Hello Everyone,
Earlier this year, I had a meeting set up to talk with Katie and Scott about their ceremony.  But Scott was stranded by that big blizzard in Washington, DC where they live and I ended up meeting Katie...with Scott by computer!  Very high tech!
Katie and Scott had a beautiful ceremony at Hotel Albuquerque in the Spanish Pavilion.  Terry of Blue Rose Studios produced these great photos. (Thanks, Terry.)  The pavilion has enough shade to protect the guests and wedding party...and the foliage creates a beautiful canopy.  Enjoy!

Just the week before, I performed another Hotel Albuquerque wedding for Tabatha and Brian.  Here are a few photos from their celebration!  Thank you, Jason, from Kevin's Photography.

Under a gorgeous green tree, Stephanie and Steve pledged their love to each other in this relaxed and wonderful backyard ceremony.  The bride and groom personalized their ceremony by writing their own vows and adding a Sand Ceremony to the traditional words.  Wedding Planner, Patty of Parties by Patty (www.partiesbypatty.com), managed the transformation of a backyard into a gracious and welcoming wedding wonderland.  Many thanks to Photographer Maggie M. Byers (maggiemphotography.com) for the photos!

The 2010 Wedding Season has begun!  Greetings to the wonderful brides-to-be that I've met at recent bridal fairs.
I haven't blogged in a while and I wanted to "catch up" with some photos of recent weddings.

Caitlyn and Ethan were married last summer at beautiful Tamaya.  DiAnna Dimmitt of Dry Heat Photography took these memorable photos. With the majestic Sandia Mountains in the background and a sky filled will puffy clouds, it was a memorable ceremony in a breath-taking location. 

I worked with DiAnna and Rick Myers, her partner, of Dry Heat at another wedding Saturday. Feb 6. in Belen.  Looking forward to seeing THOSE photos, guys!  Always great to work with you.


AND
Just a few weeks ago on January 30 Sara and James tied the knot on a clear and WARM Saturday afternoon in Corrales.  (Aren't we lucky to live in New Mexico?)  Patty Navarro of Parties by Patty organized the event brilliantly, managing caterers, limos, DJs, guests, wait staff, AND ME with grace, poise, and a deft hand. These are just a few of the light-hearted moments photographer Sonya Cogan captured during the festivities.  Hi Patty and Sonya!  Great to work with you again!

There's more than one officiant at Awakened Wedding Ceremonies!  In the event I'm booked or a couple prefers a male officiant or even a bi-lingual officiant, we can help.

Eric, by the way, is a Disciples of Christ minister who performs both Christian and non-denominational ceremonies. Recently, Eric shared this happy note about a very special wedding he performed:
At the end of one couple's wedding a few of weeks ago, the bride and groom hopped on the groom's Harley and rode into the sunset.  It was a formal wedding so both bride and groom were in full wedding garb - he in tux and she in a flowing white gown, which was all wrapped, tucked, and securely bundled in her lap.  Quite the sight!  (I wish we had photos!)

Monique-Cheri is another of our officiants (and Eric's wife).  When a couple lost their minister at the last minute due to a family emergency, she was able to step in, meet with the couple, do a rehearsal, and perform the wedding in Tijeras with only a few days preparation!  The couple was very grateful.

The bridal party included Crickett and Dobie, the bride and groom's dogs as ring bearers.  According to Monique-Cheri, they did a stellar job!  The wedding ceremony took place outdoors, and in keeping with the country theme, hay bales, covered with beautiful handmade quilts, were used as seats. The backdrop was a field of yellow wildflowers and just before the ceremony got underway, the couple's two horses moseyed up from behind the fence to check things out.  Shortly after the ceremony ended, the heavens opened with a great blessing of rain.  By then, everyone was snug and dry under a big outdoor tent!

Remember, we also have Ana, a bi-lingual officiant, if you want your ceremony in Spanish!

For last-minute emergencies and wedding ceremonies that fit your lifestyle and beliefs, give us a call and we'll be there for you!

Dear Readers,
Weddings come in all shapes and sizes!  They may be held in backyards, at restaurants, or in hotel libraries.  There's always one common denominator...the LOVE shines through.
I worked with these wonderful couples in September and they shared some of their wedding photos with me...and I'm sharing them with you! 

Each year at the Balloon Fiesta, there's always a flurry of weddings!  What more unique and romantic place to get married than floating silently above the earth in a hot air balloon! This year I had the honor and pleasure of performing an intimate ceremony for Anna and Ben and enjoying my first balloon ride. (Check out photos below!)

As pilot, Mike Gianetti instructed us in balloon protocol, the rest of the team (his wife Lisa, Charlie, and Mary) prepared the balloon for inflation.  The giant flame from the burner always looks so dramatic in the early morning light!  The basket was decorated with big white bows. Then the balloon was inflated, we jumped into the basket and suddenly we were airborne!  It was so smooth and quiet, it was hard to believe we left the ground! 

Anna and Ben were fashionably attired in black and white ski hats embroidered with "Bride" and "Groom."  Of course, we all were taking photos like mad!  The clouds were magnificent over the mountains.  Then the ceremony began...and after the pronouncement of marriage, the newly-weds donned "Just Married" baseball caps for the rest of the flight.  We had a beautiful soft landing at the UNM Campus and were efficiently packed up and back to the Balloon Fiesta grounds in no time flat!  Thanks to Rainbow Ryders for inviting me to officiate and to Mike and Lisa (newlyweds themselves!) for a very smooth flight and for hosting this very special ceremony.

I spent the first weekend in October in Santa Fe, enjoying the beautiful fall weather, performing weddings, and training a new minister.  Many of the roads in Santa Fe are edged with brilliant yellow chamisa and purple flowers, the trees were dressed in golden leaves and the sky was clear blue.  Perfect days for a wedding!

The first wedding was held at the historic La Fonda Hotel on theupper Terrace.  This beautiful space is decorated with masses of potted flower and looks right out on to the newly restored St.Francis Cathedral.  Both the bride and groom were escorted down the aisle by both parents...a sweet way to honor your parents!  And just as the groom pledged his love to his bride, the cathedral bells began to ring!  A very special moment!

Bishop's Lodge has a beautiful gazebo on their grounds that is the perfect location for a wedding.  The guests are protected from the sun by big shade trees.  So beautiful.  The two weddings there included children of the bride and/or groom; and both couples used a sand ceremony to include their children.  Kids love pouring their own special color of sand into the vase with their parents.  It's a wonderful way to symbolize the blending of families into a single new family unit.
At the first wedding of the afternoon, the groom walked up the aisle with both his children.  Then the bride walked up with her two children.  During the sand ceremony, their guitarist provided sweet background music as the couple and their 4 children poured their own colors of sand into the glass vase making a beautiful design.
At the second ceremony, the bride's daughter was one of the bridesmaids and she joined her mother and new step-dad for the sand ceremony.  Meanwhile, a classical pianist played beautiful music in the background.  That's all for now!

ANYWHERE is a great place to have a wedding!  This past weekend, I performed weddings on La Luz Trail in the Cibola National Forest, at the Prairie Star restaurant on the Santa Ana Indian Reservation, at Artichoke Cafe in ABQ, and at a private home in Rio Rancho.  Each wedding had a different personality and each wedding was filled with love and good times.

Sarah and Andrew are both avid rock climbers.  They met at an indoor rock climbing wall and wanted the great outdoors to be part of their ceremony.  So they chose the spectacular La Luz trail just below Sandia Peak.  After a five minute hike, we came to the location they chose and the wedding was performed - followed by toasts!

Congratulations to Sarah and Andrew!
At the Rio Rancho wedding (no photos yet!), the bride and her attendants all wore beautiful long gowns and colorful low-rise sneakers. (Much easier to walk on grass with sneakers!)  With harp music playing, the groom and groomsmen arrived, followed by Ashley and her bridesmaids. Ashley and Daniel set up an arch decorated with fall flowers and leaves in one corner of the shaded back yard and offered guests traditional Mexican food after the ceremony.  An easy, relaxed time for all!

On Sunday afternoon, I took part in the Dillard's Bridal Fair at the Sheraton Uptown where I met the first wave of 2010 and 2011 brides!  It's hard to believe it's almost 2010!  The Sheraton is a beautiful facility with a huge ballroom and several smaller rooms for more intimate weddings.  Wedding gowns and bridesmaids gowns were modeled as brides-to-be sampled cake and talked with photographers, DJs, video-graphers, and more.  Thank you to all the brides who visited the AwakenedWeddings.com booth!  If you have any more questions about our ceremony services, I'd be happy to answer them.  There are so many wonderful ways to make your ceremony special!

I just received some photos from a wedding I performed earlier in September.  It took place a Desert Greens Country Club.  I loved the way the trees made a beautiful dappled pattern down the aisle and shaded the guests and bride and groom during the ceremony.  A spectacular blue-sky day in the perfect location.
In the "sun-dappled" photo below, Shianne and Richard are facing their parents for the "Parental Honoring."  This optional part of the ceremony gives the couple a chance to recognize their parents for all the love and care parents offer to their children. 
Thank you to William of Sweet William Photography for the photos!

Performing weddings around Albuquerque and Santa Fe, I have the good fortune to work with many great people.  These wedding professionals are dedicated and experienced; and I know the wedding will go without a hitch when they show up.  This past weekend I once again worked with Jim Gross of Carousel of Music.  Jim is an accomplished guitarist and great DJ.  He always scouts a venue before the wedding or event to determine the best sound level and always asks me about the details of a ceremony so his music will flow smoothly with the unfolding wedding.
I also bumped into Rick Meiers of Dry Heat Photography again this past weekend.  He was shooting my Friday night wedding.  You might recall the great deluge we experienced on Friday.  It was very serious rain!  The rain ended about an hour before the ceremony and the wedding went off without a hitch under dramatic gray skies.  Just after the ceremony, as I was leaving, I noticed the sun peeking through the clouds for a beautiful sunset...Rick noticed it too and in a flash had the newly-weds posed on the balcony with the sunset as a backdrop.  Beautiful.
It's not just the photographers or musicians that make a wedding special!  This past weekend, I had the pleasure of working at three local venues where the event managers make an extra effort to make sure a wedding goes smoothly.  At Los Poblanos, Sheli Armstong is always a pleasure to work with and always available during those last few minutes before a ceremony starts.  In fact, she spent those extra minutes finding paper, scissors, and tape for a paper funnel for the Sand Ceremony.  (Sometimes the keepsake container for the sand is beautiful, but the opening is too small for two people to pour sand into it!)   Thank you, Sheli!

At Desert Greens Country Club, Desiree took great care of the bride and groom and their families, even carrying water and glasses out for their refreshment during the post-wedding photo session.

And at Sandio Resort and Casino, Genie Rossetti managed a slightly late bride, a misplaced table, and a looming rain storm without skipping a beat.  The result?  A very happy couple and a beautiful ceremony.  Great wedding pros at work!

There are many wonderful reasons I love performing weddings.  It is a very special moment when two people pledge love to each other!  Very powerful.  Love uplifts and inspires not only the couple, but me and all the guests too! 
The brides always look radiant in their gowns, the mothers and dads beaming with pride as they wipe away a tear...
What a joyful time!  And I get to perform weddings at many beautiful locations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

A few days ago I performed an intimate wedding at the beautiful and elegant La Posada in Santa Fe.  La Posada is tucked away on Palace Ave just a few blocks from the Santa Fe Plaza.  For the wedding, their Library was decorated with red rose petals and white votive candles.  The ceremony was performed in front of the fireplace which had three beautiful red rose and red orchid bouquets displayed in tall vases among the candles and the rose petals. The combination of the tiny orchids and the rich red roses was exquisite.  (Flowers by Marissa)

David Stone, the event manager of La Posada and Jennifer Rick welcomed guests and deftly handled all the little details that make a wedding flow smoothly.  At last, as the candles flickered and the last guests arrived, the bride entered and the ceremony began.

I performed another intimate ceremony last weekend at the Corrales Winery in Corrales.  As I waited for the couple and their guests to arrive, I sampled a sip of a couple of their wonderful wines.  I tasted and enjoyed their Blendido, a fruity and sweet red, and the Muscat Canelli, a sweet white.  A row of about 20 bottles with gold and silver medals adorns one side of the tasting room.  Very impressive!  (and, no, I was not tipsy!)

This coming weekend I'm off to beautiful Los Poblanos in Albuquerque and Sandia Resort and Casino for wedding ceremonies.  Back soon!