Giving Back
Being a wedding officiant means that it’s my job to celebrate a couple’s love, commitment, and faith in a shared future. Pretty amazing, right? It is absolutely joyous work to be an integral part of one of the happiest moments of people’s lives, and to witness the devotion between so many loving partners. Love spills out from my couples, and whether they know it or not, their love touches my life. I think it’s the nature of real love to enrich, to sweep past boundaries, and to keep going on and on, whether we can trace its course or not.
Putting My Values
Into My Work
As a Humanist, I believe in treating all people with dignity and respect. No matter who you are, or whom you love, I honor and joyfully celebrate the beauty of your devotion. I believe that it’s incumbent on me to live a good life, and that humans thrive when we both support and are supported by our communities. While we’re here, we each have the chance to leave our world a better, more just, and more loving place.
But some good can only be accomplished when people work together on a larger scale. I see my Celebrant work as an extension of my values, and so it is natural that this work should also support causes that are important to me. In working with me as your Celebrant, you will also be giving back to the wider community in two ways.
As a wedding professional in the US, it can be easy to forget that not every wedding is a happy event. Each year 12 million girls become brides without their consent, and often before their bodies are ready to bear children. That’s one girl becoming a bride every three seconds.
I believe every girl has a fundamental right to her childhood, to an education, and to own her own future. Each person deserves the right to decide freely if, when, and whom they will marry. It is the mission of VOW for Girls to end early and forced marriage.
In working with a VOWPro+ member, you will be supporting this cause. With every Signature Ceremony Service booked, a donation is made to this non-profit. So that one day, every wedding will truly be an event to celebrate.
I also offer my services to Wish Upon a Wedding, a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization that provides weddings and vow renewals to couples facing terminal illness or other serious life-altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation. Often these couples do not have the energy or resources to plan their wedding. Professionals working with Wish Upon A Wedding take care of all the details so that these couples can relax and enjoy a very special day, surrounded by the love of their closest family and friends.
Get Involved
Aside from knowing that booking me as your Celebrant will support these causes, there are other ways to leverage your happiest day for a greater good. You might consider aligning your wedding registry with VOW for Girls. At no additional cost to you or your guests, a percentage of every gift purchased will help drive social change and support the lives of girls globally.