Ceremony
Intentional outward form, thoughtfully created
A ceremony gives a transition outward form, allowing it to be named, enacted, and witnessed in the presence of chosen community.
Drawing upon more than thirty years of facilitating and co-leading rituals and gatherings, I create ceremonies through thoughtful conversation rather than relying upon generic scripts. Chosen community may mean a large gathering, several loved ones, a partner, or one trusted witness.
Simple Wedding Ceremony
A warm, personally adapted ceremony using an established 10–15-minute structure, including welcome, intention, vows, rings, and pronouncement. It is especially suitable for couples seeking a brief, civil-style ceremony without the extensive planning or separately designed ritual elements of a fully personalized wedding.
Simple refers to scope—not to the ceremony being cold, generic, or unimportant. The service includes one planning conversation, personal adaptation of the ceremony, one limited revision, and the essential elements of welcome, intention, vows, rings, and pronouncement.
$300
Personalized Wedding or Handfasting
A layered ceremony created specifically around the couple’s relationship, values, commitments, spiritual orientation, and chosen community. These ceremonies often last approximately 45–60 minutes and may include original reflections, personally chosen or newly written vows, readings, blessings, music, family participation, remembrance, and ceremonial transitions. The starting package includes an initial conversation, up to two planning conversations, original ceremony writing, integration of agreed-upon elements, one complete revision, participant guidance, and arrival approximately 30 minutes before the ceremony.
Personalized weddings and handfastings often include a shared symbolic ritual act—an intentional action undertaken together and witnessed by the couple’s chosen community. It may be understood as their first ceremonial act together and could take the form of lighting a unity candle, joining hands in a handfasting, receiving and wearing crowns, sharing a cup, or another meaningful ritual chosen or created to express their commitment.
Starting at $500
Legal Officiation
I am authorized to solemnize marriages in Massachusetts. When I am serving as the legal officiant, completion and signing of the officiant portion of the marriage license are included.
The couple is responsible for obtaining a valid marriage license, reviewing the issuing clerk’s requirements, providing the license to me before the ceremony, and confirming that the legal names and information are correct.
The couple is also responsible for filing the completed marriage license as directed by the issuing clerk. Filing instructions, deadlines, and questions about legal recognition should be confirmed with the appropriate clerk or public authority.
Vow Renewal or
Commitment Ceremony
A ceremony honoring an existing relationship, renewing promises, celebrating endurance, consciously entering a new chapter together, or making a meaningful commitment without legal solemnization. The service ordinarily includes one or two planning conversations, personalized writing, chosen symbolic elements, one revision, and facilitation.
Starting at $375
Home or Property Blessing
A ceremony welcoming, blessing, dedicating, or establishing a renewed relationship with a home, property, room, garden, or working space. Possibilities may include threshold crossing, household participation, sound, scent, water, light, meaningful objects, or elemental symbolism. Travel and the physical scope of the property affect the final quote.
Possible settings include:
A room, garden, or working space
A home or household
A larger property or piece of land
A space being newly welcomed, dedicated, or renewed
Personal Threshold Ceremony
Thoughtfully created ceremonies marking a meaningful beginning, ending, commitment, transition, or return. Each ceremony is created through conversation and may incorporate readings, vows, symbolic actions, sound, breath, scent, meaningful objects, elemental symbolism, or participation by chosen loved ones.
Possible occasions include:
Choosing or affirming a name
Entering a new stage of life, role, or vocation
Retirement or recommitment
Welcoming a child or forming a blended family
Marking recovery, return, or reclamation
Releasing an earlier role or way of living
Beginning or completing a significant personal undertaking
Ceremony Scope & Pricing
Home and property blessings, personal threshold ceremonies, and other custom ceremonies can range from a brief, personal observance with one person or a few chosen witnesses to a larger, layered gathering involving multiple participants and more extensive preparation.
Pricing reflects the planning, writing, participants, setting, ceremonial elements, travel, and overall scope.
Focused Ceremony
Starting at $75
A brief ceremony with limited preparation, involving one person or a few chosen witnesses.
Examples may include:
Choosing or affirming a name
Marking recovery, return, or reclamation
Releasing an earlier role or way of living
Blessing a room, garden, or small working space
Personalized Small-Group Ceremony
Starting at $200
A ceremony involving personalized writing or adaptation, a planning conversation, several symbolic elements, or participation by a small group.
Examples may include:
Beginning or completing a significant personal undertaking
A personal or spiritual rite of passage
A home blessing involving the household
A small welcoming or family ceremony
Expanded Family or Community Ceremony
Starting at $350
A more layered ceremony involving multiple participants, family coordination, original writing, several ceremonial elements, or a larger gathering.
Examples may include:
Welcoming a child with extended family
Forming or affirming a blended family
A multigenerational rite of passage
Examples are guides; final pricing depends on preparation, participants, setting, and overall scope.
Applicable travel is additional.
Custom Ceremony by Conversation
For meaningful circumstances that do not fit neatly within another category. Suitability and pricing are determined through conversation based upon purpose, preparation, participants, setting, travel, and overall scope.
Pricing by conversation
Planning, Travel, and Additional Costs
Rehearsal
$150 for up to 60 minutes; separate-trip travel may apply.
Booking
A 30% retainer reserves the date and begins planning and custom writing. The remaining balance is due 14 days before the ceremony.
Short notice
Accepted when availability and preparation time allow. Bookings within 30 days require payment in full; a $75 urgent-preparation fee may apply to extensive personalization and will be discussed in advance.
Travel
Travel fees are based on the one-way driving distance from my starting location in Brockton, calculated using the route I expect to travel rather than straight-line mileage. The applicable distance and fee are confirmed before booking.
Within 20 miles: Included
21–40 miles: $50
41–60 miles: $100
Beyond 60 miles: Quoted individually
Additional expenses: Tolls, paid parking, ferries, and necessary lodging
Before You Book
Final scope, travel, preparation needs, and marriage-license details when applicable are confirmed before the retainer is accepted. Complete policies accompany the booking agreement.