CALL 704-588-4623 FOR A FREE CONSULTATION TODAY!!
Your Wedding Will Be As Special As Your Love!
Hello – and Congratulations! Now take a deep breath and RELAX. This part of planning your wedding will be fun and stress-free. I have been working with couples for over 10 years, and have always heard afterward how unique and beautiful their ceremony was.
I am also a professional author*, so you can be sure that the words that we choose and that I compose will be meaningful, memorable and unique - just as you are!
AND - I will never leave you in a lurch! I
get many last minute phone calls from panic-stricken couples whose
minister or officiant backed out at the last minute for one reason or
another. In the 10 years I have been doing weddings full time, I have never missed a wedding! If, by some chance, I do break a leg (I have
done weddings on crutches!) or have a family emergency, I have several
other ministers that also work with me that I will personally contact for
you before I even call you to tell you I cannot be with you on your
special day. That's only the right thing to do! I take your wedding as
seriously as you do!!
I
take great pride and delight in working with couples to ensure that
each and every wedding ceremony is designed individually and
creatively. Your ceremony should not be "one size fits all, cookie-cutter wedding".
As
a non-denominational and an interfaith minister, I believe that you
should not have to compromise, in the short span of time you have, with
words that do not relate to who you are.
We can include rituals and traditions from your faith, backgrounds and culture.
I
have also been told over the years that being
married by a woman minister made so much sense – because I could
understand the level of emotion and attention to detail that goes into
the planning of the ceremony. I would think this is because almost
every little girl dreams of her wedding from the time she is, like, born!
But
seriously, I do take special care with each and every couple’s ceremony
in the details, wording and rituals that can be included. I look
forward to helping you plan yours!”
As a "wedding minister" or "wedding officiant" in the Charlotte area, I spend a lot of time helping each couple plan their wedding ceremony. I have a pre meeting ceremony planning packet I email to you before we get together for our first consultation - which is free of charge. Then, once I receive a 50% deposit for the ceremony, we begin to craft a customized ceremony that is yours - and yours alone!
My Credentials
I attended Sancta Sophia Seminary in Tahlequah, OK graduating in 1996 at which time I was physically ordained through Light of Christ Community Church, earning a lifetime ordination that is endorsed through the International Council of Community Churches. As such, I am licensed and can perform ceremonies all over the world.
(I would also like to caution you to take the time to check out any minister whom you are considering and ask them where they were ordained. There is a very real issue of “internet-ordained” ministers as not being “legal” in the state of NC, most especially those ordained through the Universal Life Church. So please take care and check out the credentials of anyone that you are considering as a wedding officiant. If an officiant has more than one "ordination" - then that's likely a sign that they've been ordained over the internet and have not had the training and credentialing that make them legitimate in the eyes of the state - why would they need more than ONE ordination??)
Services and Fees
 We will discuss fees when we meet - but this I will say - my fees are in alignment with the quality and attention
you receive! Some of you may only want a simple, vows only ceremony and others will want a more elaborate celebration of your love. Once we decide on what you want, we will discuss a fair and equatable honorarium. I have found that fees normally run in the mid $300's, just to give you a ball park.
I work hard for YOU to ensure that you
are happy with the outcome of your special day. My ceremonies are unique, heartfelt and joyful. And - they are all about you, your love and your relationship.
Doing close to 200 weddings a year, I am on top of the lists of most wedding venues including: The Van Landingham Estate, The Morehead Inn, St. Mary's and Belk Chapels, Ballantyne Resort, and Stowe Botanical Gardens, to name a few. Also most of the better a country clubs, all of the local hotels, as well as with most of the folks in the wedding business - the caterers, photographers, florists and wedding planners and coordinators consistently refer me when asked for officiant recommendations. My weddings have appeared on TV and I have been profiled in Today's Charlotte Woman Magazine and Carolina Bride - so when you hire me, you are hiring Charlotte's Premier Wedding Officiant.
Please call soon, as I am already booking into next year, and we want to have plenty of time to plan your dream wedding!
PS:
I do charge a "mileage" fee (currently $1.00/mi.) to drive to locations more that 10 miles outside of the Charlotte City Limits, due to the rising costs of fuel. I use Google Maps when calculating mileage.
Regarding Rehearsals:
Although I normally
attend rehearsals, I am not a wedding director. There are professional
directors to do that job. The officiant can't do both jobs and be in two places at once (i.e. at the front with the groom and in the back with the bride) and if you want your wedding day to run smoothly, you need a separate person to organize the actual wedding party. If you were getting married in a
church, the church would have you hire one of their directors for that purpose,
or the director would be included in the fee for renting the church. I can
recommend several directors with whom I have worked over the years. The
average cost of a director is between $250 - $500. I also have names of
wedding planners and coordinators.
I
WILL work with your director and make sure they have a copy of the
final ceremony for the rehearsal if I cannot personally attend the rehearsal due to a conflict with an evening wedding or another rehearsal.
The stress you save yourself by having a professional director will be
well worth the expense!
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 * My audio book, Instant Calm©: Meditations to Train Your Brain and Relax Your Emotions, can be purchased on Amazon.com or downloaded from iTunes, Napster or purchased in Bulk at CDBaby. A great gift idea for your wedding party.
(Ask me about wedding baskets that include "Instant Calm Balm" aromatherapy lotions, calming bath products and more from Soulful Sages that are customized just for you!)
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To check my availability, or to have more information please fill in the form below -- better yet -- give me a call at: 704-588-4623.
PLEASE BE SURE TO GIVE ME THE TIME, DATE AND LOCATION of your wedding!
I look forward to getting to know you!
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Pre Marital Counseling
I am also a certified pastoral counselor and spiritual director, and trained as a FOCCUS premarital
practitioner. I have several different ways we can work together in
premarital counseling. These sessions should be scheduled at least 6
months before your ceremony and are a separate fee schedule. I require
at least 4 meetings.
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Member National Association of Catering Executives
Member National Association of Wedding Ministers
Member National Speakers Association