Calendar entry only – stay tuned for blog!

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.

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My Barri story is truly amazing.  In 2004, back in another lifetime, when my days were spent recruiting CPA’s and college students (blech), I was knee deep in fall recruitment on a tour of Florida’s top campuses, namely, the #1 Accounting school in the state, UF.  (Go Gators!)  The day was a parade of one Accounting student after another, and halfway through the day, this tall, beautiful, amazing young woman walks up to me and we start to chat, and the rest, we shall say, was history.  Barri came by to discuss her future career, caught between the top echilon pressure of whether to go Big 4 or choose quality of life, for her first step into career world.  I know we stood there and talked for hours, but remember little else.  The world went away, and Barri and I knew we had just established a friendship that would take us years into the future, we just didn’t know how.

When I recruited her (heavily) for an internship for my firm (which she so politely turned down – to hit the big city lights of Big 4 world), she asked me if her sister, Tracy, could come along for the interview.  (I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone else’s sister on an interview).  Enter – Tracy.  Tracy had a little girl named Taylor, and we all stood out there on the sidewalk, even Taylor!

As time went on, Barri of course went to work for Big 4, and her career path was on its way, and who knew – that a few years later, I would be a Cantor!  It didn’t seem we had much opportunity for mentoring with the way our lives were going – till Barri found Dan.  She called me one day – just to tell me she met a boy, and she was in love, and when he asked her to marry him – she emailed me right away.  Our lives were going to cross paths again, in the most wonderful way!

Several years ago, Barri lost her Mom.  Her sister, Tracy and I were both in the same fields, and Tracy and Jamie are older than Barri.  The last thing Barri needed was a mother-figure, she already had 2 older, doting sisters, but I loved Barri – and Tracy, in a way that was so much more than friends.  I still to this day can’t describe it – but I feel like one of my jobs in life, was to be in the Litt ladies’ lives – and so here I am – to stay.

November 21, 2009, Barri walked down the aisle at the Embassy Suites Oceanfront pavilion, in one of the most beautiful ceremonies I’ve ever seen.  Everything this was perfect.  Especially Dan.  If you told me to go out into the world, and pick the absolutely BEST man for Barri, I couldn’t have done a better job.  They are one body, one soul.  I fell in love with Dan, watching him love Barri.  I adore the both of them, and I know she is in the best hands, ever.

The wedding party was incredible – not your every day wedding reception, Tracy and Jamie both sang a song for Barri, that was so beautiful, and then ALL the Litt girls and Barri’s girls got up and rocked with the band.  The funniest was when Dan and his boys got up, and gave it a go.  It was quite a battle of the boy – and girl bands!

But words cannot describe my pride and joy for being asked to stand in my very special spot – as the person responsible for joining Dan and Barri in marriage, nor will I ever forget the moment that Barri – my favorite little Litt lady – became…

…..Mrs. Barri White!

Dan, Barri, Tracy, and Jamie – I love you!

Deb

But what also made these couples very special was how creative they both were in planning their weddings. There were differences that I just loved, and made them so much fun to reflect back on.

First, Bevin and Brian are diehard Canes fans, so it was no surprise when they chose to include the sand ceremony, and had individual bottles of sand with their initials on them, filled with orange and green sand!

But what made Bevin’s wedding so unique was that Brian’s mom hand made the bride’s bouquet, as well as the bridesmaid’s, and the groomsmen’s boutonnieres out of beaded jewels and fibers. They were stunning!

Elaine and Larry’s wedding was completely unique – they did an amazing job of planning, but incorporated some really fun, lighthearted aspects into the night. The scary part was, they put their wedding rings in a treasure chest, and buried them in the sand right near the chuppa. I lost sleep over this for days, and even though they marked the spot with a wooden “x”, it still gave us a scare when their little ring bearers couldn’t find the chest, even though they were digging frantically with their shovels. WHEW, were we relieved when they found those rings!

My favorite part of a west coast beach wedding, though, is something money can’t buy. The west Florida sunsets are beyond beautiful, and I had so much fun capturing the coastline.

But, the coolest part of the wedding, was that after they were pronounced, we all lined up with sparklers, and formed 2 lines on either side, and they came running up from the beach, and through the line of sparklers, just as the sun was setting, and it was just so beautiful, lively, and unique!

My awesome couples are now celebrating on their honeymoons, and the certificates are filed, but the love and joy in my heart is still so strong for them both. Thanks for the awesome memories, and the really great Marriott weekend, everyone!

P.S. BIG shout out to Alexina at the Marriott Biscayne Bay, and to Jacey Wood at the Marriott Marco Island. Both operations were first class, and I especially loved how totally in control Alexina was and had every detail covered before I even asked for anything. Great job, ladies! You are true professionals!

Also – I really loved working with Lisette, the photographer for Bevin & Brian’s wedding – she’s a sweetheart, and her work is just so yummy!

Soo – off to Islamorada on Saturday for Cheryl & Prav’s Jewish-Hindu wedding extravaganza!  See you next week!

I love a day that starts with a wedding, and Saturday was no exception! Matthew and Valeria were married at the Juno Beach Park, in a private beach ceremony with their closest friends surrounding them. The weather on Saturday was stormy, and I was really concerned, driving to Juno, but it managed to hold off, just long enough for us to have their ceremony on the beach…but, no sooner was that ceremony over, the rains re-appeared! We were so thankful for serendipitous timing!

Their ceremony was simple. I have a special ceremony that I use for beach weddings, that is much nicer than a “civil” ceremony, but nothing close to the elaborate religious style weddings I so often perform. Their friend read the Apache Wedding Blessing, and it was simple, and fun!

Later that night, I married Ronni & Maude, at the top deck of the Viceroy Hotel, in downtown Miami (Brickell Key). The view was magnificent, and again, it was a small intimate wedding – just a few friends, and a beautiful photo location! Wow, that hotel is amazing!

I love a weekend that is full of love!

B’Shalom!

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!

So, things were off to a great start from the minute I heard from Dana, because she emailed me and told me that her fiance, Seth, was the son of a business associate/friend of mine, and they wanted to talk about me doing their wedding.  Seth’s Mom – Ellen, is the only other Whirling Dirvish I have ever met, other than Lara Mayer, from Max’s Bar Mitzvah.  I’m not quite sure what a whirling dirvish is, but I know that Ellen’s picture is under it, in the Webster’s Dictionary.  Truly.

Seth isn’t much different from his Mom.  He is SUCH a character.  And Dana is the perfect match for him.  From the first moment we met, we all shared a great connection, and I just couldn’t help but fall in love with this perfect combination of wit, humor, and sarcasm, and that made getting to know them SO much of an adventure.  I knew, when we met for the last time at Starbucks, that I was really going to miss my Thursday evening coffee sessions, because I always felt myself smiling for hours after leaving one of our meetings.  They are just so damned cute.  SO CUTE.  Together.  A perfect match, a match made in heaven, yes…beshert…..

Dana and Seth are so close, they almost share the same DNA.  I don’t think I ever witnessed an awkward moment, or a single answer that was any different from what the other answered.  They should totally be on the Newlywed Game – if it was still around.

But, the best part of Dana and Seth, was their wedding ceremony.  From the minute I got to Woodfield Country Club, you could feel the love and excitement in the air.  The florists were putting together the chuppa and the walkway, and I knew from that first look that this was going to be an exquisite setting, and it was.

We held the Ketubah signing prior to the ceremony, and their ketubah was so beautiful.  It was a special moment for their immediate family, and for Dana and Seth, as well.  Within a few minutes, we were off to line up for the processional!

Perhaps my ultimate favorite part of the ceremony was the processional.  Dana and Seth picked the BEST music for their processional, and I began walking out to Jack Johnson’s “Better Together”.  A very popular pick these days, it’s also the most played song on my IPOD, so I was really psyched to be walking to my favorite song in the whole world.  Then, she chose a song by Van Morrison (I think it was Into the Mystic….will have to verify that) but it was such a pretty song.  Then, my ultimate favorite song played for her processional (which has now taken over JJ’s Better Together as #1 Ipod song) by Marc Cohn, called “True Companion”.  OMG.  What an amazing song.  I was beaming at her walking down the aisle, because the mood was just so happy, and exuberant, and I was so excited to be waiting for both Seth and Dana at the chuppa!

The wedding ceremony was beautiful – Dana wasn’t sure if she wanted to circle Seth for the Seven Blessings or not, and at the last minute, she chose to have me wrap the Tallit around them, but it was just as beautiful.

They exchanged their rings in the Jewish traditional way, first on the right index finger, and then moving them over to their own left ring fingers.  I concluded the ceremony with the Birkat Cohanim, Julie Silver’s version, and on to the breaking of the glass and the pronouncement. They were married.  And beaming at each other.  And I was sad – that it was over.

Dana and Seth – I just think you two are so much fun, and I can’t believe time flew by us so quickly.  I’m happy you live right around the corner, because I really hope you’ll still make time for some coffee-Thursdays.  In the meantime, have a great time on that incredible honeymoon you are going on and thanks for the awesome memories.  Love u both!

Please head on over – not just to see my post, but to check out all the great information Liuba provides on her blog.  It is actually written to appeal to the guests of the wedding, which is a pretty unique perspective -

So, if you like what I wrote – please drop me a note – and Liuba, as well.  Or, if you like Liuba’s site – let her know that too.  I love supporting my peers through social media!

Thanks, Liuba!  Stay tuned for “What to expect at a Jewish Wedding”…soon to follow!

From the moment Jerry emailed me, several months ago, I knew this was a couple I was really going to enjoy getting to know better.  In the first email he wrote me, from the way he spoke about Audrey, I just knew this was a man who adored the woman he was about to marry, and he was such a mensch!

It took us some time to carve out an opportunity for an in person meeting, but we finally arranged to meet one Saturday at a bagel shop in Coral Springs.

Of course, I was right about Jerry.  Total mensch.  The kind of man we all want to come home to.  He obviously did adore Audrey, and I knew why.  She was as adorable as he was, and they were clearly in love with each other.  We sat for a couple hours at the bagel place, and they told me some incredible stories about how they were destined to be together.  We even realized we knew some of the same people, and that even WE had a great connection, but..it got even better as time went on.  They told me that some of the stories that many might consider as “coincidences” were what they called “Godwinks” and I couldn’t agree more.  They actually had read a book titled Godwinks, and they felt that so many of the stories they shared were clear examples of the stories they were reading.

We met again at another breakfast spot in Sunrise, and I felt so close to them, that I actually shared one of my own secret stories with them, because I knew they would really appreciate it, and they did.  We knew we had a special connection going on between us, and I was so happy they came into my life.

When it came time to plan the ceremony, they were pretty adamant about one thing – including their older children in their vows.  Jerry was a widow, and before Audrey came into his life, he was pretty lonely, as his boys were grown, and he missed having someone to share his life with.  Audrey was divorced, professional, self sufficient, and a strong, capable woman, raising 2 children, but she was lonely in that area as well.  When they met online (Audrey emailed him, and told him that she liked his attitude!) they just knew immediately that this was the one.

Since then, they have been inseperable, and I know why.  They truly were meant to be together.  In writing the vows, Jerry and Audrey not only made a commitment to each other, but to be great parents to each other’s children, and committing to make a new family by bringing theirs together.  But there was something else that was really special about this wedding, too.  Even Jerry’s Father in Law, and Sister in Law, from his previous marriage were there attending the wedding, for he had worked hard over the years to maintain a relationship with them, after his wife passed away.  I really respected that.

It was important to note, in their ceremony, that they had finally come together at just the right time, and it was the paths that each of them had taken that brought them to each other, so I wanted their past to be noted, and respected.  They made the ceremony personal for their children as well, as they were the 4 chuppah holders – and that chuppah was something else!  It was really a family affair, and I was so hoping it would be perfect for them.  According to Jerry & Audrey – it was, and I couldn’t be happier.

Once again, I have another couple I hope I stay very close with, as I really want to follow their Godwinks, for a very long time.  Jerry & Audrey – I consider myself so fortunate to have had you for clients, and I wish you and your family the most amazing and beautiful lives together.  WINK!

B’Shalom,