This is a great twist to the Unity candle ceremony for beach lovers or if you want to include members of a blended family. It's such a lovely keepsake to remind you of the love that brought you together and it's fun to watch the layers of sand create a visual work of art!
1 Comment
J&K were wed on a perfect fall day in Sedona. From the moment they exchanged smiles, they were captivated by one another. You can see why, they have the best smiles ever! It was an incredibly moving and fun ceremony complete with laughter and tears. At the end, the father of the groom brought over the glass which was wrapped carefully in a towel and as the groom stomped on it we all exclaimed 'Mazeltov!'
Here's what the groom had to say: Jen was wonderful! She really invested in our celebration. She created and delivered a very personal and original ceremony. She picked a beautiful, breath taking location. There were tears and laughter and a whole-lotta-love! D&D were wed on the Summer Solstice at Thornager's in Flagstaff! Their ceremony included a handfasting. Their handfasting was unique because they had a variety of cords that matched their colors and they chose to have them draped over their hands rather than tied. You can see that it was a wonderful affect!
They chose the Simply Chic Ceremony which included a questionnaire. From their answers, I was able to weave some very cute stories about their relationship into their ceremony which created a warmth and connection with all. This is what the groom had to say about Jen Paul of Life Passages..... Jen helped us with so much, I'm not even sure where to start. Her entire service was so personal and she really captured our love story with the information she gathers from an in-depth questionnaire. She also worked incredibly hard on our behalf, speaking closely with our D.J. and our venue to make sure there were no complications. Many of our guests said it was the most beautiful ceremony they had ever seen. I will recommend Jen Paul to everyone. Bride Debbie said...
Jen Paul made our elopement amazing! Upon meeting her, it was as if we'd known her for years. She has a calming spirit about her, which helped calm my excitement nerves. Jen helped us coordinate our ceremony from beginning to end with zero stress on our part and she was completely open to us doing things the way we wanted to. Our elopement could not have gone any better. It was literally, the BEST day ever! From the moment I spoke with J&K, I knew what they shared was authentic; for, when I asked him to describe their relationship in two words, he said, "quantum entanglement". This became the theme for their ceremony as all of us experienced a deep connection through the entanglement of their love. They chose to wed at Arcosanti, an architectural wonder which overlooks a canyon and is located 70 miles north of Phoenix, Arizona. The flower girls were adorable, the wedding party was dazzling and the bride and groom: passionately in love. The ceremony included a mother's rose ceremony in which the bride and groom offered a rose in gratitude to their mother's, a tender moment. K&J's wedding day took place in Spring and the winds were intense! The element of air is associated with the direction of the East which is connected to the rising sun and new beginnings - what a Blessing! The wind, however, did not interfere with the talented Galaxie Andrew's photographing skills. There were so many brilliant shots, I had to include snap shots from the ceremony all the way to the reception. Links to Arcosanti and Galaxie Andrews are accessible on the slideshow. Such a magical wedding day at Arcosanti for J&K and it was an incredible joy to be part of co-creating an amazing ceremony! If you are planning a wedding at Arcosanti, I would be honored to co-create your ceremony!
Graham and Elizabeth were wed on a beautiful spring day at Merry Go Round Rock in Sedona. They had traveled from Wisconsin with the groom's family while the bride's family joined us from Southern Arizona. We met at Sedona Rouge Hotel and jumped into the Jeeps which the guys skillfully maneuvered up the rocky trail. It's as if you are driving on a dry riverbed, lots of bumps and switchbacks! This is no place for your standard vehicle! Such a fun adventure! As you can see from the photos, the location is well worth it.
Graham and Elizabeth are such a sweet couple; high school sweethearts. One of the things the bride said to me from our first conversation was how important the ceremony was to them. I couldn't wait to read their questionnaires and create their unique love story! It was a non-denominational ceremony and we began a moment of silence, connecting to our hearts and opening to gratitude. The bride and groom wrote their own vows and we included their adorable daughter in their family vows. Their daughter also wrote the sweetest poem for them which she read after the vows and many tears shed. Elizabeth said, "We are so happy that we had Jen as our officiant at our wedding! After our initial phone call, she gave us questionnaires to fill out so that she could get to know us better. Based on that information, she was able to create a ceremony "script" that was unique to us. When she gave it to us to read through, we were able to change anything as we saw fit. I felt that she was committed to creating a ceremony that we were completely comfortable with and met all of our needs. I also appreciate her willingness to make the 45-minute ride out to our ceremony site at Merry-Go-Round Rock in Sedona. Overall, Jen is a kind, thoughtful, accommodating officiant, and I would highly recommend her!" It was a perfect day in October for K & A's wedding. They were wed at Indian Garden's Park in scenic Oak Creek Canyon. K & A chose the love story ceremony and their ceremony was both moving and humorous! If you think a ceremony is boring or not very interesting - think again! The telling of your love story is memorable! If you are getting married in Northern Arizona contact me to learn more about co-creating an amazing ceremony with you and yours.
Read the bride's review: We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives. - John F. Kennedy. Kyle and I got married in beautiful Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona and had the honor of being united in love by Jennifer Paul from Life Passages. Not only did Jennifer take the time to get to know us before the ceremony but she truly understood our vision, recognized our do’s and don’ts and made our ‘Love Story’ come to life. Jen gave us suggestions along the way, including a Stone Ceremony, which we were able to incorporate into the ceremony. We now have a beautifully unique display of love in our home to remind us of the commitment we made to one another and shared with our closest family and friends. From the bottom of our hearts we cannot thank Jennifer enough for sharing the loveliness of her soul and words with us on our day of marriage. Any couple looking for the perfect wedding officiant would be truly blessed to have Jennifer Paul. Learn more about their amazing venue at this link http://www.indiangardenspark.com/ Their wedding date indicated the lightheartedness of this couple! The ceremony took place at Mescal Canyon Retreat in Clarkdale, Arizona. What a spectacular hidden gem! Ellen and Darren wanted a simple yet meaningful ceremony. Married in their hearts for 10 years, they decided it was important to join together as husband and wife. Ellen’s two daughters were in attendance along with a dear friend and Ellen’s sister. We took a 15 minute walk through the grapevines and down a path into a canyon area and arrived at an amazing rock circle. The circle was enclosed by a short wall and was the perfect place for their ceremony. It felt like this was a sacred area steeped in magic. A hawk feather hung from the tree. I rang the wedding bells indicating that we were beginning the ceremony. Ellen and Darren took their place and their guests sat on the wall while taking pictures and video taping. There were tears of joy and the love they shared was infused with kindness, warmth and playfulness. During the ceremony, we heard the piercing sound of a hawk as it flew over, what a blessing! One of Ellen’s daughter’s read the lyrics to the song ‘Thank You’ by Led Zeppelin and to close the ceremony, the other daughter read ‘Instructions for Life in the New Millenium’ by His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama. Afterwards, we toasted to the newlyweds!
Read Ellen's review: With Jen's help we had a beautiful and meaningful celebration. We really had no idea what we wanted in terms of the content of the celebration. Jen can supply you with a large assortment of vows to choose from as well as readings and many other ideas. We had our daughters each do a reading at her suggestion. After reading questionnaires that we both filled out about our relationship and choosing the vows and readings that we liked, Jen crafted a beautiful and personalized ceremony which was elegantly delivered in her soothing and joyful manner. Jen was very flexible and was willing to move the time back a few hours at the last minute. She also had to make a 45 minute drive to get to us and there was a very reasonable fee for the extra mileage. Our ceremony involved a 15 minute hike to the spot where we performed the ceremony and she was great with this idea. She fit in very well with our family and everyone in attendance expressed to us that her direction and positive presence really made the event magical! This is a ritual that can replace the Unity Sand Ceremony or the Unity Candle Ceremony. It's a beautiful, artistic expression. Each person and/or child has a vase full of glass crystals. After the ring exchange, your crystals are combined in a larger glass vase. The combined crystals are then mailed back to the artist who will create your glass art sculpture. Once you receive your glass art, you will have it to display in your home for years to come. Here's the link for the website https://www.unityinglass.com/ Photos courtesy of Ryan Williams.
|
AuthorJen Paul, Life Cycle Celebrant, Ordained Minister, Wedding Officiant, Life Coach, Death Doula Archives
August 2023
Categories |