WEDDINGS
Wedding ceremonies are joyous and ecstatic expressions of love. I feel so lucky to experience the magic of every wedding I officiate and for the chance to create a personal, creative and poetic ceremony that reflects the unique expression and intentions of each couple.
I view marriage as a rite-of-passage. Whether you believe in God or not, I see your wedding as a sacred event, a transformative experience and a threshold of change. Weddings create an opportunity to reflect on who you are as individuals and as a collaborative partnership, to step into your own creative power, vision, and personal expression. It’s a meaningful day where your community supports and witnesses your partnership and this exciting new beginning in your lives.
I create a protected space where you can be reminded of the touchstone of this sacred event – your love. Even the most conscious individuals can easily lose sight of the meaning of the wedding as the to-do-list lengthens, family tensions emerge and the budget takes on a life of its’ own. I want to give you an opportunity to bring meaning, depth and vision to what will be one of the most important days of your life.
I will help you find an approach to your wedding ceremony that is meaningful to you. I want to help you identify the beauty and uniqueness of your relationship and convey who you are and what you are committed to.
I have an eclectic background and can work with your personal beliefs and individual backgrounds. I was raised in an all-inclusive religious/spritual household educated on the central tenents and universal teachings of mysticism and all major religions. I have an undergraduate degree in Religious Studies, with an emphasis on mythology, a masters degree in Psychology and my doctoral studies are focused on the mythic journey of change at key thresholds of life. My personal sacred practices are rooted in earth-based cycles, mindfullness practices, Buddhism, Science of Mind, poetry and the creative arts.
I ask couples to participate in 3 to12 counseling/meetings sessions to support the planning of the ceremony and to engage more deeply in the path of getting married, addressing the personal workshop of the relationship, and opening to the initiatory threshold of the marriage ritual.
I offer three different paths of exploration depending on the wedding preparation that is right for you:
1) Honoring The Journey $775 (3 counseling/planning meetings, writing ceremony, officiating) In these 3 meetings you will get some special time to connect to the most meaningful part of your wedding. The ceremony!! You will feel more connected to each other and your own personal journey. $1, 150 (6 counseling/planning meetings, writing ceremony, officiating) You will have an opportunity to deepen your connection to each other, supporting lines of communication, working with tensions and fears that are surfacing in your process. It is a great gift to give to your relationship to feel as connected, resourced, heard and open as you possibly can the day of your wedding. 3) The Sacred Initiation $1,900 (12 counseling/planning meetings, writing ceremony, officiating) The matrix of relationship offers a unique container where we explore: intimacy, vulnerability, dependence, collaboration and responsible partnership. No other type of relationship we have evokes the rich and tender material that happens inside the container of love. I charge an additional $250 for wedding rehearsals. I charge $45/hour for driving time/gas beyond 20 miles of Oakland. I work with straight and LGBTQ couples. I honor pagan, atheist, spiritual-but-not-religious, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist and Muslim faiths.