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Melissa Phipps |
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Our mainstay is the wedding/commitment ceremony. However, we believe
in the value of setting apart many special occasions by creating
memorable ceremonies to mark
them. Most of these events center around transitions: birth, death, graduation,
partnership, coming out... even amicable divorce. Our willingness to compose
and/or conduct a meaningful ceremony is limited only by the desire and imagination
of the people who hire us. Recently, we have done quite a few baby
namings.
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Generally, anywhere from two to eight months. We are flexible with dates
before and after that as well; much depends on the nature of the ceremony and
how much creative time we need to compose it. We are also open to last minute
needs and spontaneous weddings! Receiving a deposit for half the cost of your
ceremony is our standard protocol for locking in your particular date.
Yes. We have a strong spiritual orientation to life, and so we conduct
what we consider to be spiritual ceremonies. However, in our frame of
reference, "spiritual" means
affirming the deep experience of life's mystery and wonder. We have conducted
ceremonies for those who self-label as humanist; in doing so we have left out
referrals to God in His/Her many names, still producing meaningful and emotionally
moving results.
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Erin Berzel |
Absolutely! We help people write their own ceremonies by being a catalyst;
that is, by presenting them with resources, including past ceremonies. We are
there
to provide ideas and encouragement when people get bogged down. Some people
come with lots of ideas and others need to be made aware of the possibilities.
We
want to help you create a ceremony that you find personally meaningful.
In chatting and asking one another questions we all get a sense of whether
or not we are a good "fit" for what you have in mind. We will show
you examples of ceremonies we have done in the past, both to stimulate your
notion of what is possible and to get your own creative juices flowing. That
first face-to-face interview is the simplest and most direct way to establish
a mutual level of comfort which gives everyone a solid basis from which to
proceed. We enjoy our work and take it seriously; if you hire us,we want you
to be at ease with your decision from beginning to end.
If you are out of town, we are always happy to conduct the initial
interview over the phone. Then, if you decide to use our services and
are in town sometime
before the wedding, we are happy to arrange a face-to-face meeting and get
to know each other a little better before the ceremony.
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Erin Berzel |
We recently performed a wedding in the San Juan Islands. The couple
paid for all our travel and lodging expenses. We are international
travelers - and
so are happy to travel anywhere as long as our expenses are covered.
Yes, we are happy to help you prepare for your wedding by conducting
your wedding rehearsal.
Our rates depend on the nature of the ceremony, your budget, as well
as location, rehearsal, and other elements that might result in an
increase in the time
needed to prepare or perform the ceremony. The initial interview is always
free.
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