This Bud's For You, Really...Just for You!

When couples interview me about being their wedding officiant, I ask them to talk about their dream ceremony...who will be there, what words do they want to hear, who will be involved. When Jessica and Tom talked about their ceremony, they joked a bit about doing something with beer. That's all I needed to hear...and my imagination was off and running.



I designed a ritual just for them...using beer as a symbolic of all the love and commitment they bring to their marriage as individuals. As they poured the beer from their individual bottles of their favorite Budweiser into an engraved glass...their commitments merged into one. As they each sipped this unified glass of beer...they locked on each other eyes, their guests nodded in approval, and this ceremony took on a look and feel that was just for Jessica and Tom.

This ceremony was at the St. Charles Seminary's event space on Staten Island, overlooking the outer NYC harbor. Sad to learn that this wedding was the last one to be held here. The Seminary is shutting down its event space as they prepare to sell their required parking lot for residential building. No soul!



Ceremony Tip: Even if you think it may be as profane as using beer in your ceremony, do mention your mutual interests and hobbies to your wedding officiant. You may find that detail is just the key to unlocking a creative and personal element for your ceremony...one that has meaning for the two of you.

Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!

Australian Bride and Groom

When this Australian Bride and Groom got to New York, they checked out places in Central Park to have their wedding ceremony. They selected the Bow Bridge...excellent choice!

Kera and Al's wedding ceremony was private...sweet and emotional. They opted to have this moment just between the two of them before they joined friends for a celebratory dinner. Speaking their vows to one another was the highlight of this ceremony...the words came from their hearts with feeling.

Boaters, school groups, and tourists congratulated Al and Shera as they kissed right after I declared them husband and wife.


They met where they worked in Australia...his proposal was in Bali...and they got married in New York City. With the world at their feet, they begin the new adventures that married life will bring to them.



Most of the products and services that made their wedding day come to life were by New York City wedding folks...their rings, her dress and flowers, their wonderful photographer - Brian Friedman, and me, their wedding officiant.






And then they were off to have Brian take pictures of them with iconic NYC as the backdrop. It looked to me like they had the NYC destination wedding of their dreams!





Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!

Destination: NYC

An English couple, Craig and Michelle, engaged me as their wedding officiant for their NYC destination wedding. Michelle was so impressed with all the arrangements that Craig made...quite under-estimating the level of details required. But he succeeded in giving her the special day they both wanted.

With their parents by their side, they declared their vows, exchanged rings, and, of course, had the ceremonial kiss as they were declared husband and wife. Central Park's Ladies Pavillion provided the perfect setting for a real New York City wedding.

It was a pleasure to make this happy celebration happen for them...along with my friend and photographer, Brian Freedman. He makes magic with his images.



I suppose since I watched this summer's royal wedding with intense interest, I became fascinated by "fascinators." Both mothers of the couple wore them...quite lovely...and fascinating!


Ceremony Tip: Getting married in a very public place means there will be folks you don't know walking around during the ceremony, and the hum of activity in the park is inescapable. Craig and Michelle did the right thing...they blocked out the movement and peripheral noise. They focused on each other. Their doing so made their ceremony a private and meaningful moment for them.

Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!

21st Century Business Women's Conference

As part of my ongoing learning about managing the business part of my wedding officiant practice, I have participated for several years in the annual "21st Century Busines Woman" conference sponsored by the Business Outreach Center Network at the West Brighton Community Local Development Corporation.

Yesterday's conference provided me with ideas, networking opportunities, and inspiration. I was pleased to be among the small business owners who helped sponsor the event.


Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!

Marrying the Next Generation

Four years ago I created a ceremony for a couple's 25th anniversary. To my delight, their son and his fiance chose me to the be the wedding officiant for their ceremony last week. Both these ceremonies were at Nicotra's Ballroom on Staten Island...just perfect for family celebrations of all kinds.



Good friend and wonderful musician, John Rotante, did the processional and recessional music for the ceremony. We brought our spouses with us, and we enjoyed socializing after our work was done.

Anthony and Kimberly included a large number of family and friends in their wedding party, and everyone was excited. The ringbearer stood in the center of things for some of the ceremony...even asking me questions. What an experience for him...and fun for me!

Because this couple's parents have long and happy marriages, they had their parents do the readings. The subject of each reading was a definition of marriage..quite appropriate.

Kimberly purchased a sand ritual set online, one I'd never seen before. It was easy to use, it was beautiful, and it worked more smoothly than most sand rituals I have done. They didn't have a connection to sand in their story, but the colors of the sand had meaning for them, so that's the train of thought I took.

Well, maybe they do have a connection to sand...they are happily celebrating in the Bahamas this week!

Ceremony Tip: If you are thinking of including a sand ritual in your wedding ceremony, take a look at this sand ceremony set you can purchase online. You have the option of selecting the colors of sand you wish to use.

Julie Laudicina,Celebrant!
A Civil Wedding Officiant

It's a Small Private Ceremony

On rare occasions by my choice, I serve as the wedding officiant for small, very private ceremonies that make a marriage legal. Often these couples plan a more formal ceremony to which their larger circle of family and friends will be invited.

Sometimes the matter at hand is health care insurance, immigration, or child custody issues. All good reasons to step into a legal marriage that brings with it many privileges and responsibilties.

I did such a ceremony last Saturday for a couple who will be formally married at a later date. It was an intimate and elegant ceremony with their very immediate family members present. The documents were signed, and champagne was popped.

I hope they didn't miss the view outside the hotel suite windows. Here's what I saw:


Ceremony Tip: When your ceremony is private/"secret," do include those close to you who will know what is happening and can be trusted, don't eliminate all trappings of a ceremony...make this moment special too, and find some way to acknowledge this day in your journey to getting married...a ring, a rose, or a formal portrait.


Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!
A Civil Wedding Officiant