For Kathy – and her Mom, a Church wedding was their #1 must have.  For Drew, and his Mom, the rich, beautiful Jewish traditions that kept them connected to their Jewish heritage were theirs.  We needed a church, a chuppah, a unity candle, a kiddush cup, a ketubah, and many more aspects of each of our faiths to incorporate into their wedding ceremony.

So many of Kathy’s plans kept falling through, between scheduling of the Air and Sea Show, and Churches and Pastors not being available, that Kathy and Drew even contemplated making the whole thing a destination wedding!  But – Kathy persevered, because she really wanted the wedding of her dreams – and I think they got just that!

The first time I met Kathy and Drew, and their Moms, Merideth and Susan, we had a love fest, a session filled with “absolutely’s” and “of course’s”!  In the next meeting, at the church, with Kathy and Drew, Susan, Dr. DeBie, and myself, things got a tiny bit tense, as we worked diligently to find just the right mix and blend of each of our “must haves”.  Several months later, we drew up the final ceremony program, and it seemed, we had ourselves the perfect Interfaith wedding.

Last night, Kathy and Drew were married at the Church By the Sea, with Dr. Linden DeBie, and myself co-officiating. First, to walk into that church, and see the beautiful chuppah standing there waiting for us, was so profound.  It meant so much to me, to know that we worked so hard to create a service that was full of faith, and that even though we both thought very differently about our faiths, we were able to put our differences aside, for the beauty of what unites us.

Chuppah in the church

As the processional began, Susan and Merideth arrived at the altar, lit the side candles of the Unity Candle, and were seated.  As Kathy arrived at the altar with her Dad, I welcomed everyone, and Dr. DeBie offered the Declaration of Intent, and asked the Giving of the Bride.  Kathy and Drew then stepped together under the chuppah, and Dr. DeBie performed their vows, and then I performed the traditional Jewish ring exchange.  Kathy and Drew lit their center Unity Candle, as their guitarist played “Here Comes the Sun”.  (beautiful)

The rest of the ceremony was – believe it or not – predominantly Jewish-style.  We signed their ketubah, shared the wine from their 6th generation kiddush cup from Drew’s family, and I sang the Birkat Kohanim (Julie Silver’s version).

Afterwards, Dr. DeBie pronounced Kathy and Drew husband and wife, and I concluded the ceremony with the breaking of the glass.

Looking back, and hearing everyone’s comments, I know fully why I do what I do.  I may not be able to change the world, or the face of faith, but I can certainly change some family’s lives, by giving them hope to see that love transcends individual beliefs.  That together, when we can sit a table and focus on what unites us, rather than what divides us, that all things are possible.

Today, I look back on Kathy and Drew’s wedding last night, with love, fond memories, and even stronger hope for the future, of a world that looks peaceful, and stands in unity.

Amen.

Last night, Jennifer & Ilan were married at Hawk’s Nest Beach, on the magnificent island of St. John.  They are a Chicago 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!

Jen & 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 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, 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 & 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 a wedding!  The families got along great together, and everyone was there to celebrate the joy of Ilan and Jen finally getting married!

The 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 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!

I came across a Chuppah photo gallery, and wow – some of these are amazing.

In my opinion, Seth & Dana’s chuppah still takes the first place award of weddings I have officiated, but some of these are just simply incredible.  My sincere kudos for the artists who imagined, and created them!

I often have so many brides who run into chuppa challenges, whether they be financial or creative, and this gallery shows that something as simple as a scarf above your heads, or as elaborate as a chuppa made of lights, can be a beautiful and “kosher” addition to your wedding.  It doesn’t have to be about the flowers.

If you’re looking for simple or elegant chuppah ideas, you’ll find them here!

Enjoy!