FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
As an officiant for luxury weddings I point out that to afford a high-end boutique cake it can cost a thousand to several thousand dollars. And yet no matter how good the cake may be it is only memorable in the moment of consumption and the presentation for the photographer. On the other hand your ceremony sets the tone for the rest of your wedding celebration and if your ceremony is engaging and shines light on you as a couple it will be a deeply memorable experience for you and all of your guests for years to come. My experience and my time and my delivery are worth the extra cost. It's as least as good as your cake. There is no charge for our first initial consultation by phone or Facetime. I'm based in Carmel, CA. And so my base price is $500 anywhere from Big Sur to Santa Cruz. I'm often referred to officiate weddings in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Tiburon, and Napa Valley. The prices range from $700 to $5000 depending on the time of the year, travel, accommodations, and the demand I'm receiving for my work. And if you are having a smaller wedding celebration or elopement during the week my price ranges from $500 to $750.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
Will you help us craft our ceremony? Of course. From the first email inquiry to each planning phone call to in person meetings and all the way to rehearsal and the day of your wedding, I take the time to listen and ask questions that enable me to reflect your love story personally, elegantly, and with some tears and laughter in between. My vision is to revive the art of the personal wedding ceremony so I work closely with you as a couple. We also discuss what nuances or sensitivities to be aware of related to your backgrounds so we can honor family traditions without compromising the values you hold as a couple. I'm here to help you navigate those places without losing the momentum of the arc of your story as a couple. What types of ceremonies do you officiate? All types. What makes your ceremony process unique? I listen. I am a keen observer of what makes couples tick. I live by the poem from Mary Oliver; Instructions for Living a Life Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. My mission is to pay attention to your story, become astonished at how the intersections in your story occurred, and then tell about the brilliance and beauty of your story to you and your guests during the ceremony. Everyone's story is compelling. Tears and laughter are part of all love stories and tears and laughter keep everyone engaged and on the edge of their seats. How long is a ceremony? It all depends on what you want. 20-30 minutes is a sweet spot to aim for. Shorter than 15 minutes is best left to courthouse ceremonies or for a couple who doesn't want their story included in the ceremony. Ceremonies that go 40 minutes and beyond tend to be religiously focused ceremonies that require elements that have been ritualized in a particular faith tradition. How long have you been doing this? Since 1999. I've officiated well over 400 ceremonies.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
What is your background? I graduated with a B.A. in English literature from Dartmouth College and so I love story and work hard to uncover compelling ways to incorporate couples' stories into their ceremonies. I have seminary work from both Fuller Theological Seminary as well as Regent College in Vancouver, B.C. I also have a graduate certificate in leadership development from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. I have co-founded a few non-profits and am currently a founding partner of Spero Challenge.