About 2000 Lovingly Officiated Weddings by Judie L. Guild. NY Registration #77862. JudieGuild@outlook.com.
Bells and Whistles
A Gorgeous Queens Botanical Garden Wedding Ceremony
I love being a wedding officiant for mid-day garden ceremonies anywhere in New York. Each borough has its own Botanical Garden, and I’ve officiated marriage ceremonies in all for both our local couples and destination weddings. As it turns out, I live in the same neighborhood as this very pretty couple, who tied the knot […]
MoreBrooklyn Bridge Marriage Ceremony / DUMBO Wedding Tour
In the urban world, summer commences with Memorial Day weekend. S+J married in mid-May on a weekday in the middle of the day. If you want to marry on the Brooklyn Bridge, please, please consider the timing during the summer. Please, please imagine the crowds that will be present normally. Then envision a Saturday or […]
MoreProspect Park Boathouse wedding for a pretty and sweet couple
A bit about these local New Yorkers: Shamik and Shannon met in their senior years of high school during a Model United Nations’ conference at Yale. They were both on the future Security Council, where Shamik demonstrated a knack for dominating debates. His skills impressed Shannon enough to compel her to walk near him to […]
MoreA Brit and Long Islander travel from the New York Palace to Grand Central to exchange wedding vows
Most of my couples who marry in Grand Central invite a few guests at most. Until T+D’s marriage ceremony there, I think my “largest wedding” in this beautiful terminal included just twenty guests or so. With a forewarning to thirty of their nearest and dearest about noise and chaos, though, T+D bravely married on a […]
MoreAnd this is the way traditionalists get married by a wedding officiant
Yes, folks, having a formal wedding in a NYC public park is totally feasible. Although you may want a tiny wedding or elopement, you can still find your dream gown or wear a tux and get a marvelous bouquet. You can ask your intimate wedding/ elopement celebrant (whether it is me or someone else) to […]
MoreA Perfect Marriage Ceremony in Long Island’s Westbury Manor
I’ve written this before: I really love Westbury Manor. When I officiated a brunch wedding ceremony for two beautiful women there just a few hours ago, I felt as though I married them in a cozy, classically decorated, and immaculate home. Retro paintings or prints hang in wooden frames. Pretty (non-plasticy) flowers abound. Apple cider […]
MoreIntimate Marriage Ceremony at Eleven Madison Park Restaurant
Eleven Madison Park Restaurant keeps the nicest staff. They are smart, sophisticated, and gracious hosts. Perhaps the employees are commendable because their employers allocate nearly every Sunday as a day-of-rest. Truly, this restaurant understands that if you make your staff happy, they will be gentler towards patrons. Besides the joy of the personnel, my couple […]
MoreWedding Ceremony in the Green Building, Brooklyn
Where do a secret speakeasy style lounge, a cavernous feeling, dilapidated warehouse, and charm combine? At the Green Building, of course! It is a darkish, romantic “raw space” with a funky back-room area that represents the welding together of refinement and urban grittiness. My couple even brought along their dog for photos, although he didn’t […]
MorePersonal, spiritual wedding ceremony at the Cornell Club
Rob and Marisa, as you may know, first chatted on December 28th, 2010, which happens to be Rob’s birthday. Their conversation flowed spontaneously and without effort. They shared stories and laughed. The worries of the world faded. Both felt comforted, as though they recognized a kindred spirit. They arranged to meet in Forest Hills two […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
MoreA favorite wedding ceremony on Fire Island
I ought not to have favorites, and I rarely do. The wedding yesterday, however, was as blazingly meaningful and memorable as the summer sun shining….By now, readers must know that I only become that sugary when feeling extra romantic, dreamy, and in love with my life. Back in May 2009, I married Charles and Lauren […]
MoreManhattan Penthouse Ceremony
Presiding over ceremonies in very cool lofts is certainly a perk of this job. The Manhattan Penthouse at Fifth Avenue and 14th Street is no exception. The view is nice, but the simple elegance and location sets the space apart from others. Here is the prelude to my couple’s ceremony last night: This pair met […]
MoreIntercultural Ceremony at Sunset Terrace, Chelsea Piers
As a marriage celebrant, I enjoy the best view of the couple during their ceremony and stellar landscape views. The Sunset Terrace overlooks the Hudson River at Pier 61 of the Chelsea Piers. Unlike other lofts (such as RamScale or the Glasshouses), Sunset Terrace not only sits right next to the Hudson; one could take […]
MoreJefferson Market Garden Ceremony
I fall a little in love with couples, such as C+P. An almost born new baby and a move abroad to London made their wedding plans extra exciting and intense. As I read the passage below by Leo Marks before they exchanged their vows, they glowed. “The life that I have is all that I […]
MoreElite Palace Ceremony
If you read this blog, you know my forehead crinkles in response to the concept of the catering hall wedding. Visions of dated colors and mirrored ceilings flash through my memory. I’ve encountered a few very nice reception halls, though, such as the Westbury Manor and Swan Club. But those are in Nassau County. Until […]
MoreStudio Square Wedding Ceremony
Located in Long Island City, Studio Square is fast becoming the site of choice for couples planning an intimate, modern wedding ceremony. I entered in freight elevator powered by a human to a glossy loft space with a cute outdoor patio. And smiled when I saw the heart place holders decorating the table where D+C […]
MoreOfficiating at a Loft with a View
L+B married in the fun Manhattan loft of RamScale. They opted for a standard ceremony, but requested I integrate two quotes they liked. I wove them into a new mini prelude, which is below. Every urbanite has witnessed lovers lost in themselves on a train. They gaze adoringly and kiss without care. Delightfully unaware of […]
MoreHip Brooklyn Wedding Ceremony at Linger Lounge
EXCERPT FROM THEIR CEREMONY: You have requested I read a special piece entitled “A Parable” by Maynard James Keenan, which best captures your love: “We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment. We are choosing to be here right now, hold on, stay inside this holy reality, this holy experience. Twirling round […]
MoreRomantic Personalized Ceremony (NYC celebrant services)
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 […]
MoreSnug Harbor Wedding Ceremony
The 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 […]
MoreSwan Club, Long Island Wedding Ceremony
I 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 […]
MoreWestbury Manor Wedding (+breaking of the glass texts)
I 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 […]
MoreLimerick Wedding Vows & a Surprise Wedding in Brooklyn
Vann 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 […]
MoreSpiritual Ceremony in Central Park: Late Afternoon Light
Wedding ceremony in Wagner’s Cove with post-ceremony images in the Ramble, Bow Bridge, Bethesda Terrace, and Mall area.
MoreTompkins Square Park Wedding
Socially 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 […]
MoreSlide-show Wedding Ceremony at Manhattan Loft
RamScale is a wedding venue on West Street with stellar views of the Hudson River, the Jersey shoreline, Manhattan Rooftops, and even Lady Liberty. There, K + T married before about forty loved ones in a most atypical ceremony. They put together a fabulously animated and humorously narrated multimedia slide-show with photos, video, and music […]
MoreAlmost Autumn Wedding at the Queens Botanical Garden
I’ve professed love for the Queens Botanical Gardens before in warm weather with not a drop of rain. I’ll do so again today because raindrops plummeted from the sky on Sunday. At the QBG, couples have two choices in rainy weather. They can move the ceremony completely inside into the green auditorium. Or they can […]
More“W” Hotel Wedding Ceremony (Union Square)
I adore officiating weddings in the “W” Hotel (Westin Hotel) at Union Square. John, the banquet manager, is a great guy. The staff is both friendly and perfectly able to orchestrate a wedding. And, most of all, I love the acoustics in the classically designed ballroom. I find that a microphone acts as an invisible […]
MoreDestination Wedding at Bethesda Terrace, Central Park
After almost fourteen months of digital correspondence, Helen and Diarmuid finally got hitched! Their destination wedding in New York was actually quite simple with a touch of tradition and a touch of the personal. Helen first contacted me in June 2009 to check availability and for general ideas. Over the next months, this fabulous couple […]
MoreQueens Botanical Garden Wedding
I’ve officiated at weddings in the Queens Botanical Garden a number of times. I admit that the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center are possibly more romantic and intriguing for photos. Yet the QBG is convenient, has a friendlier staff, and is more democratic when it comes to weddings. Yes, it is […]
MoreRoosevelt Hotel Wedding
I met Ann and Joe of Nova Scotia for the first time on their wedding day. Having spoken to Ann on the phone, I knew we would get along easily. Together for years, they decided to exchange wedding vows and secure the public record (the marriage license) to make their union “official.” Given the prospect […]
MoreWedding at NYC Historic Site
The Old Stone House is a great site for a small wedding in any season. It’s not alone, the Voekler Oth House in Queens and the Merchant House in Manhattan are wonderful alternatives. Getting married in a historic site in New York is ideal for those, like me, who love the warmth of more intimate […]
MoreElegant Glen Island Harbor Club Wedding
Imagine: A cozy waiting area for your guests. Clean bathrooms — and plenty of them. Soft colors in ivory/cream-ish, beige, and dashes of greens and pinks on the carpeting (not that tacky over-done carpeting with bright gold and pink). A huge, tall room with windows on three sides that can seat 200 guests comfortably and […]
MoreTie the Knot on a Boat!
Felice and Graeme married on the bow of the Lucille at East 23rd Street and FDR Drive as about forty or fifty guests watched and cheered from the pier and twenty or thirty family members surrounded them on the boat’s front deck. A writer and phycisist respectively, this intercultural couple thoughtfully placed phycisist textbooks in […]
MoreQueens County Farm Wedding
The Queens County Farm is a brilliant choice for any nature-loving, local couple. It is cozy, quaint, and affordable. Lindsay and Rick needed few decorations: they used fresh-cut flowers, including daisies, in classic jar bottles, some candles that will surely flicker beautifully against old-fashioned lead windows, and gave their guests hot sauce, which perfectly matched […]
MoreElegant Wedding at The Glass Houses
Some four or five years ago, Liam (spouse-to-be then) and I were wandering around the galleries in Chelsea. Having drank too much coffee to try to get rid of a headache induced by teaching six classes at various New York colleges at the time, I really needed to find a restroom. We came across one […]
MoreWedding Ceremony at Vetro, Howard Beach
Jennifer and Eddie were going to the Clerk’s Office in Kew Gardens, Queens to get married. Then they planned to invite a few dozen family and friends for an early afternoon celebration at Vetro on a Monday, which is a semi-new reception hall space associated with Russo’s on the Bay that is ideal for weddings […]
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Wedding Officiant in NYC and the Hudson Valley 