WEDDING: Officiant at Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum

Officiant for Asian Wedding in Orange County CA, originally uploaded by dj venus.

Congratulations to JY and TL, married in Yorba Linda, CA!

The fun-loving couple didn't shy away from laughs, nor tears, during their ceremony! All three groomsmen bent down and 'low-fived' with the groom three times. Then they both rose up together and saluted each other.

Then during the ceremony, the groom broke down and cried just before the vows...  :)

You CAN be married YOUR way! If you would like to inject some lightheartedness into your wedding or any other ceremony, please contact A Non-Denominational Ceremony, Orange County and Los Angeles officiant.

NEWS: Officiant / Celebrant / Clergy on 2011 Wedding Professional Hot List - MomentVille

A Non-Denominational Ceremony is Named to the 2011 Wedding Professional Hot List

13 Jan, 2011 - MomentVille.com, one of the world's leading wedding websites, has just announced that A Non-Denominational Ceremony has been selected for the 2011 Wedding Professional Hot List.

The annual Wedding Professional Hot List recognizes excellence within the wedding industry, as determined by reviews from tens of thousands of brides and grooms. A Non-Denomin- ational Ceremony was among the best reviewed vendors in their area in the past year.

"The Wedding Professional Hot List recognizes best-of-class wedding professionals," says Geoff Evason, MomentVille's CEO. "Highlighting the success of the top wedding professionals is an exciting way to spread the word and help newly engaged couples find the right professionals for their own weddings."

A Non-Denominational Ceremony's officiant, Venus Kitagawa-Stojsic, feels "honored for this recognition and grateful to all the couples who allowed me to create and perform their ceremony in a way that reflected their wishes, their selves, and their relationship.  Since every couple is different, every ceremony stands out."

About  A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CEREMONY:
Venus Kitagawa-Stojsic is an experienced and professional Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® and ordained secular minister serving Los Angeles, Orange County, Malibu, Ojai, Catalina Island, Big Bear, Temecula, Palm Springs and greater Southern CA. Any and ALL beliefs, preferences, tastes and styles welcome: not religious, traditional, interfaith, spiritual, simple or unusual OK! Include loved ones, literature, create rituals, etc. No-obligation meeting, all travel, mic/amp and rehearsal is all included. Contact A Non-Denominational Ceremony for more information: http://www.ceremonyceremony.com/weddings.html .

About MomentVille:
MomentVille.com offers engaged couples and wedding enthusiasts a one stop place for planning and sharing a wedding. Offering personal wedding websites, wedding planning tools, a gorgeous gallery of wedding pictures, a searchable list of reviewed wedding vendors, and lots of helpful and inspiring wedding content, MomentVille helps newlyweds with all aspects of their wedding. For more information contact media@momentville.com.

Try a modern, individualized approach to the ceremony tradition!

OPINION: Officiants, Photographers and Other Vendors Need to Communicate!

My brother sent me an email the other day:

Hi~! 

How goes?

So the last couple weddings I went to, this happened (pics attached)...This is my view of the ceremony...  "WedB" is the kiss...  Does this happen a lot?

Thanks,
~  K

The email made me think about the dozens of postings i have seen online and on Twitter, written by photogs who all passive-aggressively exclaim something similar to: "Hey, minister/reverend/officiant/clergyperson!  You should've gotten out of the way when the couple kissed at the end of the ceremony!" [BTW WedB is this one --->  ]

Was a shot ruined because the officiant was standing in between a kissing couple?  Possibly.  Undoubtedly, however, the guests attending a ceremony will be disappointed if their view is blocked by a less-thoughtful photog, videog, or anyone, really... 

And so, dear Event Professional, on behalf of most confident, experienced and well-adjusted officiants, I encourage you to approach whoever is leading the ceremony you are working or documenting, and discuss where you would like for us to stand at which point in the ceremony...because we want you to capture the ceremony as much as you want to!  And tell us where you plan to be, as well. 

Yes, this officiant WILL move out of the way for photographers... [but only if the photographer returns the kindness.  :)  Just kidding.]  Let's work together to create and record unforgettable, positive memories for our clients!  Thank you very much.

A Non-Denominational Ceremony: Modern Officiant & Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® in Orange County, Los Angeles, Inland Empire, Palm Springs, Ojai, Ventura, Catalina Island, Big Bear/Lake Arrowhead and greater Southern California for your wedding, funeral/memorial/celebration of life, pet/animal, new child or baby, business, divorce, retirement, transition, ribbon cutting, deployment, rite of passage or any public or private occasion or event.

Want an Invite to The Aisle NY's Wedding-Focused Flash Sale Website?

Get ready, to-be-weds and the just engaged!  The latest private member-only online sale website is THE AISLE NEW YORK (TANY).  Gilt, ideeli, Groupon and similar sites, which post various bargains, deals and items for a limited-time only are all the rage these days...but TANY is the only one centered on the wedding market.

Invitation from The Aisle New York, the web's only
wedding-based flash sale site...  :)

A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CEREMONY has a handful of The Aisle New York 's invitations to join, in case you're curious to learn what it's all about.  Please leave contact information in the comments of this blog, or email celebrantvenus [AT] gmail [DOT] com directly!  First come, first served, and you're under no obligation to our officiant services (although, we'd love to ask you about your ceremony plans!).  For more information, please read on.

Lovely art from The Aisle NY's homepage.

According to a press release issued on eWEDNEWS.com, the website's founders consist of David Yassky (former Fashion Editor and Stylist at Women’s Wear Daily and W Magazine, where he covering the bridal industry in-depth); corporate attorney Shara Levy; Deborah Moses (of Moses Media and previously Elegant Bride Magazine's Editor- in-Chief and Creative Director) and Mark Ingram (owner and founder of New York City’s Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier).  Pre-registration for TANY began in August 2010.

The press release went on to say:

"Most featured merchandise including wedding dresses and gowns, veils and headpieces, designer and fine jewelry, lingerie, shoes, and evening bags are promotionally priced, passing along significant consumer savings.  The site also offers select new collections and designer initiatives at regular prices. Merchandise ranges from one-of-a kind runway pieces, coveted designer archives, new custom-made orders, and exclusive designer capsule initiatives.  The platform’s editorial section [vks - read: online magazine!], Inside The Aisle, features dynamic content for everything wedding, from aspirational fashion imagery, to ecommerce shopping guidance, and tips and pointers from industry experts. And to spread the love even further, The Aisle New York donates a portion of proceeds from every gown sold to the charity of the designers’ choice."

 Of course, please visit our website if you need an officiant (also known as a minister, reverend or clergy) for your Southern California ceremony!

LGBT: Sheila Alexander-Reed Performed Skype Wedding in D.C.

Has anyone, not just an LGBT couple, been married via Skype in the U.S. before?

You may have heard about the Skype-officiated wedding ceremony of Mark Reed and Dante Walkup.  While the couple and their loved ones were in Texas, the officiant was in Washington, D.C. where all people, whether in same sex or breeder relationships, may legally be married.

The officiant SHEILA ALEXANDER-REID (also named "Shiela Reid-Alexander" in the wedding video) runs a lesbian-owned wedding officiant business with Deborah Thomas called MARRY ME IN D.C. 

"After serving the LGBT community for over 15 years, and working so hard for Marriage Equality in the District of Columbia, it only seems fitting that I would continue to serve my community through Marry Me in DC." 

Thank you, Sheila.  You are an inspiration to all of us! 

BTW see this article about Alexander-Reid which was printed in 2007 in the Metro Weekly, Washington, D.C.'s gay and lesbian news magazine. 

Own Your Equality and Use Technology - And as i continue to follow the developments of this story, i will try to research the legal aspects of the wedding ceremony and explore its ramifications.  Please stay tuned.

And CONGRATULATIONS, MARK AND DANTE!

READING: Eloquent Excerpts from 'The Little Prince'

Are you considering using a short quote or literary passage in your ceremony? 

from The Little Prince
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

“Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over.”


“Perhaps love is the process of (someone) leading you gently back to yourself…Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction.”

When you can't find just the right excerpt or passage, need help writing your ceremony, or want assistance from a professional officiant / minister / reverend and certified Life-Cycle Celebrant, contact A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CEREMONY for your civil union, commitment, engagement/betrothal, anniversary, vow renewal or wedding ceremony in Los Angeles, Orange County & Southern California.

Operation: Secret Wedding!

Congratulations to this Washington state couple, married in a wedding ceremony at a Southern California Amusement Park, also known as the "Most Joyful Area on This Planet".

Discreet Los Angeles Wedding Officiant, originally uploaded to FLICKR.

The day they chose in November 2010 happened to be their 15-year anniversary to the day!  The couple brought just two other people to witness the special morning event. Best of all, the bride and groom each wrote their own wedding vows and read them to each other off their own Blackberry.

Mission impossible?  NO, because you CAN have your wedding your way!  If you are seeking a discreet Orange County officiator or Los Angeles Wedding Officiant to make your non-traditional ceremony vision come true, even at Disneyland, underwater, or any place of your choosing, please contact www.ceremonyceremony.com .

DISCLAIMER: The above wedding was planned solely by the couple, and i complied as their officiant.  Please note, some private and public properties do not encourage, nor allow, impromptu weddings and other gatherings to occur on their premises.

WEDDING: Officiant for Newport Beach Wedding at Private Home

Tony & Charlotte.  photo by Kat Monk

Officiant for Newport Beach Wedding at Private Home Ceremony, originally uploaded by dj venus.

In Southern California, nearly any day is a good day for a beach wedding. But in July, what better place to assemble your closest friends and family, than at a beach house rental?

Whether you desire a multicultural, intimate, simple, tourist, destination, not religious or secular wedding, you CAN have the wedding ceremony YOU want! And, at the location of YOUR choice. For more info: Try a Modern Officiant for the Ceremony Tradition.

Many thanks to KAT MONK for her photography. She's an artist! You can reach her at www.katmonk.com.

WEDDING: Officiant for Hollywood Writers' Ceremony at the Elegant Ebell of Los Angeles

CONGRATULATIONS, Christine and Eric!

Officiating the 23 October 2010 wedding of Christine Boylan, writer and story editor of TNT's Leverage television show and Eric Heisserer, screenwriter of 2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street and 2011's the Thing at the EBELL OF LOS ANGELES was truly an honour and a very special experience!

Via email, i collaborated with Eric and Christine to create a wedding ceremony fit for (and out of the minds and hands of) two writers. In the processional, the bride walked down a staircase alone, and proceeded unaccompanied until the groom walked up to meet her halfway down the aisle.Together, they completed the journey to the altar together, to "signal their conscious choice to walk together in their lives". The ceremony included a community vow, where the officiant asks the friends, family and other loved ones in the audience to affirm their love and support for the two people about to be married:

Eric requested we not ask if anyone present objects to his marrying Christine, since there was no room in the budget for trained snipers.  Instead, I would like to invite you, the cherished guests, to give your support to this union.

As they go forth in their life together, Eric and Christine will need each of you to embrace them, help them and lift them, as they experience all the joys and challenges that lie before them.  And so, as their community, do you pledge your support and caring to Christine and Eric?

COMMUNITY: Yes, we do!

i have never performed, nor attended, a wedding filled with more applause!  Gotta love Hollywood people.  ;-P  And, as they stood together beneath their 'chuppah-cabana',  a Khalil Gibran passage, On Marriage, was read by a cherished friend.

Please see the happy couple's New York Times wedding announcement (if link does not work, please see pdf on our website). 

Event coordination and planning by Michelle Buckley herself, of MINT JULEP SOCIAL EVENTS.  Ceremony music by string trio from Essence Entertainment.  Cocktail hour jazz ensemble: _______  Reception big band: the Fabulous Esquires.  Photography by MAX WANGER (not above).  About the location:  The Ebell, originally founded by women in 1864 as an educational and philanthropic organisation, is a historic venue on Lucerne Ave. at Wilshire Bl.  Be sure to see this gorgeous facility with rich wood interiors and details straight out of glamourous old Hollywood's yesteryear and vintage Los Angeles.

WEDDING: 10/10/10 Officiant for International Couple

The Vietnamese bride /Dutch groom held a traditional Vietnamese wedding in the bride's home in Fountain Valley.

Officiant for International Wedding: Vietnamese/Dutch, originally uploaded by dj venus.

You can be married in a wedding within your own culture and traditions! If you simply need a qualified person to take care of the legal ceremony for you in California, please contact venus, ordained officiant and certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® at A Non-Denominational Ceremony.

WEDDING: Officiant at Park Avenue Restaurant in Stanton, CA

Congratulations, Michele and John! 

Married on 25 Sept. 2010. It was my honour to officiate the ceremony while Chef David Slay, his right-hand man Mansour, and Park Avenue Restaurant's fine staff kept a crowd of about 150 friends and family members very happy as they celebrated the marriage of the Orange County-based couple. 

Many guests expressed how much they enjoyed the ceremony!  :0)  The couple collaborated with us to create a warm ceremony focusing on how their love stood out by being the exception to all their previous 'relationship rules'.  The wedding featured two short readings from LE PETIT PRINCE (The Little Prince).

The ceremony took place on the private lawn area of the restaurant.  The PARK AVE. website calls it an oasis, and it absolutely IS.  We were there from the late afternoon; the lawn, restaurant garden and the lawn-adjacent private dining room provided an ideal, secluded setting for the wedding reception, well past 9pm in the evening.  The weirdest part was how easy it was to forget we were actually on Beach Boulevard, just south of Katella Avenue.  The crowd's mix included some fun vintage motorcycle and car enthusiasts: many were friends of the groom, who's a mechanic and restorer of vintage Indians and similar bikes.  And i have a new passion for mashed potato bars; the texture of the mash with the taste and feel of a seaweed type of ingredient, called green caviar was simply amazing.

And awesome photographer month continues!  RONI RAMOS and JENNY SERSION , who were hired via the groom's friend Curt (apologies for the seemingly irrelevant details, but i'm trying to keep the connections straight in my head) were very friendly, enthusiastic and down-to-earth.  For those looking for a photo team who are pretty much up for anything, Roni and Jenny are for you!  [Please note, they did not take above photo; i will post their work as soon as i am able...]

DESTINATION WEDDING: Officiant at Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA

Photo by CORBIN KELL.

Beverly Hills Wedding Officiant at Beverly Hills Hotel, originally uploaded by dj venus.

Congratulations, Phil and Mel! After travelling together throughout the United States, all the way from Australia, this couple arrived to be wed in Southern California.

Short and simple ceremonies are so lovely...especially when they're created to reflect a particular couple, their love, and their relationship! Take a lush lawn, add a mild afternoon, plus a leading Los Angeles photographer with an affinity for documenting elopements (thank you, Corbin Kell!) and a couple who repeatedly cried "I love you!" to each other...that's an equation for officiant heaven. :)

WEDDING: Officiant for Multicultural Ceremony in Monterey Park, CA

It was a lovely outdoor wedding at Luminarias Restaurant in Monterey Park, with a large wedding party; the groom had known these friends since elementary school!?!  The couple asked to acknowledge a deceased best friend in the ceremony text.  The best man cried many tears throughout the ceremony.  Awesome!

Congratulations, Lupe and Ke!   Not only was this Laotian - Mexican couple a dream to work with (and beautiful to look at, see below), they had hired some of the best vendors i have had the privilege of working with. 

i felt i had to mention: Frank the photographer was approachable and down-to-earth, while still being professional and extremely attentive to the goings-on...plus, he is obviously an artist, but has a sense of humour.  Believe it or not, not all photogs possess these qualities.

Photography by FRANK GIRON PHOTOGRAPHY.

WEDDING: Pomona, CA Officiant at Coco Palm Restaurant

Coco Palms Restaurant: Pomona, CA Officiant ,
originally uploaded by dj venus.

Congratulations, Mike and Tricia!  This wonderful couple's ceremony included a quote from Coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers, since they are both avid sports and football fans:

"Change is part of this business, it's going to happen. Sometimes it's going to be more unpleasant than others, but it's the nature of what we do."

Tricia and Mike's families are of Mexican and Samoan background.  Please note the leis above, a wedding tradition from the Samoan culture.  Best of all, the GROOM began crying from the moment his lovely bride joined him for the ceremony!

Their wedding took place on the smaller restaurant terrace outside the 'Bolero Room' (side note: there were literally three other events taking place on this day).  Steffany and Carson, the husband and wife photographer team at NOTHING BUT MIRACLES, provided photography services [Please note, photo above is not their work; i will post as soon as they are made available].  Both were very kind and approachable, and you could sense the positive dynamic between these two artists who also happened to be married!

Aquarium of the Pacific: Long Beach Wedding Officiant

Aquarium of the Pacific: Long Beach Wedding Officiant, originally uploaded by dj venus.

Congratulations E & E !

This couple from back east held their multicultural, secular Brazilian / Vietnamese wedding ceremony on 21 August 2010.

When i asked the bride if the ceremony was long/short enough, i was excited to hear her say, "It was PERFECT!"

For more information, please email A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CEREMONY at www.ceremonyceremony.com .

INTERESTING: What is the wedding ceremony of your dreams??!

Whatever it is, just be sure to do it your way. 

Star Wars Geek's Wedding Daydream. 
Another cool postcard courtesy of POST SECRET.

Whether you want your ceremony to be simple, fast, musical, unusual, non-traditional, spiritual, secular or not religious, be married YOUR way!  For more information, please contact venus, Southern California officiant, ordained minister and certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® at A Non-Denominational Ceremony.  Also available for funeral/memorial service, new baby/adoption, home blessing, job or retirement, divorce, animal or pet or any public or private event.

Long Beach Wedding Officiant at Jellyfish Cove

Congratulations Patty and Tim!  Married on 7 Aug. 2010, this couple chose to have their wedding ceremony right above Jellyfish Cove in Long Beach. 

Although the jellyfish weren't in full effect, the sun and the water were, providing a beautiful backdrop for the couple and their small group of guests, which consisted of their children and one close friend.

Also in full effect was the Long Beach Sprint Nationals powerboat race, which was taking place several neighbourhoods over at the Long Beach Marine Stadium. Luckily, the couple had a GREAT sense of humour, and didn't mind the sound of powerboat engines roaring away in the background!  :)

Temecula Wedding Officiant at Ponte Winery in Temecula, CA

Congratulations, Mar. and Bri.!  These two attorneys from the East Coast were wed in front of Ponte Winery's vineyard in Temecula.

Photo by Joel Austell.

As they were planning to write the ceremony text themselves, the couple needed an officiant who was willing to read just a few passages, since most of the ceremony was to be performed by friends, loved ones and the couple themselves.  As more of a host or master of ceremonies (as well as a professional qualified to solemnise the marriage), my job was to introduce the various sections of the ceremony, as we transitioned from speaker to speaker. 

You may have found this wedding unusual, but the ceremony not only reflected the couple, and the significant people in their lives, but it accomplished what ceremony, tradition and ritual were originally designed to do.  It actively involved those who were undergoing the transition and experiencing this new passage in their lives.  And, friends and family were given an opportunity to be included in the ceremony as participants, rather than merely as spectators!

ALTERNATIVES: To Exchange Rings, or NOT to Exchange Rings?

Tattooed 'rings' may be the best option for you, especially if you want to avoid the cost, convention, maintenance and/or discomfourt of wearing a wedding ring.

On left: from TATTOOED BRIDE blog, via Allebach Photography
On right: from MANOLO BRIDES via Leigh Miller Photography

Many people are led to believe (incorrectly, at least in California) that one must exchange rings as part of the marriage ceremony.  Not everyone likes to wear jewelry, even if it is your wedding ring. Do you work around electricity?  A metal ring may not be a good idea.  And what is a more permanent symbol of your love, than a tattoo?  You can't lose it, since you won't need to take it off to paint your house.  You also won't be able to take it off or throw it after an argument with your other half...  ;-|  

The act of tattooing rings to indicate betrothal or marriage is a fairly modern trend, but has gained popularity in recent times, especially in the UK and Europe. Ancient Egyptians would tattoo wrists and fingers to ward off illness and bad luck. Slaves' hands were sometimes tattooed to indicate ownership. Ancient Egyptian women have been found with tattoos on their bodies to promote fertility (from Ancient Egypt: Personal Ornaments website).

At a cost of about $100, tattooed wedding rings are an economical way to go, but may require some touch-up work down the line, especially as they fade and evolve with time.  The palm side of the hand is quite sensitive, pain-wise, and tattoos also tend to fade and blur faster on the palm side.

Check out these other tattoo wedding bands!

From WPIC website

 From TATTOOAHOLIC.com

If you seek a non-traditional wedding officiant, for your Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire, Ojai, Catalina Island, Ventura, Big Bear or greater Southern California ceremony, please contact venus, certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® for more information.

WEDDING: Malibou Lake Mountain Club Officiant in Agoura Hills, CA

Malibou Lake Officiant in Agoura Hills, CA, originally uploaded by dj venus.

This ceremony actually had a maypole dance at the end!

At the start of the ceremony, there were TWO aisles for the wedding party and couple to walk down, both sides simultaneously.

"T and J chose to enter together at the same time to honour the joining of their families, and, to symbolise their choice to enter into marriage willingly as partners and as equals, without being skewed by gender or role."

This wedding was SO beautiful, i cried.  Photography (not pictured) was by a friend of the groom.  Many thanks to Meredith of MALIBOU LAKE MOUNTAIN CLUB and dj ____  for their service and expertise!

Please see these other maypole photos: