A WEEKEND WEDDING CELEBRATION THREEFOLD!:)

Happy Labor Day Weekend!:) Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! This has been a weekend of celebration, celebration, celebration for me! This weekend I had the honor and privilege of officiating not one, not two, but three wedding ceremonies!!! :) This first was on Friday!:) It was a quaint little ceremony, more like a planned elopement, for a cute young couple! It was also the first ceremony that Oliver, my 2-year-old grandson, attended that Da'ma officiated:) It was a simple ceremony from the heart that took place at the Jordan River Parkway in Draper just after lunch! In a beautiful setting near the water where the sky was our only ceiling, the earth our only floor, and the horizons our only walls, Max and Megan became husband and wife! The second wedding was yesterday afternoon! It was a small family gathering in the beautiful backyard of the groom's parents' home. It had the feeling of a fairy glen in the forest:) There was a cute little flower girl with pink wings and their infant son, carried by Auntie, "announced" that his mommy was coming down the aisle on a sign that he carried!:) It was a simple ceremony with the exchange of personal vows and the ring exchange! That's all that was needed as I pronounced what their souls have known forever, that Sam and Collin are indeed husband and wife! The third wedding of the weekend was yesterday evening! It was a playful beach-themed wedding! Gino and his new daughters, Madilyn and Mikala, walked down the aisle together and shot off small confetti bombs! Mariska was the flower girl! She prepared the way for her mom to be walked down the aisle on the arm of Miken's very proud dad! We celebrated as Gino and Miken become husband and wife! We also celebrated as Gino, Miken, Madilyn, Mikala, and Mariska created a new family! During the Family Sand Ceremony, Gino and Miken presented necklaces to their daughters to complete their jewelry sets for the very special occasion!:) There was a lot of impromptu on the parts of Gino and Miken, which created a ceremony that was meaningful, memorable, and uniquely theirs! :)

Congratulations and Best wishes, Max and Megan San Martin, 8/29/2014!!

Congratulations and Best Wishes, Mr. & Mrs. Collin Pearson, 8/30/2014!!

Congratulations and Best Wishes, Mr. & Mrs. Gino Garcia, 8/30/2014!!

August 23rd, A Day of Celebration Twofold!!:)

There are some days that I have the honor and privilege of officiating not one, but two wedding ceremonies! Today was such a day!:) Last week, Perla and I started chatting on Facebook about her and Christian's wanting to do a nice simple ceremony very soon. We decided that the perfect place for their personal ceremony would be at Oquirrh Lake. One of my favorite spots in the valley so I love to share it with my couples getting married! Earlier this week, Wayne called me from Arizona and said his son and his daughter-in-law recently did a private wedding ceremony in Sedona and would love to have a renewal of vows in front of their family here in Utah. This celebration would be held at the groom's mother's home. Both of these ceremonies would be outdoor events! During this last week, Mother Nature has been playing tricks with August weather! Rain almost every day and two couples planning outdoor weddings with really no back-up plans! This morning, it was beautiful weather, clear skies and warmer than it has been all week! YAY! A good sign! Justin and Heather's celebration was scheduled for 3pm and Christian and Perla's wedding was scheduled for 5pm. It started with downpour rain around 1:30pm, 2:00pm. Yikes! It luckily stopped raining and blue skies right in time for the celebration to start at 3pm as planned!:) It was a beautiful celebration as they re-affirmed their vows they had spoken to each other during the ceremony in Sedona! I added a little of my own words about a true marriage being an act of transformation, a creation and rebirth as two lives blend together to become one!:)As the reception was starting, so did the rain showers again! The cake got a little wet! By 4:45pm, there were blue skies once again, just in time for Christian and Perla's wedding on the lake! It was a wedding ceremony to remember for Christian and Perla! As I spoke my words, their witness translated them into Spanish so everyone could enjoy and celebrate as Christian and Perla took their vows to each other on the fishing dock of Oquirrh Lake! We were definitely a sight for the passersby at the lake tonight! There were at least 20 of us standing on the fishing dock for Christian and Perla's very unique wedding! Justin & Heather and Christian & Perla, thank you for giving me the honor and privilege of being part of your days of celebration! I love you all always and forever, Dear Friends!!:)

Congratulations and Best Wishes, Justin & Heather, 8/23/2014!!

Congratulations and Best Wishes, Christian & Perla, 8/23/2014!!

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Derrick Rodrigues and Cash, 8/09/14

Yesterday was a day of celebration twofold! It was a day that Derrick and Chalyse became husband and wife. It was also the day that Chaylse became a bonus mom to Cash! I had the honor and extreme privilege of officiating Chaylse and Derrick's personalized wedding ceremony!:) There was a funny story behind that!:) Back in the end of April, the first part of May, I was checking my Thumbtack wedding inquiries online. There was one that seemed pretty promising and fairly close. It was from a Mindy S. in Riverton. I got in contact with Mindy S. and we started messaging back and forth online. Somewhere during the conversation, a light bulb went on inside my head. When Mindy S. and I finished our conversation online, I texted my friend Mindy and said, "Mindy, were you and I just talking online through Thumbtack?" Indeed, we were! Mindy S in Riverton turned out to be my next door neighbor! The beauty of the internet! LOL! Anyway, the ceremony that united Chaylse and Derrick as husband and wife was like a fairy tale wedding! It was held in the beautiful backyard of Chaylse's parents! It was attended by most of the neighborhood, which meant standing room only in the backyard!:) It was one of those ceremonies that I, as a wedding officiant, had to hold back the tears of joy! Chalyse was so stunning as she walked down the aisle with her dad. At that moment, I turned to look at Derrick watching his bride walk down. There was such a look of awe in his eyes for the love of his life, his soulmate!:) We started off the ceremony with a candle of remembrance for those that had passed. In the middle, there was a gift exchange between Cash and his new bonus Mom! That was really a hard act to follow! The vows were simple and heart-felt, followed by the exchange of rings! I pronounced them husband & wife, then presented them with these words, "I am proud and honored to present for the first time anywhere Mr. & Mrs. Derrick Rodrigues!!!" After I changed my clothes and put on my casual attire, I let my hair down and attended the crazy loud party next door!:) Chaylse, Derrick, and Cash, I love you all very much!!:) Thank you for inviting me to be part of your very special day!! Thank you, Mindy and Kevin, for throwing a crazy loud party to celebrate the new beginnings for your children!!:) The love still lingers in the air!! :)

Congratulations Kyrstin & Joseph, July 18, 2014!!

Last night I had the honor and privilege of officiating the ceremony that joined two soulmates as husband and wife!:) Joseph's mom was very kind and offered her backyard as a quiet setting for this intimate ceremony. She made me feel very welcomed from the moment I arrived!:) Thank you so much for your hospitality!! :) The ceremony was short and sweet!:) Afterwards we took a few pictures and signed the license!:)Their wedding anniversary will remain special to me!:) It happens on my grandson's birthday!:) Congratulations and Best Wishes to Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Petit, July 18, 2014!!

Happy 1st Anniversary Shayna and Daniel!

A year ago today, I had the honor and privilege of officiating Shayna and Daniel's wedding! :) I met this wonderful couple through Daniel's mom being friends with a dear friend of mine!:) I love when that happens! Shayna and Daniel's wedding was enchanting! It took place right next to the stream in Layton Commons Park and it was such a beautiful Sunday afternoon!:) Shayna looked like a goddess with a flowered halo and Daniel looked the nervous groom! :) They exchanged personal vows with each other which made the ceremony their own! :)And I was able to make their dream wedding come true by offering my services on Sunday! :) Happy 1st Anniversary Shayna and Daniel! May all that you are always be in love and may love always be in you! May life's situations always serve you well to strengthen the bond of friendship, love, and spirit that you have so lovingly created between you! May you always see and encourage the best in each other and may you always be each other's best friend and greatest love!

Tanya and Jayson's 4th of July Wedding Day Celebration

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!! Today is the day that the nation celebrates its birthday! :) Today is the day that Tanya and Jayson chose for their wedding day!:) Monday I received a message on Facebook from my new friend Tanya, asking if I was available on the 4th of July. I was indeed available and was honored to officiate their wedding!:) She and Jayson wanted to get married on the 4th of July with a very simple and meaningful ceremony!:) I knew that the perfect place for them was Oquirrah Lake! It was a beautiful day today, the perfect weather for a wedding on the lake! The ceremony took place with the wedding party and me standing on one of the fishing docks of the lake while their guests look on from the shore! The ceremony was beautiful with the vows and the exchange of rings and a new twist on the SAND CEREMONY. Instead of bringing sand from the store or another place, I had Tanya and Jayson scoop up a handful of sand from the shoreline. They poured their sand into a cool lantern-looking mason jar. Their guests also poured sand from the beach into the MARRIAGE jar to "pour" their blessings unto Tanya and Jayson's marriage!:) Tanya and Jayson, may all that you are always be in love and may love always be in you!

Happy Anniversary, Kelly and Channing!

Three years ago today, I had the honor and privilege of officiating Kelly and Channing's wedding ceremony! It was a little different than most I have done. I had the honor and privilege of co-officiating it with a dear friend of Kelly's, and now a dear friend of mine! The ceremony took place at the NOAH'S in South Jordan in the roof garden! It was a beautiful early evening ceremony with the reception afterwards! Kelly found me through one of the wedding websites that I was listed on at the time. My co-officiating their wedding ceremony was only the beginning of our friendship. They are part of my ever-growing "family" that God has blessed me with over the years of being a wedding minister! Kelly and Channing, Happy Anniversary! May all that you are always be in love and may love always be in you! May life's situations always serve you well to strengthen the bond of friendship, love, and spirit that you have created in your loving marriage! May you always see and encourage the best in each other and may you always be each other's best friend and greatest love!