My beliefs about unique marriage ceremonies
Each ceremony that I write is composed specifically for you--tone, readings, traditions, rituals & so on. You will have detailed input & final approval. Because your wedding ceremony is all about you; all for you.
I create your ceremony to celebrate the marriage bond but also, equally important, to share the joy of your specific bond to each other. What is important is what you have in common, & what you have in common is the unconditional commitment to share the rest of your lives. After all, it is what you have in common as well as your differences that attracted you to each other in the first place! And those commonalities & differences will also keep you intrigued by each other for the rest of your lives!
You do not have to be regular churchgoers—or even occasional churchgoers. I believe you carry your spiritual beliefs in your heart, wherever you are, wherever you go.
What “Interfaith Minister” means
The seminary that ordained me is affiliated with the United Nations, so we not only learned the beliefs & traditions of faiths all over the world, but high-ranking members of those faiths who came to town for United Nations meetings taught us & answered questions, as well. We were taught by monks, imams, priests, archbishops, shamans, rabbis… & learned their faiths’ wedding traditions plus the meanings behind them. Therefore, I am educated & trained to perform weddings for couples of the same faith, different faiths, different cultures, and different races.
You don’t have to choose a tradition from your ethnic background; you can just pick something that appeals to you. So, for example, if you love to cook, you might choose the Middle Eastern tradition The Seven Spices. Or, if you love the beach, you might choose Joining of the Waters, which is based on a Buddhist belief. Where a tradition comes from can be less important than whether it simply sounds like something you’d love!
How an Interfaith Minister can benefit you
Whether you, as a couple, are of the same faith, interfaith or cross-cultural, I have been extensively trained in the study & appreciation of, & respect for, worldwide traditions—as well as those from the United States.
You might be amazed at the "unlikely combinations" of couples for whom I have created ceremonies. (Yes, I know that family members have to be satisfied, too—I’m good at making everybody happy!)
If you are a cross-cultural couple, or English is not your native tongue, I like to learn pieces in your language—or that of your families—if you like, & include them in your ceremony. I’ve learned (often phonetically, with lots of practice!) & included portions in Korean, Farsi, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Romanian, French, German, Spanish… I actually performed one ceremony entirely in Spanish. (There’s a big difference, I discovered, among Mexico, Spain & South American Spanish—so the Spanish I use has to be appropriate for the couple & their guests).
I even performed a ceremony for a bride & groom who, along with their matron of honor & best man, were profoundly deaf. Every word I spoke was interpreted in sign language for those guests who were also hearing impaired. It was soooo great!
It’s such a personal touch, great fun for me, & is always greatly appreciated by the couple & their families!
My advanced education:
Ph.D. Therapeutic Counseling – The International Open University of Alternative Medicine, an NGO (non-governmental agency) of the United Nations and the World Health Organization
Level V (the Canadian version of a Ph.D.) - The International Institute of Integrative Human & Noetic Sciences, also affiliated with the United Nations and the World Health Organization
My additional degrees:
Master of Divinity - All Faiths Seminary
Minister of Spiritual Counseling - The New Seminary
Ordained at the Cathedral of St John the Divine - The New Seminary
Advanced Training in Hakomi Psychotherapy - MAHEC
BA Creative Writing - Colgate University
BFA Studio Art - Colgate University
My Affiliations:
Association of Interfaith Ministers
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AWAIC: A Worldwide Association of Interfaith Clergy |
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OuNI: Order of Universal Interfaith |
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United Communities of Spirit |
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ISIS International Seminary for Interfaith Studies |