consultation contract questionnaire
drafts & editing
rehearsal performance
honeymoon
Because we do not discriminate we do not have any prerequisites for working together; therefore, a first meeting is not a requirement. Most couples, however, do want to meet before making a commitment to work together. We agree that it is important that we both feel comfortable with the ensuing plans, so we offer a complimentary, no-obligation consultation. It is strictly for us to get more information about each other and make sure that we can fulfill your needs. This meeting can be in person or by conference call, which is especially helpful for very busy couples and those who live outside of the Delaware Valley. The location of an in-person meeting can be determined by our schedules and distance.
Once we have decided to work together, we do require that we enter into a contract to insure that there are no misunderstandings about the services promised and provided to you. We must receive a deposit of half of the agreed fee in order to reserve your date. Upon receiving your deposit, your date will be held in our calendar and we will get to work on your customized service.
Because we work with many different kinds of couples, ranging from traditional to very eclectic, and including interfaith, intercultural and same gender relationships, we must spend some time discovering who you are, how you came to love one another and what you envision for your wedding day. While we can perform a standard ceremony based on our samples (click here for a simple and here for an eclectic example), we much prefer to craft a custom ceremony.
We have designed a questionnaire that will help you think about various elements of your ceremony as well as give us vital information to perform it according to your wishes. You may have already thought about some of the questions, and others will get your creative juices flowing. This questionnaire is not a quiz. There are no right answers, only responses that fine tune what will be right for you on your wedding day.
At this point, after talking with you a bit and receiving your questionnaire, we are ready to create and present you with a first draft. All editing can be done electronically (or by fax or phone, if necessary), and each time edits are made, we will send you another draft copy. Once the ceremony is approved, we will add staging elements when appropriate, and send you the final version prior to your rehearsal.
While some very simple ceremonies will not require a rehearsal, we strongly urge you to consider one if we've worked hard on creating a custom ceremony with multiple elements. We can usually ascertain the types of weddings that should be rehearsed at our initial meeting, and the rehearsal will be included in our contract and fee. We are the 'ring-masters' of the ceremony portion of your event, and will coordinate with all participants including family, the wedding party and site staff to insure your ceremony goes off without a hitch on your wedding day.
Of course, we will be there on the day of your wedding to perform the ceremony. Our job is to make sure that everything regarding the ceremony runs smoothly. Some people are nervous or emotional and may need some help getting through the ceremony. We are there to guide you through it, and prompt you if you get lost. In our opinion, our most important job is to help create a space for your magical event to unfold the way you want it!
No, we don't mean that we want to come to Paris with you (though we wouldn't turn down the offer!). We do mean that we perform many other types of rites, rituals and ceremonies, and would be happy to continue working with you throughout your relationship. When you buy your first home, we'd like to offer a blessing or welcoming ceremony. If you decide to have children, we'd like to perform a naming or grounding ceremony. We love to celebrate the milestones in your life, and our greatest hope is that our relationship to you becomes more than business, but rather a lasting friendship. Our dream is to perform an affirmation of love ceremony for you 10, 25 or 50 years down the road.