Jewish Interfaith Wedding in Naples, Florida: Some Things Were Just Meant to Be …

It’s been a busy year.  Incredibly busy.  And, fortunately for me, almost every weekend during the year has been booked, sometimes with one, but often with even two or three  events in one weekend.  There hasn’t been much room for anything spontaneous (let alone blog writing), but, last Saturday was just – different.

It was a day that for whatever reason remained open in my calendar.  A Saturday?  Not a single event, from morning to night.  Sure, I had something on Sunday, but I kept wondering to myself, for months why that particular Saturday was just sitting there…alone and empty.  But now I know, it was meant to be that way.

At 7 am last Saturday, I was just waking up, figuring I would take advantage of the down time and do some office work, some blog writing, maybe even writing some music.  Before I finished my first cup of coffee, the phone rang.  WHO would be calling me this early, I wondered?  It was a Boca area code, but I didn’t recognize the number.  The gentleman on the other end of the phone said “Cantor Debbi, I found you online, and at the same time you were recommended to us by another source so I’m hoping you can help my friend”….He continued on saying…”They are getting married TONIGHT in Naples, Florida, and at 10:30 last night, they found out their Rabbi had been hospitalized, and was unable to perform the wedding ceremony!”

OMG, I thought – what a horrible thing to happen!  He asked me if there was any way I could help and immediately the answer came to me, the reason all along this date was sitting open – it was just waiting for this phone call to happen, I suppose.  “Yes”, I replied, “In fact, I happen to be available all day and night, and can be in Naples in less than 2 hours.  How can I help?”

He told me that in just a moment, Brett, the groom would call me, and he did, and we chatted briefly, and in less than 20 minutes. we walked through a Jewish Interfaith wedding ceremony, planned how all this would play out, and I assured him I would be there a few hours before the wedding ceremony began.  We planned a Ketubah signing, the whole wedding ceremony from beginning to end, and we were on our way.  Within a couple of hours, I was in my car headed west, to The Naples Beach and Golf Resort, a magnificent location for a wedding, (and strangely enough, one of the first places my husband and I spent the weekend at together, almost 25 years ago!)

As a side note – it struck me that amid some of the worst winter weather we had been having, as I was driving across Alligator Alley, I was amazed at what a beautiful day it was, cool, crisp, and incredibly sunny.  I was certain there was something divine going on here, but just not quite sure what.

Sure enough, I arrived at the resort, found the coordinator, checked in, made sure everything was in order, and before I knew it – it was time for the Ketubah signing.  I met both Brett and Andrea just before, and they were one of the cutest, sweetest Interfaith couples I had ever met.  Their friends in the bridal party were so excited that I was there, and so grateful that I had arrived, and I just knew that I was right where I was supposed to be.

The setting for their Jewish Interfaith wedding was amazing, the weather was perfect, and the family was ecstatic.  And there I stood, waiting for Brett and Andrea to arrive at the chuppah, and took a moment and looked up at the sky, and offered a special moment of thanks, for leaving this day open, for leading me here, and for being able to make a very special couple’s Jewish Interfaith wedding dream come true.

We don’t always know why things happen, and we don’t always know what is in store, but I learn more and more, that every day, we are exactly where we are meant to be.

I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to marry Brett and Andrea, for meeting their parents, who were also so grateful for the Jewish Interfaith wedding ceremony and for the way things worked out, and for the new friends I have made as a result of it all.  I’m so grateful to G-d, for allowing me to be right where He wanted me to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.