The
Inclusion of Spirit and Thought
"To thine own self be true." Shakespeare's
advice on personal authenticity could have just as easily been
written for couples contemplating the design of their wedding
ceremonies. This is especially true when it comes to philosophical
and religious content.
As you may be considering me for
the performance of your wedding ceremony, my disposition on
this very important topic may be of interest to you. Please
accept the following:
 Religious
and philosophical expression in my ceremonies will always be
optional. You may be devoutly
religious or you may not be a participant in religion. I place
no requirements on you; that's not my turf. I design, rehearse
and perform beautiful wedding ceremonies. Sometimes religious
and philosophical expression play a major part of
those ceremonies, and just as many other times they don't.
Only my couples decide if this aspect will be present in their
ceremonies.
In the twenty years I have been
officiating throughout Chicagoland, I have worked for every
religious denomination under the sun. And I enjoyed working
for all of them. I have been, and always will be, very supportive
of each couple's desire to include, or withhold, this identity.
In designing your ceremony, you
really can not and should not ignore the hopes of others- namely
your parents or families. They too may have expectations of
your ceremony, and you, or your spouse to be, may have very
different views on this than they do. Maybe your families are
of very different religions? Maybe the groom's side is devout
Lutheran, and the bride's side are flaming atheists. Now what?
The answers involve accommodation
and diplomacy. Yes, you can pull rank. After all you're the
bride and groom, and frankly, it's your wedding isn't it? But
if you throw your weight around like that with your wedding
ceremony, and ignore your loved ones, you may find that it
takes twenty years to undo the ill feelings you caused during
your wedding ceremony. Do you really want that?
Together, we'll create a ceremony
that treats everyone, excludes no one, and rewards all who've
attended. To this end I will use my skills and experience in
helping you resolve these issues by finding the right ceremonial
expression. I've been doing it for decades. We'll design your
ceremony so that it's true to you both, and respects the hopes
of others.
Religion and philosophy are wonderful
expressions of the human experience. If they are used, let
them enhance your ceremony and not detract from it.
Be smart, be considerate, and
find common ground. I'll help you find just the right wording
and ceremony options for your wedding.
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