Matt & Allison's Wedding, Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, MA

Matt and Allison exchanged their vows in a beautiful service witnessed by their family and

friends on the manicured lawn of the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis, MA. Flowers, original sculptures, and beautiful banners adorned the garden as birds chirped in the trees, accompanying us for their custom wedding ceremony.

If I've learned anything in conducting numerous wedding services on Cape Cod, one thing I would share with you is that, "Yes, grooms cry, too." Emotions are high during such a heart-filled experience, and for Matthew, this was no exception. How sweetly Allison smiled at him as he attempted to hold back tears of joy and wonder. To no avail, however; Matt no sooner wiped one or two tears from his eyes, and a steady stream again trailed down his cheek. What a tender moment between such a lovely couple. By the time his mom, Kathy, gave a special reading for this wonderful pair, he was overcome with even more tears. A wedding service is always a sacred moment in one's life, a time when onlookers, young and old, shed a tear or two as well for the newly betrothed. But, as my sister, Joanna always says, "They're happy tears!"

The Cape Cod Museum of Art provided such a gorgeous backdrop for the service and the reception for their family and friends. Perched in the corner of the reception hall was a very handsome sculpture of Eleanor Roosevelt, leaning against a rock, presiding over the finely set dinner tables. As I viewed this beautiful room, observing the amazing artwork and sculptures, it was almost as if Eleanor were speaking to me, to Matthew and Allison, and to their special guests.

A whisper from the corner, I imagined Eleanor sharing with Matthew and Allison her special congratulations, along with a piece of her sage advice she was so notable for:

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams".

Jim & Wanda's Wedding, Wing's Neck Lighthouse, Bourne, MA

Jim and Wanda, their friends and family had a wonderful custom ceremony atop the cliff that looks over the beautiful ocean below; here the Wing's Neck Lighthouse, now owned by a private family, was rented for the purpose of this couple's intimate wedding service.

The sailboats glided by, along with motorboats and other mariner crafts.

The day was beautiful and clear, punctuated by a lovely breeze that rolled across the lush green lawn. The music played, cool beverages were served to all in attendance, and then Wanda's two friends escorted her to the home made altar above the sea, where beautiful azalea's, pansies, and other assorted flowers served as a backdrop for their lovely wedding ceremony.

Of all the weddings I've performed, I don't recall the bridesmaids and the groomsmen being quite as excited as they! As I pronounced Jim and Wanda to be "husband and wife", arms of the bridesmaids shot up into the air as if cheering on their favorite team, and the groomsmen all applauded with enthusiasm! Even Jim applauded during the ceremony for his lovely bride.

Congratulations Jim and Wanda! Enjoy your life together and recall fondly the friends who cheered gloriously as you were introduced for the first time as a married couple; no doubt, you both deserve all the best in life, along with cheering friends to make the joyous times that much more celebratory. Cheers to you both!

Jared & Stacey's Wedding, The Brookside Golf Resort, Bourne, MA

Jared and Stacey experienced

their custom wedding service on the lawn grounds of the Brookside Golf Resort in Bourne, MA. The day was beautiful for a wedding, and this lovely couple were beaming as they celebrated their committed love amidst family and friends. Stacey was so excited that she exuded such a brilliant joy as she spoke her vows to Jared.

Here, as in all weddings, the family and friends were very enthusiastic for this lovely couple. Cheers arose as Stacey was walked up the aisle by her dad; she was all smiles, and Jared was too, as her dad gave her a kiss and walked her up to our altar under the white tent.

If you haven't been to this resort, it's a beautiful place with a rolling golf green behind building that appears as a stately mansion. A handsome tavern overlooks the back green, and the bar is usually highly attended by not only the wedding party, but also locals who enjoy the view, the comforts of the tavern, and its wonderful food. I describe this because during this wedding, there were many golfers looking on as I performed Stacey and Jared's wedding.

When I announced that Jared and Stacey were "husband and wife" to the family and friends, they were so excited that Lianne snapped a photo of their rubbing noses in an affectionately excited manner, after their lovely kiss.

Golfers were on the patio area, viewing the wedding celebration, joining in with the applause of their family and friends.

Congratulations Jared and Stacey! May your love always be so exuberant and joyful!

Brian & Margaret's Wedding, The Captain's House Inne, Chatham, MA

Margaret and Brian and their parents arrived at the Captain's House Inn for an intimate family wedding, complete with a rented cape cod style cottage situated on the estate's manicured grounds and beautiful gardens. There were birds singing in the trees and the sun shone brightly on this handsome couple, as I delivered their custom wedding vows in the cozy garden in front of their cottage; the flowers seemed to sing about love and joy as they swayed in the light breeze and shone their brilliant colors for all to witness.

Margaret's father, a semi-retired Professor of History, gave a special reading from the Book of Tobit for this lovely couple's special wedding day:

"Blessed are you, O God of our fathers; praised be your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever. You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended. You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a partner like himself.’ Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of desire, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age. Amen"

Josiah & Suzannah's Wedding, The Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham, MA

Josiah and Suzannah and their parents celebrated a beautiful, intimate customized wedding ceremony overlooking the Atlantic Ocean near the Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham, MA. I love performing such intimate weddings whereby the family members are obviously so supportive of this lovely couple. Special readings from both moms, the exchanging of rings and vows between Josiah and Suzannah, and hugs and kisses of sincere congratulations, made me feel very blessed to be performing this special ceremony overlooking the sea.

Josiah is a U.S. Marine and we talked about my dad being a marine, and how my dad would be proud. A very proper young man, Josiah pointed out his unique feature of his otherwise conservative attire; a pair of grey golfing socks! Quite classy. Josiah indulged us with a modeling of uniquely artistic socks prior to their service. And then within minutes, he was dipping Suzannah on the veranda overlooking the oceanfront - quite romantic and playful.

I've thought about this couple since their marriage this spring. Within weeks of my marrying this lovely pair, Josiah returned to serve in Afghanistan. I've reflected on the sacrifices that people like he and Suzannah make for our freedoms that we take for granted. Suzannah's mom spoke of their sacrifices in her special reading written for their marriage ceremony by the sea. Tears came to her eyes as she spoke to Suzannah and Josiah about their great love for one another, juxtaposed against the tremendous sacrifices they both will make in living far away from one another for lengthy periods of time. I've thought since then about their love and their exhuberance that day, and how devoted they both are to their family and country.

Thank you for including me in your special day, Josiah and Suzannah! I feel honored to have performed your wedding service. Congratulations and "Semper Fi!"

Stephen & Ashley's Wedding, Wequassett Inn, Chatham, MA

The day was rainy and cold, yet under the deck canopy of the Wequassett Inn of Chatham,

Stephen and Ashley exchanged their vows under blue and yellow lanterns, their loving smiles lighting up an otherwise dreary-weather day.

In preparation for their ceremony, Michael Gabriel played steel drums, their beautiful, delicate tones wafting across the balcony where family and friends eagerly awaited the arrival of the bride. Ice sculptures and gorgeous flowers decorated the great room adjoining, this lovely couple's photos adorning their reception table, complete with a beautifully painted Cape Cod dune scene mural along the back wall.

Ashley's mom is a florist, and it was no surprise that the flower arrangements were magnificent! The room was full of the beautiful aroma of fresh cut flowers showing brilliant colors.

Each couple has their own story about how they met. Ashley and Stephen's story is one of those special stories about an amazing series of coincidences one cannot ignore. I share with you their story, as incorporated into their customized wedding service for their family and friends to hear:

"What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined - to strengthen each other - to be at one with each other in silent unspeakable memories. As is often the case we meet each other by chance, become friends by choice, still friends by decision, and when we say friends forever, that's definitely a lifetime. As I understand it, Stephen and Ashley’s “chance meeting” began in 2004 when Stephen was visiting a long-time friend, Jay, who worked with Ashley at Kay Jewelers. According to Ashley, Stephen would occasionally visit and, even though they were both in separate relationships, Ashley knew in her heart that “they both felt something for each other.” Time goes by, Stephen enlists as a combat engineer in the army; he’s deployed to the middle east, Ashley goes to work in her mom’s flower shop, and one day a call comes in from a soldier in Ramadi, Iraq . . . wanting to place an order for flowers. As a sidebar, Ashley’s mom has a policy wherein any order placed by soldiers serving overseas are to be processed free of charge. This came as a pleasant surprise to our caller, and needless to say he was very grateful for the gesture.

Again, time goes by, our appreciative solder returns to the States and, one day, walks into the flower shop to express his gratitude to the owner. As fate would have it the soldier turned out to be Stephen. But, the story doesn’t end here. Stephen and Ashley talk, they meet again at the flower shop on several occasions, he asks her out on a date and . . . according to Ashley, “. . . I was unable to go just yet.”

The odyssey continues . . . both Stephen and Ashley enroll at the same college, Ashley spots Stephen’s car in the campus parking lot, thinks about writing a note and leaving it on his windshield but, instead, waits for him by a door leading to his class. Our determined heroine wasted no time in informing Stephen that she was “unattached” and quickly asked him out on a first date."

Stephen and Ashley, congratulations to you both on your wedding day! May you experience all the joys of loving one another for many, many years to come!

A Message To Engaged Couples

I've been so busy with performing weddings this spring and summer, that I got behind in posting them onto my blog. So, yes my friends, I am performing an average of 2-3 weddings per weekend. My wife, Lianne, has been processing the photos, so we are now ready to post about 12 or more weddings here to get us to the current day. I've been blessed to have performed some wonderful weddings at both traditional and unusual venues - each wedding has its own joy and celebration, each, its own special touches customized to the bride and groom!

Enjoy reading about my most recent wedding ceremonies performed this spring/summer...