Every wedding officiant has a story. Some were already involved in the wedding industry: wedding planner, disc jockey, designers. Some follow a religious calling and are part of a church community.
Many are just like me...someone dear to them was getting married and having a difficult time finding someone to perform the ceremony. They want something meaningful and personal, something that reflects that spiritual connection between them, something beautiful...
They don't go to church and they don't want to get married at City Hall...
That perfectly describes the first couple that I married in August, 2019, on a dock overlooking Sparrow Lake in Muskoka.
The son of one of my closest friends and his beautiful fiancé had everything planned: a perfect venue, amazing caterer, talented photographer and a disc jockey that would keep everyone dancing under the stars until the wee hours. But due to a health issue, their officiant wasn't able to perform the ceremony.
So, I went through a program of training and registration with the Province of Ontario, I learned how to make a marriage legal and I more importantly, how to make the ceremony special.
I learned a lot on that day in August, 2019. I woke up to a very sunny but very windy day...I still carry and use a weighted stone coaster I hurriedly bought in Gravenhurst that morning, to keep the paperwork from flying into the lake. I learned to keep one hand on the wedding rings, for fear of losing them through the dock if I ever dropped them.
And I learned to pause, and breath…and look out at all the family and friends who are looking back at that special couple…at you! People who are there for you, just as they have been your whole life and here, on your special day... looking at you with love and support in their eyes and in their hearts.
That's what keeps me coming back...
