Jack & Melissa's Wedding, W. Dennis Yacht Club, Dennis, MA

Jack and Melissa shared their custom ceremony at the West Dennis Yacht Club this past weekend. While it was a rainy Saturday, and the winds were rather fierce, they and their beloved family and friends enjoyed the warmth of the tavern room overlooking the ocean for their special wedding service.

The gas fireplace created the romantic ambiance only

befitting a sacred event such as this; the nautical flags lined the yacht club's reception hall, as beautiful smells of french cuisine wafted into the entire club, giving it a very homey and inviting ambiance. "EcoRoo", the name of the exclusive caterer for the Dennis Yacht Club members and their guests, had created the finest foods for this festive occasion with their eclectic, gourmet selection of appetizers and entrees; I was most impressed with this venue that I'd visited here on Cape Cod for the first time. Despite the winds and the gray skies, all was beautiful for the bride and groom and their guests inside the club.

During the service, Jack and Melissa incorporated their own special touches into the ceremony, including a song sung by a solo singer, and a special blessing whereby all friends and family joined the couple in saying the traditional "Our Father" prayer. In all, it was a beautiful service for a truly lovely couple!

Congratulations to Jack and Melissa. Though the winds howled outside, we all basked in the warmth of the Dennis Yacht Club fireplace, the friends and family who encircled us, and the warm, delicious foods that made the day that much more spectacular!

As they say in maritime circles, I bid you "fair winds and calm seas". You both deserve to experience the happiest of marriages! Thank you for including me as a part of your special wedding day!

Michael and Barbara's Wedding, Chatham Bars Inn

Michael and Barbara experienced a simple, intimate ceremony for two at the gazebo of the Chatham Bars Inn. This lovely couple were fortunate to arrange their service on such a beautiful day on Cape Cod; the rain storms were to arrive the following day. I always enjoy

marrying couples, and Michael and Barbara are no exception. They'd met about a year ago, ironically, at a wedding they were both attending!

While it was a little chilly, the sun was out and their smiles warmed the whole gazebo with their joy. Barbara's energy and excitement was infectious, and Michael had just about the most peaceful expression of love on his face I'd ever seen once we'd completed the service and I'd announced he and Barbara as "husband and wife".

Barbara was so excited, sharing her day with Michael in Chatham prior to their service. She told me about how the Chatham Coffee Company proprietor, Caroline, was "so nice!" She'd made a gorgeous cake for after their special dinner they were to have at the Chatham Bars Inn, and offered to serve them breakfast at her coffee house the following morning. Barbara was thrilled with her flowers from Fancy Flowers in Chatham, too. All worked out to a tee!

Congratulations to Michael and Barbara! May you have many happy years together!

Scott & Jessica's Wedding, The Manse Inn, Brewster, MA

What a perfect day for a wedding on the grounds of the charming Manse Inn, Brewster, Massachusetts! Having been in the bridal industry herself, Jessica had planned her own wedding exquisitely, with every detail created with that special something that rang of Martha Stewart quality.

In front of the Inn's renovated, white barn, Scott and Jessica exchanged their custom written wedding vows, intermittently laughing together when Jessica expressed references to humorous situations they'd had as a couple. The family and friends joined in laughing, too, making this a most delightful experience for all in attendance.

On this beautiful autumn day, Scott and Jessica included their family and friends in the service itself with a beautiful Unity Candle ceremony. Jessica chose five candle lighters (amongst her guests) who lit their candles from the elegant candelabrum behind us, and proceeded to go down the aisle to pass the flame to the people on the aisles. Candles had been placed under each guests' chair. As each candle was lit, each guest in turn passed the flame until all of the candles were lit.

Once all of the candles were lit, I delivered a special blessing: "May the blessing of light be with you always, light without and light within. And may the sun shine upon you and warm your heart until it glows like a great fire so that others may feel the warmth of your love for one another."

Congratulations to Scott and Jessica!

Jared & Rebecca's Wedding, Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham, MA

Jared and Rebecca, their families and friends, could not have had a better day for celebrating their wedding at The Gazebo of the Chatham Bars Inn. The air was unseasonably warm for this Columbus Day weekend, and the sun shone over the hills leading down to the ocean below. A gentle, salty breeze swept through the trees as I delivered their custom wedding service in the gazebo; inside the gazebo, loved ones sat and enjoyed the intimate sacredness of their ceremony. Rebecca's and Jared's Aunts both selected meaningful biblical passages to read for this lovely couple; John 2:13-19 and Luke 8:22-25 were read to all witnessing this beautifully simple, yet elegant wedding.

This lovely couple exchanged marriage vows written especially for one another. I think Jared best summed up his commitment to Rebecca with these words: "There is no way to know what awaits us, be it triumph or failure, ease or adversity, happiness or sorrow. But what can be said with all the resolve of faith is that as we stand here today, there is no one else with whom I would rather share joy, face uncertainty or build a life and family."

As I announced Jared and Rebecca husband and wife, Chatham Bars Inn servers arrived with glasses of champage for each wedding guest as a toast celebration to the marriage of this lovely couple! Hors D'oeuvre's were passed around to all before they were to have a fine wedding dinner reception in a reserved room at the Inn.

Congratulations to Jared and Rebecca! Thank you for including me in your special wedding day.

Jimmy & Amy's Wedding, Falmouth Yacht Club, Falmouth, MA

Jimmy and Amy may have had some rain for their special wedding day, but that did not dampen

the mood of they and their family and guests. Taking the optimistic view seems to be their style, which matches their love for Red Sox baseball! At the charming Falmouth Yacht Club, with nautical flags surrounding them, Jimmy and Amy made the day their own with a Red Sox theme. Avid fans, I was told that Jimmy even proposed to Amy at a Red Sox game, a game that not only will be forever remembered by both, but also, as Jimmy said with a big grin, in which the " Red Sox won, too!"

All of the sights and sounds of a cape cod wedding encircled this couple for their custom marriage: a bagpiper to accompany Amy and her dad as he walked her down the aisle; starfish and sand dollars and a nautical themed cake; the smell of the salty ocean air; oyster crackers for clam chowder; and for their service, the sand ceremony whereby they poured viles of sand from the bride and groom's favorite beaches into one, symbolizing their marriage together as one.

All couples have unique touches to their ceremony service that are meaningful to them. For this particular wedding, the service included a special blessing from both Amy and Jimmy's parents in which both couples stood together with Jimmy and Amy and me, as they passed on their blessings and good wishes to their newly wedded son and daughter.

Congratulations Jimmy and Amy! May your future together as husband and wife be filled with Red Sox fun at Fenway, your love of family and friends, and joy experienced in the love you bring to one another!

Greg & Kate's Wedding, Chatham Bars Inn, The South Lawn

What a perfect day for a wedding on the south lawn of the Chatham Bars Inn. The sun was shining brightly to ward off the slight autumn chill, and the autumn sunset cast a special glow on the lawn of this

beautiful venue overlooking

the sea. Indeed,

Greg and Kate were very happy to share their wedding vows on such a glorious day!

The groomsmen were surrounding the groom just prior to the wedding service in a huddle. Support and cheers rang out for the groom to be; they were so happy for Greg, and you could see it in their facial expressions and in their small gestures of companionship and lightheartedness. What a fun group this bridal party was!

This was a large wedding, with over 20 persons in the bridal party - what a fun time they were having, too. The harpist played and sang beautiful music for the service itself, and judging by the fond expressions of love on the faces of Greg and Kate as the music played, they were truly enjoying their special wedding day.

During the service, family members and friends read special blessings and messages for Greg and Kate; there were many tears of joy amongst audience members as this lovely couple expressed their vows, but all turned to laughter and smiles when I introduced Greg and Kate for the first time as "husband and wife".

Congratulations to Greg and Kate! I feel honored to have been a part of your very special wedding day!