Congratulations on your engagement! The options available to you in planning and personalizing your wedding and your marriage have never been greater. The weddings that I have officiated are unique and beautiful because they really are an expression of the couple that created them.
I came to be a wedding minister after stumbling across an online ad listed under the heading 'misc part time help wanted'. I am not in the habit of looking for work outside my profession and I cannot say what drew me this day to this ad.
The fact that I thought I was completely unqualified, and had never before even considered ministry, did not deter me from calling Rev. Sherry. When your 'knowing' kicks in, and you are supposed to be somewhere, you go.
I liked Sherry immediately. We are much alike and very different at the same time. I believe that she intuited that this was a good fit, so she took a chance and hired me. At that time, my ordination studies began. Many months later, I contacted Sherry to tell her my studies were completed and I was ready to begin. She said “Hmmm. I think I may have something for you.”
As things turned out, Rev. Sherry's own wedding was coming up in less than two weeks, and her Wedding Minister has just lost her husband to an unexpected stroke and was obviously no longer available to officiate the ceremony. So again, knowing this is where I was 'supposed to be,' I jumped into the fire and officiated my first big ceremony for Rev. Sherry! From there, the ministry unfolded.
I feel very fortunate to have found my calling. With faith, the universe really does provide.
As a Yoga teacher for many years I come from a tradition that celebrates life and enhances our experiences by being fully present in the moment... and what a delightful moment your wedding celebration is! I approach ministry the same way I approach my teaching, with a sense of reverence and wonder. Whether your dream wedding is traditional or unconventional I can be flexible, pun intended.
Thank you for taking the time to view what A Joyful Celebration offers. Rev. Sherry and I both look forward to learning how we can help you create the wedding of your dreams, and the marriage of a life time.
Blessings,
Janice
Postscript from Rev. Sherry...
I interviewed a lot of people who wanted to be Wedding Ministers. Many of them thought they were “legal” but were not. Many of them thought they “had what it takes” but did not.
I knew immediately that Janice was the one I wanted and needed to work with. Our styles are so compatible. As she said, we are alike in many ways, but we also learn from one another in many ways.
When I asked her to officiate my own wedding ceremony, we were both a little nervous!! But Janice never let on. She showed up with confidence and a smile, and she assured me that everything would be just fine. As the ceremony unfolded, I realized that she was the one who was intended to be with Tom and me from the very beginning. It truly was just perfect.
After the ceremony, we had a member of The Temptations (are you old enough to remember The Temptations??) sing a song for us as a wedding gift. He told Rev. Janice that he has sung at weddings all over the world and that he had never been to one as special as this one. When she let him in on her little secret that she had never done this before, he said: “Honey, you've got the gift!”...and she does.
Gratefully,
Rev. Sherry