Unity Ceremony (Sand Ceremony)

The Sand Ceremony has been attributed to a custom practiced by the indigenous people of Hawaii. In Hawaii it is common that weddings take place on the beach. The bride and groom are barefoot during the ceremony and sand is taken from beneath their feet and is poured into a container or large shell to symbolize the couple's unity.

The Sand Ceremony is a lovely way to symbolize your unity. It can be incorporated into any type of wedding ceremony. You can use sand from the beach or sand dyed in your favorite color(s). The vase that you pour the sand into will become a keepsake of your symbolic unity.

The Sand Ceremony

The officiant will say the following:
(Bride) and (Groom),today you join your separate lives together. The two separate cups of sand symbolize your separate lives (and separate families). They represent all that you are and all that you'll ever be as an individual. They also represent your lives before today. As these cups of sand are poured together, the individual grains of sand will still exist, but will be joined together as one unit. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual cups, so will the love and bond between the two of you render you inseparable.

You can use water or wine in place of the sand.

Another nice idea is to include children that are being joined into the new family.

First Example
(Children’s name/s), your mother and/or father and love you very much, and want you to know that you are and will always be a very important part of their lives. Will you please pour some sand into the vase along with your good wishes? That would mean so much to them. (Parents then hug and kiss their children!)

Second Example
Just as we have now bound (Bride) and (Groom) to one another, we will now celebrate the union of (other family/child/children) into this covenant. The couple will first pour their sands into the vase, showing that their marriage is the foundation of this family. Their sands mix together and symbolize their bond of love and respect that can never be separated. As (family member/child/children) now add his/her/their sand, we are reminded that though we are all different people, it is our individuality which adds a unique color to the tapestry of the family. Like the sands poured before it, so these sands will also mix and be unable to be separated.

Contact us if you would like to include this unity ceremony (or a variation) in your wedding ceremony.

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Eloping in NYC (Helicopter Ceremony)

New York City Helicopter Wedding

Are you looking for an exciting and memorable wedding?

If you're looking for an alternative to the traditional wedding, a New York Helicopter Wedding could be the choice for you. You will soar over the dazzling Manhattan skyline, and ascend over Central Park and Statue of Liberty, while saying your vows to each other. As you begin your life together, start your journey in an exciting way.

Contact us for more information on a New York City Helicopter Wedding.

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Wedding Ceremony (Spiritual)

Katy and Ilya's wedding ceremony was intimate, simple and lovely. The setting that they chose was a rustic gazebo, surrounded by lush greenery in the heart of Prospect Park. The early morning melody from the birds chirping and the waterfall from the ravine added to the background music. They chose the spiritual ceremony that includes a flower unity ceremony. All of the details that they added to the ceremony were incredibly thoughtful. They wrote inscriptions on paper hearts to one another. Katy wore a vintage lace dress that looked as though it was made especially for her. She made her own bouquet with a variety of yellow flowers and gathered them with light blue ribbon. She used the same ribbon to line the bag that held the flower petals for the flower ceremony.

Spiritual Ceremony
(Flower Unity Ceremony)

Statement of Purpose
It is a time of celebration, for two people have come together and found mutual joy. They have shared their lives and decided to create a covenant in body and spirit.

Flower Ceremony
Officiant scatters flower petals in a complete circle around the couple and says:

"Let your love be like the flowers of the earth, beautiful and divine, ever growing, spreading love and joy throughout. May you live within a circle of love and may your unity be a thing of beauty and sweetness. May your love dance in eternal circles of time, with the dance of the earth, with the sacredness of life."

Vows
Now, please face each other and join hands.

(Groom), please repeat after me:
I, (Groom), take you (Bride), as my friend and love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and in tranquility, asking that you be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not know yet, in all the ways that life may find us.

(Bride), please repeat after me:
I, (Bride), take you,(Groom), as my friend and love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and in tranquility, asking that you be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not know yet, in all the ways that life may find us.

Ring Ceremony
You have chosen to exchange rings as a symbol of your spiritual unity.

To the Groom:

Please place the ring on (Bride)’s finger, hold her hand in yours and repeat after me:
(Bride), I give you this ring, to wear upon your hand as a symbol, of our unity, love, respect and trust.

To the Bride:

Please place the ring on (Groom)’s finger, hold his and in yours and repeat after me:
(Groom), I give you this ring, to wear upon your hand as a symbol, of our unity, love, respect and trust.

Poetry Reading
I will read Love's Philosophy by Percy B. Shelley

The Fountains mingle with the River
And the Rivers with the Ocean,
The winds of Heaven mix for ever
With a sweet emotion:
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law devine
In one spirit meet and mingle.
Why not I with thine?
See the mountains kiss high Heaven
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother,
And the sunlight clasps the earth
And the moonbeams kiss the sea:
What is all this sweet work worth
If thou kiss not me?

Pronouncement
I now greet you as husband and wife. (Groom) you may kiss (Bride).

Contact us if you would like us to perform the Spiritual Ceremony for your wedding.

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Wedding Ceremony (Brooklyn Bridge)

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of my husband's favorite examples of architecture. I created this unique wedding ceremony as a tribute.

Brooklyn Bridge Ceremony

Statement of Purpose
Today we are gathered on the Brooklyn Bridge to celebrate the union of (Groom) and (Bride). As this bridge connects the island of Manhattan to the island of Brooklyn, we are gathered here to connect together the life, love, respect and trust of (Groom) and (Bride).

Once simply known as “The Great Bridge,” this bridge symbolizes patient stability; it is the synthesis of art and engineering, and represents a passage from the old to the new.

Let this symbolism be reflected in your marriage as you remember to be patient of each other and provide stability for one another. As this bridge has stood the test of time and inclement conditions, let your marriage stand strong against times of hardship and may you never cease to craft and build upon the strength of your partnership. Your marriage, like this bridge will link together the past, present and future of your individual cultures, traditions and history into one unified and solid formation.

Vows
Please face one another and join hands.

(Groom), please repeat after me:
(Bride), I join my life with yours. Wherever you go, I will go. Whatever you face, I will face. For good or ill, in happiness and sadness, come riches or poverty, I take you as my wife, and will give myself to no other.

(Bride), please repeat after me:
(Groom), I join my life with yours. Wherever you go, I will go. Whatever you face, I will face. For good or ill, in happiness and sadness, come riches or poverty, I take you as my husband, and will give myself to no other.

Ring Ceremony
You have chosen to exchange rings as a symbol of your unity.

(Groom), please place the ring on (Bride)’s finger, hold her hand in yours and repeat after me:
(Bride), I give you this ring to wear upon your hand as a symbol of our unity, love, respect and trust.

(Bride), please place the ring on (Groom)’s finger, hold his hand in yours and repeat after me:
(Groom), I give you this ring to wear upon your hand as a symbol of our unity, love, respect and trust.

Poetry Reading
The tall spans within these Gothic arches have been an inspiration for many poets and artists. I will now read an excerpt from the poem On the Brooklyn Bridge by Shep.

Suspended in a web of steel
between sky and the reflection of sky
I raise my arms in emulation of
the cables' parabolic grace -

Tensile meridians cascade to me
and we capture in timeless genuflection
a stillness beyond the river's teeming flow,
the soar and dive of raucous gulls.

Angel wings on either side of me
ascend to Gothic arches and down again
to Brooklyn and Manhattan shores.
The moment stretches out
like a cable strand spun taut and singing
the perfect one unwavering note.

Pronouncement
By the power vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may seal your unity with a kiss.

Contact us if you would like us to perform this ceremony for you on the Brooklyn Bridge.

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Eloping in NYC (Free Venues)

Did you know that there is no charge for getting married on the Brooklyn Bridge as well as other New York City Landmarks?

There are many free venues in and around New York City.

The Fulton Ferry Landing is free, as is the Brooklyn Promenade. You can also get married in any city park such as Central Park, Prospect Park, Madison Park, Battery Park for free if your wedding party is less than 20 people.

If your party includes over 20 guests, you will need a permit which is available at NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation 30 days before and is only $25.

Contact us for more information about free venues in and around New York City.

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Eloping in New York City (Step-by-Step)

• Contact us immediately to secure your date and time.
• Decide on a few locations for your ceremony keeping in mind the number of guests that you will have in attendance. If you will have more than 20 people in your wedding party, you may need a permit for some locations.
• Gather identification such as a valid driver's license, a non-driver's identification card, learner's permit (NY State only), Active Duty United States military identification card, valid passport, U.S. Certificate of Naturalization, valid U.S. Permanent Resident card, valid U.S. Employment Authorization card, birth certificate and divorce papers (if applicable). Expired forms of identification will not be accepted.
• Decide if you will change your name. See Name Change Options on the Office of the City Clerk's official website.
• Purchase a $35 money order to pay for the marriage license from a post office, bank or drugstore. You also have the option of paying by credit card.
• Go to one of the City Clerk's Offices with your partner in person to apply for your marriage license 24 hours before the ceremony. The license is valid for 60 days.
• Choose one or two legal witnesses over 18 years of age. If you do not have a legal witness, let us know and we will secure witnesses for you.
• Decide if you will exchange rings.
• Enjoy your personalized wedding ceremony.
• Sign your marriage license along with the witnesses and wedding officiant in black ink only.
• Make sure the official date and time is incuded on the license.
• Have the wedding officiant make a copy and mail in the license in the self-addressed envelope provided by the City Clerk's Office within 5 days of the ceremony.
• Wait 2-3 weeks to have the license mailed back to you.

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About Michelle

What is your background?

My background is in education. I was an educator both here in the United States and overseas for over 15 years. I taught elementary, middle and high school as well as adults. I have worked in public and private schools. I taught at international schools in Asia and Africa. I returned to the United States to pursue my master's degree from Columbia University.

While living and working overseas, as well as traveling extensively for over ten years, I was able to experience weddings and unions from all over the world. I have experienced many wedding practices and would love to assist you in incorporating a wedding tradition or custom that is symbolic to you.

How did you begin officiating?

In 2007, one of my former students was getting married and asked me to officiate her wedding. In the process of preparing to officiate her ceremony, I realized that this was my calling. Since her wedding, I have had the honor of officiating many different types of ceremonies. Each and every ceremony that I have been part of has been so special!

What are your beliefs?

I feel that spiritual and religious beliefs are personal. As an interfaith minister, I feel comfortable working with all religious affiliations as well as with those who do not adhere to any religious denomination. I appreciate the individual needs, beliefs and practices of all of my clients.

About Kim

I am a New York State registered officiant. I would love to help you and your partner make your dream wedding a reality. I feel that the wedding ceremony is the most important part of the wedding celebration. I want to help make your vows a reflection of the love you have for each other. Whether you would like a simple intimate ceremony or an elegant grand affair, I can do any type of ceremony. I am in NYC and will travel to all five boroughs or further. Contact me for more information.