- but there was one more laugh-inducing moment -- surprise recessional music!  What started out as sounding exactly like the first few notes of the "Wedding March" turned out to be the first notes of the "Throne Room End Title" from Star Wars (listen to the music and you'll see what I mean!).  When the guests (and I!) realized what it was, the entire room erupted in laughter -- and Chelsea & Seth walked down the aisle with their arms in the air and big smiles on their faces!

But wait, the story's not over -- there's one more big laugh! After the ceremony, I asked the videographer if he would take a picture of me with the newlyweds, and he happily obliged -- I didn't look at the photo until I got home later that night, but when I saw it, I couldn't believe my eyes -- here's the photo -- do you see it?!?!

 Yes, there it is -- Seth has a halo!

We certainly didn't plan the picture that way, but what an amazing coincidence!  

I've said it hundreds of times before, and I'm saying it again -- I love what I do!

Congratulations, Chelsea & Seth -- may you share a long, happy, healthy, and laugh-filled life together!

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!  

My Bad -- But Not Sad!

Boy, oh boy, have I been neglecting posting on my blog!  Between the busy December wedding season and the January "newly engaged inquiry" season, things have been super-busy, and I'm so thankful for that!  So -- sorry for the delay in posting -- but it's been due to so many wonderful things happening!

Let me start by saying that late December brought two of the most creative wedding ceremonies I've ever performed, both of them in the Walt Disney World areas.  The first wedding took place in Disney's crown jewel venue, The Wedding Pavilion.  Stephanie and Mike wanted a ceremony that included their Marine careers, some Wiccan Elements (they had her mother read a "Blessing of the Directions," which was beautiful), and a touch, of course, of Disney magic.  I'm happy to say, all of these elements were included in their ceremony -- and along with Harpist Christine MacPhail's magical music, their ceremony was truly unique! 

The big surprise was Stephanie's wedding dress, which was absolutely breathtaking -- here's a photo, because words just wouldn't do it justice!

 

The color, bling, and detailing on her dress was so amazing!

 

 

Colleen & Chris' wedding at the end of December, at Disney's Swan Hotel, was truly one of the most creative ceremonies I've ever had the honor of performing!  When Colleen first contacted me from Massachusetts long before their wedding date, she told me that they were huge Buzz Lightyear fans -- and that Chris had proposed to her with a Buzz Lightyear cupcake, with Buzz's finger holding the ring -- see the picture!

 

 

What was very important to Chris and Colleen was not only a one-of-a-kind ceremony, but the inclusion of their family and friends in their ceremony, most of whom had traveled from Massachusetts to be there. 

 

Working on their ceremony was such a fun and creative process -- and they not only promised to love each other "To Infinity and Beyond," but I also asked their guests to stand and offer their support "To Infinity and Beyond!" 

 

The day of their ceremony was a very chilly and breezy one, but the warmth of Chris, Colleen, and all of their guests made for a very warm ceremony, indeed!

 

 

 

Now it's January, and "Engagement Season" is in full bloom -- I'm getting lots of calls and bookings for weddings in 2013 -- so, although it's late, I'm wishing you all a Healthy, Happy New Year -- stay tuned for more posts about wonderfully unique weddings!