It was announced just moments ago that the New York State Senate has voted YES on the gay marriage bill, soon allowing ALL couples to legally tie the knot! I am proud to have performed civil unions in New Jersey, and look forward to performing same sex weddings in New York State and New York City. More information to come as the bill is signed into law! Hurray for New York State, taking a huge step towards our civil rights and marriage equality for everyone.
My husband and I watched the New York State Senate live feed all evening, waiting for the vote to come through with baited breath. I clapped and cheered as Senator Saland discussed his vote for the bill’s amendment, and declared that he would be voting YES on the bill. And, later, when Senator Grisanti took a stand, talking about the research he had done and how he had come to the conclusion to vote YES – it is a moment that I will never forget. Knowing that these two men were standing up for what should be a civil right, despite their backgrounds, and that they were the tipping votes – it was so brave. As one of the senators said, it was a room full of heroes.
If you are looking for an officiant to marry you in New York State or New York City, feel free to contact me! The bill has been signed into law, and Same Sex Marriages will be LEGAL in New York on July 24. I look forward to officiating at many gay marriages in New York!
There aren’t many weddings that I would perform the day before my own. In fact, I think Melissa and Jonathan would be my only exception! They wanted a simple, sweet, and FUN ceremony – and just happened to be getting married at Paisano’s Restaurant, within walking distance of my house.
It was a smaller wedding, which meant it was perfect to include a ring warming ritual. We passed Melissa and Jonathan’s rings around the room, allowing time for each guest to hold them, warm them, and imbue them with happy wishes and thoughts for the couple’s marriage. It’s one of my favorite rituals, and a really sweet and wonderful way to create an inclusive and intimate feeling with a ceremony.
Their love story was full of laughs, and a special mention of their dog, too. At the end, together, Melissa and Jonathan broke a glass, a Jewish custom that is usually reserved for the room. This was to symbolize how Melissa and Jonathan would be equals in their marriage, forming a partnership of support for each other.
Dan and I had to dash off immediately after the ceremony, so we could head up to New York state to get married! Melissa and Jonathan, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your wedding ceremony!
Photos are courtesy of the bride and groom.
It’s the end of 2010, and it has been quite a fabulous year for Eclectic Unions.
It was the first full year of my Celebrancy practice being my full time gig, AND the year that Dan and I got married. It was a great year of growth and learning and love and marriage and weddings. I can already tell that 2011 is going to be an equally as rewarding and fun year, and I look forward to working with the wonderful couples who have already booked with me – and can’t wait to meet all of the new ones who are planning for 2011, 2012, and beyond!
Here is Eclectic Union’s year – a photo from every ceremony I performed that I have a photo for! Can you find yourself?
(Click over to Flickr to see it bigger!)
Thanks to: Dan Blum-Gabriel, Kelly Prizel, Cindy Patrick, Sarah Postma, 1. Art Beauty Life, Black Dog Photography, CLB Photography, Vanessa Joy, Oh Darling! Photography, Tom Weiss Weddings, Creative Unlimited, and the couples themselves who provided me with these photos.
From my heart to yours, I wish you a wonderful holiday season, and an incredibly happy new year!
Erin and Kevin had one of the most unique weddings I’ve ever officiating at – it was a surprise! OK, pay attention for a sec, because this gets a little complicated: Kevin’s parents planned a surprise engagement party for Erin. Kevin ended up telling Erin about the party (because she is not a fan of surprises!), and they decided to turn the party into their wedding celebration – but not let the guests in on it! So everyone thought the party they were attending was a surprise engagement party for Erin, BUT it was actually a surprise wedding for their guests.
Of course, Erin and Kevin let their bridal party and immediate family members (and the venue and their wedding pros!) in on the surprise. The guests walked out to the putting green, to surprise Erin, who was supposed to be arriving – but instead, she and Kevin pulled up in a golf cart, in their bridal gear, walked out to the putting green – and got married!
I walked out on the green, along with the bridal party, flipped on my mic, and welcomed everyone, and explained that this was their wedding! I talked about Erin and Kevin, they exchanged their vows and their rings, and kissed, and they were married. We kept the ceremony short because all of the guests were standing, and also because it was quite chilly outside.
After the ceremony, Erin had another surprise for her new husband – a very special guest came out to congratulate them!
Eclectic Unions… a Mr. Met approved Celebrant!
Congrats, Erin and Kevin! Thanks so much for letting me be a part of your AWESOME surprise wedding!
Jessica & Max were married at the beautiful Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in late August. They got a beautiful day!
They included a beer sharing unity ritual in their wedding! Max is a beer connoisseur – so it was very appropriate that they did their own twist on a wine sharing ceremony and used lambic instead! The lambics that they used were purchased on a recent trip to Belgium, too, which made them extra special for the bride and groom.
Here’s the wording we used in their ceremony:
Plato once wrote, “He was a wise man who invented beer!” One of Max’s passions and obsessions is beer, so it is only appropriate that our couple will symbolize the life that they will share together by sharing two bottles of lambic.
Lambics are a type of beer that are fermented spontaneously, by wild yeast that live in the air of certain breweries in Belgium. This unusual process is what gives the beer its distinctive flavor: sour, dry, and cidery. And these two bottles hold a special meaning as well – our bride and groom purchased them on a visit to Belgium, in the small town of Denderleeuw. They were brewed in honor of the wedding of the owner of one of the best beer bars in Belgium! One beer was brewed for him, and one for his wife – and these are the beers that our couple will share today!
These beers hold many of the qualities that reflect the true nature of love, life, and marriage. They hold within a sweetness, but there is still an edge, a sourness, a bitterness, that exists as well. By each taking a sip of the beers, you are showing that you will share in every happiness together, every joy and every sadness, and together you will face the hardships and adversities of life, always confident that the good will return.
I ask that you drink together, and, as you do, earnestly seek the power and wisdom to use all the pleasure and prosperity that may come your way, accepting it with love.
As you have shared these beers, so may you share your lives, every joy and happiness, every sorrow and sadness. May you find life’s happiness heightened, it’s bitterness sweetened, and all of life enriched by your love for each other. And may you always be ready to raise a beer, in toast and in celebration, for all of the joys of your life together!
They also chose one of my favorite wedding readings, especially relevant for two scientists getting married – Charles Darwin’s pros and cons list, written on his decision to marry. And his conclusion? Marry, marry, marry, of course!
A big thank you to Jessica and Max, for letting me be a part of their awesome wedding ceremony, and for sharing these photos with me, courtesy of their photographer, Sharon’s Wedding Art.
The bride and groom toast with their lambics as they enjoy a few moments to themselves after their ceremony.
Celebrant: Plato once wrote, “He was a wise man who invented beer!” One of Max’s passions and obsessions is beer, so it is only appropriate that our couple will symbolize the life that they will share together by sharing two bottles of lambic.
Lambics are a type of beer that are fermented spontaneously, by wild yeast that live in the air of certain breweries in Belgium. This unusual process is what gives the beer its distinctive flavor: sour, dry, and cidery. And these two bottles hold a special meaning as well – our bride and groom purchased them on a visit to Belgium, in the small town of Denderleeuw. They were brewed in honor of the wedding of the owner of one of the best beer bars in Belgium! One beer was brewed for him, and one for his wife – and these are the beers that our couple will share today!
These beers hold many of the qualities that reflect the true nature of love, life, and marriage. They hold within a sweetness, but there is still an edge, a sourness, a bitterness, that exists as well. By each taking a sip of the beers, you are showing that you will share in every happiness together, every joy and every sadness, and together you will face the hardships and adversities of life, always confident that the good will return.
I ask that you drink together, and, as you do, earnestly seek the power and wisdom to use all the pleasure and prosperity that may come your way, accepting it with love.
CELEBRANT will take a glass, and hand it to JESSICA. She will take a sip, and hand it to MAX, who will take a sip. MAX hands the glass back to CELEBRANT. CELEBRANT will take the other glass, and hand it to MAX. MAX will take a sip, and hand it to JESSICA, who will take a sip. JESSICA hands the glass back to CELEBRANT, who will place it on the table.
Celebrant: As you have shared these beers, so may you share your lives, every joy and happiness, every sorrow and sadness. May you find life’s happiness heightened, it’s bitterness sweetened, and all of life enriched by your love for each other. And may you always be ready to raise a beer, in toast and in celebration, for all of the joys of your life together!
