Stories

I’ve cracked the code on writing and performing meaningful and inclusive 20-minute ceremonies, and every aspiring Friend Officiant will receive my tried and true, universally appealing, Starter Ceremony, with simple, straightforward and most importantly, non-gaggy language, so that they can use the bulk of their creative efforts making that ceremony personal, charming and memorable for all the right reasons.

We need you now! We are almost there! Our Pennsylvania Civil Celebrant Bill SB 833 has been introduced by Sens. Farnese, Fontana, Blake and Brewster and the bill is similar to the NJ Civil Celebrant Law R.S.37:1-13 amending their marriage statutes to expand their list of who is authorized to solemnize marriages in the state. Along with judges, mayors, and clergy, they added a new category of people professionally trained to create and perform ceremonies–Civil Celebrants.

We’re very excited to share that Senator Larry Farnese, of Pennsylvania’s first district Philadelphia, is proposing legislation to modernize the Pennsylvania marriage officiant statutes to include certified civil celebrants (people with my formal training in ceremony) and he is currently seeking co-sponsors on the bill.

The Knot’s 2017 Wedding Study reported that only 26% of couples hosted their weddings in a “traditional” religious institution. Furthermore, according to PRRI Surveys, 40% of individuals under 30 claim “no religious affiliation.” The current Pennsylvania marriage statute leaves this growing majority of the population who are looking for a ceremony that elegantly blends their family traditions, faiths and story, behind.

We understand that there are a lot of factors that come into play even when planning a simple wedding. Here are the most frequently asked questions that people have when trying to determine if Promise Ridge is the right fit for them and their families.

As a fellow wedding industry professional serving Pennsylvania, I know that our current marriage laws are often a source for confusion and uncertainty for our wedding clients. According to The Knot’s 2017 Wedding Survey, only 26% of couples chose to be married in a “traditional” religious institution. For those of us in the Pennsylvania wedding industry, we see first hand how quickly the culture and expectations surrounding weddings is changing.

Earlier this year, I was privileged to perform a ceremony in the misty woods of Union, Washington, to reunite a young man with his birth mother and her family. The experience was one of catharsis, healing and new beginnings.

For those who are looking for something other than Pachelbel’s iconic,”Canon in D” to walk down the aisle to, here’s a list of some of the most interesting tunes my real couples have chosen.