About 2000 Lovingly Officiated Weddings by Judie L. Guild. NY Registration #77862. JudieGuild@outlook.com.
This 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 […]
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 To some, this may seem an outdated practice.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 […]
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 […]
MoreIt is true that the “traditional vows” for both civil and (Christian) religious ceremonies are identical. Some denominations use variations, but the essence remains. The vast majority of my couples opt for a civil, humanist, or generally spiritual ceremony. Justice of the Peace style civil ceremonies are non-religious and contain generally straightforward language defining marriage. […]
MoreI’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 […]
MoreImages of the Museum of Natural History and Metropolitan Museum of Art (Lobbies) Planning a winter ceremony? Between December 1st and April 1st, do plan to marry indoors. If the weather is nice, then you can always move the ceremony outside. Free Indoor Winter Wedding Locations in NYC: These are really only suitable for elopements. […]
MoreI 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 […]
More“What is the ‘normal’ ceremony?” and “I want my ceremony to be unique” are often spoken lines with much cross-over. “Normalcy” and “traditional” are relevant concepts. It’s true that the “I take you to be my lawfully wedded spouse to have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer […]
MoreIf you are looking for a more off-beat wedding ceremony site in Queens, New York, here are a few ideas. Crossing Art Gallery Flushing Town Hall Oak Ridge, Forest Park Voekler Orth House Bayside Historical Society Flushing Meadows Corona Park Gantry State Plaza Park Astoria Park Alley Park Baisley Pond Park Queens County Farm Queens […]
MoreThe 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 […]
MoreThe New York Times published a tiny blog entry highlighting a blog entry by Andrew Brown of The Guardian. Fighting the temptation to go academic into a discourse expanding the meaning of “intertextuality,” I’ll stick to a summary of his main points. Folks commenting on Brown’s article seem to largely miss the two-pronged nature of […]
MoreHurray! You are getting married in ten to twenty days! Do not procrastinate on these items. __Acquire marriage license from same state in which you marry: put this in a very safe place and be sure to present it to your officiant before the ceremony. __Pick or write your wedding vows: serious and/or funny, it […]
MoreI am totally in love with this site. Tucked away in Westchester — but conveniently only a ten minute taxi drive from the Tarrytown Metro North stop — Blue Hill is a restaurant situated on a farm. A real farm. A very picturesque farm. And a farm that yields much of the food served in […]
MoreNathalia contacted me in the early Spring with plans to marry the “love of her life and best friend,” Hector, in October. Fortune graced this interfaith (Catholic- Jehovah Witness) couple in early July: Nathalie learned that her brother would be visiting for a few days. In only about ten days or so, she quickly put […]
MoreThe forecast predicted rain, which never came. This seems to be the normal weather pattern, and it is welcome break from last year for couples, like Rob and Liz, planning their summer wedding in New York. These two love-birds married at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in the Japanese Pavilion. As you can see from the […]
MorePrelude: This story is true and a first for me. Couples marry for many reasons, and I respect almost each one However, make no mistake: weddings are joyful, but marriage is a serious, intimate commitment that can bring much happiness if the couple freely enters it with a shared understanding of what they want their […]
MoreNot all feel compelled to write their own vows. Some prefer the timelessness of classic, traditional vows. In traditional vows, you promise to take each other in marriage “come rapture or ruin.” This is a straight-forward promise conveying the unconditional essence of your commitment and needs little more embellishment. Others find contemporary vows online that […]
MoreI actually wrote this tiny article for the Humanist Ethical Society of Spirituality’s main site a few months ago. It’s based on accumulated knowledge gained by reading random bits of the web , articles, and such books as Public Vows, It’s Our Day, and Here Comes the Bride. But I thought my new couples might […]
MoreI love writing because I love words. For some, piecing together a paragraph direclty originates in the general idea expressed. For me, this is true too. Yet I also believe that a word reflects an idea, and it is possible to play with words themselves to uncover themes and concepts. Like writing for students in […]
More20 WEEKS TO A BETTER BOND designed by me This “twenty week program” is meant to help couples center themselves and prepare for marriage or strengthen an existing marriage /relationship. Couples may also wish to condense the program to twenty days. This is not mandatory for any of my couples; it is only suggested […]
MoreTo get married in New York, celebrate your commitment, or renew your wedding vows, you need little more than a New York registered civil wedding officiant. To this end, I promise to give you a meaningful, memorable ceremony without the stressful dramas or limitations that accompany traditional, stoic ministers. Instead, I offer unique packages to […]
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Wedding Officiant in NYC and the Hudson Valley 