About 2000 Lovingly Officiated Weddings by Judie L. Guild. NY Registration #77862. JudieGuild@outlook.com.
Judie Guild is an experienced, professional wedding officiant in New York. She also enjoys reading and learning about plants.
Lisa and Mike e-mailed me their love story, which I used to compose their celebrant style, New York marriage ceremony. Below is the result. Convocation Lisa and Mike, you already belong to one another. You are best friends and soul mates. You met within the graces of serendipity. But both have nurtured the art of […]
MorePersonalized Prelude We gather here in the company of this witness, a few strangers, and the loving spirits of family and friends to celebrate the joining of Kenneth and Alexa into marriage. Alexa and Kenneth, not so long ago, you were strangers. Despite earning a degree in psychology, Alexa nonetheless felt intellectually unfulfilled: she took […]
MoreThe Snug Harbor Cultural Center is among the places I often recommend to my couples: it is perfect for elopements, intimate weddings, and large weddings alike. Why? Its diversity! When a couple invited me to officiate their ceremony in the Chinese Scholar Garden, I came early to snap a few shots (more are in the […]
MoreI am definitely appending the Swan Club in Roslyn, Long Island to the list of catering / reception halls in which I sincerely enjoy officiating! The Swan Club is part of an older Spanish-esque designed estate overlooking or adjacent to a tiny inlet that gives way to the Long Island Sound. The specially designated ceremony […]
MoreNow that the weather is beautiful, the office wedding ceremony, Justice of the Peace style, has moved to North Forest Park (80-30 Park Lane; Kew Gardens NY 11415). S+C requested a simple, spiritual ceremony for their elopement. Memorable Memorial Weekend wedding 6/1/2011 Shirley C. says: Judie and Liam are so understanding and professional! The way […]
MoreHi Judie- A BIG thank you to you and Liam for making our day fantastic! We appreciated your friendly professionalism and your ability to roll with the punches due to the weather-related changes. We were a bit frazzled upon our rushed entrance, not being able to hail a cab in our garb and having to […]
More” I would like to thank you from the bottom of mine and Jake’s heart for the amazing day you helped achieve on May 8th 2011. Our “special day” couldn’t have gone more perfect, and please let Liam know the photos are AMAZING! We absolutley adore them and are very happy. Your prelude and reading […]
More“Once Unknown, Two Become by J.Guild” In two strangers, love abounds. No harmony of thought. Click. Click. Click. Merciful moments mirror meaning. Wonder wishes words. Sound opens in silence. Neither perfect prey nor yet kindred confidants. Neither apathy nor yet synchrony. But peace resounds.
MoreI picked up Pragmatism by William James before heading out to a wedding ceremony at the Swan Club in Roslyn, Long Island, which is a lovely site for a garden wedding when you plan to bring lots of family and friends. “It is light to an already heavy bag, and I never did read it,” […]
MoreI believe the “prelude” expresses it all here… Today, we give thanks to Sean and Facebook for bringing together Clint and Bridget for nearly ten months before they had the courage to meet in person. While corresponding in writing first may stump our grandparents, it is actually an old-fashioned way to converse. Before transportation proliferated, […]
MoreI tend to view reception or catering halls as “evil necessities.” They hold lots of people and are cheaper than hotel and historical landmarks. Except the Westbury Manor. If I ever had to plan an affair on Long Island with 100 – 120 guests or less, I would choose this beautiful location. I had the […]
MoreThe temperature is now dipping below thirty degrees here in NYC. In January, many days are likely to be in the teens, especially with the windshield factor. February too is typically very cold. I’ve put a bit of a moratorium of booking any weddings outside between January 2nd through February/early March. In some cases, I […]
MoreSolstice Celebration (to be added to any rite) Invocation for Nature (derived from the American Humanist Association Rite): We invoke the memory of those who have passed before us and the promise of those who shall follow…Each of us here recognizes our debt to the innumerable multitudes who endeavored over tens of thousands of years […]
MoreIf you are self-described fun and adventurous couple (like Annette and Jim, featured below) who always dreamed of having a small wedding at the Rockefeller Tree, then please remember that the area becomes very, very congested on weekends and in the evenings. Consider having your guerrilla style wedding on the Rockefeller Plaza in the morning, […]
MoreWelcoming Family and friends, from near and far, you traveled to witness this couple finally promise publicly to be life-long partners. Before we continue, I would like to express warm appreciation to each of you for freeing yourselves from busy lives, including text messaging addictions, to offer this couple well-wishes. Since we find the meaning […]
MoreVann and Julie met about two years ago a mere two weeks before Vann returned home to England. In those two weeks, their attraction and friendship solidified. Julie willingness to brave a week in icy British weather to visit Vann further revealed the intensity of their connection. Vann returned to NYC and soon moved into […]
MoreJudie & Liam~ John and I were both THRILLED with absolutely everything about our wedding ceremony…thanks to both of you! It was perfect and neither of us could believe that we felt such a familiar connection with two people we’d just met. Judie, you had no way of knowing that Maya Angelou is my FAVORITE […]
MoreJudie and Liam, Kevin and I just wanted to say thank you again for such a perfect ceremony. We both commented several times about how kind and warm you both were. Your kindness helped us to not only be relaxed and at ease, but allowed us to focus on each other and just enjoy the […]
MoreDr. Karl Menninger: Love cures people, both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it. Shakespeare: A heaven on earth I have won by wooing thee. John Milton: Our state cannot be severed; we are one,…One flesh; to lose thee were to lose myself. Hawaiian: May you never thirst again. Armenian: May […]
MoreBelow are some quotes collected that can create little rays of illumination by the “shoulders of giants” in your ceremony. Nisargadatta: In marriage you are neither the husband nor the wife; you are the love between the two. Rilke: Love consists in this: That two solitudes protect, and touch, and greet each other. Marcel Proust: […]
MoreIf you are looking for a detailed wedding program, you’ve come to the right place. Here is a template (of my own design, but based upon others) that does a nice job of comprehensively outlining the components of a marriage ceremony. For fun and history buffs, I used old wedding vows as examples. If you […]
MoreThese fabulous Miami natives called me less than two weeks before their wedding. They flew into New York on Thursday night, got the license on Friday morning, went to court to get a waiver (which they said was very easy), and then got hitched in Central Park around 4 PM. Note: If you want an […]
MoreHi Judie! I feel like the rudest person in the world! I cannot believe I didn’t have a chance to talk to you and thank you for the PERFECT ceremony. Bob and I could not have asked for a more perfect day and you were one of the reasons why it was so perfect. Thank […]
MoreYesterday, I married yet another couple who requested wedding vows posed as questions only. This is not uncommon at all! The multifaceted reasons range from public speaking trepidations to wanting to “keep it simple” to language barriers. If you review the old Justice of the Peace style marriage ceremonies of yore, you will notice immediately […]
MoreHere are some examples of “repeat after me” wedding vows that I put together for my couples. While a few are obviously “traditional,” most are original vows you cannot find elsewhere. 21. I take you as my lawfully wedded wife/husband to have and to hold from this day forward. for better and for worse, for […]
MoreThank you both so much for everything. Our entire weekend was so much more than we could ever have hoped for! Judie, you were so patient and helpful and went above and beyond with the emails. And Liam…wow! What can I say? Nobody ever gets Ray to smile, and I’m usually the most uncooperative model […]
MoreIn our correspondence preceding their wedding, Chris sent a short poem and a few lines from a song lyric that he felt described his love for Amanda. He also let me know how they met. From there, I built a “sweet and simple” ceremony that I thought reflected their warmth and relaxed nature of their […]
MoreThat couples from elsewhere plan a small wedding or elopement when traveling to NYC makes perfect sense: coordinating schedules and finances for guests will prove difficult. When local couples express interest in my services as their officiant for elopements (fewer than a dozen or so guests) I am especially elated: they could plan a larger […]
MoreBelow are the most popular contemporary wedding vows chosen by my couples over the past few years. Since not everyone prefers vows in “repeat after me” format or to memorize them / read from a piece of paper, these vows can also be rephrased into a simple “I do” question or a series of questions […]
MoreI feel as though each niche in Central Park belongs with a certain season. Rustic shelters, such as Wagner’s Cove and the Cop Cot, are definitely more popular in the Fall. (The Gapstow Bridge, which is very nearby, looks the most beautiful in the winter after snow.)
MoreWedding ceremony in Wagner’s Cove with post-ceremony images in the Ramble, Bow Bridge, Bethesda Terrace, and Mall area.
MoreWonderful 10/28/2010 Helen A. says: Judie and Liam were amazing from start to finish and made the entire experience go smoothly. I can’t possibly recommend them enough! Thanks again, guys! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Judie, Sorry it’s taken so long to contact you regarding the photos, but thank you so much, and please send a HUGE thanks […]
MoreJustice of the Peace style ceremonies are very short. The ceremony in the Clerk’s office takes under a minute, and if you review ceremonies by judges on YouTube, you will notice they last less than five minutes. I try to blend the simplicity of the JOP ceremony with the more personally meaningful feeling of the […]
MoreThis post is only for history buffs; I never actually used these ceremonies word-for-word, although I have adapted and incorporated some concepts into my standard ceremonies. Below is a marriage service from a 1900 handbook with texts for (Christian) ministers for weddings, baptisms, and funerals. The person who put it together specifically included a sample […]
MoreQuaker marriage ceremonies are much like their regular services. After a process involving proving maturity and desire to marry, the couple attends a regular meeting during which family and friends may recite anything that may be in their hearts — spiritual or earthy advice. The couple stands when they feel the spirit move them, recites […]
MoreWhen S + D married, it was barely eight o’clock on a lovely Monday morning in October. In an interesting twist, these Las Vegas natives celebrated with all their family and friends in a larger wedding in Vegas before their NYC elopement. The park was so exceptionally quiet that they were able to get married […]
MoreA local newspaper recently published a wedding announcement for one of my couples. To some, this may seem an outdated practice. I agree that it is old-fashioned. But I also think it’s quite sweet and links the couple to their community. Please click here to read it.
MoreThis entry may offend some couples who have poured much energy in their wedding day– keep in mind that it is only one day! I do not mean to offend anyone. My intent is to be honest. Notes from the wedding celebrant: Now do keep in mind that I do create unique wedding ceremonies. In […]
MoreKim and Dustin were the third couple I married on XXX. Since their elopement plans unfolded with a few weeks to spare, they asked for wedding ceremony location ideas in Manhattan. Liam and I were delighted that they took our advice and picked a site other than Central Park, which was particularly overflowing with brides, […]
MoreCheck out these super cool images of a mid-afternoon elopement at Wagner’s Cove with glorious sun rays! And, no, folks, we neither planned for these nor would we ever guarantee them in the future… Nature is unpredictable.
MoreDearest Judie & Liam, Thank you again for such a wonderful and perfect wedding! I saw that some of our photos are up, and they are lovely. I tried to post a comment but it did not go through. Do feel free to write anything about us – should the urge strike you. Rick & […]
MoreSocially conscious Colleen and Brian married on a glorious autumn day with dozens of their family members and friends surrounding them at the Temperance Fountain in Tompkins Square Park. In addition to giving guests chocolates to reflect the sweetness and bitterness of life, integrating a Buddhist reading, and incorporating spilling wine to honor the tragic […]
MorePhiladelphia residents Nina and Richie contacted me with less than a week to spare before their elopement. They still managed to select their vows and pick a fantastic poem, which was a wonderful way to personalize their ceremony with such a limited time frame. You can read more about their elopement by visiting A Practical […]
More
Wedding Officiant in NYC and the Hudson Valley 