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Wedding Officiant -Debbi Ballard

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Home » beshert

Jess and Pete’s Wedding Part I – How I Became Their Interfaith Wedding Officiant ….

April 27, 2009 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

Saturday afternoon, I had the pleasure of performing the Interfaith wedding ceremony for Jess and Pete, an incredibly beautiful couple, both inside and out!  But it almost didn’t happen, and here’s why ….

interfaith wedding ceremony
Photo by Shardayyy Photography on Unsplash

Jess contacted me in the fall of last year, and we spoke for almost an hour about what she wanted for her wedding, and how I could help.  It seemed from the first minute we spoke on the phone, that we were both speaking the same language – everything I told her about my Interfaith wedding ceremonies was exactly what she wanted.  And she sounded like the perfect client for me – she was so bright and enthusiastic, very family oriented, and just wanted a warm, personalized, and meaningful ceremony.  It was the perfect match!  UNTIL ….

I asked her what date she was planning on getting married, and when I checked my calendar, it seemed that I had a tentative booking with another bride who I also had really liked on the phone, who I was scheduled to meet with a few days later.  I called her immediately to confirm, and see if she was still planning on meeting, and she was – and I told Jess I might not be able to do her wedding.  I was SO sad.

So,  few days later, I met with my other bride and her fiance.  We had coffee at Starbucks, and from the very beginning I could tell the fiance was very uncomfortable.  He didn’t want to answer any questions, and this couple couldn’t have appeared to be farther apart – in every possible way.  I was completely uneasy, and even stopped the dialogue a few times to ask if there was something I was asking that was making him uncomfortable, and he just wouldn’t budge.  Even the bride was getting uncomfortable because of his actions, and I was getting really bizarre vibes the whole situation.

I told them that in order for me to put my personal signature on an Interfaith wedding, I must feel comfortable with my clients, and vice-versa.  That in order for me to create a personalized, meaningful wedding ceremony, both parties must feel like they could share their lives with me, so I could get to know them and talk about what makes them so special.  I explained that unless I felt a strong connection between my couples and myself, I just couldn’t do the best job possible, and if I can’t do my best job, I can’t do their Interfaith wedding.  He told me that he wasn’t comfortable sharing anything, at all, and so I was faced with a choice.  I mean absolutely no disrespect to either this bride or groom – it was a simple decision, and one that I feel I made out of integrity and dedication to honoring the joy that comes from my experiences with my clients.

I immediately got on the phone, in the parking lot at Starbucks after that meeting, and called Jess!  If she would still have me, I would love to be her officiant!  We were both so happy when she said she had been waiting to hear from me and was hoping it had worked out that way!  YAY!

So, the next week, I spoke to Jess’s Mom and Dad, who are the most warm and beautiful couple.  We made our arrangements, and the rest was up to Jess, Pete, and me, to create a beautiful Interfaith wedding ceremony together.  I’m so incredibly happy we all made that choice, so please read on in part II, about the day of Pete and Jess’s magnificent wedding ceremony.  Some things just have a way of being what they were meant 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.

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

Filed Under: Weddings Tagged With: beshert, bride, groom, interfaith officiant, Interfaith wedding, wedding officiant

Austin’s AMAZING Bar Mitzvah – Ahoy Mates!

March 30, 2009 by Debbi Ballard 11 Comments

I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. I’m SOOOOO lucky to do what I do, and being able to give my newest student the opportunity to have Austin’s Bar Mitzvah just reaffirms my good fortune.

I don’t even know where to start this one. Have you ever developed such an incredible connection with someone, that you completely have no idea how you came into each other’s lives? But, the relationship is just so easy and wonderful, that it feels like you’ve been in it forever? Well, that’s Andie.

Somehow, Andie got my number over a year ago. Austin hadn’t been in Hebrew school for many years, though he had worked for a while with a local tutor. He was rapidly approaching 13, and Andie was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to have a Bar Mitzvah. Life had gotten in the way of life, and there were many obstacles to being able to plan the event they had always dreamed of for him, and it was looking as though it might not happen. I won’t go into the events of the year, but suffice to say, that neither Andie nor I were about to let Austin’s 13th birthday come and go without him becoming a Bar Mitzvah, and I’m happy to say – we made that dream a reality.

Last Friday night, aboard the Sun Dream Yacht Charter’s “Catalina”, on the EVE of his 13th birthday, Austin became a Bar Mitzvah.

This was no ordinary Bar Mitzvah, but it was certainly amazing, and I couldn’t have been happier with the way it all worked out. And the best part is, I know I have a friend for life, not only in Andie, but her whole family, and I couldn’t be happier.

Austin is a mensch. Take one look at him, and you instantly see his simple presence, kind hearted soul, and easy going personality. He’s adorable. Such a cutie, and one of my all time favorite kids. It’s only natural that his Mom has quickly become one of my closest friends.

Andie put this whole night together, and the events of the evening and the way it came together were incredibly beshert. (Even my good friend, Desiree Wilcox was the photographer and we had a blast working together!)  I have to say, the highlight of the evening (well, one of them) was the Singer/Babice family wardrobe – not your typical wardrobe, but a theme driven wardrobe that couldn’t be beat!

 

But, the real highlight of the evening, was the amount of love and energy in that room. From the beginning to the end, it was pure joy, and honestly, I felt like I was floating on a cloud while performing it. But – I have to mention, that the evening didn’t start out so smoothly. I had a funny feeling that I didn’t remind Austin to actually bring all of his materials and papers he had written, and when I got to the yacht to set up, I immediately started calling Andie to make sure Austin brought his Dear God prayer, that he had worked SO hard on. Well- I don’t even need to tell you that the answer to that question was “NO” – he had left it home, and I was FREAKING OUT by the time he got on the yacht. So – as Austin made his grand entrance, I quickly stuffed a pen in his hands and whisked him away to quickly re-write it – to the best of his ability.

Austin's AMAZING Bar Mitzvah - Ahoy Mates!

 

Andie and I decided that it was what it was, and we weren’t going to freak out, nor were we going to rattle Austin and that was a good choice. The Bar Mitzvah service was so much fun, and Austin was so amazing, that nobody even noticed, and we pulled the whole evening off without a hitch.

Austin’s brothers, Jordan and Miles are about the cutest things ever, next to Austin that is. They gave him his Tallit, and made a beautiful speech to him. I just love them all!! Andie totally could have the sequel to “My Three Sons”, because between her humor and theirs – it would be a top ranked sitcom for years!

And speaking of Andie’s humor – her own Dear God prayer was beyond funny, poignant, meaningful, and incredibly emotional, and I’m so proud of her too – for getting through it all without hysterical tears!

I’m proud of everyone, and even prouder to call this family my own. Andie – we’ll be besties forever. You are my soul sister, and I’m so lucky I found you – and Austin too!

XOXOXOXOXOXO

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

Filed Under: Bar/Bat Mitzvah Adventures Tagged With: Bar Mitzvah, beshert, charter boat, desiree wilcox, fun bar mitzvah, private bar mitzvah, sun dream, unaffiliated, yacht

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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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