Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
- How do I reserve your services? Do you help with wedding planning? Can we meet with you first?
- Where do you perform your ceremonies?
- What religion are you associated with? What denomination are you?
- Who are you guys?
- What is so special about your wedding services? (And why should we choose you?)
- Are your services compatible with people of religion?
- For other questions, please scroll down to the bottom of the page...
How do I book you?
Regretfully, we longer meet with couples, as we just don't have the time! My wife had to put her foot down, because with only 24 hours in a day, we just don't have the time available to get together with everyone who wants to meet with us. (And with a beginning Reiki practice, a busy photography business... and ton of outside interests, our free time is rare.)
To reserve our services, we require a prompt non-refundable deposit, depending on your package, to reserve the date and time for your wedding ceremony. We get many calls from couples inquiring about certain dates and times, but please don't assume that your requested date will stay available! You need to confirm with me by e-mail or phone as soon as possible that you want me, and then get a deposit in the mail right away! I will confirm everything with you by e-mail after I receive your deposit. This is not to put you under the gun, but we've had many couples hem and haw and loose their dates.
As for wedding planning, there are many businesses that provide this service for big bucks... and as it's a very time consuming effort, we don't do that. We do however work to get you on the right track and provide recommendations for locations based on your needs, and help you find your way to the resources you need to make your plans.
Please ask for our reservation form link to reserve our services!
Back to Top
Where do you perform ceremonies?
We are available to perform weddings anywhere on our coastal barrier island beaches ranging from Myrtle Beach, Surfside, Garden City, Murrell's Inlet, and points south, including Huntington Beach state park, Pawley's Island and Litchfield Plantation. We are also available for Charleston locations! We will be there for you 7 days a week, rain or shine. We fear no weather sunny or foul!
We no longer will be performing weddings up on the outer banks. I'm always happy to refer you to someone up thata way if needed....
Back to Top
What church or religion are you associated with? What denomination are you?
Let me start right out by telling you that I am not "preacher" or congregational minister and that we offer holistic spiritual healing services to our community as a private business. My spiritual practices lie in healing energy, so manifesting love, having fun (and being your genuine self) are big parts of our spiritual view! I'm a Spiritual Humanist and healing practitioner in alternative and holistic, energy based spiritual healing. I'm not affiliated with any specific religious denomination. As our interests and practices are more focused on human spirituality, my wedding ceremonies are spiritual in nature and universal in wording.
I am legally authorized by the states of North and South
Carolina to solemnize wedding ceremonies. I also perform various healing spirit and
energy related services, rituals, and ceremonies in my community, but my
foremost interests lie in rhythm spirit healing through both ritual and as
trained
Health Rhythm Drum Facilitators.
I
am constantly seeking to discover new and exciting methods to offer healing
through energy based modalities.
We have been referred to as Holistic, New Age, or our personal favorite: Spiritual Bohemians! We consider ourselves "Spiritual but not Religious"! From humanity's earliest beginnings there was a belief that a spirit permeated every living thing. This spirit or energy therefore was thought to be universal. Our views are founded upon the belief that all things around us are infused with more than mere existence.
As for our denomination, I guess one answer would be that we are best described as well aged beach hippies who share views with people like Dr. Wayne Dyer, John Bradshaw, and Dr. Leo Buscaglia. (And maybe even Dr. Phil!) We strongly believe that humanity, just like all life on this earth is meant to grow and evolve through the tools we are born with. We revel in the beauty of nature and the night sky, and are full of wonder at their mystery and power. We feel a deep sense of peace and belonging and wonder in the midst of nature, in a forest, by the ocean, or on a mountain top. We find ourselves speechless with awe when we look up at the sky on a clear moonless night and see the Milky Way strewn with stars as thick as sand on a beach. When we see breakers crashing on a rocky shore, or hear wind rustling in a poplar's leaves, we are uplifted by the energy and creativity of existence. Our beliefs and values reconcile spirituality with rationality, emotion and values and environmental concern with science and respect for all life on our planet.
Back to Top
Who are you guys?
For an unofficial dictionary version...
Beach Hippies (beech
hip-pees) noun, pronoun or veiled insult 1). A term used to describe a
population of individuals who spend an inordinate period of time at the beach.
2).People who find spiritual meaning at that passionate boundary where the land
gives way to the sea. 3). A way of looking at life and the open-minded pursuit
of spirituality from an "island" perspective. 4). Sun-tanned, spiritual
bohemians and scallywags, some of whom operate ancient VW busses with surfboards
strapped on top of their vehicles. 5). Beach hippies who's only pair of shoes
are flip-flops (seldom worn).
Yep, that's us! If you can relate to the above description, congratulations: you are a beach person! If it doesn't, well, thanks for dropping by! Now go buy a Beach Boys CD and listen to it 20 times. If you still don't get it, there is no hope for you...
Back to Top
What is so special about what you offer? Why should we choose you?
Heh-heh, that's a good question! How special is this wedding ceremony to you? We are also professional photographers, and have established our prices based on years of experience with beach weddings up and down the east coast. As we've performed thousands of beach weddings over the years, (and as we have taken many thousands of beach wedding pictures...), we bring all that experience into making a fun and romantic wedding ceremony for you! I'm an old grizzled, sunburnt, card carrying beach hippie with an attitude... a fun and romantic, down to earth beach attitude that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else!
I'm not an internet ordained "minister" proclaiming that I have a "wedding ministry". This is also our business, and we strive to offer services that are professional yet very personal! Church based pastors or ministers may not have the specialized offerings or the range of services that a commercial wedding minister may offer. They also may be restricted to certain religious or denominationally based views that you may or may not share.
There may be a down side to hiring some commercial wedding officiants, so consider your choice carefully. After all our experiences from many years in the wedding industry, we can honestly say that some commercial officiants are just that...commercial. You may be familiar with the officiants who perform weddings like an assembly line, in and out, one after the other until they loose that "loving feeling" somewhere along the way. Then there are the stern and stuffy religious sounding ones; a plethora of officiants who are all business and no excitement, and others who are just plain boring.
We are not boring.
Not everyone wants a strictly theologically religious service, and instead might be looking to escape the "Honor and Obey" negative energy of this type of ceremony to arrive at a point that's equal parts spiritual, fun, exciting, and romantic. We do offer a universal traditional ceremony, but it's done with attitude...the attitude of romance!
We offer variety in our ceremonies. We have a conch shell blowing with our King Neptune ceremony that connects you to the lore and mysticism of the sea, and a Gifts From the Sea necklace ceremony that is fun, tender, romantic.. and you get to keep the necklaces! We offer a Wedding Unplugged where we just sit down on a beach blanket and have a totally unscripted, sweet and romantic give and take with you both either speaking from the heart, from the hip, or from prepared vows. We can have Dr. Seuss in the ceremony, (adapted from Green Eggs 'n Ham), or include your children for an exchange of a ring or necklace, (or keys to a new Mustang!), with both parents saying vows to she/he. or them.
Please check out the images throughout our website, all taken by our photography staff. We are very proud of our work and provide much more than the standard plain brown wrapper snapshots that so many all inclusive package deals include!
Being spiritual is all about the experience that you take with you into your new lives together. We believe that life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away! And while we will not "own" your wedding ceremony- the couple does- we will work hard to ensure that your special event will be all that you hope it will be... fun, emotional, spiritual (and spirited), an occasion that you will remember! (And for the all the right reasons!)
Are your services a fit for Christians (or people of other religions)?
While I don't offer to marry you in the name of
anyone but "love", I feel that the message of love and compassion championed by Jesus
and other figures of religious history to
definitely compatible with my wedding services. For example, Jesus was much more concerned
with the "House of Humanity" than the "House of God", and strongly felt
that we are created to love each other. My ceremonies tend to get couples into
their feelings alot more than the standard religious ceremony, and to paraphrase
those "what would Jesus do" commercials that were popular recently, I think if
he could be present to witness your ceremony, he would be very happy, and more
than satisfied that you both had been joined together completely, truthfully,
and spiritually! As my spiritual practices are all about our humanness... and
about the energy con
necting
us together... gender equality, genuine intimacy, and heartfelt honesty
are more important issues to bring forth than the dry toast theology that too
often dominates this special (and very human) event! If you feel a need to have
a religious tone (and theology) in your ceremony, I would advise you to go
elsewhere to find your officiant. I just do not look or sound like a Catholic priest, a denominational minister, rabbi, or imam, and approach your wedding as an
openly spiritual holistic celebrant
rather than a holy person. So, if you feel that your feelings and intentions
will suffice, and that positive energy fulfills your spiritual needs, I might just be the old beach hippie to perform your ceremony!
Will God be in your ceremony?
We recognize that there are many views and concepts for God; as a creator, a higher power, or Universal Energy. God can be our Source, since all life originates from elements of the earth and the universe, and is destined to return there someday as well. Do our beliefs encompass God? For us, human spirituality is our main focus. While my ceremonies are not denominational, I will be happy to include mention of God, and respectfully leave interpretation to the listener.
But no matter whether the word God is mentioned in your ceremony, ideals such as the love, values, commitments, hopes and dreams for a future together as a couple or family certainly will be! And so will concern for the power of love, human dignity, welfare, and a strong commitment to honor and integrity will be part of the ceremony as well. The intimate and loving relationship of two human beings is the central feature of marriage, and it lies right at the heart of our beliefs. And there is no reason why we can't have some fun in the process!
Or to put it more pragmatically, (as Dr. Phil asks) "Do you want to be "right", or do you want to be happy?"
Our beliefs can be found here.
We view spirituality as a lived experience which usually involves a feeling of awe, wonder, and radical amazement in response to the universe - a feeling that leads us to be unwilling to understand the world merely in instrumental terms, and instead gives rise to a joyous experience of love and connection to the world and to others We share a recognition of the ultimate unity of all life, and through that recognition, the preciousness of the earth and the sanctity of every human being on the planet. We feel a deep trust that there is enough for all and that every human being deserves to share equally in the planet's abundance and is equally responsible for shaping our future We share a sense that the world is filled with a conscious spiritual energy which transcends the categories and concepts that govern material reality and inclines the world toward freedom, creativity, goodness, connectedness, generosity, and love.
"If the basic notion of Eastern spirituality is release and that of Christianity is preparation for salvation, being a spiritual human is a celebration; a festive rejoicing that embraces an affirmation of our humanity, and a respect and recognition for the universal energy that connects us all. It also suits feminists, environmentalists, futurists, artists, bohemians, surrealists - all who dream of social change, live for creativity not the profit motive, and suffocate under dogma and authoritarianism. For us, humor is sacred; diversity welcomed; hierarchy depreciated; activism encouraged, the body honored, and Mother Earth and every living entity revered.."
Back to Top
Other Questions?
What happens if rain is forecast?
It is the couple's responsibility to have a rainy day backup plan, but I'm always willing to move your date or time to deal with inclement weather, provided I have the flexibility to do so! And while I'm just enough of a beach addict to marry you in the rain or under umbrellas, thunder and lightning and open beaches are not good for continued health! Refunds are not offered for weather cancellations.
Do you help with wedding planning?
To be honest, I just don't have the time for such things, and besides, wedding planners get big bucks to perform that function. My prices reflect the time needed for my involvement in your wedding ceremony, so I'm sorry to say that you'll have to either hire a wedding planner or do the legwork yourselves!
Do we need to memorize our vows?
Ha-ha...never! I will very gently lead you through those vows, or you can even read personal vows to each other. I want to see you both be relaxed and loving each other, not sweating it out over forgetting your vows!
How can we get examples of your ceremony offerings?
After you've booked my services, I will e-mail you a hidden link with all of my ceremony ideas. Since many of my ceremonies are the result of my work and care, I'd rather not give them away on the internet!
Can we customize our ceremony?
You betcha! As long as you don't place me in the position of conducting a ceremony that violates my views. As a spiritual (but not religious) wedding celebrant, I'm more than happy to see couples individualize this once in a lifetime celebration that connects two people together.
Do we need to meet or have a rehearsal?
Probably not! I have a processional/rehearsal document that I can e-mail you upon request, and over the years I've found that our arrangements can be made by phone and e-mail. I like to meet with people if my schedule allows, but it's not required.
When should we (and you) arrive at our ceremony location?
I'm usually there (or in the immediate area) about half an hour prior to our scheduled starting time. I fully expect the ceremony to begin on time, and I have recently had to institute a late penalty fee for very late ceremony starts. So please plan on starting on time!
(Or to give me even more money if you don't!)
Do you have a private beach for our use?
Unless you have a private residence, most of my ceremonies take place on public beaches. In general, sunrise or early ceremonies, or late afternoon or evening times are much less likely to be crowded (or uncomfortably warm).
Can we use our own music?
But of course! You can use your own CD player, or you can use mine with your own CD. It will play MP3, CD-R's, CD-RW's, ect. See our Ceremony Extras page for pricing.
Any advice on timing for sunsets?
Them thar sunsets happen right quick around here, so consider having your ceremony begin at least about an hour prior to the actual sunset time. This is also important for your photography.
How far in advance do we need to book you?
Once you make some decisions on your needs, my advise is to book your vendors right away! Check with me first to ensure that I'm available for your requested date, and try and work with me as you set your travel and ceremony dates.