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Wedding Officiant -Debbi Ballard

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Home » Lifecycle Events » Weddings » Page 3

Cheryl and Prav’s Jewish Hindu Islamorada Wedding Weekend

January 10, 2010 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

People always ask me.. “What is the most unique Interfaith wedding ceremony you have ever performed?”  I’m assuming they want to know about exotic locations I’ve been to, but unique weddings mean something very different to me. This month, I added a new type of unique – a Jewish Hindu wedding ceremony which turned out to be magnificent!

When I think about my most unique Interfaith weddings, I immediately think about the unique relationships I have formed, not only with my couples, but with their friends and family as well, because to ME – that is what makes MY weddings most unique!  For instance, when I’m asked that question, I am always taken back to Dan and Rita’s in Mexico, Felix & Evelina’s in Aruba, Jenni and Mike’s in Fort Lauderdale (diverted from Mexico compliments of Swine Flu), and now, Cheryl and Prav.  Unique to me, are Interfaith couples and family who are now as close to me as my own family, and whose experiences made a lasting impression on me – for years to come.

And now, I can add Cheryl and Prav to that list.  From the moment I spoke to Cheryl, we were in love!  She and Prav live in Raleigh, NC, but her mom lives in Boca Raton and so we made plans to meet on her next trip to South Florida.  Cheryl, Prav, her mom Joselyn, and Step-Dad Ted all met at Cheesecake Factory for dinner, and had the best time.  It was important to Cheryl that I knew her and Prav – I mean – really knew her, and Cheryl LOVES to share, so getting to know them as individuals and as an Interfaith couple was very easy.  Cheryl and Prav have hearts the size of Manhattan.  They would do anything, give anything, be anything, to and for anyone they loved, because that is just who they are.

And boy oh boy – do they love each other.  Yeah, I know – every couple on their wedding day really loves each other, but seriously, this Interfaith couple is different.  The love they share for one another brings each of them to tears – at least 3 times a day.  I seriously think Prav prays three times a day, and each time, his #1 prayer is one of gratitude for Cheryl – and vice versa.  I’ve never seen a couple so incredibly grateful for each other, and that’s part of what make Cheryl and Prav so unique.

So, on December 21, at Coconut Cove in Islamorada, Florida with the most beautiful ocean behind me, and the most beautiful couple in front of me, I joined Cheryl and Prav in marriage, in a night I will likely never forget.  The venue, I just have to say, was one of the best places I have ever performed an Interfaith wedding ceremony at.  First and foremost, it is a beautiful piece of real estate, but Paul and Magda run the operation, and they run it like it was their own wedding.

The food is amazing, but it was also the layout I loved most.  Guests could dance, but the dining area was separated from the dance floor, so we could enjoy each other’s company, if we chose not to dance.  And the fact that it was a private location – without 10 other weddings going on at the same time made it feel so personal, and warm, that it was incredibly enjoyable!  BUT – the most amazing part?  How about taking your first dance on the packed-sand beach, with fireworks being set off behind you?  Priceless, incredibly priceless.

The most priceless part, overall, however, is my Cheryl and Prav.  I love how they love each other.  They inspire me.  They encourage me.  They have become incredibly meaningful in my life, and I can’t imagine life without them.  Now, that’s unique.

Love you, Cheryl & Prav!

 

PS: Want to create your own “dream come true wedding”?  Contact Cantor Debbi today to see how you can co-create the event of your dreams.

Filed Under: Debbi's Deep Thoughts and Musings, Featured Content, Weddings Tagged With: Hindu, Interfaith, Jewish, wedding

My Lovely Litt Ladies!

January 9, 2010 by Debbi Ballard 1 Comment

Yes, this blog entry is long overdue, and although it is really about ONE very special and lovely Litt lady, it really is about all of them, because it wouldn’t have been what it was without the 3 Litt ladies, Barri, Tracy, and Jamie.  True – as I sit and type this, just writing their names brings tears to my eyes, because I am so in love with these girls.

My Barri story is truly amazing.  In 2004, back in another lifetime, when my days were spent recruiting CPA’s and college students (blech), I was knee deep in fall recruitment on a tour of Florida’s top campuses, namely, the #1 Accounting school in the state, UF.  (Go Gators!)

The day was a parade of one Accounting student after another, and halfway through the day, this tall, beautiful, amazing young woman walks up to me and we start to chat, and the rest, we shall say, was history.  Barri came by to discuss her future career, caught between the top echilon pressure of whether to go Big 4 or choose quality of life, for her first step into career world.  I know we stood there and talked for hours, but remember little else.  The world went away, and Barri and I knew we had just established a friendship that would take us years into the future, we just didn’t know how.

When I recruited her (heavily) for an internship for my firm (which she so politely turned down – to hit the big city lights of Big 4 world), she asked me if her sister, Tracy, could come along for the interview.  (I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone else’s sister on an interview).  Enter – Tracy.  Tracy had a little girl named Taylor, and we all stood out there on the sidewalk, even Taylor!

As time went on, Barri of course went to work for Big 4, and her career path was on its way, and who knew – that a few years later, I would be a Cantor!  It didn’t seem we had much opportunity for mentoring with the way our lives were going – till Barri found Dan.

She called me one day – just to tell me she met a boy, and she was in love, and when he asked her to marry him – she emailed me right away.  Our lives were going to cross paths again, in the most wonderful way!

Several years ago, Barri lost her Mom.  Her sister, Tracy and I were both in the same fields, and Tracy and Jamie are older than Barri.  The last thing Barri needed was a mother-figure, she already had 2 older, doting sisters, but I loved Barri – and Tracy, in a way that was so much more than friends.  I still to this day can’t describe it – but I feel like one of my jobs in life, was to be in the Litt ladies’ lives – and so here I am – to stay.

November 21, 2009, Barri walked down the aisle at the Embassy Suites Oceanfront pavilion, in one of the most beautiful wedding ceremonies I’ve ever seen.  Everything this was perfect.  Especially Dan.  If you told me to go out into the world, and pick the absolutely BEST man for Barri, I couldn’t have done a better job.  They are one body, one soul.  I fell in love with Dan, watching him love Barri.  I adore the both of them, and I know she is in the best hands, ever.

The wedding party was incredible – not your every day wedding reception, Tracy and Jamie both sang a song for Barri, that was so beautiful, and then ALL the Litt girls and Barri’s girls got up and rocked with the band.  The funniest was when Dan and his boys got up, and gave it a go.  It was quite a battle of the boy – and girl bands!

But words cannot describe my pride and joy for being asked to stand in my very special spot – as the person responsible for joining Dan and Barri in marriage, nor will I ever forget the moment that Barri – my favorite little Litt lady – became…

…..Mrs. Barri White!

Dan, Barri, Tracy, and Jamie – I love you!

Deb

 

PS: PS: Want to create your own “dream come true wedding”?  Contact Cantor Debbi today to see how you can co-create the event of your dreams.

Filed Under: Weddings Tagged With: beach wedding, Jewish wedding, love

A Marriott Kind of Interfaith Wedding Weekend!

December 17, 2009 by Debbi Ballard 2 Comments

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of performing two Interfaith weddings that were very special to me. Bevin and Brian were married at the Marriott Biscayne Bay, and Elaine and Larry were married at the Marriott in Marco Island. It’s funny that they were both at Marriotts, because one of the first things I learned about Larry when I met him, was that he was obsessed with Marriott, and probably holds more points than anyone on earth!

But what also made these Interfaith couples very special was how creative they both were in planning their wedding ceremonies. There were differences that I just loved, and made them so much fun to reflect back on.

First, Bevin and Brian are diehard Canes fans, so it was no surprise when they chose to include the sand ceremony, and had individual bottles of sand with their initials on them, filled with orange and green sand!

Personalized Sand Ceremony

Sand Ceremony - Canes Colors!

But what made Bevin’s Interfaith wedding so unique was that Brian’s mom hand made the bride’s bouquet, as well as the bridesmaid’s, and the groomsmen’s boutonnieres out of beaded jewels and fibers. They were stunning!

Elaine and Larry’s Jewish Interfaith wedding ceremony was completely unique – they did an amazing job of planning, but incorporated some really fun, lighthearted aspects into the night. The scary part was, they put their wedding rings in a treasure chest, and buried them in the sand right near the chuppa. I lost sleep over this for days, and even though they marked the spot with a wooden “x”, it still gave us a scare when their little ring bearers couldn’t find the chest, even though they were digging frantically with their shovels. WHEW, were we relieved when they found those rings!

My favorite part of a west coast beach wedding, though, is something money can’t buy. The west Florida sunsets are beyond beautiful, and I had so much fun capturing the coastline.

Marco Island Sunset

But, the coolest part of the Jewish Interfaith wedding ceremony, was that after they were pronounced, we all lined up with sparklers, and formed 2 lines on either side, and they came running up from the beach, and through the line of sparklers, just as the sun was setting, and it was just so beautiful, lively, and unique!

Sparkler parade Larry and Elaine

My awesome Interfaith couples are now celebrating on their honeymoons, and the certificates are filed, but the love and joy in my heart is still so strong for them both. Thanks for the awesome memories, and the really great Marriott weekend, everyone!

P.S. BIG shout out to Alexina at the Marriott Biscayne Bay, and to Jacey Wood at the Marriott Marco Island. Both operations were first class, and I especially loved how totally in control Alexina was and had every detail covered before I even asked for anything. Great job, ladies! You are true professionals!

Also – I really loved working with Lisette, the photographer for Bevin & Brian’s wedding – she’s a sweetheart, and her work is just so yummy!

Soo – off to Islamorada on Saturday for Cheryl and Prav’s Jewish Hindu wedding ceremony extravaganza!  See you next week!

 

PS: Want to create your own “dream come true wedding”?  Contact Cantor Debbi today to see how you can co-create the event of your dreams.

Filed Under: Weddings Tagged With: beach wedding, creative wedding, Interfaith wedding, Jewish wedding, sunset wedding

Double Header Interfaith Wedding Weekend in Juno Beach and Miami – What Fun!

December 7, 2009 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

What a busy Florida wedding weekend it was!

I love a day that starts with an Interfaith wedding, and Saturday was no exception!

Beach Wedding at the Juno Beach Park

Matthew and Valeria were married at the Juno Beach Park, in a private beach wedding ceremony with their closest friends surrounding them. The weather on Saturday was stormy, and I was really concerned, driving to Juno, but it managed to hold off, just long enough for us to have their Interfaith wedding ceremony on the beach … but, no sooner was that ceremony over, the rains re-appeared! We were so thankful for serendipitous timing!

Their Interfaith wedding was simple.

I have a special ceremony that I use for beach weddings, that is much nicer than a “civil” ceremony, but nothing close to the elaborate religious style weddings I so often perform. Their friend read the Apache Wedding Blessing, and it was simple, and fun!

Small Intimate Wedding at the Viceroy Hotel in Downtown Miami

Later that night, I married Ronni and Maude, at the top deck of the Viceroy Hotel, in downtown Miami (Brickell Key). The view was magnificent, and again, it was a small intimate Interfaith wedding – just a few friends, and a beautiful photo location!

Wow, that hotel is amazing!

Ronni, Maude, and Friends at their Interfaith wedding at the Viceroy Hotel, in downtown Miami, Brickell Key, Florida   view from the pool deck at the Viceroy Hotel, in downtown Miami, Brickell Key, Florida

 

I love a weekend that is full of love!

B’Shalom!

PS: Want to create your own “dream come true wedding”?  Contact Cantor Debbi today to see how you can co-create the event of your dreams.

Filed Under: Weddings Tagged With: beach wedding, civil wedding, Interfaith wedding, Jewish wedding, private wedding

A Great Website for Unique Wedding and Bridal Party Favors: My Wedding Favors

December 4, 2009 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

I came across a great wedding website today, and wanted to let my readers know about it – in case they were searching for the perfect wedding favors, or favors for their bridal shower.  Myweddingfavors.com offers a great variety of items, for every style wedding, and every type of bride!

When I came across their site, I was most impressed with their variety and selection.  They have everything from wine favors, to Asian style favors, and everything in between.

Asian wedding favor Wine wedding favor

Many of the Interfaith couples I marry use the Unity candle in their ceremony, and their selection of Unity candles were wonderful!

Unity Candle Sand Ceremony

But most of all, near and dear to my heart, was their selection of Destination (Beach) Wedding favors.  I especially love the flip-flop sandal photo frame.

Sandal Beach wedding favor

You must stop by and take a look at all they have to offer.  I think you’ll be impressed with the selection, prices, and layout of the site.

Enjoy!

B’Shalom!

 

 

Want to create your own “dream come true wedding”?  Contact Cantor Debbi today to see how you can co-create the event of your dreams.

Filed Under: Wedding Vendors, Weddings Tagged With: beach wedding favors, bridal favors, sand ceremony, unity candle, wedding favors

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Sunrise, FL 33326
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~ Officiating Jewish & Interfaith Weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, Funerals, and any other Jewish Lifecycle Services in Florida, USA – Destination Weddings in North America, Mexico, Caribbean & Worldwide ~

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10:00 am: High Holy Days with Cantor Debbi Ballard on ZOOM

September 19, 2020 10:00 am – 11:15 am

Join Cantor Debbi Ballard and Rabbi Steve as they bring their AWESOME and AMAZING High Holy Day services online to their community via ZOOM on Sunday, September 19th, 2020 at 10:00 am.

Now, friends and families of Cantor Debbi, regardless of location, can join in to her musical, warm and uplifting services.  Shema Koleinu serves families who do not belong to a traditional house of worship and we are a welcoming and inclusive community, supportive of anyone who wishes to connect Jewishly on their own terms.

Register for services here.

We look forward to sharing our services with you!

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7:00 pm: High Holy Days with Cantor Debbi Ballard on ZOOM

September 27, 2020 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm

Join Cantor Debbi Ballard and Rabbi Steve as they bring their AWESOME and AMAZING High Holy Day services online to their community via ZOOM on Sunday, September 19th, 2020 at 10:00 am.

Now, friends and families of Cantor Debbi, regardless of location, can join in to her musical, warm and uplifting services.  Shema Koleinu serves families who do not belong to a traditional house of worship and we are a welcoming and inclusive community, supportive of anyone who wishes to connect Jewishly on their own terms.

Register for services here.

We look forward to sharing our services with you!

Read more

28September 28, 2020

10:00 am: High Holy Days with Cantor Debbi Ballard on ZOOM

September 28, 2020 10:00 am – 11:15 am

Join Cantor Debbi Ballard and Rabbi Steve as they bring their AWESOME and AMAZING High Holy Day services online to their community via ZOOM on Sunday, September 19th, 2020 at 10:00 am.

Now, friends and families of Cantor Debbi, regardless of location, can join in to her musical, warm and uplifting services.  Shema Koleinu serves families who do not belong to a traditional house of worship and we are a welcoming and inclusive community, supportive of anyone who wishes to connect Jewishly on their own terms.

Register for services here.

We look forward to sharing our services with you!

Read more

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