This Cape Cod Wedding Officiant is feeling the March Madness

 With all this talk of bracketology and the madness of this March, with its wintery chill I am so ready for wedding season. I'm so ready for warmth and rings and flowery things!

 wedding at Wequassett Resort Harwich on Cape Cod

Promises and vows the wordless wows........Wychmere Harbor Beach Club Wedding

On bridges, sandy ridges beneath skies so blue we are all so ready to hear some

                                           "  I do. I do."

and bring on the utterly romantic kisses as you become Mr. and Mrs.

Chequesset Yacht Club 

A bit of an Irish Wedding Blessing - Happy St. Patrick's Day

An exerpt from 'Blessing for Marriage' by  John O'Donohue from his book To Bless the Space between Us

As Spring unfolds the dream of the earth, may you bring each other's hearts to birth

As ocean finds calm in view of land, may you love the gaze of each other's mind

As twighlight harvests all day's color, may love bring you home to each other.

Cape Cod Weddings: We Gather Together (Again)

As the rain fell melting the snow I met with a wonderful couple today.  Nancy and Tom are getting married in June. We sat by the fire and began planning their sunny early summer ceremony.  We will gather together again in Orleans at the family homestead by Nauset Beach. I'm so blessed to be presiding over this wedding too. The bride- to- be is the sister of this groom pictured below. What a beautiful double blessing to join yet another sensational couple together in matrimony. ( And I get to work with the wonderful photographer Kim Rielly at Studio K who took this photo. ) We gather together again!

http://www.kimreillyphotography.com/

What do you love most about being a wedding officiant on Cape Cod?

" I love being around people in love." This was my immediate answer when a bride-to-be recently interviewed me. Such a good question. I have to admit I'm a hopeless romantic.

Yev and Elina at Brookside Club 

I just love everything about love and weddings.To be a part of the moment, to share in that leap of faith as two people step over the sacred threshold into the state of matrimony. It is just about the greatest thing ever. What's not to love? White roses on a birch bark archway, Nantucket Sound in the background, the spontaneity of the moment, being with two people giving their word in marriage, authentic joy and consecrated commitment. Wow! and it is really fun too!

JP,Cape Cod wedding officiant,celebrant,minister-questions to ask when choosing

Question #1: What is the difference between a JP, celebrant, officiant and a wedding minister? In the past, for the religiously affilated, the wedding date, place and person to preside was dictated by your faith community's schedule. Now those of us who consider ourselves non-affiliated have so many more choices.

I am an ordained interfaith minister authorized by the State of Massachuesetts to preside over marriages. I studied for two years at The New Seminary of NYC. In June 2000 I was ordained as an Interfaith Minister at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC.

Qustion #2- What is your faith or religion? As an interfaith minister I try and find the essence of love in all religions and faiths. Being raised Irish Catholic I have a somewhat irreverent, Celtic, nature-based resistence to overly organized religion, although I will tell you, I'm kinda in love Pope Francis. He must be St. Francis of Asissi reincarnated. I am fine with disorganized religions, and on and off-beat spiritual paths. I am comfortable with anyone who is still figuring it all out. It is not so much what a person knows or believes, it is the quality of their love that matters.

Now back to business JP- stands for Justice of the Peace. They are authorized by the town to preside over weddings and have a fixed rate for their fees depending on the town. Town clerks are JP's and can preside over weddings at the town hall or out and about. 

There are also Life Cycle Celebrants that are wedding officiants as well. The word 'celebrant' is not theirs alone and I believe anyone authorized to preside over weddings could use this term to describe themselves (especially if they feel more celebratory than officious.)

So I am a ordained wedding minister, wedding officiant and wedding celebrant.

I am not a JP, not that there is anything wrong with that- seriously JP's are great and I refer to them all the time. So I hope this helps clarify. enough for now.

Keep Happy -Kathleen

PS Happy Birthday Beloved Avatar Meher Baba and thank You from the bottom of my heart!