Making Sure That Online Officiant Is Legal - NYTimes.com

I have been interested in this topic for quite some time.  As more and more wedding vendors such as D.J.s and videographers decide to add officiating to their services, couples need to be aware that their marriage may not be legal.  I don't want to suggest that this is a widespread issue, but I do think that couples should insist that the officiant they choose to solemnize their wedding be trained and properly ordained, rather than someone who pays $20 for an online "quicky" ordination.

It is shocking that couples will research for months to choose the very best photographer or dress designer and yet when it comes to their ceremony, an officiant is chosen based on price or convenience.  There are many states that require officiants to register with the counties in which they operate, and other states that require officiants to have active ministries.  I have officiated two weddings in Virginia, a state that has very strict requirements for officiants.  Couples beware -- if you choose a friend who becomes ordained on the internet in order to officiate your wedding, your marriage may not be legal.

Making Sure That Online Officiant Is Legal - NYTimes.com

Makes it all worthwhile!

I am one of the most blessed people in the world because I get to do what I love and make a living at it. To share someone's wedding day with them is such an honor! And so I want to share a "thank you" note we recently received from a bride:

June-
Thank you so much for such a lovely ceremony! It was everything we wanted- absolutely perfect! We had so many compliments on the ceremony- so many of our friends and family said it was the best ceremony they have ever been to!!!! Katie and Dustin May 2012

Notes like this make everything I do worthwhile! I love what I do and mostly, I love helping couples have a memorable wedding day! I am truly blessed! Here's Katie and Dustin during the first dance:




-- Post From My iPhone

Location:5Eleven Palafox

New Audio Capabilities!

We are so excited! Today we added an entire new line of services! After years of having to rely on DJ's microphones or having no amplification at all, Perfect Gulf Coast Weddings is now offering complete ceremony audio services!

The number one complaint from wedding guests is the inability to hear the ceremony, especially with outdoor weddings! I often officiate on the beach here along the Gulf Coast and it is often difficult to project my voice above the sound of the wind and waves. Even worse, when there is no amplification, I find myself shouting, which can really ruin the romantic feel of a ceremony. When the couple getting married has paid extra for the DJ to offer a microphone for the Officiant, often the quality is difficult to predict and some microphones actually can make it worse by increasing the wind noise. In those cases, it would have been better to shout!

But now we have our own top quality equipment! We have invested in a fully portable PA system that requires no power cords and no cords between the system and the microphone! We have two microphones available and now will have one available for a soloist or reader.

The most exciting feature of all is the IPod dock! Wedding couples can now choose ceremony music to be played for preludes, processionals, solos, and recessionals, all without worrying about power cords at remote locations like the beach or parks. Of course if your wedding is at a
location where there is power, all the better; the system runs on both AC and battery.

So if you've been thinking that you couldn't have ceremony music, you're in luck! We are very excited about offering this new service! Email us at jwatkins@jwatkins.org for more information!


-- Post From My iPhone

Pinterest

It seems that everyone has gone a little Pinterest crazy!  Well, okay, I admit it.  I am the one who is Pinterest crazy!  It is addictive.  And so if you haven't started checking in, then save yourself!  Don't go there! haha  I know that it steals at least an hour from each of my days.  Maybe more.  But for anyone planning a wedding, it is a must see.  There are some brides on Pinterest who are probably planning real upcoming weddings, but there are plenty of dreamers too.  Many of the boards are titled "My dream wedding", "When I get married", and "If I get married."  Pinterest is a wonderland of bridal gowns, flowers, decor, cakes, and photography. Anything you can dream is probably pinned on someone's board.

I truly do love everything weddings!  Every time I think I have found the most beautiful dress, I find another one that is even more spectacular.  At first I believed that brides today are so much luckier than I was when I got married, but now I am not sure.  We didn't have Pinterest or The Knot, or wedding websites for couples.  In the old days, we actually shopped from store to store with our friends, mothers and mother-in-laws to be.  It was an important ritual and a way to bond.  I am not so sure that I wouldn't be overwhelmed with all the choices if I were getting married today!  Somehow seeing all these beautiful photographs puts more pressure on today's brides.  I wonder if it becomes difficult to make choices with so many different designs.  There are so many choices to make!  Does Pinterest and other internet sites make it easier for today's brides?  Or instead are wedding couples overwhelmed and discouraged when their own event doesn't match the idealized versions online?  My answer is that the world is a better place with Pinterest than without.  It can be overwhelming, but I really think it will help wedding couples make decisions early on about colors, themes and budgets. If nothing else, they will get a sense right away of what they wish for their dream weddings.

Unity Painting Ceremony

Recently I had an opportunity to
officiate at a beautiful beach wedding along the gulf coast of Florida. When the bride first told me she wanted to do a unity painting ceremony, I was in the dark! I hadn't heard of it. But I eventually was able to find a tidbit here and there on the interwebs. The idea is novel, and yet the first thing that runs through anyone's mind is, "paint...white wedding dress....disaster in the making!"

The sad part of the story is that things didn't go as planned and we had to change to a handblessing at the last minute, but I had eventually learned to really like the idea of the unity painting.

In my preparation for the ceremony, I wrote a very touching narrative to explain the purpose and sentiment behind the ritual. I really love what I wrote! I really hope that I can incorporate it into another ceremony soon. All we need is an adventurous bride! Is that you???



-- Post From My iPhone

Location:Perdido Key FL

It's springtime on the gulf coast

Wedding season is in full bloom here along the Gulf coast! The weather is absolutely gorgeous! We've been blessed to have been a part of several beautiful weddings lately. It can still be a little cool at night and so if you're planning a beach wedding for this time of year, you may want to add shawls or wraps for your bridesmaids. If your reception is outside, then it might still be a good idea to have a few portable heaters available. But it will just be a matter of weeks before these cool nights turn warm and balmy.
Tomorrow afternoon we are looking forward to Monique and Charles' beach wedding. Together, we created a beautiful ceremony and so we are really looking forward to their big day! Romance is in the air! Happy Spring!


-- Post From My iPhone

Location:Pensacola Beach

Outdoor Weddings

By Barbara

Everyone agrees that an outdoor wedding is magical, but if you don’t get the “timing” right it can be a problem. June and I recently had a beach wedding scheduled one hour before sunset, but for one reason or another the bridal party just wasn’t ready at the scheduled time. And unfortunately, as you can see from this photograph, it made a huge difference. It is very important that you stay on schedule with a beach ceremony because the sun doesn’t care if there’s a wedding going on or not, it’s going down.


After the ceremony, your photographer will usually keep the wedding party and family on the beach for pictures for at least 45 minutes after the wedding. These sunset pictures are absolutely beautiful, but they won’t happen if you don’t stay on schedule.


June once had to do a beach wedding with a flashlight, but that’s another story for another time.