Sandpearl Resort Wedding - Karen and James

Today It was my honor to officiate at the splendid wedding of Karen and James on the gulf lawn area of the Sandpearl Resort. The wedding was full of rich Filipino Traditions. After the bride was escorted by her dad, and brought forward to the chairs facing frontward, the ceremony began. The couple was cloaked with the white veil, which symbolized Karen and James commitment to each other, to cloth each other in love and loyalty. It is a symbol of faithful love and continuous moral and spiritual support as they carry life's burden with joy. It represents James strength and protection to his bride, Karen, his wife, who he promises to take care of from this day forward.

The cord was then placed over their heads and on their shoulders in a figure 8 shape to bind their love, to unite their lives as one, to connect souls. It is placed in a figure 8 to represent eternity.

After their wedding vows and ring exchange vows, the couple shared in the coin exchange. In this tradition, the tinkling of the coins being passed from one pair of hands to the other, is a distinctive reminder of James promise to take care of Karen materially. Karen in turn, by giving back the coins into his hands, conveys that what they both earn become part of each others. The trickling sound also signifies abundance and success in the couples joint efforts.

Karen and James also shared a sand blending ritual to symbolize that two lives are joined as one forever. The ceremony was so beautiful, meaningful and respectful to both traditions.

It was truly and honor to work with Karen and James and their parents, in the creation of their ceremony reflecting their own style and wishes....

Blessings to you for a lifetime full of happiness!

Wedding Professionals who made this event magnificent:

Debbie Glancy from the Sandpearl Resort and her staff. http://www.sandpearl.com/
Hair and Makeup by Sara Shepard 727-644-5970
Flowers by In Bloom - Valerie 813-443-0551
Professional Photography by Valerie Ritter 727-365-0308

Five Star Audio for the Ceremony - Jeremy 727-710-1161

Cake by Nina - 813-251-4564

Sandpearl Resort - Congratulations Carrie and Omar!

Carrie and Omar exchanged their vows at a religious ceremony on the beach at the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater, Florida.  I so enjoyed working with this beautiful couple and their families!  The weather was spectacular, and the Sandpearl again provided top notch service for the couple both for the ceremony and the reception.  The professional photographers for the wedding were Shakespear Photography, and I will post some of their photos on a later blog.  One of the nice things about a beach wedding at the Sandpearl, they had a refreshment area with a variety of cooling drinks available while the guests were waiting for the beginning of the ceremony.  Since the couple really wanted to have a unity candle ritual, it was decided to have it at the reception just prior to the dinner blessing.  One of my favorite things was the chocolate fountain.  Yum!  Congratulations Omar and Carrie!  Best wishes for a long, health and happy marriage!

Blending Beliefs - Your Interfaith Wedding Ceremony...

 

You met the man or woman of your dreams, you fell in love, and never once did it occur to you that your individual religious beliefs may be an issue with your wedding.  I imagine that you talked about so many other things during the courting, that the differences in your religious beliefs would need to be considered, that is, until you decided to get married.  Only then did you realize that you may have more decisions to make than other couples.  Do you have a religious ritual, and which one should you choose?  How do you blend the two?  Should you try to have two different ceremonies? Or, do you just go a different route and have a non-religious ceremony so that no one will feel slighted?

So many questions, but questions that I am honored to answer.  Interfaith weddings should not be a source of stress.  As an interfaith couple, working with me, you can create a ceremony that will honor both your beliefs as individuals and also you as a couple.

When we meet, I tell you about the various options available to you.  The first would be to consider if you would like a religious ceremony, and if so, which one will predominate. When Matthew and Lori got married, they did quite a bit of research about interfaith weddings and decided to go with a ceremony that honored both the Jewish and Catholic faiths.  Their ceremony involved a passing of the peace, and a unity candle and a reading from the New Testament about the definition of love, for the Catholic elements, and the breaking of the glass “Mazeltov” for the Jewish elements. Wording was used in the opening that indicated that even tho they were ware that there would are differences in their beliefs, the love for each other and wanting to share their lives together for ever were stronger than their differences.  They chose a neutral site at a beautiful hotel, had a chuppah created and utilized fabric from the groom’s family that represented his Celtic roots. 

Moira and Bill was a couple who wanted to incorporate her Greek Orthodox heritage into their ceremony.  The couple had a beautiful crowning ritual, and circling of the altar to represent Moira’s heritage and a bagpiper played music to honor Bill’s heritage. They were married in a non-denominational church in a religious ceremony.

Having two ceremonies is an option for couples as well.  Recently I officiated the American ceremony for Halina and Ali. After the traditional religious ceremony, the couple proceeded to go into the reception where the Imam conducted the Persian Ceremony. Halina and Ali had printed out programs for the Persian ceremony explaining all the elements of the rituals involved in that ceremony. 

I thoroughly enjoy working with all of our couples to create a beautiful, customized ceremony that honors all traditions and faiths.  I take a great deal of pride in my work, and I know that it sets me apart from many other officiants. Having studied at the All Faiths Seminary, upon graduation, I had a pretty thorough knowledge of all the world faiths and the meanings of the rituals 

Here is my advice for any interfaith couple.  Planning in advance is critical, make sure that you find an officiant that is willing to perform an interfaith wedding, and keep all the lines of communication open.  It is up to the both of you to really get the ceremony that both of you want.  Once you have both agreed, keep your vision in mind, even when faced with family pressure.  It is YOUR wedding, have it YOUR way. Call me at 727-532-616 to allow me to assist you.  Feel free to look at http://lovingunity.blogspot.com as well for further information.