About 2000 Lovingly Officiated Weddings by Judie L. Guild. NY Registration #77862. JudieGuild@outlook.com.
Wedding Officiant
Judie Guild is an experienced, professional wedding officiant in New York. She also enjoys reading and learning about plants.
Years of walking the dogs later, couple finally elopes!
It is a common story for an officiant to learn her couple has been together for a year or two or three. It is equally common to hear a line similar to this one: “we’ve been together for many years, and we finally decided to get married.” I’ve even married a few couples who had […]
MoreFun destination wedding ceremony at NYC’s High Line
R+B travelled from Canada with friends for a planned elopement on NYC’s High Line. Joining them were other tourists and a few local NY-ers. As lots and lots of folks watched and cheered, they exchanged vows and rings. Then, in a twist as fun and retro as the yellow balloons, another New Yorker who had […]
MoreA private ceremony in a public park
Before officiating this NYC wedding by the Angel of Waters’ Fountain, I noticed about four couples in their wedding finest and another four couples enjoying their “e-sessions” or engagement photo session. Since this couple was a bit wary of marrying among the crowds, we moved to a quieter spot in the shadow that nonetheless affords […]
MoreReviews
Perfect 10/18/2011 Lisa F. says: Judie performed our ceremony on 10-16-11 She was fantastic and spoke from the heart. Lisa and Ralph Franzese Short & sweet 10/6/2011 Min Hee K. says: we didn’t meet judie prior to the ceremony but she was spot on with her words. she & liam were were so warm & […]
MoreRenaissance Hotel 57 Wedding Ceremony
Curiously, despite officiating 500 weddings or so at this point, I had yet to be one of those celebrants who presided over a ceremony with an enormous wedding party with lots and lots of attendants. My very sweet and warm gay couple last night, though, forever altered that record. Nineteen of their closest family and […]
MoreAn engineer and music teacher get married on the High Line
This couple is a lovely pair –inside and outside. I love how comfortable they look! I am still dazzled by the exquisite simplicity of their clothes, especially A’s dress. I think it was some sort of woven fabric–almost like a sweater. It fit her like a glove. Separately, they sent a few reflections about what […]
MoreHernshead Ceremony (Central Park wedding minister)
I am delighted to present another ceremony on a rock in Central Park… This view is more familiar to my couples: J + M are standing on the huge rock by the Ladies Pavilion overlooking the Lake. Pretty.
MoreScottadito Osteria Toscana (Brooklyn restaurant wedding)
Scottadito Osteria Toscana offers a warm, inviting atmosphere for an intimate ceremony in a restaurant. Located in Park Slope, it is a family friendly place: no one will feel uncomfortable here. My couple had what I consider to be a “perfect small wedding” there. The flowers–gorgeous. The bride–gorgeous in lace; the groom too! The violinist […]
MoreOne if by Land, Two if by Sea (Manhattan restaurant wedding)
I really like this restaurant for small weddings, perhaps 20-65. So did my couple yesterday. The soft ambiance is wonderful; the brick, slightly odd room shapes, high ceilings, and fireplaces really feel “classic New York.” According to my groom, if you have a wedding with fifty guests, you can have the entire restaurant, which includes […]
MoreOctober Spotlight: High school sweethearts get married in NYC
Who does not like the movie Juno? Only the most cynical. Not this couple. They realized the true meaning of “to elope” –to “run away”– when they married. They returned home to announce their marriage to family and friends at an “engagement party.” From the Bride and Groom: Just wanted to say one more big […]
MoreCongratulations to these Canadians, who eloped this week in NYC
J+D, for over eleven years now, you have compiled memories together. You were fortunate enough to meet as young adults in a school hallway through a mutual friend. A skunk stripe dyed into D hair struck J as very cute, and she wanted to get know him better. She did. In the early months, you […]
MoreAfter Irene delayed plans, a lovely couple finally gets married in NYC
I just want to express how grateful and happy we are that you and Liam were part of one of the most special days in our lives. It was a real pleasure to meet you and work with you through the whole process. Thank you for all your patience with us. It was incredible experience. […]
MoreThe warmth of home weddings
I think this photo reflects the sweet intimacy of a home wedding far more than my words. Most of my destination weddings take place with a glamorous NYC backdrop. But not all. A few weeks ago, I helped tie the knot for a couple who rented a brownstone in Park Slope and recited vows with […]
MoreAn almost Autumn wedding in New York
Wagner’s Cove belongs to weddings in the Fall. Perhaps because couples who marry in the Fall tend to prefer rustic colors. Perhaps because Wagner’s Cove offers a bit of shelter. Perhaps because when the leaves do change color, Wagner’s Cove is especially pretty. For whatever reason, I tend to marry lots of couples in the […]
MoreCouple weds in North Forest Park
I married another local couple in my neighborhood recently. When couples come to me, it really is a sign that they want something a bit sweeter than the NYC Clerk’s office and nonetheless relaxed and low-key. After all, the ceremony is a gateway to official recognition of a marriage. It is a joyful and serious […]
MoreSappy Humor in a NYC Marriage Ceremony
Dearly Beloved……Rays may shine; raindrops fall; we might get sweaty or chilly. Still vows will be spoken line-by-line; commitment will call; and Kelly and Ehrich will indeed pardon me for being silly…because what we need is here—in neither temperature nor park—but in the sincerity of our hearts. Finding love at fifteen years of age is […]
MoreOn being a wedding minister (Brooklyn ceremony)
I offer service tiers. Most commonly, my couples opt for the “sweet and simple” standard ceremony. In these cases, the only personalization may include their vows, although many decide to go with more traditional vows. Here is an example of a very romantic personalized marriage ceremony composed for a couple whom I married at the […]
MoreA light-hearted marriage ceremony
The setting? A semi-private alcove on a Brooklyn pier near the luxury rentals at 184 Kent Avenue and East River State Park in Williamsburg. The ceremony? “We want a 5-10 minute ceremony,” the bride wrote me. That’s rather short, I reflected privately, even for a wedding officiant used to couples requesting short ceremonies. To make […]
MoreUrban marriage ceremony in a country setting: Garden of Union in Brooklyn
Like any grouping in New York, we are a cluster of different personalities from many different places. Kate’s family is from Virgina, and Mark grew up in Rochester (NY), although his father is from Georgia. Kate and Mark nonetheless managed to find each other at work about three years ago. They then proceeded to encounter […]
MoreThank you note
Thank you so much for making our day truly special. We really appreciated your kind and meaningful words at the Overlook in Forest Park. Thank you for sending them to us. Also, a special thanks to your husband for witnessing the event. We would love to add our two cents as recommendation or reference for […]
MoreAstoria Park wedding
An excerpt from their ceremony: As many here know, Miranda and Jonathan met through friends at a football game back in 2001. Immediately, they both realized their bond held much promise for future romance and adventures. But school and work intervened and complicated their lives. Still, they reconnected the following year. Watching movies, such as […]
MoreJumbled word play on a trip to a ceremony
This is just for fun….. Typically, each ceremony comes with at least two hours of travel. A recent wedding ceremony in the Hudson Valley accompanied about five to six hours of travel. While on the train, I usually read, collect quotes using a new toy–Kindle, half-sleep, or jot down random words that come to mind […]
MoreA happy ending in Grand Central
Linda and Hunter met twenty years ago in college. Together for three very intense months, youthful self-involvement and worries about marrying at such tender ages compelled each to pursue separate dreams. Both ventured onwards to enjoy mostly fabulous lives. Hunter helped raise a son, and Linda’s career paths took her to fashion, Prague, and magazine […]
MoreTo upstate NY’s Mount Merino does this NYC celebrant go
Y+D, Match.com linked you in time and space. But you connected in the same way as long, lost friends do and fell in love in the same way as teen-agers do. You did not think it possible to suffer from “bouts of love arrhythmia and insomia” as adults, but you did—and continue to do so. […]
MoreHumanist Ethical Society of Spirituality
Overview The Humanist Ethical Society of Spirituality values the ability of individuals and societies to shape their own destinies with the assistance of reason, knowledge, and inclusive ethics. Since we emphasize ongoing learning and education in all areas of life, we are largely pantheistic with touches of agnosticism. HESS does believe in the universal spirits […]
MoreIntercultural, Multifaith, or Interfaith Wedding Ceremony Minister
I marry many intercultural couples, such as B+D. Some are actually very interfaith or multifaith and incorporate a passage and rite from their respective traditions. In such cases, I use a spiritually non-denominational ceremony with the traditions most cherished by the couple incorporated. Others appreciate the rich cultural histories of their families, but prefer to […]
MoreA note of thanks
Hi Judie, I would like to say Thank You for performing such a wonderful ceremony for Us (Adrienne and Kea 8-27-11). You are amazing and very patient! We appreciate that you accepted changes that needed to be made and accommodated us, especially with the weather. Your words captured the true essence of our love and […]
More“We gather here to celebrate love and life…”
No one ought to be very surprised when technologically savvy and mathematically inclined individuals meet and find they have much in common. While the engineering backgrounds of Brandon and Chris differ, their similar focus on abstract structures and refined details create a thread linking them together intellectually. Chris and Brandon first met through a mutual […]
MoreTanglewood Preserve (Long Island wedding ceremony officiant)
I am in love with this secluded, suburban oasis. Technically located in Rockville (Nassau County), this space offers lots of gorgeous, very natural greenery around a small pond. My couple married there in mid-August with under a dozen of their nearest and dearest at Noon. From there, they planned a relaxed family lunch and then […]
MoreClassy at-home marriage service
I grew up in Southold, and my family moved to East Hampton for seven years, where I lived as well while attending college and graduate school in Manhattan. (Yes, the commute was brutal, but youth is the time for such commutes!) My immediately family has since re-located to upstate New York in search of cheaper […]
MoreThe Perfect Family Wedding Ceremony Venue: Queens County Farm
The Queens County Farm truly is a fabulous location for a family wedding. By a stroke of luck, it is also a surprisingly affordable venue. My couple’s families had lots of kids, and I am sure they enjoyed the setting. In one of the cutest moments I ever witnessed during a ceremony, the groom’s nephew […]
MoreWorldly, international couple getting married in Tryon Park
Hi Judie I just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you so very much for a lovely day. It really was perfect – we remember the ceremony as being beautiful but also we were grinning from ear to ear the whole time, which is just what we wanted – a simple, meaningful […]
MoreReview
Judie is exceptional 8/29/2011 William D. says: I thought our wedding would be a challenge as we are a same sex couple that has been together for 20 years. The affair was held in our home with just a few family and friends present. Although we wanted some traditional touches, we did not want a […]
MoreClouds brighten the scenery for a Wagner’s Cove ceremony
My couples have a hard time understanding why blue, sunny skies are not ideal. When it comes to weddings, if mother nature bequeaths clouds, rejoice!
MoreGetting married in a restaurant encircled by family in Queens
Here are some photos from a wedding ceremony held in Trattoria L Incontro, located in Astoria, Queens. Hi Judie, Liam, I would like to Thank you for a wonderful ceremony, even with all the rain and stress of the big day our wedding turned out truly delightful. Thank you for accommodating all the changes and being […]
MoreMarriage Ceremony on a Boat (Chelsea Piers)
Hi Judie- We just returned from our mini-honeymoon on Cape Cod. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to speak to you after the ceremony as I got tied up with the guests. I just wanted to thank you for your beautiful ceremony- you really captured our personalities and made it fun and lighthearted. My […]
MoreA personalized ceremony at Turtle Pond
When a pharmacist and nurse meet, we ought not to be surprised if they find lots in common. Our groom and bride – a pharmacist and nurse – encountered each other through real estate. Gregg’s parents own a home across the street from Pat’s vacation home in Deposit. Luck works in mysterious ways: a devastating […]
MoreA Brooklyn Bridge wedding ceremony through the gaze of black and white photos
Judie, THANK YOU!!!! The ceremony today was excellent! everything was just as we invisioned! Thank you so much for making our special day so perfect! Thank you to liam as well for his patience and skill. We are looking forward to seeing the pictures. Thank you again! Andrew
MoreQuick Sampling of Ceremony Sites from July 2011
While waiting for my job to officially commence, I managed to sneak a few photos of *some* locations to which I’ve traveled using an “ancient” 35mm Minolta. Yes, that’s a film/analog camera. Please pardon the dusty scans. Having performed twenty-eight weddings in July and now working through my thirty-three weddings this August, I think you’ll […]
MoreEngagement Ceremony at the Reservoir
This handsome couple decided to combine their engagement photo session with an engagement ceremony. For couples who are a little shy and worry about the big day when two hundred pairs of eyes will be watching intently as they exchange vows, this is a great way to practice!
MoreTwo very cute guys and a waterfall ceremony (+Lincoln Center & Empire Hotel)
Segment from their ceremony: Caleb and Dennis, you are urban transplants. Having grown up in Michigan, you attended college at Lake Superior State University, where you met in 1987. It was a bit of a fateful meeting, as your connection became quickly apparent. You soon became the best of friends. Then this friendship transformed into […]
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Wedding Officiant in NYC and the Hudson Valley 