This is a copy of the article I wrote that was recently published on surviveweddingseason.com - Enjoy!

Attending an Interfaith wedding can be a major source of anxiety for many wedding guests, these days. Many of us have attended weddings in our own house of worship. But when your family friend or relative tells you they are marrying a partner of a different faith that you don’t know anything about, that can cause a major case of wedding-guest jitters! What to do when you don’t know what to expect?

First and foremost – the fact that you are there, supporting your friend or family member is all that is really important to them. Today’s Interfaith couple knows that everyone is going to feel somewhat uncomfortable as a result of the unknown, but rest assured – the people feeling the most pressure are probably the bride and groom themselves. They worked hard to incorporate rituals and traditions of both of their faiths, and most likely, their main goal was to please each of their families, and not offend anyone.

Interfaith can mean a lot of things, and quite often, Interfaith also means Inter-racial, and Multi-cultural. Many religions such as the Jewish faith, Persian, Hispanic, Hindu, Muslim, and even Wiccan have rituals tied to the ceremony that provide strong symbolism in the lives of the married couple. Today’s couples are more likely to cross cultural and religious boundaries, which brings many opportunities for very interesting wedding ceremonies!

An Interfaith ceremony will most likely include language you have never heard, or rituals you don’t understand. You might be asked to sit and stand several times, or to read responsively. Most Interfaith couples will take their audience into consideration and refrain from making the ceremony “interactive”, so you can relax, and observe, and hopefully, even learn a few things from the experience.

Today’s Interfaith couples wish to incorporate the rituals of their faiths as symbols for their lives, rather than strong religious connotations. A good Officiant will often take the time to explain the symbolism that the couple has chosen to include, and to relate that ritual or symbol to the couple’s lives. A blending of traditions can be a beautiful experience, especially if one is relaxed and open minded. After all, the wedding ceremony is about the bride and groom, their love, and bringing both backgrounds together.

Today, there is so much material on the Internet about various religious and cultural wedding traditions, so it might be helpful if you are very uneasy to do a bit of research before attending the Interfaith wedding, so you can understand and even recognize the cultural symbols when you see them. Every bride and groom wants their guests to feel comfortable, so relax! Just being there for your friend or family member is the most important thing you could possibly do. Enjoy!

I have been sooooo tired of hearing all the bad economic news lately, that I have almost stopped listening to the news, or reading the paper.  But, today I stumbled upon good news, and it was so exciting, especially because it directly relates to what I do.  I’ve considered myself so fortunate this year, that while everyone has been lamenting about their economic conditions, times are good for me.  I have felt that my business is fairly recession-proof, as long as you provide value for what you do, and I think I work very hard at keeping my prices reasonable, especially for the service that I offer.

That being said, I was happy to read an article today, about brides continuing to book Destination Weddings in the Caribbean.  I have often said that the weddings I officiate in the Caribbean and Mexico are so worthwhile, and way more fun than a 4 hour soiree that costs a fortune, just because it has the word “wedding” attached to it!  When my clients get married at an All Inclusive resort in the islands, their guests get to enjoy a 3 day (or longer!) vacation together, rather than a 4 hour hustle-bustle with mediocre filet and lobster tail, and a dried out potato.

The families get the most amazing bonding time, and the experience can’t be beat.  The wedding planners I have worked with are proven professionals, and the whole experience brings the best memories I could ever imagine.  My clients are relaxed, their families and friends are having FUN, and best of all - they’re spending less than half of what they would spend in the U.S.

I’m so happy to hear that my brides in 2009 and 2010 are still going to be booking Destination Weddings, and that I might be fortunate enough to continue sharing the most amazing experiences with them and their families for the coming years ahead.  I can’t recommend the experience highly enough - and if you are just beginning to think about where you can take your family for your special day - be sure to ask me, because I’ve really had a world of experience the last couple of years.

Looking forward to discussing performing your Destination Wedding in the Caribbean, Mexico, South America, and beyond!  Be sure to check out my Facebook page, as well as my blog, for photos, and writeups on my most recent destinations.  What a great job I have!  See you in the islands!

I recently returned from Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, where I had the pleasure of officiating the wedding of Yelena and Lennie, an amazing couple from New Jersey

but what I loved most was to have the opportunity to once again connect with more fabulous Russian families.  Strangely enough, Yelena was referred to me by my friend, Rabbi Andrea Frank, who was unable to perform her wedding.  When she called me to see if I could fill the role of their officiant, I was SO excited, because of the recent connections I have had with Dan & Rita, and Felix & Evelina, so I was totally on board!

Plans moved quickly, and I was booked to fly out to Punta Cana, where we stayed at the Bavaro Princess Resort.  I arrived just before the rehearsal dinner, and was invited to join the families, and began to get to know everyone.  What a great time I had!  Yelena couldn’t wait to introduce me to Sharon, a work mate of hers, who quickly became my soul sister, and we were inseperable the entire time we were there.  Sharon is an amateur photographer, who was snapping unofficial pics the whole weekend, in between all the laughs we shared!

Yelena - what can I say about her? The first think you notice about Yelena is her big, giant, authentic smile, and after you see her smile, you can’t help but feel her soul shining through.

One of the friendliest women I have met in a long time, she was so consumed with MY happiness during my stay, and I couldn’t appreciate her more.  Lennie, her reformed wild-side husband was attentive and loving, and the families were all so much fun to be with.  Yelena’s Mom, Alla, was an absolute DOLL, so gracious and kind, and the friends and family were so much fun to be around.

I have to say, the wedding ceremony backdrop was amazing.  Yelena arrivedin a horse and carriage, and the gazebo had a chuppa set up underneath.  The gazebo location just off the ocean made the most romantic setting.  It was raised up, so you could look out across the ocean, and feel the divine presence among us all.

Then, later that evening, was the beach party reception, and that was SO much fun!  The tables were decorated beautifully out on the ocean.  A dance floor was created in the sand, and they had a fabulous DJ, playing a mix of ethnic dance tunes - many the Russian ones I have come to love, since Dan & Rita’s in Mexico.

The weekend flew by in a flash.  We all enjoyed a beautiful day in the sun together on Saturday, and breakfast and a quick swim Sunday morning, and then it was back to reality.  Yelena and Lennie - THANKS for letting me part of your incredible day, and may you both continue to be blessed with Love.

What is a Lyceum, you might ask?

Well, Wikipedia tells us:

A Lyceum can be

• an educational institution (often a school of secondary education in Europe), or
• a public hall used for cultural events like concerts.
• Mount Lyceum (Λύκαιον Όρος). The holy mount of the Arcadians.

The precise usage of the term varies among various countries.

But, for me, the Lyceum in St. Petersburg was the location for my most recent wedding, and it was so much fun!  A bit different from most, David and Katie’s wedding was a fun, sincere, down to earth, REAL, and beautiful wedding weekend.  I really liked them both when I met them in Aventura several months ago, and having spent time with their family this past weekend, I am so happy to have had the chance to work with them.  For starters, I left home early Thursday morning, and drove as fast as I could to St. Pete, and met them and their wedding party at the Mirror Lake Lyceum for the rehearsal.  Immediately after the rehearsal, David’s Dad hosted the bridal party, friends, and family at Cafe Aura, in downtown St. Pete.  I had the pleasure of sitting with Ken, David’s Dad, and his 2 sisters and brother in law.  They were a lovely family, and so sweet.  Lunch was delicious, but it was the ambience of this little downtown cafe that really hooked you!

From there, I had the evening to myself, and experienced one of the nicest evenings I’ve had in a while.  David and Katie had 2 hotels for their guests, the Marriott Courtyard and The Ponce deLeon Hotel, and they chose the Ponce deLeon for me.  (YAY)  What a treat this was!  From the moment I walked in, Erica greeted me at the desk, and was the most vivacious hostess I had ever met.  (Except for my Mother in Law at The House of Sea and Sun!).  The hotel is an adorable vintage style guest house directly across from the Marina and Park, and I had hours upon hours to walk and take in the beautiful downtown scenery in St. Pete.

A great place to stay!

While I was walking, I came across an adorable floating chapel - a perfect location for a wedding!  I have to give them a call to see if I can possibly officiate there!  (Maybe it’s an idea for a new angle of my business??)

in the Harbor in St. Pete

For dinner, I went to Ceviche, and could not recommend it more!  It was a great night!  (But, this is not a travel review, it’s a wedding review - so on to the venue!)

Brian at the Lyceum was also an amazing participant, and he led the rehearsal and managed all the details with impeccable style.  David and Katie did a great job of blending their Interfaith wedding, not to mention step parents, and extended family.  David’s Mom had passed away several years ago, and so Katie’s Mom walked David down the aisle, with his Dad, Ken.  Since Katie’s Mom had remarried, and her Dad and Step Dad were both there, she chose to walk down the aisle with both of her Dads.  It was so sweet, and it paid tribute to all of the parents, in just the right way.  I was touched at their ability to blend and adjust the way they had.

David and Katie chose a sand ceremony, and we signed the Ketubah in the presence of their guests.  Their ring exchange was the traditional Jewish style, where we first place the ring on the right Index finger, and move the rings over to the left ring finger after the vows are repeated.  They had a beautiful wedding party of 5 bridesmaids and 5 groomsmen, with 2 junior bridesmaids and 2 ring bearers.  Everyone was dressed in black, and they looked beautiful.

David and Katie are a beautiful couple, inside and out.  They had a simple style, and a strong commitment to each other as a couple.  I have faith that this will be a long lasting relationship that will flourish and grow, and I’m so happy to have been a special part of their weekend!  Thanks, David and Katie!

At the Lyceum, after the wedding

I am taking a bit of a risk by posting this here, but I truly had so much fun, I just had to share. In case you are looking for an idea that will truly set your wedding apart from the rest - read on!

A couple of months ago, Shirley Fuchs sent me an email, asking me if I could officiate a small, private wedding ceremony on Hollywood Beach, for her daughter, Dana, and her Fiancee, Shawn. “No Problem!”, I said! Well…she went on to tell me that there were just a few details that I might have a difficult time with, as Dana and Shawn were just a little bit - kooky. (In a beautiful way, for sure!)

“Kooky?”, I asked? “Yes, Kooky”, she replied. I wondered if this meant something “off color”, or something that would not quite go along with the fact that I am a member of the clergy, but she assured me it was completely clean, and quite adorable. You see, they have a 3 year old daughter, Destiny, and they wanted a cartoon character to perform their wedding - and they wanted their officiant to “dress up” in a costume they would provide. MMHMM, I said. And just what character would they like to have their officiant dress up as?

DORA, THE EXPLORER, her mother said.

MMHMM, I said - again. We’re talking August, on the beach in Florida, and you want me to dress up as DORA? Right. She told me they were looking for someone open minded, fun, easy going, and very much a team player. Well, that’s me. But DORA?

What the heck, I figured. You only live once, and like Wayne tells me all the time - I have to cut loose, have some fun, and take a walk on the lighter side of life. So - we agreed. They provided the costume, and I would take a hit for the team! Boy, did I ever. But - I got so much more than I bargained for. Once again, Dana and Shawn were the sweetest couple, and I fell in love with them. They had 21 guests on the beach, and dinner at the Marriott on Hollywood Beach, and there was me - in my Dora costume.

Even though this was a small, private wedding, I still felt I needed to spend the time getting to know them. So, we spoke several times by phone, before they arrived in FL, and we met the morning before the wedding. In that hour, I found out some great information that ended up providing tons of humor for their wedding ceremony. I knew I was going to need to get creative - but this really should have won an academy award!

You’ll have to read their ceremony. I really think I did a great job, if I do say so, myself. We had tons of laughs, I found a new “niche” for my wedding practice, and Dana and Shawn had the wedding of their dreams. I am definitely going to put a video of this wedding up as soon as I can figure out how, but for now - just check out the ceremony. It is sure to provide a few laughs! Dana & Shawn - I can’t tell you how much I LOVED being part of your day! More couples should be as light hearted and fun loving as you! Thanks!

(For more pics - click here)

Or - if you can't read the ceremony, or see the links - try this

So, welcome to the 2nd half of my day, yesterday, May 24th. After leaving Josh’s Bar Mitzvah, I had to make a mad dash up to Boca to return Leon’s Torah, and had just enough time to stop off and say hi to my sister, Nancy. Unfortunately, Alexa, my niece, was sleeping, so I didn’t get to snuggle with her at all. After a quick visit, I started to make my way to downtown Fort Lauderdale, where Simon and Nicole were getting married.

When I first met Simon and Nicole, they told me their wedding was planned for May 24th at 5:30. No problem, I said. Then they told me it was outside, at the New River Inn, a historic replica museum from the 1800’s, situated right on the New River. Hmmm, outside, in May, at 5:30 p.m.???? What was plan B? Well, they replied..”Inside the museum is a small room, and we can move inside if we have to, but we’re pretty confident it will all be ok”….Yes, and now I reflect…the best laid plans….

So, in the drive from Boca to Ft. Lauderdale, it poured the entire way. I mean, POURED. Like, torrential, hurricane, darkness, ominous, thunder, lightning, yucky, stay in bed all day - RAIN. I was worried. As I arrived, 30 minutes before the wedding was scheduled to begin, I saw they had just finished moving everything - from outside to inside. Yes - inside that “little room”, in the little 1800’s museum - with no air conditioning, on a humid 100 degree day. I felt so bad for Nicole..She had so wanted that outside wedding. She and Simon had met more than a year ago on the water taxi. Nicole was on vacation in Florida, and Simon was working the taxi that night. After a long term - long distance relationship, she moved to Florida, and the rest was history. Wanting to replicate that beshert meeting location, they decided on a quaint, charming wedding, at the New River Inn.

So, just as soon as they moved everything inside, the rain stopped. Now Simon was really angry. He wanted his wedding outside, and it was his day, so guess what - we moved all the chairs, the chuppa, the table, the sound system - everything - BACK OUTSIDE. Everything was going to be wonderful…or so we thought…

We began the processional. We came around the building, walked onto the grass, where the chuppa and chairs stood, and I began the ceremony. As fast as you can say the words lightning storm, in the middle of “The Seven Blessings”, along came the rains again, in an instant, and there we were - all getting soaking wet. So - everyone made a mad dash for the inside of the building - AGAIN. Now here we were, all soaked, and gathered (standing) in the little room, with no chairs, and no air conditioning. Poor Simon. Poor Nicole. Soaked.

So, I picked up where we left off, but only after reminding them, and all of their guests about a very important life lesson. We make plans- sometimes, elaborate plans. Sometimes, plans our hearts are counting on. Sometimes, we work so hard on them, that we really choose not to look objectively at the various possible outcomes, because we want what we want, so we plan them. And then, God laughs.

I told Simon and Nicole that it was perfectly fitting, and perhaps this was a lesson they could learn and take with them all through their lives together. Life is all about making plans, and then having everything shift, and change. We make our plans, we plot out our lives, and the turns and twists in the road come rushing up to meet us, just when we least expect them. As Simon stood before me - teeming because he was sweating to death and quite upset at the obstacle they had endured, I encouraged them to laugh - because - what was really important? Here they were, with their family and friends, making the ultimate commitment to each other, celebrating the day they would begin spending the rest of their lives together. It wasn’t important that they were hot and wet. That would pass. Nobody melted. And while the pictures may not come out as planned - it’s important to remember what is important - and not to sweat the small stuff.

Life brings twists and turns - we cannot avoid them. What matters is how we handle them. It matters that we count our blessings every day, especially when we feel most un-blessed. It’s important to lean on the people standing next to us, who love us, and to be strong for them to lean on in return. Nicole was amazing - she kept smiling, because she knew - today was the day she was marrying her best friend, and she never lost her sense of humor. Keep smiling, Nicole. You are beautiful, and unfortunately, you will find days that ruin your plans many more times in your life - but I know you will keep laughing every time - That’s just the way you are. Thanks for allowing me to share your amazing day - rain and all.

I love summer, because it is the season for weddings, and I'm so fortunate to have the privilege of working with so many amazing clients this summer. First, and most especially, I just officiated the wedding of Bruce & Stacey Herzer.

This was another amazing couple, and I was very much in awe of their quiet, simple personalities, yet, these were anything but simple people. I don't think I've ever known anyone so smart, but incredibly relatable, down to earth, and easy to know. My friend Jerry had officiated at their friend's wedding at Broken Sound, but because he was not up to taking a wedding at this time, he referred me to Stacey's mom - Susan. Susan called me one day, to try to set up a time to meet, and it just so happened, she was going to be right around the corner from me, at the hospital in Hollywood, visiting Stacey's Grandmother, Edith. So, we arranged to meet there, and because Edith was not well, I offered to visit her too, and say the Mishabeirach, the healing prayer, with her. It was at that moment that I really felt like part of the family.

Susan lives here in Boca, but Bruce & Stacey live in Raleigh, NC, and strangely enough, I was in Raleigh this past December, officiating the Greer wedding, and was able to get some time away to meet Stacey and Bruce in person. What great timing! They came and picked me up at my hotel, and we went to lunch, and this is where I fell in love with my newest wedding couple!

Stacey was just finishing her PHD, and works in the fascinating field of Genetics. Bruce is an amazing guy who wants to make a difference in the world by helping companies become more environmentally conscious. They are both the most wonderful people, with pure hearts and energies, and such a beautiful love for each other. I loved the moment when we were walking out of the restaurant to the car, to go back to the hotel, and Bruce was walking ahead of us, and Stacey leaned in to me and whispered..."Isn't he SO cute?" He really was! And he loved her with everything he had, and she loves him just the same way. But, what I loved most is that they didn't need to flaunt it. It just sat out there, so you knew it, without anyone having to demonstrate it. It's hard to explain, but they were just so easy to be with, and you couldn't help but love them.

The wedding was beautiful, and they were heading off to an amazing honeymoon adventure that I cannot wait to hear about when they return. I left feeling like one of the family, my favorite feeling in the world!

Now, looking forward to the rest of the summer, I have some adventures coming up. I haven't traveled in a while, so this summer, I'm looking forward to the weddings of Michael & Larissa in the Bahamas, Evelina & Felix in Aruba (Friends of Dan & Rita's), and will also be going to Mexico and San Juan, PR in the upcoming months.

Right here at home, I have the honor of joining Wendy & Kristin in a Gay commitment ceremony on Ft. Lauderdale beach, with their son, Cody. Then, in a couple of weeks, stay tuned as I tell you the wild and crazy story about Dana's beach wedding with Dora the Explorer. Life is such an adventure!