Enough Love for a Lifetime

Phil and Grace...sounds like the name of a TV show, right?...got married at the Island Chateau on Staten Island last Saturday evening. The phrase from their wedding invitation..."enough love for a lifetime"...was used throughout the ceremony. And it truly fit this couple who had so many family and friends that the ceremony room seemed to be overflowing...like their love.

All of us were touched to watch Phil's family light a memorial candle in memory of his mother and sister. And it was heartwarming to hear Grace's son do a reading.

Later in the ceremony, Grace and Phil presented her son with a medal that he can have as a reminder of the day. The medallion depicted three intertwined circles...that of Phil and Grace - and her son. If you do an internet search on "wedding family medallion," you can find several options to buy such a keepsake.

Wedding Ceremony Tip: Check with your photographer and videographer about how they will get the shots you want during the ceremony. Also check with them on where they will be located during the ceremony and how much space they will need for equipment. I found it distracting to have the video equipment...well, just in the way. It think it also got to Grace at one point too. Talking through the ceremony staging with your photographer ahead of time can help you be undisturbed by what they do during the ceremony...which is as it should be.

Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!

A Little Bit Country...for an Urban Couple

Joanne and Nate are really urbanites...living in Brooklyn and loving all the city has to offer. But they got married in one of the most beautiful county settings...the garden at Crossed Key Inn, Andover, NJ.

This bride and groom have always sealed their promises by locking pinky-fingers. It was probably only visible to me...but they locked their little fingers while they spoke their vows. I was the delighted witness.



I didn't stay through the reception, but I can only assume this vehicle, situated right by the exit, was the "get-away" ride for the couple.




Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!

Yes, it was a bit about crows!

The entrance to the ceremony space at Astra, on 57th and Third, was through this high style hallway.

Two artists, Chris and Sandra, pledged their love as they held their rings over their hearts.
Their love story, a focal part of the ceremony, was a riff on the graphic image Sandra deigned for their wedding invitation...a branch with magenta flowers and two magical crows.




The location for this wedding had an outdoor balcony overlooking the 59th Street Bridge. It was an unusual view - even on a stormy night.





Julie Laudicina.Celebrant!

A Magical Wedding

It's our goal as wedding celebrants to create a magical wedding ceremony...when the setting, the couple, the family and friends all come together to create that transformational moment when the bride and groom become husband and wife. This wedding ceremony was just that! With the backdrop of the landmarks on Fifth Avenue visible from the garden terrace at Rockefeller Center, this couple spoke their emotional vows...the focus was totally on them! And the air was filled with joy.

At the end of the ceremony, the air was filled with helicopter noise directly overhead...reminding us all that we were in the middle of Manhattan.

Ceremony Tip: Capitalize on your love story in your ceremony. This bride and groom's story was compelling, and the telling of their story at the outset of their ceremony immediately engaged their guests. Everyone present knew this ceremony was not going to be something prefunctory or boring.

Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!

Room with a View

Julian and Debbie came to New York City from London to get married in the Mandarin Oriental, right on Columbus Circle...in a room filled with blossons, candles, a great view of Central Park...and lots of excited family and friends.

As the wedding officiant, I began the ceremony by introducing the bride's father who gave a blessing to his daughter...meaningful, from the heart, and filled with tradition.

Ceremony Tip: Many members of the family were included in the formal procession. It required organization and some time at the outset of the ceremony...but the visual impact of the procession made such a warm and inclusive impression. Family is important to this couple - so this was just the right thing to do.

Julie Laudicina,Celebrant!