The Sand Ceremony continues to be one of the most popular "extra" ceremonies in weddings today. Couples like the visual symbolism of blending two lives into one and it is the perfect ceremony for outdoor weddings, where Unity Candles won't stay lit or the fire danger is extreme! (This is an issue in dry New Mexico.) And if there are children who you want to include in the ceremony, this is a beautiful way to symbolically blend all your lives into one.

One other benefit: A beautifully decorated Sand Ceremony table can also serve as the perfect location for your Marriage License signing.
Thank you Beth and the team at Sandia Resort & Casino.  Thank you Kirk McGee for the beautiful photos and thank you Delanya and Steven for sharing your wedding day.

There is something thrilling about the stirring drone and high pitched harmony from BAGPIPES!  Last summer I officiated a wedding ceremony at the Loretto Chapel that began with the chapel doors opening and the entrance of a piper, in full Scottish regalia!  Wow!  This lone bagpiper slowly marched up the aisle, kilt swinging, bagpipes playing, and stood at the front altar rail as the minister (me!) walked up the aisle and the Scottish groom escorted his parents up the aisle to their seats.  After the groom joined me at the altar, the piper did a smart military turn, and still playing, walked back down the aisle and exited the chapel.  Wow again!

Loretto Chapel is a unique and exquisite location for a wedding. Many thanks to Mary and the supportive crew there...and thanks to Sandy at Blue Rose for sharing the photos.
And of course, thank you to lovely Devon and her handsome husband, Lance.

One of the most popular chapels in Albuquerque is at the Hotel Albuquerque. Its simple design and Southwestern architectural details give couples the option to make their own wedding vision come true.  At a recent wedding there, one couple created an exquisite winter garden with white branches and white lights along the aisle. Elegant white flower arrangements in two nichos on the altar and soft candlelight completed the upscale look. The bride complemented the sophisticated vibe with a short skirt, a feather hair ornament instead of a veil, and a white bouquet with black feathers.
The couple made their ceremony memorable by writing and speaking their own vows and lighting a Unity Candle together. A very happy occasion!
Deanna and Rick of Dry Heat Photography captured the mood of the evening with these beautiful photos.  Thanks to you for letting me share them here! 
And kudos to Amy and the team at Hotel Albuquerque for providing their usual excellent service.

One way a great officiant supports you is by customizing your ceremony.  Your officiant should help you choose the words and rituals that work best for you...and be creative enough to make your ideas shine in a smooth and seamless ceremony.  Yes! a great officiant has "stage presence" and knows how to engage the attention of your guests.

Another detail that makes for a smooth ceremony is performing a smooth "ring hand-off."  It's a little-known fact that rings transform into Mexican Jumping Beans during a ceremony!   Instead of trying to trying a fingertip-to-fingertip ring hand-off, it's MUCH easier to have the bride and groom pick up the ring from the officiant's flat palm. 



2011 Marks the Return of the "Unveiling Ritual!"  More brides are returning to tradition and walking down the aisle with a sheer veil over the face.  The bride below had her father lift the veil off her face.  Other brides wait until just after the pronouncement of marriage and before the kiss for the veil removal.  The ceremony pictured below took place at the cool green and shady pavilion at the Bio-Park in Albuquerque.  Thank you, Guillermo of Natural Touch Photography for the photos!












A beautiful wedding at Hotel Andaluz had elements of tradition (the unveiling ritual) combined with a very cutting- edge bride with a gorgeous tattoo on her arm.  Thank you to Sergio of Sergio Salvador Photo.

YOUR wedding is a person statement about you and your partner. 
Let us help make it special!

The Chapel at Hotel Albuquerque was the perfect venue for an intimate and elegant wedding last week.  The Unity Candle lighting was a meaningful part of the ceremony for the couple, as well as the "Parental Honoring," where the couple turns to face their parents to thank them for their love and support. 
Smiles all around!!
Thank you to Guillermo of Natural Touch Photography for the beautiful photos!

Here's a posting to help you in scheduling your officiant:

In general, the MOST popular time for wedding ceremonies is Saturday between 5-7pm (just before sunset) in June and September.  The NEXT most popular times are on Saturdays just before sunset in May, April, July, August, and October.  If you want to have photos of a beautiful sunset in your wedding album, book the officiant as soon as you book your venue.

Many couples get engaged during the Holiday Season.  This means MANY couples are scheduling officiants for their summer and fall weddings in the month of January.  In fact, my June schedule for early evenings is routinely filled by the end of January.

If your wedding ceremony is on a Saturday BETWEEN 5-7PM in June or September (the most popular months for New Mexico weddings):  SCHEDULE at least 6-9 MONTHS AHEAD.

Wedding Ceremonies on a Saturday in the warm months at sunset:  SCHEDULE 4-6 MONTHS AHEAD.

Weddings held on Sundays or Fridays are becoming more and more popular as venues are often LESS expensive on those days.  SCHEDULE 4-6 MONTHS AHEAD.

Scheduling an officiant, especially an experienced, popular one, is something you should consider early in your planning process! 

Scheduling a year ahead is not always necessary...however, it doesn't hurt!  A smooth and beautiful ceremony is the best way to start your wedding day celebration. 

Hope this helps!

Every wedding is a learning experience!   After performing over 500 weddings here in Albuquerque, I've gained a good measure of "wedding intelligence!"  And I'd like to share some notes with you. 

Having a smooth wedding day is all about checking and double checking.  An example:  The father of the bride picked up his tux and shoes from the rental store, hung them in the back seat and drove to the ceremony venue.  As he dressed, he noticed he'd been given 2 RIGHT SHOES!  AWCKK! 

Fortunately, the rental store was close by and the left shoe was picked up in time for the ceremony!  (I wonder what happened to the guy with two LEFT shoes!)
Lesson Learned:  Guys, check out your suit jacket, shirt, pants, vest, AND shoes when you pick up your tux.  Even if you have a wedding planner assisting you to smooth the way, there are some things you have to do yourself!

Ring Drop.   It is true that rings develop the characteristics of Mexican Jumping Beans during a ceremony!  One of the reasons I always have the Best Man place the rings on the flat of my palm is to give those jumpy rings a stable, quiet place to sit.  It is so much easier for a bride and groom to pick up a ring from a fairly flat surface than to attempt a fingertip-to-fingertip hand-off.  A bride's wedding band, especially, is often a tiny, delicate thing, difficult to get a good grip on!
Lesson Learned:  Take a deep, steadying breath before you pick up the ring.  And go SLOWLY!

It's a Bird!  It's a Plane!  No, it's a VEIL!  New Mexico in the Spring often means WIND. Especially during April, May, and, this year, June, the wind can be a significant factor during a ceremony.  At a ceremony in April, the bride's veil was pulled off by the wind just as she and her brother started up the aisle. After a quick catch by the wedding planner, the ceremony went on...and the veil was re-attached for photos later. 
What's the Remedy?  Make sure your veil is firmly attached to your head, not just with the comb, but also with some extra hairpins. You can also have your Maid of Honor hold lightly on to the end of a short veil during the ceremony to keep it from blowing over your head and into your face (or your fiance's face!).  (She may have to hand off her bouquet to the next bridesmaid.)  Longer veils can be held about midway through the veil.  And don't forgo the veil just because of wind.  I've seen some beautiful and dramatic photos of blowing veils (and some pretty funny ones too!) taken after the ceremony.
...A blowing veil, a kiss, and a happy ending!  Thank you, Sonya Cogan for the photos!


I always say:  "There are no mistakes in a wedding ceremony."  However much you prepare, Mother Nature and human nature often conspire to disrupt your careful planning! 

Whatever happens, a light-hearted attitude is the best remedy.  Your guests, your family and friends, are sooo rooting for you to have a memorable and special ceremony.  It's that palpable LOVE that will carry you through whatever bumps in the road appear.

A recent outdoor wedding held in Tijeras didn't sacrifice elegance, even in a rustic setting.
Thank you Guillermo from Natural Touch for the photos!

I've been meaning to share some photos of a beautiful wedding I performed in Placitas a while back.  The wedding was featured in Albuquerque the Magazine as an "Extravagant Wedding."  The location was beautiful, but what I remember the most was how easy and friendly the bride and groom made everyone feel, including me.  You can see that even the ceremony was filled with smiles.  Thank you, Meaghan and Andrew for including me in your celebration!  And, below, another light-hearted moment at the UNM Chapel...



With this ring, I thee wed...
And special thanks to Sonya Cogan, Photographer, for the photos!
And Patty of Parties by Patty for making everything go smoothly!

Wow!  I received an email from WeddingWire.com announcing that AwakenedWeddings.com has been awarded the prestigious BRIDE'S CHOICE AWARD ™ 2011 for Officiants.  Awakened Wedding Ceremonies stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. 

But we're not going to be resting on our laurels!  We'll continue to bring our personalized wedding ceremonies and services to make your wedding ceremony meaningful and memorable and relaxed. Let our experienced and caring officiants get your wedding day off to a beautiful start.  It's our promise and our joy to provide these services!

There were so many wonderful weddings this past summer and fall.  I fell behind on blogging!  So here's a gallery of some of the wonderful couples I've worked with and the wonderful locations available in the Albuquerque area:  Four Hills Country Club. Rancho de Corrales, outdoor pavilion at Hotel Albuquerque (2), the BioPark, the Balloon Museum.  And thank you to all the photographers to shared these photos. 





 

The Sandia Bridal Expo is such an exhilarating experience.  Awesome fashion shows, a beautiful location, close to 100 booths, and it's a great start to the 2011 Wedding Season.  Did you have fun?  Now's the time to sift through all the great information and choose the people who will be part of your Wedding Team. 

Over the next two weeks, I'll be sending out emails to all the Sandia Bridal Expo guests about how Awakened Weddings officiants can support you and your fiance on your wedding day...and how you can make that walk down the aisle radiant and relaxed.

January weddings are not that common, but this lovely couple from Russia were not deterred by the threat of wintry weather!  January 3 brought sunny skies and warm temperatures (I love New Mexico in the winter!)  Anna and Kirill were married at the Sunrise Amphitheater at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya.  I wore a long coat!  But Anna and Kirill treated the day as if it were June!  (The sky was spectacular!)

A special Russian ritual took place right after the wedding.  It is traditional for the bride and groom to take a bite out of a special loaf of bread.  The one who takes the biggest bite is said to the be one who will be in charge of the marriage. 


As you can see, Anna will be in charge.

It was a memorable day in such a beautiful location!
Many thanks to the very talented DeAnna and Rick of Dry Heat Photography for sharing the memorable photos.  Thank you!