My Personal Cantor

Wedding Officiant -Debbi Ballard

Follow Me on Social Media

FB icon Twitter Icon Instagram Icon YouTube Icon Google+ Icon
  • About Me
  • Let Me Marry You
  • Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah
    • Bar Mitzvah in Israel with Cantor Debbi
  • LIFE’S PRECIOUS MOMENTS
  • Watch Me
  • Around The World
Home » wedding officiant

Your Brother is not a Wedding Officiant…Why You Should Always Hire a Professional

April 8, 2017 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

I received an email from someone in Philadelphia this morning who was considering using her brother as a wedding officiant.

“My daughter is getting married on July 22 (her fiancee is not Jewish).  She and her fiancee have asked my brother to marry them.  My brother is going to get certified on line, but we want to be sure the marriage is legal.  Could you recommend a cantor in the Philadelphia area, that would be willing to come to our venue, before the wedding ceremony, to sign the marriage license (and maybe Ketubah) so the marriage would be legal?” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Jewish, Interfaith, LGBTQ Weddings, Weddings Tagged With: Interfaith, Jewish ceremony, Jewish wedding, officiant, ordination, wedding officiant

The Power Team of Jewish Catholic Wedding Officiants!

March 14, 2013 by Debbi Ballard 2 Comments

I’ve been so fortunate to have 2 opportunities to work with Father Tim, and since I just received a copy of this photo from our couple, Michelle and Brian, I’m posting it right away!  Again I am reminded why Father Tim and I are the Power Team of Jewish Catholic Wedding Officiants!

The Power Team of Jewish Catholic Wedding Officiants
Cantor Debbi Ballard and Father Tim Lozier, the power team of Jewish Catholic Wedding officiants, after Michelle and Brian’s Jewish Catholic wedding in St. Augustine, FL

I’m sure there are so many couples out there who are trying to find a workable way to incorporate their Jewish and Catholic faiths into a single ceremony, and we do it so well!  Both of our brides, Beth Ann and Michelle had always dreamed of getting married in a beautiful Catholic church,   but when they both fell in love with Jewish men, they feared that might not be able to happen.

Fortunately, they both found Father Tim!  I adore Father Tim – he’s super cool, open minded, and makes everything “kosher” with the Catholic Church, and my Jewish family members feel warm and wonderful knowing that we included the most important, cherished traditions of our faith in their wedding.

On top of having a great ceremony, Father Tim and I get along so well, and we have so much FUN together!  So have no fear, if you are looking for the power team of Jewish Catholic officiants – you have found us!

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, Slider, Weddings Tagged With: Catholic, church, co-officiant, Jewish, wedding officiant

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

Watch an Interview with Debbi

Categories

  • About
  • Baby Namings
  • Bar/Bat Mitzvah Adventures
  • Debbi's Deep Thoughts and Musings
  • Destination Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah
  • Events
  • Featured Content
  • Funerals
  • GLBT
  • Holidays
  • Jewish
  • Jewish, Interfaith, LGBTQ Weddings
  • Judaism
  • Let's Eat!
  • Slider
  • Thoughts
  • Wedding Vendors
  • Weddings
  • worship

Contact Me

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 ~

Follow Me On Twitter!

Tweets by @jewishweddings

What They Say

"Working with Cantor Debbi
made our event more amazing
than we hoped for! She is warm
and wonderful!"

Events Calendar

June 2022
MMonday TTuesday WWednesday TThursday FFriday SSaturday SSunday
30May 30, 2022 31May 31, 2022 1June 1, 2022 2June 2, 2022 3June 3, 2022 4June 4, 2022 5June 5, 2022
6June 6, 2022 7June 7, 2022 8June 8, 2022 9June 9, 2022 10June 10, 2022 11June 11, 2022 12June 12, 2022
13June 13, 2022 14June 14, 2022 15June 15, 2022 16June 16, 2022 17June 17, 2022 18June 18, 2022 19June 19, 2022
20June 20, 2022 21June 21, 2022 22June 22, 2022 23June 23, 2022 24June 24, 2022 25June 25, 2022 26June 26, 2022
27June 27, 2022 28June 28, 2022 29June 29, 2022 30June 30, 2022 1July 1, 2022 2July 2, 2022 3July 3, 2022

Upcoming Events

  • 10:00 am – 11:15 am, September 19, 2020 – High Holy Days with Cantor Debbi Ballard on ZOOM
  • 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm, September 27, 2020 – High Holy Days with Cantor Debbi Ballard on ZOOM
  • 10:00 am – 11:15 am, September 28, 2020 – High Holy Days with Cantor Debbi Ballard on ZOOM

Copyright © 2022 · Outreach Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in