A personal, inspiring, & romantic celebration of your Love Story.
Dashes of gratitude, reflection, tradition & Personal Elements.
Fun, Style , Jubilation, and a unique take-home momento.
A happy, out-going, experienced, and Take Charge Officiant.
Your Wedding Ceremony: Cherished For A Lifetime.
~ Merrie
You’re getting married! And, whether you have a vision in your head filled with many wonderful details of a formal and traditional ceremony or an exciting contemporary concept, you deserve a personalized wedding ceremony that is uniquely yours. Your quest is to find a Southern California area Wedding Officiant with experience and heart to bring your vision to life.
If you are seeking an unstuffy, creative, inclusive, respectful and engaging Officiant & Non-denominational Minister for your personalized wedding ceremony, I appreciate your consideration.
Together, let’s put an end to your quest, whether you are being married tomorrow, next week, in a few months or next year. Simply put, it will be my privilege and honor to welcome you “home.” And by “home,” I mean working together in a way that is easy, comfortable and with no crazy!
Please have a look around, and if you feel we may be a “fit,” lets meet in the next week or two for coffee/tea and conversation.
I thoughtfully create and conscientiously deliver wedding ceremonies for couples of all faiths and traditions throughout the area – non-denominational, spiritual, religious, inter-faith or civil/secular. As a Wedding Officiant, Celebrant and ordained Non-Denominational Minister, my priority in designing your ceremony is to reflect your uniqueness as a couple, respecting your beliefs, traditions and values.
Working together, you can trust me to take full responsibility for crafting, writing and delivering your ceremony in an authentic and loving presentation at your chosen venue. It’s important that the words and “feel” of your ceremony reflect your loving partnership. I look forward to sharing with you how I will gather key elements of your personal story and weave them into an inspiring and romantic wedding ceremony.
I offer you a highly personalized approach to your wedding ceremony. You “own your ceremony” and have the last word on what we do and how we do it, no matter what your faith, belief or tradition. I am the encourager every step of the way to your Big Day as the Wedding Officiant for your ceremony, whether formal or casual, traditional or contemporary.
I enjoy a fun and inspiring couple who trust me with their personal story. I seek lovebirds who desire to co-create a truly unforgettable lifetime moment for their family and friends – a loving couple of any background, path and tradition, including LGBT couples, to marry well – a couple to know better as friends for a moment in time or possibly for life.
Each couple is unique and needs vary accordingly. My fee is structured to support the time I dedicate to your ceremony, while working within your budget.
This includes crafting and delivering your custom ceremony, leading your rehearsal, and wearing my “ceremony planner hat” to ensure an elegant and easy start to your ceremony. After the ceremony, I make certain your signed legal documents are properly filed and certified with your County. Throughout our work together, you have full access to me via phone and email.
I offer sweet and simple ceremonies and elopements, too!
For more than 10 years, I’ve been committed to offering couples the highest quality of service and value as a Wedding Officiant. It is an honor to incorporate my experience and personal joy into the creation of a ceremony that feels comfortable and relaxed, yet worthy of a lifetime of special memories.
I come to this work with a grateful heart and my life philosophy is spiritual in nature with love and kindness at its center.
For more information and/or to inquire about my availability for your date, I welcome your call or text at: (951) 514-5966
If you like, let’s set up a time for coffee/tea and conversation and explore whether we’re a delightful “match” to share in your wedding day.
Sincerely,
Merrie
Wedding Officiant & Celebrant
Use Your Engagement Time To Deepen Your Relationship.
Walk Into Your Wedding Day With Enhanced Comfort and Pride.
You’re engaged and planning a wedding.
Welcome to “crazy time” – the minutes, days and months of your engagement.
You’ve got two feet. One foot is eager and excited to step into your new world as an engaged person and couple. Most likely, you have your other foot in your rapidly vanishing “single world.” With feet in different places, I wouldn’t be surprised if you have feelings of euphoria and excitement coupled with the tension of apprehension and uncertainty.
Yes, you may feel in many ways you are a walking paradox – super happy, excited and anticipatory while grappling with the emotions of loss, uncertainty, confusion and transition.
Having worked with many engaged couples of all faiths, backgrounds and paths, here is what I know for sure: a smart couple actively uses their engagement to prepare not only for the wedding day but for the marriage.
A highly motivated couple blocks out time to ask the hard questions that genuinely deepen a loving relationship. Pre-marriage work offers you the profound and unique opportunity to walk down the aisle on your wedding day with pride and ease, knowing you are making a highest choice for your life.
I coach engaged couples of all backgrounds and traditions, offering non-denominational, creative and contemporary strategies and pre-marriage education. Together, we explore your important personal issues and questions. No topic is off limits.
Working together, I share tools, ideas, exercises and offer personal support to assist you in navigating the winding road to your wedding with enhanced esteem and personal power.
I offer 3 sessions of pre-marriage coaching, often spaced out over 8 weeks. Each session is one hour and 30 minutes in length. Most coaching sessions are held from January – May, scheduled to end before the Summer season. I do take limited pre-marriage coaching sessions during the Summer and Fall.
The fee for three sessions is $595.
To schedule your first sessions please call or text: (951) 514-5966, or email me at: Merrie@silverandsageweddings.com
n the way down the aisle, before taking her place beside the groom, the bride pauses and presents both her mother and her soon-to-be mother-in-law with a small personalized item/gift, fitting with the occasion.
Have the groom escort both his mother and the bride’s mother to their seats in the processional.
Include special rituals and moments in your ceremony. Consider a rose exchange, blessing of parents and children, drinking of the wine/breaking the glass, a great moment of humor, a hand fasting ritual, a reading by 2 or 3 people for special effect, a personalized honoring of children or perhaps the “creation” of a cherished take-home memento. Or even celebrate by having your beloved pooch as your “best dog.”
Include children or mention them if you are blending two families. Have your child(ren) sign the wedding certificate along with your witnesses. Remember to keep the focus on the two of you and work with your Officiant to weave in an honoring of your children and family, in a way that is authentic and comfortable.
Mention a family member who has passed and honor their memory. Do so with joy, remembering the legacy of love left behind in a very positive and uplifting way.
Have all parents stand to be recognized and to celebrate in the day.
Consider facing your guests instead of having your back to them.
Mention and thank the person who introduced you during the ceremony. Express gratitude to parents, grandparents, special guests (best of all, do so as a surprise). If you met on-line, have fun with this mention!
Have a close family member or friend read a poem during the ceremony. Remember, weddings are an emotional event and some people just aren’t good “readers.” Given this, consider a reading where 2 or 3 people can participate. This makes things even more dynamic and interesting.
Select something non-traditional for your recessional music like James Brown’s “I Feel Good!”
Consider being married by candlelight – nothing is more romantic!
Have your attendants hold up rating cards after the marriage declaration/kiss. Create a surprise for someone special. Add humor to your ceremony as elegant relaxes everyone, including your Officiant!
Invite everyone over for a party and imagine their shock when you change into your gown and tuxedos!
When your ceremony is prepared with care and love, whatever happens during the ceremony itself (dropping the rings, flubbing your lines, etc.), becomes part of the magic and joy of the moment and contributes to the specialness of your day. So have fun, be creative and enjoy the process of creating your ceremony.
If you think we might be a good fit and would like to talk more about ideas to make your wedding ceremony unique and personal, please give me a call or text at: (951) 514-5966
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