WEDDINGS

A couple at their wedding ceremony holding hands and laughing under a rustic wooden arch with an officiant presiding, outdoors with a scenic mountain background.

It’s my joy to serve as a wedding officiant for couples who want a creative, personal ceremony that feels authentic and meaningful.  As an ordained interfaith minister, I work with people of any religious tradition (or none), and especially serve the “spiritual but not religious” population. Together, we’ll create a wedding ceremony full of significance, meaning, and connection (and probably some tears and laughter, too).

Starting with your vision and ideas, supported by my experience and comprehensive planning materials, we’ll work together to design a ceremony that feels genuine, meaningful, and centered in the things you value most. Some possibilities include:

  • Blessings from family

  • Readings from poetry, literature, song lyrics, and/or sacred texts

  • Honoring important people who aren’t present

  • Personal vows

  • Cultural or religious traditions

  • Unity Ceremonies (handfasting, tree planting, wine blending, puzzle-piecing, etc.)

  • Nerdy cultural references (Star Wars, LOTR, video games, favorite books or movies, etc)

  • Acknowledging children and honoring blended family

A couple getting married during a wedding ceremony outside at sunset, with an officiant holding ribbons and tying the knot.
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Wedding FAQs

  • In Virginia, you can get your marriage license from any courthouse within the 60 day period before your wedding. You can even get it the day of, if you're getting married on a weekday when the courts are open.

    Both people need to be present, and show your IDs. Some courthouses (like Alexandria) will issue marriage licenses remotely for couples who live out of state.

    After the wedding ceremony, I'll complete your marriage license and send it back to the courthouse within 5 days. You then can request a certified copy of your finalized marriage license to facilitate name changes, insurance updates, etc.

  • Once a couple decides to work with me, I send a packet of ceremony planning materials including a general outline of options, sample vows and readings, and a questionnaire for each of you to complete individually. Once you've completed your questionnaires, you make a date with each other to share and discuss your answers together before you send them back to me.

    Then we'll make a date to meet in person or by phone/video for a detailed ceremony design process. We can use the resources I provide as a starting point, and you’re also encouraged to bring your own vision and ideas (even vague inklings that you're not sure what to do with!).

    After that meeting, I send you a ceremony outline including everything we discussed, including any possibilities you're still developing or considering. The ceremony design is open to your unlimited edits and additional thoughts as the process unfolds.

  • Weddings offer a variety of opportunities to include children, well beyond the traditional flower girl/ring bearer roles, depending on a child’s age and comfort level.  These can include:

    • Family unity ceremonies: creating a family puzzle, sand art, bouquet, or family painting

    • Family vows (from parents to children, and/or vows that the whole family takes together)

    • Gift from parents to children, and/or from children to parents

    • Children can offer readings or music

    • Children can support in various aspects of the ceremony, like holding the broom for the couple to jump over, or tying a handfasting ribbon

  • The Commonwealth of Virginia has strict regulations about who can sign a marriage license (keep in mind that they don’t recognize online ordination).  I’m happy to work with your friend or family member to co-officiate the ceremony, if desired.  I’m also willing to make arrangements to conduct a brief legal wedding before or after your public ceremony.

    Even if your friend or family member is a good public speaker, it doesn't always mean they have the experience to create and lead a ceremonial experience. I can serve as a consultant to you and your friend/family member, providing support with ceremony design and other resources.

  • Yes!  My job is to celebrate, support, and honor love in all forms, and I enthusiastically work with LGBTQ+ couples.

  • Yes, joyfully!  I'm familiar with many of the summits in Shenandoah National Park and along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and I love exploring new places too! 

  • I will, with pleasure, and a headlamp.

  • Having your wedding ceremony in a hot air balloon is a unique and adventurous way to elope.  We all gather at the pre-arranged meeting spot, and then ride to the launch location.  Once we’re up in the air, we can do a 5-10 minute ceremony in between blasts of heat.  That’s enough time for you to say your vows and put rings on each others’ fingers, and for me to do the legal part.  The whole trip is generally about an hour, and I’m happy to take some candid photos while you enjoy the ride.  You leave the ground unmarried, and step back to Earth as a married couple!  More info at Blue Ridge Ballooning

  • All of my weddings are unique, because they are custom-designed for each couple.  A few extraordinary ceremonies especially stand out:

    • A wedding at a skydive center, and the couple went skydiving (for the first time ever) immediately after the ceremony

    • The couple that gave each other tattoos during the ceremony

    • A sunrise elopement in a hot air balloon

    • An anarchist wedding, including specially-written vows and a ritual of maintaining independence

    • A week-long wedding festival with an enormous bonfire after the ceremony, inspired by Burning Man

  • An interfaith minister provides support by honoring each individual’s path, rather than proclaiming the truth of any one path. At One Spirit Interfaith Seminary, we studied each of the major world religions, cultivating respect and appreciation while examining our inherent cultural biases and assumptions.

    As an interfaith minister, my main goal is to help all of us get deeply present to the beauty, truth, and awe of the moment.  My job as your officiant is to understand what will invite you and your guests into that experience, whether it’s prayer, music, gratitude, laughter, or something else entirely. If desired, I’m happy to include your choice of wisdom teachings, from sacred scriptures to song lyrics!

    When a couple wants to honor two (or more) different religious or cultural backgrounds, I’m happy to help research readings, rituals, and customs to create a respectful and harmonious blending of traditions.

    I especially enjoy working with couples who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious”.  Together, we create a ceremony that feels deeply meaningful and sacred, without religious specifics.  If desired, I can also help integrate a few traditional aspects, to honor family members who may be coming from a more religious background.

A wedding ceremony outdoors with a bride, groom, and children, surrounded by greenery and trees.
Two men in blue suits holding hands and facing each other during a wedding ceremony outdoors, with a woman with dark curly hair in the background and two other attendants holding bouquets, under a white cloth arch with floral decorations, surrounded by autumn leaves and trees.
A couple exchanging rings during a wedding ceremony in a hot air balloon, with a woman smiling in the background as they stand close together.
A hot air balloon with rainbow stripes ascending into the sky. The basket carries a smiling couple, and the background features trees and a partly cloudy sky.
  • Two people dressed in historical costumes, smiling and embracing each other inside a room with beige walls. The woman wears a large black feathered hat, a black and beige corset-style top, and a layered skirt. The man wears a black tricorn hat with colorful feathers, a black vest, a beige long-sleeved shirt, and tall black boots.

    “Rev. Kate helped us craft the most beautiful ceremony we could have imagined. She asked all the right questions, understood deeply what we were looking for, and brought it to life.

    She’s like a magic resonator who echoed back our own words with more powerful meaning and helped us see our love for each other more clearly.”

  • A wedding ceremony outdoors in fall, with a bride and groom exchanging vows under a decorative floral arch, officiant smiling in the background.

    “What set Kate apart was not just her professionalism, but the genuine pride she took in curating a ceremony that resonated with us.

    Her thoughtful suggestions, coupled with a host of resources including example prayers, readings, and distinctive unity ceremonies became integral parts of our special day.”

  • A couple getting married outdoors, with a female officiant holding a wedding ribbon between them during the ceremony.

    “Rev Kate was amazing from the start. She showed a level of care and compassion through this process and worked to involve our families to make our elopement absolutely unforgettable.

    Her way with words as well as calming demeanor also made the ceremony much more peaceful during such a nerve racking and critical moment in life. Not to mention she was a ton of fun!"

  • Two men in suits exchanging vows with a woman officiant during a wedding ceremony outdoors on a foggy day.

    “Kate’s heartfelt demeanor and kind words made us feel so comfortable and joyful throughout our sunrise mountaintop ceremony. She took the time to understand our story and wove it beautifully into the ceremony, creating a truly personalized experience. Her genuine kindness and professional presence added an extra layer of magic to our wedding.”

  • A wedding ceremony outdoors with a bride in a white dress holding a bouquet, a groom in a white tuxedo with a black bow tie, and an officiant reading from a book.

    “Kate is a master with words, effortlessly weaving together our love story and personal anecdotes to create a ceremony that was both touching and meaningful. Her attention to detail and thorough communication ensured that every aspect of the ceremony reflected our values and personalities perfectly.”

  • A bride and groom standing on a rocky hilltop with a mountain landscape in the background, gazing at each other, with the bride holding a bouquet of flowers.

    “Rev Kate is a rarity. Her presence is one that provides calm, wisdom, and peace.

    We met initially for lunch , and it felt as though we were visiting with an old friend. From the beginning, Kate made us feel seen, heard, and helped us to bring our vision to reality. “