Celebrations and Life Passages
With Doug's guidance and support you will celebrate your special, sacred times with dignity and grace; they'll be humane and spiritual in keeping with your personal values and fondest hopes. Your occasions will be creatively crafted, sensitively presented, and honor both you and the other participants. Occasions can be traditional, contemporary, and unique; built on your thoughts, words, feelings, hopes, and dreams.
Doug meets with you in advance to assist you in creating just the right tone and wording, and to be present with you as you explore the plans and emotions that will make your occasion unique and special.
These occasions can be Christian, interfaith, non-denominational, spiritual, secular, or humanist and include:
Betrothal Ceremonies | In advance of a wedding service a betrothal ritual makes a commitment intentional and brings two people into a covenant or promise that engenders deeper love and trust. |
Weddings | Doug offers pre-marriage preparation and planning, supportive pre-ceremony counseling, and the ceremony itself. |
Private/ElopementStealth Services | Often couples wish to have a very private occasion, alone, with only a witness, or with very select friends and family. Such occasions are rich in intimacy and focus. They are usually performed in a location that is particularly special to the couple. For some couples "Guerrilla Weddings" can cut the logistical stresses and costs. |
Holy Unions | In states that do not yet permit the wedding of same gender persons, Doug will assist you in crafting a special ritual of union that includes the services listed above under Weddings. |
Welcoming a New Life Through Birth or Adoption | Baptisms are most often performed inside of a beloved community (church) but are also appropriate in an intimate setting with family, extended family, and closest friends. This ritual welcomes a new life and participants vow to support the family and guide the child in experiencing unconditional Divine love and grace. Christenings impart a child's name and affirm her/his sacred place in the family and extended family. A Christening may have distinct Christian structure or it may be universal and spiritual. Non-religious rituals of welcome bring together family and extended family to celebrate the arrival of a new child and in a poetic spirit add depth, meaning, and mutual commitment as the child begins a life journey. |
Vocational Changes and Retirement | Vocation changes and retirement are significant moments in life that require a celebration. In both instances a phase of life is completed, a different agenda waits, and memories take on new significance. Retirement is observed as a season to take stock, renew and find new directions, and fresh commitments and opportunities. |
Memorial and Funeral Services | Rituals at the end of life give particular comfort, support, and peaceful closure to surviving family and friends through positive, constructive expressions of thanksgiving and remembering. |
Service of Release from Marriage or a Covenant Relationship | The completion of a relationship is difficult in its own right, however Doug helps a couple create a respectful, dignified, and peaceful ritual of separation that can include family members and intimate friends. |
Unique Moments That Invite Recognition and Celebration | Doug will assist you in creating an occasion that honors an important time in your life. |