One of the most important things to consider when saying "I DO" is how will your wedding ceremony reflect what it is you wish to say, both to each other and about each other, to your guests.

Will your ceremony be a traditionally religious one, or do you wish to bring parts of who you are into the ceremony? Will it be sweet and romantic, spiritual or cultural, formal or informal? Do you want your ceremony performed indoors or in the great outdoors? Do you want to play music that is special to you? Can you have it all? The answer is YES!

DISCLAIMER: The only things Rev. Rayner will not do are perform a "birth-suit" (in the nude) ceremony, parachute out of a airplane, or bungee cord jump. And if the ceremony is to take place in the mountains and requires a 4x4 to get there (no road - just a dirt trail), please supply the 4x4 and a safe driver.

To begin the wedding ceremony planning process, please fill out the Preliminary Questionnaire.

Officiating Fees

Interfaith Weddings

The greatest joy and the greatest challenge for the Interfaith bride and groom is claiming their own religious heritage and celebrating it together, in their marriage ceremony and in their lives. The respecting and joining of two faiths or two spiritual practices is a powerful statement about what it is that the couple wishes to claim. If you wish not to claim anything except the love between both of you - do it. The most important thing is that the ceremony reflects you and your relationship as a couple.

When couples marry for the first time, the religion or spiritual tradition that is strongest in either the bride or groom is usually the one the children, if any, are exposed to and are raised in. The couple either follow that one religion or no religion at all. Others, because their individual spiritual beliefs have become more important as integral parts of who they are, would like to be able to blend their religious experience with that of their partner and express both in a manner that is comfortable for them.

Wedding ceremonies should reflect the best of the beliefs and/or customs of the individual bride and groom; things they truly wish to say. In an Interfaith marriage, this might include certain prayers or readings from each religion, or if one has cultural traditions, I can incorporate those. For instance, a Chinese wedding can include a Blessing of the Ancestors as part of the unity candle ceremony, or a Celtic ceremony can include the wrapping and blessing of hands right before the vows. An old Sicilian custom is the kissing of the wedding ring before the groom places it on the bride's finger. All of these traditions make for a very different and personal touch.

Other aspects of the ceremony (the vows, exchange of rings, blessings, readings, and benedictions) can be as personal as the couple would like to make them. They can be anything, from the lyrics of a favorite song about love, to the poetry of e.e.cummings. The beautiful thing about these weddings is that anything goes, as long as the real desires of the couple are respected.

Bringing any children either of the partners have into the wedding marriage ceremony can also be rewarding, if the children wish to participate. From having a son escort his mom down the aisle to having the children light unity candles with their new family, the children can be an integral part of the ceremony. It is a way of allowing them to feel that they can also fit into, and contribute to, this new arrangement.

One of the greatest joys for Rev. Rayner, as an Interfaith clergy, is having a couple come to her wishing to do their wedding ceremony differently. She loves being able to say "The answer to all of your questions is YES!"

To begin the wedding ceremony planning process, please fill out the Preliminary Questionnaire.