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Weddings
It’s
all about you! This really is all about you. This is one of the times in your life that you can comfortably say, “It’s all about me. What do I want? What does my fiancé want? What do we really want?” Dealing with everyone else’s opinion when it comes to your ceremony is a matter of respect, tact and caring. In my experience of designing wedding ceremonies and conducting them, I have found that when the bride and groom are true to their own values and desires; that the family and guests love the outcome. They walk around after saying things like, “What a beautiful wedding! Trust Ann and David to come up with something unique.” “This ceremony really spoke about my son in a personal way, I cried the whole time” “I loved the readings.” And so on... Scroll
down for information on how you and I create the ceremony. It
follows the pictures.
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Unity Church, Naples In this ceremony
Bob and Mary asked me to collaborate with
the Unity minister. I did the ritual |
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Private home on Caloosahatchee River Jim and Kristen's wedding was at Haloween and so beautifully decorated with pumpkins and gourds. I couldn't resist showing the zombies on the wedding cake! |
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Palm Cottage in Old Naples | "This
small token of our appreciation does not adequately express our
feelings of gratitude for your magnificent work on our wedding
ceremony. Your attention to every last detail coupled with your
powerful ability to hold the sacredness of the space is awesome.
We can't thank you enough" Kathryn & Gerry Segal, Naples FL |
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Getting the space ready. Informal old Florida setting, baskets and windchimes, plants and trees with Spanish moss hanging. | "We're
still getting comments form the guests that it was the best wedding
they've ever been to. People ask,"How did you come up with
that ceremony?" We tell them we had coffee with Raven and
she created it from there." Terry & Sheryl Fulmer, Bonita Springs, FL |
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Dusk into the evening, torches, candles, smell of BBQ | |
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Private home | “When
a friend suggested I use Raven for my 25th anniversary vow renewal
ceremony, I was curious to see what Raven suggested. The ceremony
she structured with us was perfect. My husband and I both loved
it, our guests told us later that they cried and loved the unique
and personal way it was put together. Raven’s an expert!
Thanks again – I mean all that. It was perfect! Great memories!"
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| I have no picture available for this wedding. It was held on the beach in Naples and the theme was Hawaiian. | "Raven
was just the person we were looking for to conduct our wedding
ceremony. She understood how busy my husband and I were and she
worked around our schedules right from the beginning. Raven not
only helped us with our vows, but she helped me in other areas
of the wedding. Raven is very creative, kind and patient; Michael
and I would recommend her to anyone." Abby McDonald, Naples FL |
Creating the Ceremony Some couples want to answer a few questions and prefer to have me design the entire ceremony and conduct it. That is fine. Other couples want to play an integral role in the design. This is how the process unfolds. During our initial meeting, I will ask you questions which will help me begin to visualize the ceremony. Designing the ceremony happens over a period of time, unless you decide to get married tomorrow. In that case, I work with the time we have. During the time between my initial meeting with you and the rehearsal, I send updates of the ceremony via fax or email as it develops. If you live here, I may meet one or both of you for coffee during the process. I send readings and rituals for you to consider, I receive pieces from you that you want to include. We see how they work together. You have time to think about what I have written and what I have selected from my collection of readings. You get a feel for the ceremony and decide what works best for you. It is a process that you are involved in every step of the way. The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. – Helen Keller
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