Feeds:
Posts
Comments

All photos courtesy of outstanding photographer Paul Barnett / barnettphoto.com

At this indoor summer wedding, a lot of creativity, a simple venue, and a little help from their friends made for a unique and personal event for Sarah and Stephen.

ceremonyspace

Chic seating is a wonderful alternative to showcase your wedding attendants!

ceremony-smiles

In place of choosing a standard reading or poem to include in the ceremony, Sarah and Stephen instead gave their friends an assignment: Read something during the ceremony- whether it’s a poem or reading you choose, or something you create from scratch.
The result? A heartfelt, personal, and surprising wedding ceremony.

Between the three readings, the readers unwittingly and serendipitously covered the biggies: Commitment, Marriage, Love.

“Gayle, I was really excited that you were willing to work with us on a specific ceremony that was a little different, and special. It was particular to us and it was great that you worked with our readers to make sure they felt comfortable speaking. I also liked that you offered ideas of things we could do at the ceremony that might be of interest and you didn’t push any certain religion or you own beliefs – you really let us tailor it to what we wanted.”~Sarah & Stephen

 

bride-withdad

Sweet smile as the bride heads up the aisle on her father’s arm.

 

moms-roses

It is a beautiful moment when a couple honors their Moms during their wedding.

ceremony longview.jpg

Brick is a great venue to get creative with a blank slate.

withthisring.jpg

With this ring . . . 

reservedsign.jpg

Lovely touch to let VIP family or friends know they have a seat saved!

breaktheglass.jpg

Mazel tov! Breaking the glass, in honor of the groom’s Jewish heritage.

mrandmrs.jpg

Mr. & Mrs.!

licensesign

Though a wedding ceremony is all about romance, the paperwork is just as important! Choose a witness to help make it all legal. (Just Imagine mails your signed license in for you, so you don’t have to worry about it on your honeymoon!)

 

Just a few of the Extraordinary Wedding Professionals who helped make this wedding ceremony great:

Wedding Planner: Paige Jensen with Bliss Events / blissevent.com
DJ: voxdjs.com
Florals: thistledewfloral.com
Ceremony rentals: sweetsalvagerentals.com and Abbey Party Rentals: abbeypartyrentals.com

An intimate oceanfront wedding ceremony, at Pacific Coast Grill in Cardiff. Not only uniting a couple in marriage, but creating extended family, with daughters gaining sisters.

~What a treat for the guests to be serenaded with the talent of Israel Maldonado
~Gorgeous bouquets by Isari
~Wedding planned and coordinated by the ever professional and talented Laura Rizzo
~All images captured by the fantastic Boyd Harris

ceremonysite

Boulders, beach, and ocean waves at Pacific Coast Grill create a dramatic backdrop for a simple ceremony

rocks

Without a traditional aisle and arch, wedding planner extraordinaire Laura Rizzo created the personal touch, with names written on beach stones as place markers for the wedding party.

daughternecklace

Sweet image of daughter helping mom with a beautiful wedding gift from her husband-to-be, just before the ceremony

ceremony open

friendsandfamily

For an intimate feel, guests were invited to gather in a half circle around the bride and groom

happycoupleceremony

mrandmrs

Mr. and Mrs.!

kissingdoves

Everyone was feeling the love!

While officiating a wedding this past weekend, I stepped back while the bride and groom shared their personal vows with each other. It is a moment during the ceremony that I have the opportunity to look out over the guests and appreciate their response and attention on the couple.

As I gazed across the lawn of the Catamaran resort – the ocean, sand, and bicyclists behind us – and over toward the resort, I noticed a woman standing on the stairs.
She was the assistant to the wedding planner. I believe she had met the couple only on this, their wedding day, or at least had only limited previous contact via email or phone calls.
As I listened to the bride express her vows, with grace and a few tears, I noticed the assistant on the stairs wipe away her own tears.
After the ceremony I approached her and asked (I didn’t want to assume – because she might have had allergies!) if she had indeed been wiping tears. She said yes, the bride’s vows had so moved her.

This is why I believe ceremonies and celebration are so very important. There is nothing more sacred than the Truth of Love. And holding ceremonies creates the time and space to allow that, and allow others to experience the deep emotions that flow from it – even strangers.

I’ve lived in San Diego more than 30 years, and officiated all over the county for the last 9, and can’t believe I’ve never stepped foot inside this gem!

Thanks so much to event coordinator Heather Hayes for giving me the grand tour yesterday!

Junipero exteriorIf you have a love of the historical, the Junipero Serra museum might be perfect for your wedding.

Situated high on the hill above Old Town San Diego, the views are amazing. Inside the museum, beautiful artifacts line the space that is designed almost like a chapel, to reflect mission revival architecture.

Challenges:
~you need to bring in your own rental items, eg. chairs, etc.
~as a historical landmark, it is not ADA compliant, so not accessible for anyone in wheelchair
~no heating or air conditioning. Would be lovely in the summertime, but winter months you might suggest your female guests bring a wrap.

Good News:
~within the intimate indoor acoustics of thick adobe walls, oftentimes a microphone is not even needed
~unlike some small chapels, this venue can seat 140 guests
~they do allow unity candles during the ceremony (some sites do not allow open flame of any kind)
~two big getting-ready rooms!

Not to mention old-world charm and a unique venue that even some of your local guests might have not yet experienced.

junipero interior

Photo by True Photography

Check out the setup for a wedding ceremony

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each time I meet with a couple to discuss their vision for their wedding ceremony, I ask them, “Why is this the one? Why is this the person you want to spend the rest of your life with?”
Some are able to articulate in detail the reasons why they want to marry each other. Others find it a bit more challenging, but often respond, “I just know.”

When people ask me why I do what I do, “why is this the profession I want to spend my life with,” I have a similar response: I just know.

And I can point to one very important reason: Connection

I love helping people connect. What do I mean by that?
In everything I do, it means something different:

Leslies heart

Richard Barlow Photography

WEDDINGS: Connecting with each other. At some point in every wedding ceremony I officiate, there is a moment I witness the couple truly connecting, in a profound way they might not have thought possible. It might last only a few seconds – but it’s there, and powerful. The sacred quality of a wedding ceremony allows for this connection to happen.

 

 

BABY BLESSINGS: Connecting with the profound responsibility and privilege that is parenting. While you are getting this parenting thing down and loving your newborn, a baby blessing ceremony elicits promises you make as parents, the kind of parents you want to be, and what you hope for your child.
Thinking about it, writing it down, and speaking it out loud in front of community is so very powerful in a way that the ‘doing’ of parenting might not quite reveal.

 

HouseHealimageHOME and BUSINESS ENERGY CLEARINGS: Connecting to the impact your environment has on your daily life and psyche. This includes receiving validation {“I KNEW there was a reason I didn’t like to spend time in that room“} or {“It’s such a simple project and I couldn’t figure out why I just kept avoiding it!“} as well as motivation. After an energy clearing you can reconnect with the feeling of sanctuary that is home or inspiration of your business.

 

MEMORIAL SERVICES: Connecting with the fragility of life; the Divine; and the depth of relationship. A memorial service creates an opportunity to feel deeply. In the midst of pain and loss, there is a true connection to life.

 

reiki stone

Jade stone with Reiki energy symbol

REIKI HEALINGS: Connecting with your higher self, inner strength, intuitive wisdom, and the potential of all that you are.

 

All of these in some way create a connection to your possibilities and potential. ‘Potential’ can imply the promise of perfection, which, for us humans, is rarely achievable. But that connection points you in a direction. And the very best thing we can do for ourselves is move, in a positive direction.

Whatever your Love Connections, may you celebrate them in style this season.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Weddings   Baby Blessings     Reiki Healings    Memorial Services     Home & Business Clearings