Suncoast Weddings contacted me to perform John and Samuel’s St. Petersburg Pass A Grille Wedding Ceremony. The ceremony was held on Saturday at Pass A Grille Beach in St Petersburg.  It was a picture perfect day weather wise on Saturday. Suncoast Weddings put up four post bamboo poles decorated with soft purple fabric, and blue tie backs.  Artificial palm trees accented the sides of the bamboo poles with messages on signs that were thanking guest and family. A table with photos and flowers in remembrance of John’s deceased mother was also on one side of the bamboo poles. The wedding was being videoed for out of town guest and Roku camera was placed above the bamboo poles capturing the entire ceremony.

Me officiating John and Sam’s wedding at Pass A Grille St. Petersburg

John and Sam have been together for 13 wonderful years and considered this marriage to be a ceremony to reaffirm their lifetime commitment to one another. John had corresponded with me in preparing the ceremony. They recognized Sam’s parents, and presented them with roses at the ceremony. John couldn’t hold back the tears when I read this beautiful poem to his deceased Mother. “Ma, Although we cannot see you,   We know that you are here.   We feel the warmth of your smile,   And can sense that you are near.   And we want for you to know,   Your love is still our guide,   Memories carried in our hearts,   You are always at our side.   We know you would be so proud   On the day we say “I do”,   And so we say our vows today,   In loving memory of you.”

A beautiful message for Sam and John on their wedding day.

A beautiful way to remember loved ones.

The ceremony lightened up when the ring ceremony was performed. There little mini dachshund Penny was the ring bearer. The rings were tied to a little bone around her neck.

John and Sam performed a sand ceremony and final part of the ceremony was the blessing of the stones.  The guest were given stones at the beginning of the ceremony, and asked to hold them. They were asked to think of a personal blessing for Sam & John’s continued life together. At the end of the ceremony guest were asked to come to the water’s edge and on the count of three throw the stones into the water. Tradition says that as the wave’s washes over those stones, it washes the blessings into their lives.

Sand ceremony setup or John and Sam’s St. Petersburg Pass A Grille Wedding Ceremony

John and Sam were so thankful after the ceremony. John sent me a saying “Words cannot express our thanks for your amazing ceremony officiating. Everyone gave us rave reviews of the ceremony. Thank you for making us feel comfortable, and lending an emotional hand when we needed it. It was truly a heartfelt thank you for an amazing ceremony and memories to keep forever.

Me with the newly married John and Sam, and their dog, at their St. Petersburg Pass A Grille Wedding Ceremony