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Wedding Officiant -Debbi Ballard

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Home » Jewish, Interfaith, LGBTQ Weddings » Page 3

Serin and Greg’s Interfaith Wedding Ceremony at the Hilton in Clearwater Beach, Florida

November 5, 2009 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

Greg and Serin were married last weekend, on Clearwater Beach, FL.  A beautiful west coast sunset, and beautiful cool weather were on hand for a magnificent Interfaith wedding ceremony and family gathering.  I really enjoyed working with The Hilton hotel, and Joanie, the Wedding coordinator was amazingly helpful!  The coming together of Greg and Serin’s families were so interesting, as Greg’s heritage is of Moroccan descent, Sephardic Jews, and Serin’s family is Presbyterian, but they do such an amazing job blending their lives, andSunset after Greg & Serin's wedding their relationship is so pure, that the differences between them are simple reminders of what they appreciate in each other.

Greg’s father recited the Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings) in Hebrew, while I read the English Humanistic version of the blessings.  As the sun was setting, and I was singing the Priestly Blessing, and I saw the joy in Greg and Serin’s face, I was once again reminded that G0d was certainly present at their wedding, and would be with them through every step of their married lives together.

Best of luck, Greg & Serin!

B’Shalom

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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, Jewish, Interfaith, LGBTQ Weddings, Weddings

Where Did Summer Go??

August 27, 2009 by Debbi Ballard 3 Comments

My biggest challenge this year has been to maintain any consistency in my writing.  I seem to get really inspired to write, and post a ton of blogs at one time, and then I get so busy, that every time I go to write, I am wiped out clean of any inspiration to be creative, or even to express my thoughts and experiences in words.  Crazy.  So here I am, ready to go again, and realize it’s once again been months since I’ve posted a blog.  Even crazier, that I love my blogging, that it has become the hardest thing to do, but sometimes, there’s just not enough minutes in the day.

So, I’m about to begin another Jewish year.  Not only do I know I have tons of work to do in getting ready for HH ’09, but, I have lots of work to do looking back.  I couldn’t begin looking forward until I spent some time catching up on where I’ve been over the last few months.

Last I wrote, I had just gotten back from St. John, where I performed the wedding for Jen & Ilan, and their 2 little girls.  It was so amazing!  Then, I was in San Juan for Meredith & Vincent’s wedding – that I still need to blog about.  It was at the Fort, and it was a beautiful day!  Right after the wedding, I was rushed back to the airport, to perform Susi & Joe’s wedding in Key Biscayne the next morning, so needless to say – it took a while to recover!

Wedding at the Fort in San Juan

Of course, there was Reid’s Bar Mitzvah, the following week, which was such a great experience.  Kudos to Richard & Jayne,  who defied social tradition, and had a lovely,  small, private, intimate service right in their home.  Reid did a great job, and I was so proud of him!

THEN – the highlight of my month – I took off to the NC Smoky Mountains, where I go camping, hiking, and white water rafting for 10 amazing days!  Just wait till I post pictures of my TENT – and the bear we came across while hiking!  We got lots of rain towards the end of the week, so we headed off to my friend Kerin’s cabin in Boone, and spent the rest of vacation in the beautiful Pisgah National Forest.

I thought August would be quiet, but today is the 27th, and I don’t know where the month went.  I performed a Bar Mitzvah for Makhail, where everyone came in “Jedi” costumes, and a very sad funeral, for the loss of my friend’s mother, a beautiful woman who was taken far too early.  Then, it was time to take Trevor to Gainesville, and Lauren to Jacksonville, and that brings me to today- where I just returned home, ready to go!

I am, however, going to take a few hours to hit the beach, and go for a walk, enjoying the beautiful Florida outdoors.  I have missed sun, and relaxation, but I just couldn’t hit the sand and surf without taking a few minutes to write.  I want to write about all of these things that I have done this summer, but I also have many new and exciting things to cover coming up.

Oh wait – did I mention I got certified to scuba dive, and will now be performing underwater weddings with ProDiveUSA?  Yeah, so much to tell…

Stay tuned, I’ll be back – but for now, going to get a dose of vitamin D!

LOVE YA!

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Filed Under: Bar/Bat Mitzvah Adventures, Jewish, Jewish, Interfaith, LGBTQ Weddings, Thoughts Tagged With: Bar Mitzvah, Funerals, Weddings

Interfaith Destination Wedding: Jen and Ilan in St. John … Amazing time in paradise!

July 4, 2009 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

I just got off the plane from St. Thomas, and I’m so filled with love and joy from the amazing Interfaith destination wedding in St. John, that I just had to write about it right away, even though I have a million blog entries to write that are past due..well, maybe not a million..but you get the point!

Last night, Jennifer and Ilan were married at Hawk’s Nest Beach, on the magnificent island of St. John.  They are a Chicago Interfaith couple that found me online, and from the moment Jennifer and I spoke, we knew we were going to have a great relationship, and once again – it couldn’t have been better!

Interfaith Destination Wedding: Jen and Ilan in St. John ... Amazing time in paradise!

Jen and Ilan weren’t the “average couple”.  They first began planning marriage back in 2001, when they were pregnant with their first child, but as many couples find – life was already presenting them with challenges they weren’t quite ready to face.  So, they decided to put their Interfaith wedding on hold, and went on with their lives, learning the lessons and gaining the maturity they needed to make the commitment to each other.  Many thought that might never happen, but on Tuesday, June 29th, the day finally arrived.  Jennifer, Ilan, Jamie, and Michelle walked down the aisle together!

I loved getting to know Jen and Ilan, as well as their family and friends.  After hearing about the bumpy roads they had endured, and getting a sense that this bride and groom couldn’t possibly have been more different from each other, I wasn’t quite sure this was a match made in heaven.  That just goes to show us that sometimes, our initial impressions couldn’t be more wrong, because after spending 3 days with them, I have realized that they really were made just especially for one another, and that the work of G-d is a wonderful miracle.

We all had so much fun together!  As we were making plans for their Interfaith destination wedding, Jen kept talking about the villa.  I’m assuming a villa meant a little townhouse, but again, dead wrong was I!  I arrived at The Westin for their rehearsal dinner, and afterwards, Jen and Ilan brought me back to the villa, along with the rest of their bridal party.  We walked into PARADISE.  The Rhapsody villa in St. John is absolutely the most beautiful place I have ever seen, and perfect for group relaxation, family gatherings, and parties!  You simply have to check this place out!

Jen’s family and friends were a blast to hang out with.  I spent most of the weekend with Cheryl, their cousin, and friends Julie and Margie, and Rick and Paul.  Rick and Paul were nicknamed “Cabana Boys” because anything any of the girls wanted, they were there to provide, and they were 2 of the nicest guys I’ve ever met at an Interfaith destination wedding, or any wedding I have officiated!  The families got along great together, and everyone was there to celebrate the joy of Ilan and Jen finally getting married!

The Interfaith wedding was held about 10 minutes from the villa, at Hawk’s Nest Beach.  In about 5′ of sand, and about 98 degree temperature, (but who was noticing?) under my made-to-travel-chuppah, Jen and Ilan finally got married.

 

On Wednesday, we all gathered for brunch, and it was already time to leave.  I can’t wait to see the pictures, and to see Julie, Margie, Jen and Ilan again when I go to Chicago in November.  I was so sad for this beautiful Interfaith destination wedding to come to an end, because I know that in real life, we would all have been such good friends.  But, that’s what makes my job so amazing – is that I make and keep friends all over the world, and these are friends I know will be around for a long time!

Love you guys, miss you much and can’t wait to see the pictures!

 

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: Jewish, Interfaith, LGBTQ Weddings, Weddings Tagged With: chuppah, destination wedding, Jewish wedding, traveling chuppa

Underwater Weddings: It’s Official – Cantor Debbi Ballard is Certified by ProDiveUSA

June 17, 2009 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

Yes, you heard right, underwater weddings! Suffice to say – there is a long story about how this all came about – but…. Yes, I am the first Cantor and Rabbi to become certified in performing weddings underwater!  Using full Guardian scuba face masks, and through ProDiveUSA in Fort Lauderdale, we are going to be offering full communication and video streaming technology (check out my other Jewish interfaith wedding videos page).

Officiating weddings under water, so much fun! Click To Tweet

I’ll post more about how this all came about, but the Sun Sentinel and South Florida live are coming out on Monday to do a story on our underwater weddings, so I wanted to get this out there right away!

We’re looking for our first Interfaith couples, AND a Catholic priest to be my partner in officiating Interfaith weddings under water!

underwater wedding flyer, Underwater Weddings: It's Official - Cantor Debbi Ballard Certified by ProDiveUSA

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.

PS: And don’t forget to stop by our sample ceremonies page to see what your ceremony might look like!

Filed Under: Featured Content, Jewish, Interfaith, LGBTQ Weddings, Weddings Tagged With: dive wedding, diving, scuba, scuba wedding, snorkel wedding, underwater, wedding

A Beautiful Day for a Sister’s Interfaith Wedding!

May 12, 2009 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

So, no sooner did I finish Jared’s Bar Mitzvah, that it was time to prepare for the exciting upcoming week!

First stop:  Greenville, NC, where I had the pleasure and privilege of officiating the Interfaith wedding for Leigh and Matthew.  Leigh is Meridith’s sister, whose wedding ceremony I officiated back in December of 2007.  The family has become very special to me over the last couple of years, so it was really  even more of an honor for me to do Leigh’s wedding.  Shortly after Meridith hired me for her Interfaith wedding ceremony, they found out her Mom had brain cancer, and she was going in for immediate surgery.  Joann recovered from surgery, and happily was able to celebrate her daughter’s wedding, and I admired her so much for her incredible strength.  She was a beautiful woman, and I was so happy she could celebrate that joyous time.

A year ago, Elliot emailed me to let me know that his second daughter, Leigh, was getting married, and asked me if I could also co-officiate with Matthew’s childhood Minister, Lisa.  I was thrilled, and together, Lisa and I created a perfect Interfaith wedding ceremony – a blend of both Leigh & Matt’s backgrounds and faiths.

But sadly, by November, Joann had passed away.  Elliot assured me that Joann had been able to help Leigh make all of her plans, and though she wouldn’t be able to celebrate Leigh’s most special day, she did everything she could to make sure it had just the right touches, and that – it did.

Leigh made a beautiful bride, and Meridith was a magnificent matron of honor.  Matthew is the most adorable young man, who also works for Elliot, and adores Leigh with all of his heart and soul.  It was sad to be without Joann, but I couldn’t be happier that the family is doing well, and enjoying all of the simchas that life brings.  Meridith and Kevin are proud parents to baby Rose, and Leigh and Matt are starting their lives together, and hopefully, they will also soon be blessed with children.

I feel so honored to be such a special part of this family, and I hope we continue to remain special to each other.  Leigh & Matt, I wish you all the blessings life holds, and may your lives together be blessed with joy, health, and abundance.

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.

PS: And don’t forget to stop by our sample ceremonies page to see what your ceremony might look like!

 

Filed Under: Debbi's Deep Thoughts and Musings, Jewish, Interfaith, LGBTQ Weddings, Weddings Tagged With: co-officiant, Interfaith wedding, Interfaith wedding officiant, Jewish, minister

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717 Shotgun Road,
Sunrise, FL 33326
954-646-1326



~ 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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6:00 pm: Ava's Bat Mitzvah, Wellington, FL

March 4, 2023 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

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Upcoming Events

  • 10:00 am – 11:15 am, September 19, 2020 – High Holy Days with Cantor Debbi Ballard on ZOOM
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  • 10:00 am – 11:15 am, September 28, 2020 – High Holy Days with Cantor Debbi Ballard on ZOOM
  • 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, March 4, 2023 – Ava's Bat Mitzvah, Wellington, FL

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