Your vows are the heart of your ceremony. They are the most important part because they are the actual promises you make to your partner so it’s natural that you might want to write your own vows. If the thought of writing your own vows fills you with dread, never fear! Skip over to Wedding … [Read more…]
If you listen to KUT, you are probably familiar with Michael J. Lee’s Sonic ID project—those are little spots between news stories that capture sounds telling the story of regular Austinites in their daily lives. In June 2021, I was fortunate enough to be interviewed about my work as a wedding officiant here in Austin, … [Read more…]
WEDDING PARTY & FAMILY At a minimum this is composed of the officiant & the couple. OR it may include grandparents, parents, 12 attendants on each side along with 2 ring bears & 3 flower girls, one pulled in a wagon with a puppy. Attendants might be groomsmen, bridesmaids, groomsmaids, bridesmen. Wedding party–your main job … [Read more…]
A nontraditional primer for the eager and the anxious! Click for a downloadable copy of this to print out for your wedding party! *Disclaimer: Weddings vary greatly based on culture, religion, & personal peculiarities of the couple. This is just a stab in the dark with no guarantee to reflect the actual ceremony in which … [Read more…]
I’d like to make this funny and interesting. . . but instead, I’m going for straightforward and informative! In Texas, if you want to get legally married, you have to have a marriage license. A marriage license is issued by a county clerk and is good for 89 days. Any ordained officiant can sign it … [Read more…]
Name Change Options You’ve made it legal so now . . . should you change your name? That’s a personal decision between you and your new spouse. The reasons for various choices range from the practical to the philosophical. Some couples like the tradition or the creation of a family name while some same-sex couples … [Read more…]
When it came time to create our wedding ceremony, my husband and I holed up in a bed and breakfast and spent a day reading through various quotations, poems, and literary passages on love and marriage. We talked about what resonated with us, we laughed at the ones that we found totally ridiculous, and we … [Read more…]
Should you put a penny in your shoe? Wear a veil? For nearly every wedding tradition, there’s someone who loves it and someone who hates it. So how do you decide which wedding traditions are best for you?
Here are a few quotes, poems, and literary passages that I have found from my work officiating hundreds of weddings over the years! If you are looking to give your wedding a timeless quality—romantic, enduring, thoughtful, finding that perfect passage is a lovely way to do that. In an age where everything lives on the … [Read more…]
Your wedding vows are the most important part of the day —the actual promises you are making to each other. And while we all think we know what wedding vows are, I find that my couples often have a lot of questions when it comes time to write their vows! Are vows questions or statements? … [Read more…]
One of the best ways to personalize your ceremony is by dedicating a few moments to telling each other why you love each other! Alayna + Gerardo’s Wedding Highlights from TwoFish Weddings on Vimeo.
Creating a personalized, deeply meaningful ceremony isn’t all about super serious, heavy poetry. It’s connecting to what is actually important to you. For this couple, a huge part of their life together is gaming—everything from board games to Pinballz, this couple loves to play games together. And let’s face it, there’s not a much better … [Read more…]
I haven’t had an opportunity to perform a wedding ceremony on a bus yet, but I’d love it! Check out Austin Party Bus for a unique venue and their helpful wedding guide. I’ll be featured soon in their next officiant list! Check them out at Austin Area Transportation.
Does your officiant matter that much? Of all the people who help you pull your wedding day together—florists, caterers, venue hosts, DJs, musicians—the ones you’ll spend the most time with on the actual day of are likely to be your photographer and your officiant. As an officiant, I arrive early. … [Read more…]
Part confessor, part older sister, part favorite high school teacher. I help you remember what the day is really about. I listen to the parts of your story you don’t want anyone else to know. I find the most important part of your story to share. I step in when your friend who was going … [Read more…]
I just loved this bridesmaid’s tattoo and had to snap a shot. What I loved most is that she not only didn’t try to hide it, she wore her dress & hair in a way that showed it off. In contrast to the days when my mom got married (the newspaper announcement described the lace … [Read more…]
In Texas, bilingual weddings aren’t that uncommon. However, I recently officiated a bi-lingual wedding in which the bride’s parents spoke only Russian—and that is a bit more unusual around these parts. The bride told me right away—we don’t expect you to learn Russian, but we’d love to include my parents in some way. What can … [Read more…]
Sometimes I’m asked to officiate a wedding with no guests. It’s just the happy couple & me–maybe a photographer. There are many reasons a couple might not want to host a big wedding. Maybe they want to avoid the expense–or their families live too far apart to accommodate everyone. Sometimes there is a practical reason: … [Read more…]
Whether you call it a canopy, an arch, or a chuppah, exchanging vows under a delicately curved and often flower be-decked doorway is iconic. As the couple steps under the archway, they step into ceremonial space. It is a symbolic threshold, a liminal space, a border—a couple steps into as two indivduals and emerge as … [Read more…]
Looking for a unique, but humorous touch? One couple I married had customized bobblehead dolls made to adorn their cake table. Makes you feel famous—and not take yourself to seriously at the same time! Considering this couple could barely get through their vows without laughing with joy, this was a perfect touch to express their … [Read more…]