About 2000 Lovingly Officiated Weddings by Judie L. Guild. NY Registration #77862. JudieGuild@outlook.com.
Thanks to smart advertising, the appeal of enjoying an “offbeat wedding” or “offbeat elopement” is growing. Of course, “offbeat” is a relative term. Emerging congruently with the economic boom and strengthening middle class in the immediate post-WWII era, the white wedding –a church ceremony followed by a formal gala in a catering hall or hotel […]
MoreBetween updating an Offbeat Bride advertorial and recent comments from my couples, the underlying reasons why couples elope are central to my thoughts. One couple invited a brother and his wife only. As Liam snapped away, the sister-in-law turned to me with “this is so nice and romantic.” Apparently, their wedding –while wonderful– had to […]
MoreDuring the wedding planning process, ideas float abundantly through every couple’s minds. With so much diverse ephemera on the web, deciding on invitations, clothing, venues, photographers, videographers, shoes, and more becomes very difficult. If they elope, will the couple regret not inviting family and friends? If they plan a large celebration, will the core meaning […]
MoreThe vast majority of my couples enlist me for a strictly nonreligious or civil or humanist or spiritual ceremony without any explicit deity references. But I do officiate religious or denominational or interfaith or nondenominational spiritual wedding ceremonies as well. I’ve married aetheists, agnostics, Catholics, Jewish, and newly transformed Buddhist couples. And I’ve learned that […]
MoreI recently married two wonderful guys in Central Park and another local couple in North Forest Park. I do not know how much they had in common. Except that both missed their dogs. For the record, I am very pet-friendly. Until I was thirteen, my family had “Beach,” who was a large dog that wandered […]
MoreSecuring a marriage license is the first step to a public record of a marriage. The second is the ceremony. And the third is the filing and recording for posterity. While your marriage is still perfectly legitimate once a genuine officiant presides over a ceremony, the filing of the license and receipt of certificate by […]
MoreJanuary has moved along at such a brisk and unquiet pace that I nearly neglected reminding folks about an annual Valentine’s Day wedding , vow renewal, engagement ceremony special. Between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, 14th February 2012, couples may enlist my services for their ceremony in their home, restaurant, Grand Central, a […]
MoreMany of my couples assume I write a post per every wedding or ceremony. If I did, this blog would feature twenty-four posts for December. Yes, I did neglect the blog a little in the past few months. I think it’s the fault of twitter. It seems redundant to tweet something and then blog about […]
MoreRob 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 […]
MorePersonalized Prelude their ceremony: Neither Michelle nor Steve expected to encounter each other; they were not exactly looking for true love. Life was too busy interfering and forcing them to focus on the other big stuff. But God was smiling; amid their hard-work in other areas, fate was arranging a meeting. Early in 2009, Steve […]
MoreConnected by a common passion for using unions to achieve a more inclusive society, Shaun and Kate met in a Chicago cafe last (last) August. A national union organizing director, Shaun was swooping in to help her small school union solidify its campaign. Kate noticed Shaun’s trademark fedora with a smile and felt a spark. […]
MoreCuriously, 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 […]
MoreThis 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 […]
MoreScottadito 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 […]
MoreI 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 […]
MoreWho 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 […]
MoreJ+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 […]
MoreDearly 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 […]
MoreI 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 […]
MoreThe 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 […]
MoreLike 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 […]
MoreAn 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 […]
MoreY+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. […]
MoreNo 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 […]
MoreHi 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 […]
MoreWhen 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 […]
MoreSegment 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 […]
MoreSince you met in the West Village, you have become inseparable. The striking independence prized by each is not an obstacle; it enriches your bond. Because both love to explore the world, opportunities for growth and joy have doubled as a result of your companionship. Big and small adventures have transformed ordinary days into wonderfully […]
MoreQuinn and Nora met in a whimsical way a few years ago in Terminal 4 at JFK airport. Nora’s beauty captured Quinn’s gaze immediately: with his heart racing, he walked over to her at a Hudson News’ store. He felt as if he had known her all his life. These words by Rumi express their […]
MoreI am so glad to have met this fantastic couple who planned their NYC wedding from abroad in the U.K. Smart, relaxed, and –I know this seems commonplace, but it’s true– downright pleasant, this pair made a beautiful couple. As an added bonus, they married in the lovely Shakespeare Garden before heading to the Ramble […]
MorePresiding 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 […]
MoreThe couple below “got it.” M+S specifically requested our OBB package and understood that it covers a few photos and a simple (non-customized) ceremony. But, for some reason, two couples recently assumed that my services automatically include photography. This is not true. First, Liam works solely on elopements and intimate weddings. Conversely, I officiate at […]
MoreThis note is to clarify my services for elopements and intimate weddings. I’ve done my best to tailor my wedding minister services to hold true to the spirit of elopements. Indeed, of the 240-300 weddings over which I officiate each year, at least a third are genuine civil ceremonies for elopements. When contrasted to other […]
MoreThose planning a destination wedding might want to start watching “White Collar.” I am rather critical when it comes to television shows –an inevitable byproduct from years of learning and teaching cultural studies’ courses. It’s mindless entertainment, yet a few steps up from realty t.v. (Wow–what a sad measuring stick!) However, since I lack cable, […]
MoreHere are some segments from their ceremony: I am especially proud to officiate today: D+S are equally brave individuals. I admire them; their relationship inspires both to become better people. But not only do they give the gift of love to each other: they share the best of themselves with their family, friends, and community […]
MoreL+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 […]
MoreSo for personal, philosophical, cultural, and political reasons, I am obviously still feeling the sweeping exhilaration of New York’s Marriage Equality Bill. To honor its passing, for the first week (July 24th-31st) any LGBTQ wedding ceremonies will be $75 to $150 in most areas of NYC….Staten Island, the Bronx, Westchester, and Nassau County ceremonies will […]
MoreMy elation and support ought to be obvious on this issue. Just in case it is not, below is my official statement. Religious texts, including the Bible, are full with husbands and wives who defy one another and their contemporary conventions in admired brilliance to keep true to most virtuous ideals of life. This is […]
MoreBetween couples looking to downsize larger scale weddings, the rising popularity of destination weddings in New York, the desire for great wedding photos, and the folks who want a low-key wedding or vow renewal or commitment ceremony, getting (re) married in Central Park seems to be evolving as “the” choice. I love Central Park, and […]
MoreImages below were taken in the lovely “Secret Garden,” which is the English styled garden in gorgeous Conservatory Gardens. Remember that a permit is mandatory here! Convocation:A+S, you kindly invited us within your protective “bubble” to memorialize the past four years and celebrate the possibilities of your future together. This ceremony will not create your […]
MoreEXCERPT 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 […]
MoreLisa 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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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Wedding Officiant in NYC and the Hudson Valley 