Wedding in Channelside Tampa

Wedding in Channelside Tampa

News

On Saturday, November 1st George Jr. officiated Brian Rickman and Reyna Morales’ wedding in Channelside Tampa Florida. He officiated the wedding in Spanish because Reyna’s family is from Mexico and they don’t speak English. Their wedding was a lot of fun because it was on a dinner cruise boat!! There was a mariachi band playing as guests walked on to the boat. George Jr. officiated their wedding while the boat was still docked in Channelside. After the wedding was over George got off the boat and it headed off for a fun night of dancing, food, and celebration. Brian and Reyna are a great couple. They met because Brian owns a Little Cesar’s store and he hired Reyna as one of his employees. Shortly after she started working for him they started dating and the rest is history 🙂

George had a lot of fun officiating their Spanish wedding in Channelside Tampa and hopes the rest of the dinner boat cruise was just as fun for them! Felicidades, Brian y Reyna!!!

George Jr. getting ready to officiate

George Jr. getting ready to officiate Brian and Reyna’s wedding in Channelside Tampa on the dinner cruise boat. Mariachi band in the background playing traditional Spanish music.

The happy couple!

The happy couple!

 

 

Wedding Officiant Advises Only Professional Pictures During Ceremony

Wedding Officiant Advises Only Professional Pictures During Ceremony

News

As a Tallahassee & Tampa Wedding Officiant and Photography company, we see many weddings- small, large, organized, unorganized, DIY, planners, venue, homes, beaches, and so much more. We love looking back at all the weddings we’ve been a part of and remembering the special times.

When we have the opportunity to be your Tallahassee & Tampa Wedding Officiant and Photography company we get to see all your pictures– which is great! With that being said, we see your ceremony from the Officiant side and the Photography side. Recently, the Huffington Post published an article, “Why You Might Want to Consider an Unplugged Wedding” about how guests taking pictures can sometimes ruin the professional photographers pictures….check out the images they shared in the article. We couldn’t agree more with this article. From the Photography side, we have noticed that guests taking pictures do sometimes ruin what would have been a wonderful picture– and from the Officiant side, we notice that guests are so absorbed in taking pictures or video recording they are not actually paying attention to the ceremony and enjoying the moment.

We know guests LOVE to take their own pictures, even if you have hired a professional photographer. We’ve attended weddings as guests and totally want to take pictures too!!! It’s a tough situation to ask guests NOT to take pictures during the ceremony but it’s something to consider when planning your wedding.

One ceremony I officiated the couple asked me to kindly say the following before the ceremony:

““Good afternoon and welcome! As we will be beginning shortly I would ask that those of you with cell phones, tablets, and cameras to please turn them off and put them away.”

At first when the couple asked me to do this, I thought it might be a bit weird and not taken too kindly by the crowd. But, as soon as I said the words everyone was totally okay AND they all watched the ceremony with smiles and tears in their eyes. It was a great experience for all!!!

Here's a picture by Photos by George Sr. where you can see guest taking picture during ceremony ruined what would have been a nice ceremony shot.

Here’s a picture by Photos by George Sr. where you can see guest taking picture during ceremony ruined what would have been a nice ceremony shot.

Another idea would be to put a little sign up asking guests to refrain from taking pictures during the ceremony OR write it in your ceremony programs. I’m sure with the help of Pinterest you could find a crafty thoughtful way to ask your guests to refrain from taking pictures during the ceremony.

3bed6a1be62a3858408be8c0b9aa47d0

The memories you and your guests have from your ceremony are what matter most…not who posts the first picture of the new Mr. and Mrs. on Facebook….so we hope you will consider our suggestions and the information from the Huffington Post article on having an “unplugged” wedding.

32e23273670f8d867986b197c8aa3abc

 

38edd8b7d6fc375fa8e5c0c8f55d3ff9

Simple Weekend Weddings

Simple Weekend Weddings

News

Summer weekend weddings are very popular in Florida…and I love being a part of them! This past weekend I had the privilege of officiating three awesome couples simple weddings.

On Sunday, I met Heather & Ray at 7:00 AM and performed their morning sunrise wedding ceremony on beautiful Pass-A-Grille Beach in St Petersburg  A friend of theirs brought them to the beach in a limo. The beach was so quite. The only sounds were the ocean waves and a few sea gulls hovering along the shore. This is why sunrise weddings in the summer are my favorite time for beach weddings. Ray & Heather wanted a simple quiet ceremony on Pass-A-Grille beach and they got it! There wasn’t even the typical beach goers. It was just quiet, simple, and beautifully romantic.

wedding pass-a-grille beach

Ray and Heather’s sunrise wedding on Pass-a-grille beach.

Saturday afternoon I married Ron & Debra at their home in Palm Harbor, FL. Ron hired me as his Palm Harbor wedding officiant and asked me for the most basic simplest traditional ceremony. They wanted their wedding to be a celebration with a few family members and friends. The ceremony was in their living room and was just what they wanted. Debra’s sister from New York surprised Debra and came to Florida just for the wedding. They were having a celebration at a neighbor’s house. The ceremony was exactly as they asked it to be.

 AvailableChristian Cutillo AvailableElyse Gibson Away since 11:53 AM (GMT-5) ChattingGeorge Doumanian, Jr. AvailableJessica Evans Brady AvailableLaura Cantwell Busy	George Doumanian Idle	Charmaine Doumanian Idle	Sarah Kosturko Offline	Kimberly Large Offline	Laura Esfeller       More  20 of 808     Why this ad? Whole Foods Market Coupon - wholefoodsmarket.com/Tallahassee - $10 Off A $40 Purchase Coupon. Save $10 At Your Local Whole Foods Print all In new window Fwd: Inbox x  Charmaine Doumanian AttachmentsAug 10 (2 days ago) to me  Ron & Debra Palm Harbor wedding

Ron & Debra at their Palm Harbor wedding

Also on Saturday afternoon I officiated Kelly and Don’s wedding at Rigsby Recreation Center in Safety Harbor. Family and friends had decorated and setup the hall for the ceremony and reception. It was nice to be a part of an indoor wedding on a hot Florida Saturday afternoon.

Rigsby Recreational Center in Safety Harbor set up for wedding

Rigsby Recreational Center in Safety Harbor set up for wedding

Don was comfortable in his black tux and Kelly looked beautiful in her white gown. Don was nervous before the ceremony and was glad to see me when I arrived. I talked to him and asked him how he and Kelly met and got to know more about him and Kelly. As we spoke he calmed down and was then just anxious for the ceremony. They met a year and a half ago in a bar. He never thought he’d meet someone in a bar and get married to that person. He chuckled when I told him that’s how I met my now husband of 32 years. Kelly and Don had a simple wedding ceremony and reception. They were going to spend a few days honeymooning on St. Petersburg Beach.

Kelly & Don photo Safety Harbor wedding

Kelly & Don at their Safety Harbor wedding

Weddings don’t have to be big and extravagant to be nice. As a Palm Harbor Wedding Officiant, trust me, there are plenty of ways to create a wedding ceremony that is perfect for you and your budget.

Wyndham Gardens on Clearwater Beach Wedding

Wyndham Gardens on Clearwater Beach Wedding

News

Julia & Gary traveled from Indiana to Florida where they had their destination Wyndham Gardens on Clearwater Beach wedding last Saturday night. To get down to Florida it was the first time that Gary had ever flown. They wanted a small simple wedding on the beach. A few family members and friends had traveled with them to Florida for vacation and to attended the wedding. On the day of their wedding, it was a beautiful evening just before sunset on Clearwater Beach. One side of the beach overlooked the bridge going to Sand Key and the other side was Clearwater Beach. The air was soft and humidity had gone down.

Bridge to Sand Key

Bridge to Sand Key. Perfect night for a Wyndham Gardens on Clearwater Beach Wedding

Julia had a beautiful bouquet of colorful flowers. They looked so real that I asked her if she got them from a local florist. She said no that she just stuffed them in her suitcase and took them with her from Indiana. Hah!

Julia's colorful flower bouquet that she brought down from Indiana

Julia’s colorful flower bouquet that she brought down from Indiana

Like all beach weddings the beach goers and hotel guest always watch when a wedding is going on and add to the applause at the end of the ceremony. When I pronounced Julia & Gary husband & wife everyone on the beach applauded. A few boats were tied up along shore with people on board and they all participated in cheering, and even, added music to the closing ceremony. One of them started to loudly play “Marry Me” by Bruno Mars so we could all hear it. It was a simple fun wedding just like Julia & Gary wanted. They were staying in Florida a few more days of vacation before heading back to Indiana.

Your Wedding Vows & Ceremony

Your Wedding Vows & Ceremony

News

When it comes to your wedding vows most couples find themselves not knowing where to start. And that’s where we come in! A Beautiful Wedding in Florida officiants will help you create the ceremony of your dreams. The fun part of using a Florida Notary Public as your wedding officiant is there are NO restrictions! We have had couples includes kids, dogs, candles, sand, ribbon, friends, music, religious, non-religious, Spanish vows, and more into their ceremony. You let us know what your thoughts are and we’ll work with you to make the ceremony happen exactly as you want it!!!

George Jr. performs wedding in Spanish. Photos by George Sr.

George Jr. performs wedding in Spanish in Treasure Island. Photos by George Sr.

If you want to write your own vows to each other just think about what comes to you from your heart about how you feel with your relationship then write it down. Your A Beautiful Wedding in Florida Officiant will let you know where in the ceremony that you will say your vows to each other. If you don’t want to say your own vows, don’t worry, we have plenty of ceremony vows without a place for saying your own vows.

A very tearful yet happy ceremony

Saying your own personal vows can be very emotional.

A typically wedding ceremony would be performed in the following order: A Beautiful Wedding in Florida Tampa wedding ceremony officiant will say the opening piece followed by your vows to each other (if you want), I do, repeat after me, ring exchange & closing ceremony piece.

Kelly and Daniel had fun with their wedding....and we did too!  Photo by Black and Hue Photography.

Kelly and Daniel exchange rings during their Cape San Blas wedding ceremony.  Photo by Black and Hue Photography.

Most of the ceremonies we officiate are non-religious civil ceremonies. But if you would like a religious ceremony just let us know! We can add religious text, a prayer or poem, or reading to any ceremony piece.  Maybe consider having a friend or relative do a bible reading during the ceremony?

Bride's sister sings during ceremony. Photos by George Sr.

A friend sings during ceremony. Photos by George Sr.

Do you want to remember loved ones who are no longer present, but with us in their hearts?

Daisies in rememberance of Diana's cat named Daisy. Photos by George Sr.

Daisies in remembrance of Diana’s cat named Daisy. Photos by George Sr.

Do you want to thank your parents for their love & support?

Father gives daughter away at wedding officiated by George Sr.

Father gives daughter away at wedding officiated by George Sr. Photo by Brandi Image Photograhy

Would you like to have sand ceremony? Different colored sands that are poured into a center container blending the sands together as one. We can include family members as well.

Sand cermeony

Sand ceremony with children performed by me, Tampa Wedding Ceremony Officiant. Photos by George Sr.

Would you like to have unity candles? Not recommended for outdoor weddings.

Unity candle ceremony

Unity candle ceremony done in a home in Odessa, FL. Photos by George Sr.

How about casting of the stones blessing at the end of a beach ceremony?

Would you like to have the tie the knot ceremony?

Tie the knot ceremony at wedding officiated by Charmaine

Tie the knot ceremony at wedding officiated by Charmaine

Wine love letter box ceremony?

Wine & love letter ceremony at Florida Aquarium in Tampa

Wine & love letter ceremony at Florida Aquarium in Tampa

wine and love letter box ceremony at Bon Appetit in Dunedin

wine and love letter box ceremony at Bon Appetit in Dunedin

Include your best friend in the ceremony?

Dogs in ceremony are becoming more and more common

Including dogs in the ceremony is becoming more and more common

This sleepy dog was the best man at a wedding officiated by George Jr.

This sleepy dog was the best man at a wedding officiated by George Jr.

These are some suggestions of ideas to include in your wedding ceremony. Ask us about any of these and more we will be glad to help you in preparing your ceremony for your special day. If you have ideas of your own please share them with us. We are often sent vow ideas to review. We will look them over and send you suggestions and any adjustments that should be considered. And remember it’s YOUR day!!! Have your ceremony your way. We will help you!

 

 

Love Like You’ve Never Been Hurt

Love Like You’ve Never Been Hurt

News

Sometimes love hurts you! Sometimes it’s hard to come back from the hurt! As a Clearwater Beach Wedding Officiant team we witness couples who have been HURT by love all the time. BUT the amazing thing about being a Clearwater Beach Wedding Officiant team is that we see that they’ve moved past the hurt and learned to re-love!! Which is beautiful! We’ve married couples who have been divorced 1-7 times. And at first it’s easy to judge and say whoaa what the heck are they thinking!? But then, really who are we to judge? They found happiness and love again…and that is GREAT!!!!! When we are performing a wedding it’s easy to see how much a couple loves each other and how much the moment means to them, whether it’s their 1st marriage or 7th, it doesn’t matter it’s about being happy in the current moment and learning to share your life with the ones that matter most.

On July 29, 2014, George Jr. had the honor of being Chrissy and Mike Edd’s Clearwater Beach Wedding Officiant. They had both been previously married. And that’s OKAY, George knew they loved each other VERY much and could feel it in how they were with each other. They had short, simple, intimate wedding on Clearwater Beach and it was just perfect…George enjoyed being a part of it and getting to know them!

So as your favorite Clearwater Beach Wedding Officiant team, we remind you to LOVE like you’ve NEVER been hurt!