Ceremony & Wedding Officiant/Celebrant for Orange County & Los Angeles

INTERACT: Map of Holiday Traditions Around the World

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 18:34:00 +0000

VIDEO: Jason Collins Checks In to Nets vs. Lakers - 23 February 2014

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 19:24:00 +0000

It's not a big deal, it shouldn't be a big deal, but isn't it a big deal? The New Jersey Nets' Jason Collins is the first openly gay player (professional athlete in U.S. history from the "top 4 sports"?)to play in an NBA basketball game.

INFOGRAPHIC: Funeral Traditions of Hawaii

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 19:46:00 +0000

Funeral Traditions of Hawaii
Source: Valley of the Temples Memorial Park

VIDEO: Alternative to "Traditional" Best Man's Speech?

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 21:00:00 +0000

How does one simultaneously:

Show off your music skills
Dis your sibling for not possessing same said skills
Avoid public speaking
Send off aforementioned sibling on his wedding day?

T his video is touted by the author to be yet another of "the favourite (ed. = best) things ever". Hiperbole aside, it may resonate for wedding guests and participants of a certain age. Funny thing is, the emotionlessness of the Kraftwerkian robot dummy was what they were going for...because, apparently:

We knew the hardest thing would be doing a traditional best man’s speech because we would cry too much.

At least, according to Gawker. Still, it took time, effort and caring to write and create such a production, so i know these guys love their bro. And what better thing to follow or precede or replace a wedding slideshow, than with this six-and-a-half-minute epic?!! i think i would've taken the speech.

BTW at the time of this blog post, the video had had +350k YouTube views but the band/ensemble still only has 500 or so Facebook fans.

VENUE? D.C.-based LivingSocial Deals Site is Now Renting for Private Events

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 04:06:00 +0000

This week, tech blog VALLEYWAG revealed there is a new private events space in Washington, D.C. - the headquarters of LivingSocial. Like many companies with lots of space and not a lot of revenue (golf courses, historic buildings), LivingSocial wants to make some rent money by hosting your meeting, nuptials, memorial service or pop-up restaurant!

But, as Valleywag points out, just over a year ago the social deals site spent a lot of money and renovated the former National Union Insurance Company building. At the time, LivingSocial supposedly stated their venue was not available for your wedding or some such:

"Want to hold your own amazing event at 918 F Street? Unfortunately, you can’t. The space isn’t available for private rentals – LivingSocial is committed to using the building for the greater good of all Washingtonians in need of good nightlife options. All events taking place at 918 F are open to the public via purchase of vouchers."

A good point made by a commenter: "Considering that weddings are often booked a year and more in advance, I wonder what the wisdom is of paying a hefty deposit to a company that may not be around in three to six months..."

EXPLAINER: What Do I Need to Get Married in California and How Do I Do It?

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 08:46:00 +0000

In California two people need a minimum of THREE things* to be married in a legally binding ceremony.

1) VOWS
2) MARRIAGE LICENSE
3) OFFICIANT

That's IT! This means you don't need rings or dowries or other gifts, nor do you need groomsmen, bridesmaids or cake. In fact, you don't even need to kiss!

The official site for California legislative information states that California Law consists of 29 codes, covering various subject areas, the State Constitution and Statutes. The subject area that marriage law falls under is known as the California Family Code.

Inclusive, modern LGBT wedding officiant. (Photo ©LilyRo)

California Family Code states "Marriage is a personal relation arising out of a civil contract...to which the consent of the parties capable of making that contract is necessary. Consent alone does not constitute marriage. Consent must be followed by the issuance of a license and solemnization..." (see California Family Code, Section 300. (a) ).

In other words -

What must you do or say at your wedding?
1) VOWS: There must be a couple, two individuals over the age of eighteen. The parties being married need to declare out loud that they take the other person as their husband or wife.

1) Vows.

What must you have or get to be married?
2) MARRIAGE LICENSE: You need to obtain a document that permits you to marry, also known as a marriage license. Most marriage licenses are obtained by the couple in person from a county clerk-recorder office. Some other qualified people and notaries can also issue marriage licenses.

*Please note, there are two different kinds of marriage licenses in California: PUBLIC and CONFIDENTIAL. Please see my previous post to learn the difference between a public and confidential marriage license in California. If you choose to get the public marriage license, you are required to have one, no more than two, witnesses over the age of 18. So, depending on the type of your marriage license, you may need 3 1/2 things to be married in California...

2) Marriage license.

Who is allowed to marry you?
3) OFFICIANT: In short, clergy people, judges, public government representatives, and deputized individuals are allowed to perform a legal marriage ceremony.

3) Qualified officiant. (Photo ©Tara Sielig)

And, in case you don't believe it's that simple, these references are straight out of the CA Family Code website:

1) VOWS - "No particular form for the ceremony of marriage is required for solemnization of the marriage, but the parties shall declare, in the physical presence of the person solemnizing the marriage and necessary witnesses, that they take each other as husband and wife." (Section 420. (a) )

2) MARRIAGE LICENSE - "Before entering a marriage, or declaring a marriage... the parties shall first obtain a marriage license from a county clerk." (Section 350. (a) )

3) OFFICIANT - "Although marriage is a personal relation arising out of a civil, and not a religious, contract, a marriage may be solemnized by any of the following who is 18 years of age or older: A priest, minister, rabbi, or authorized person of any religious denomination." (Section 400 (a) )

It goes on to state that judges, justices, magistrates; retired judges, justices and magistrates; and " A legislator or constitutional officer of this state or a Member of Congress who represents a district within this state, while that person holds office" are also qualified to solemnize marriages.

SO...if you need help with your marriage vows, assistance getting a marriage license, or want a qualified, trained, experienced person to officiate your ceremony, please contact A Non-Denominational Ceremony! Thank you!!!

NEWS: “Average Wedding Cost” Figure is Grossly Misleading...

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:30:00 +0000

Remember the terms mean, median and mode from math class?

In Slate online magazine's 2013 wedding issue, writer Will Oremus lays out why the oft-quoted, oft-cited 'average wedding cost' figure should really be based off the median, or middle value, and not the mean, or average, amount spent.

Think about it: the higher the 'average', the more a couple will feel they're falling in line with other couples in their area...assuming they use other couples to compare their own weddings' costs. In the Slate piece, Oremus says quoting only the average makes sense in the interest of benefiting the wedding industry: "...If you’re in the wedding business, one big-spending couple can make more of an impact on your bottom line than 10 typical couples". Even The Knot's editor-in-chief insists “Couples (should) calculate their budget based on a variety of factors and those factors are the only things that should be considered—not what other couples did or spent.”

"The Wedding Industry’s Pricey Little Secret" shows why median could be a much more accurate number. For example, according to the article, in Manhattan the widely reported average is $76,687, whereas the median is $55,104. And in Alaska, the average is $15,504, yet the median is a mere $8,440.

The actual median is probably even lower: often, studies survey the upper economic scale of weddings, and only include the subset of couples who sign up for wedding websites and respond to online surveys. In other words, the sample is skewed and not a true sample of to-be-wed or newlywed couples.

All this is why i will now rely on theweddingreport.com for different figures. And i apologise for spreading the "average" around in the past.

INFOGRAPHIC: Dirty. Streaming. Cheaters. On Netflix?

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:40:00 +0000

Do you watch new TV episodes without your partner, even though you promised you wouldn't? You're not alone. Check this Netflix study!

From Netflix, via research conducted by Harris Interactive.

Among those in a relationship who would stream cheat, the highest percentage said they would be likely do so at home by themselves on the main TV (66%). Scandalously, 21% would watch in bed while their significant other was asleep and 5% said they would cheat in the bathroom.

Perhaps to get out of sleeping on the couch, results showed that many would take some kind of action to either hide or face the fact that they watched a TV program via streaming before their significant other, of whom…

41% would not spoil scenes before they happened.

14% would feel so guilty that they would have to confess.

12% would re-watch and “fake it” with emotion. If there’s one thing that can lead to more trouble, it’s “faking it.”

WEDDING: Officiant at Marmivon in Los Angeles, CA

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:36:00 +0000

Congratulations Jen. & Jai! It was an honour to officiate for this fun-loving, relaxed couple at this fantastic venue:


Asian Wedding Officiant in Los Angeles, CA. Photo by Herman Au

Big THANK YOU to Dana/Michael at Marmivon; Elsa, Melissa and their crew at ME Weddings & Events; Herman Au photographer (above) and Ken Shin Films videographer.

NEWS: Non-Believers Excluded from Boston Bombing Healing Memorial

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:09:00 +0000

Representation for Humanists and atheists was denied last week, at a government-endorsed memorial ceremony to honor lives lost in Boston.

'Heal Our City' service in Boston. From WBUR.org. (Photo: Charles Krupa/AP)

Religion Dispatches online wrote about a Harvard University chaplain, a Humanist clergyperson near Boston, who was not included to participate in an interfaith memorial event “Healing Our City”. You can also read more from this press release from secular.org.

Today, the following was taken from an email/letter written today by Roy Speckhardt, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association (AHA):

"...When a request was made for inclusion of a humanist representative at the interfaith service attended by President Obama last week in the wake of the Boston bombings, the request was repeatedly denied. In response, the American Humanist Association has joined with other organizations in the community of reason in asking its members to submit a letter outlining their personal feelings about this.

"Letters can be sent to BostonResponse@gmail.com. Responses will be collected and sent to those responsible for excluding representation from nontheistic groups. It’s important to remember that such exclusion occurred despite the fact that nearly 50% of the people in the Boston area describe themselves as not religious.

"There was—we are happy to report—a secular memorial service organized by Humanist Community at Harvard this week. But this doesn’t correct the insulting nature of the government-endorsed event that purposely excluded nonreligious Americans during a time when community bonding and healing is most needed."

For more information, please see the AHA's Action Alert page, "Don't Exclude Humanists from Community Memorials".

LGBT: HRC Wedding Registry Offers Gifts with Equality

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:55:00 +0000

Support the work of HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN while celebrating your marriage! You've seen charity wedding registries, honeymoon registries, gift card registries...why not sign up for an equal rights wedding registry?

"Each couple gets their own page with their personal story and photo. Loved ones can donate to HRC in their honor and help us move toward the day when all people can marry, no matter who they love."

For more information, go to HRC's wedding registry page.

STYLE: Artesia Bridal Fashion with Saris, Drapes and Glamour

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:13:00 +0000

Designer ROHINI BEDI is a true artist who reveres the human form and lets her ideas flow from her imagination to her design pad...then onto the runway and into wedding ceremonies all over the world. Check this segment from SHOWBIZ INDIA about a recent bridal show featuring South Asian fashion.

One component about Rohini's artistry: she wants her designs to be functional, as well as beautiful.

The other designer featured in this segment is Shekhar Rahate (flash warning!), who is showing his western bridal design collection alongside Rohini's.

INFO: Your Friend as Officiant - Good or Bad Idea?

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:49:00 +0000

An officiant who's a friend of the couple...for real!

Last week, i had the privilege of officiating the wedding of two dear friends. It is rare to have such an opportunity, and an extra special occasion when i do!

This week, you may have seen a story about musician Kelly Clarkson's decision to be wed by a friend, fellow musician Blake Shelton. The Clarkson officiant story was rampant in the social media universe.

CELIA MILTON, a friend, colleague and fellow Life-Cycle Celebrant®, posted this in reply to the article:

"Just because someone legally can officiate doesn't mean they should. Creating and performing an inspiring, meaningful, personal ceremony takes more talent than most people think. Despite the way it looks, it's not 'just 20 minutes", and the fact that someone knows you doesn't necessarily mean that they will be able to craft and deliver a significant ceremony that will start your celebration (and your marriage) in a way that is memorable and exciting for the guests.

As a trained officiant who has performed close to 700 weddings in settings as diverse as Yankee Stadium and various backyards in New Jersey, I think I speak for my colleagues when I say we get really, really tired of hearing that anyone can do this, that merely knowing the couple can assure a personal service, and that this is a great place to DIY.

Very often, it's not. The reality is that when the Champagne is gone, the high heels are under the table and the guests have gone home, the memory of a really terrific, well crafted ceremony remains (along with the license). It's not a place to skimp. And when the ceremony day is looming? That confident family member may just decide that they are too nervous to do the ceremony. And that's when they'll call me..."

Most all the couples who hire me as their Celebrant/officiant are from the Los Angeles and greater Southern California areas. This means a number of couples i have married work in show business: the music, television, gaming or film industry directly, either as talent, writers, producers, executives etc. or in the production, voiceover, post-production, design and technical fields that go into making tv, movies, games and music happen. Showbiz couples have tons of friends and know plenty of people who they have known for years who they trust will show up and can throw a party and give a toast...people who are funny, confident, outgoing and photogenic; people who won't show up under-prepared, choke under the pressure of public speaking, or succumb to camera/mic shyness.

Ari and Barry get married on Beverly Hills Nanny.

i always ask these couples, "Why are you hiring me to do your ceremony?" Their answer is always a variation of: "Because we want someone who knows what they're doing, and someone who's done it before."

Even if you don't work in Hollywood, even if you want the simplest ceremony, hiring a professional officiant will save you potential headache and future trouble. The true pro is the person who will go through all the steps to make your wedding ceremony happen (at a minimum), fun (if you want), less complicated (cos we know this stuff already) and...legally binding (if necessary).

Most people, even do-it-yourselfers, tend to leave certain tasks to the professionals. Think about the last time you made repairs or improvements to your house or automobile: usually, there is something to be left to a contractor...think concrete pouring, roofing, or your timing belt. Those pros know about how to file for a permit...when, where and why to post signs for their trucks...and how to troubleshoot, because of their experience. And this is why i remind you: DON'T FORGET THE OFFICIANT. Consider hiring a professional officiant, Celebrant, minister, pastor, reverend etc. to perform your wedding ceremony!

POETRY: Epithalamium for Weddings!

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 08:14:00 +0000

A wedding poem written in honour of a bride and bridegroom is known as an epithalamium, or epithalamion. According to the Poetic Terminology website, the term is of Greek derivation, composed of epi meaning 'upon' and thalamium meaning 'nuptial chamber'.

In Greek literature, one of the best examples of epithalamium is a work celebrating Menelaus and Helen's marriage in Ancient Greece, known as the 18th Idyll of Theocritus.

Edmund Spenser wrote his famous work Epithalamium was written in honour of his marriage in 1594. Poet Robert Graves also wrote an epithalamion called A Slice of Wedding Cake.

And now here's a Valentine's Day heart from me to you:


"There's something beating here inside my body and it's called a heart..."

INTERESTING: Is it news that online daters research online?

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Increasingly, couples who choose me to perform their wedding ceremony IRL met each other online. This is a fact that most couples are happy to tell me about, but some are reluctant to include the details about their online courtship in the text of their wedding ceremony. NO problem!

Following some recent public relations issues, the dating site matchDOTcom released the above infographic, which i found via mashable . Whatever it takes to find your 'one', ladies and gentlemen, do it...just be sure to be honest about your snooping if it comes down to it.

It could be a funny story to tell the kids...or at your wedding. It is your choice, so don't be bullied into or out of leaving out (or keeping) details to make it the wedding YOU want!

TRADITION: New Year's Eve Ball Drop...why?

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:30:00 +0000

Did you know the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. drops its own time ball every day at noon?

Pardon the lateness on this one.

According to the US Naval Oceanography portal, the USNO time ball was one of the first systems to enable the Observatory to support remote users. The ball was dropped at the astronomically determined instant of Mean Solar Noon in Washington. Back in the day, this enabled the navigators of ships anchored in the Potomac River to rate their chronometers...or in other words, synchronize their timepieces.

The USNO is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the country. Its primary mission was to care for the U.S. Navy's chronometers, charts and other navigational equipment, and was first established as the Depot of Charts and Instruments back in 1830.

Photo from Astronomy Picture of the Day. Thanks to Margot Adler's NPR story for the inspiration.

JAPAN: White Weddings Require White Officiants?!!?

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 22:47:00 +0000

The term 'western' equals fashionable, trendy and white...as in Caucasian. A fascinating story on PRI's The World goes on to say:

"The “white wedding” in Japan copies an archetypal Western ceremony...But perhaps the most essential part of the event is a minister who looks the part. In other words, a white person."

The wedding industry is in full effect around the world, and according to the report, "Wedding services often use white grooms in their advertising material. It’s a common scheme to sell the “white wedding” fantasy to Japanese women". Let alone the wedding fantasy in general! Hear the full story below.

SO weird, but to me not a good weird... Maybe i'm taking it a little too seriously, but this makes me a little embarassed to be Japanese (albeit i'm actually Japanese-American). Heck, i'm just AMERICAN!

If you simply want a modern officiant to provide the ceremony you want, race or ethnicity aside, please contact A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CEREMONY for your Southern California wedding.

SYMBOLS & TRADITION: L.A. Roadside Memorials

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 18:55:00 +0000

"Homemade monuments to those we’ve lost are all over town, built by friends and loved ones as reminders to be careful—and as a way of saying good-bye."

-- from Los Angeles Magazine

For more detailed information about this artistic roadside memorial, and the motorcyclist whose death unfortunately affirmed the dangerousness of Mulholland Drive, see Shrines: The Giving Tree in LA Mag.

PHOTO: 30 Rock Wedding - Liz Lemon Marries Criss Cross

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:38:00 +0000

from Season 7's episode "Maazel Tov, Dummies" on NBC, originally uploaded by dj venus.

"I reject the wedding industry's phallocentric fairytale grotesquerie."

As one should!

Liz Lemon, left, in her Princess Leia wedding dress, married boyfriend Criss Cross in a civil ceremony last night. With Jack Donaghy, far left, and former boyfriend and pager king Dennis Duffy on far right.

YOU can reject the grotesquerie, too! Have the wedding ceremony YOU want. Contact A Non-Denominational Ceremony for your wedding officiant in Los Angeles, Orange County and greater Southern California.

Via Flickr.

VIDEO: NYPD's "It Gets Better" for LGBT Youth

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 01:56:00 +0000

In light of today's Supreme Court discussion to consider whether or not to take on the same-sex marriage issue, i discovered this video featuring New York Police Department's Gay Officers Action League president; NYPD Commissioner Kelly; their LGBT community liaison and NYPD officers.

NEWS: $30k really the average cost of a Southern California wedding??!

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:59:00 +0000

You don't have to spend the cost of a new car to have your wedding in Orange County or Los Angeles... do you? The latest comprehensive report by the Wedding Report website has been released for the Orange County and Los Angeles areas. Among other things, it states the average cost of a Southern California wedding is over $30,000 (thirty thousand dollars)??!!

The report states the following statistics for the 2011 Orange County wedding industry: Number of Weddings 20,314. Average Wedding Cost $31,975. Market Value $650 Million. Average Number of Guests 142 - 152. Online Market Value $158 Million. Number of Wedding Businesses 2,228 - 2,475.

According to the same website, in the Los Angeles/Long Beach/Santa Ana metropolitan area, the following represents the wedding market in 2011:

Number of Weddings in Los Angeles/Long Beach/Santa Ana 78,508. Average Wedding Cost $30,245. Market Value $2.4 Billion. Average Number of Guests 135 - 145. Online Market Value $474 Million. Number of Wedding Businesses 10,007 - 11,119.

Contact A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CEREMONY if you need a modern, inclusive wedding ceremony officiant. You CAN have the wedding you want, even if it means choosing to spend less!

VIDEO: Crystal Cove Wedding near Newport Beach, CA

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 02:07:00 +0000

Lovely ceremony footage begins at 2:30 mark!!! ♥♥♥

Harley & Kristia Hylton - Feature from Unscene Visuals on Vimeo.

Beautiful work shot by Ryan, ®Unscene Visuals.

TRADITION: Wine Box - Handmade for Ceremony with Family Participation

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 02:49:00 +0000

WINE BOX WEDDING TRADITION. (clockwise from top left:
wine with wedding year vintage; wine box handmade by couple; copy of wedding vows: photo;
wedding invitation [under photo]; nails and hammer.)

Recently, a couple i wed chose to include a made-by-hand wine box (or is it winebox ?) in their wedding ceremony. Their box included a bottle of wine from 2012, the year of their marriage; a copy of marriage vows; a picture they took together, and their wedding invitation. These items served as symbols and as a reminder of their love for one another, on this day, and leading up to it.

The wine box was built of wood and the couple constructed and stained the wine box themselves. Once the box was filled during the ceremony, the couple invited their parents to come forward and help them hammer the nails to seal the box shut. The box is like a wedding time capsule, because it will not be opened until their tenth anniversary.

Other alternatives or variations of winebox contents to consider: wine from the year you first met or began dating; ticket stub from concert or event at which you first met; the first photo you took together; a souvenir or symbol from an important shared occasion (e.g. a party favour from New Year's Eve; fortune of fortune cookie from your first date; etc.)... Or, in line with the time capsule concept: if you are having a small wedding (or not!?), ask your guests to bring an item that represents your friendship or relationship to contribute to the box. The possibilities are many, and limited only by what you consider appropriate!

For more information, please contact A Non-Denominational Ceremony at www.ceremonyceremony.com .

READING: Love is a friendship that has caught fire...

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Sounds like an adaptation or modern-ish wording and expansion of that ol' passage from Corinthians...

"Love is a friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad. It settles for less than perfection, and makes allowances for human weakness. Love is content with the present. It hopes for the future and it doesn’t brood over the past. It’s the day-in and day-out chronicle of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals. If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack. "

MANY thanks to RaSmi, my coworker, who sent this to me. She'll be reading it at a friend's wedding back home in Wisconsin!

i want to attribute this passage to its rightful author, yet googol has failed me... Lots of websites state names of different people who wrote this: among them, Caron Farnham and an advice columnist. For now, i will say the author is unknown. If you definitively know who wrote this, and can authenticate, PLEASE leave a comment or email me through my website. Thank you!

NEWS: National Marriage Equality Day is 7 August 2012

noreply@blogger.com (A Non-Denominational Ceremony) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 03:49:00 +0000

DISCLAIMER: Please note, venus kitagawa-stojsic, officiant and Life-Cycle Celebrant® of A Non-Denominational Ceremony, fully endorses, supports, believes in, officiates ceremonies for and advocates LGBT causes and marriage equality but is not listed on the above website because its vendors must pay to advertise.