Wedding Celebrant
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and thank you for checking out this site. I’ve been performing weddings for over 25 years and I’m still thrilled to do it every time. Because each wedding is both uniquely personal and part of a grand tradition, I’ll work with you to design a ceremony that beautifully reflects your particular dreams and desires while reminding everyone of the universal nobility of love. Then it’s up to me to make sure your ceremony goes off without a hitch!
About Me
I became a wedding celebrant because I love helping people make the most of life’s biggest moments. Because I’m a warm, friendly leader with loads of experience both on-stage and behind the scenes, working with couples to pull off fabulous weddings comes naturally to me. I’ve studied personal growth, interpersonal relationships and community building throughout my career, and I’m still learning.
My wife Marty and I have been married since 1988, and together we raised two lovely young adults. Marty is an artist who also works for an organization serving homeless women and families.
In addition to this pastoral counseling and coaching, I’m the humanist chaplain at the University of Cincinnati, a community builder and the host of the Humanize Me podcast.
I grew up in suburban Philadelphia and studied at Haverford College and Brown University. As a teenager I became a committed Christian, and I spent nearly three decades as an inner-city minister while slowly losing my faith. Unless we’re discussing spirituality, however, even my closest friends can’t really tell the difference. I’ve always believed in the transformative power of love, and I still do.
Frequently Asked Questions
The first step in booking your wedding is to contact me here, letting me know the specific date, time and location of your event. If I’m available, we’ll set a time for a free consultation, either at my office or via phone, Skype or FaceTime. During that meeting, we’ll get to know each other and go over an example of my most common wedding ceremony. Then, if you decide you want me to perform your wedding, you’ll send me a deposit to reserve the date on my calendar and together we’ll begin crafting the perfect ceremony just for you.
Given my ministry background and interfaith expertise, I am especially effective performing weddings where different religious backgrounds must be carefully respected in ways that are authentic to the couple. I’m also an intuitive crowd manager, armed with a strong voice and an easy sense of humor. In other words, along with all that beauty and meaning, I can practically guarantee your wedding will be lots of fun!
Once it starts, my average wedding is 20-25 minutes long. If you include more special elements like readings, songs, and unity rituals, your ceremony will last a bit longer. Regardless, it should be long enough to be meaningful and memorable, but short enough that no one worries about making it to the cocktail hour.
If you’re happy with the ceremony we go over during your free consultation, my Classic Wedding is a great choice. You get to choose your own vows, music and other personal elements, and any additional planning is done via email. I won’t attend the rehearsal, but will provide you and your wedding coordinator with a clear outline of the ceremony, so you’ll have everything you need. The total cost of this package is $500.
If you want more assistance and support, then my Custom Wedding is a better option. I will work closely with you to define and develop your theme and message and to design a ceremony with as many special elements as you desire. This package, which includes up to two additional meetings and my full participation at your rehearsal, costs $750.
Either option can be booked with a $200 deposit, with the remainder payable on your wedding day. I offer discounts for midweek or morning weddings, last minute bookings, and in cases of special need.
I’m happy to travel as far as you like, but the price will depend on how long I am away from home and you will be responsible for my travel expenses.
I don’t require pre-marital counseling, but I do think it’s a great idea. I offer a very practical three-session pre-marital coaching course for $250, but I can also happily introduce you to a trusted psychologist with special expertise.
Don’t worry, I have a shortlist of fellow officiants who could fill in for me in case of an emergency. However, in over twenty-five years of performing weddings, that has never happened.