BLOG.LONGISLANDWEDDINGOFFICIANT.INFO

Update 6/21

2009-06-23T07:43:00Z

Wedding Ceremony number 3 of this weekend. The Place...Sans Souci of Sea Cliff...The time 11 am....The weather...well....let's just say...on the way...it was a bit incongruous. While I was driving there, it was raining. By the time I got there, the sun had come out and the rain had stopped...and stayed stopped until well after the ceremony. The happy bride and groom, as well as their 100 or so guests, were able to have their ceremony outside, under the Wedding Arch, overlooking the water. It was perfect. Even the wind cooperated. It was perfectly calm. Everyone was extremely happy... from the super attentive staff of the Sans Souci...to the DJ providing the ceremony music....to the guests... to the beautiful bride and handsome groom. It was my only bilingual ceremony for this weekend....More next weekend.

Update 6/20

2009-06-23T07:39:00Z

OK...Wedding Number 2 of this weekend...A small...intimate gathering of family and friends in a small private room at the Marriott near Laguardia Airport. What a lovely ceremony. The hotel staff did a nice job setting up the room. The happy bride and groom were gracious hosts to their guests. It was a very simple heartfelt ceremony.

Update 6/19/09

2009-06-20T14:21:00Z

Well...it was a beautiful evening for a wedding. This was on the roof of 450 West 31st Street, NYC, Studio 450. What a beautiful venue overlooking the Hudson River on one side and the East side on the other. If you are planning a wedding in the city, you should really check this place out. Although there were 200 guests, the ceremony still was very intimate and cozy.

Update, 6/13, Staten Island

2009-06-14T09:55:00Z

Well...wedding number 3. The bad news....the weather did not cooperate...the good news....although the ceremony was outdoors in their backyard...we were under a huge tent. You didn't even know it was raining. Under the covering...it was a beautiful spring evening. The ceremony was totally in Spanish except for the Unity Candle lighting Ceremony which was in English. The couples' 3 children were in attendance. Although the weather was not perfect, it did not affect the lighting of the candle;es. They all stayed lit for the duration of the ceremony. It was a lovely ceremony for a lovely couple.

Update, 6/13, Jones Beach

2009-06-14T09:51:00Z

Well...it was back to Field 2 for my second wedding of the day. Once again, the threatening weather cooperated. Although there was a huge lake-like puddle in the middle of the sand which kept us from using the west side of the beach/dunes area, there was plenty of room at the north side dunes. It was a nice gathering of about 10 guests including the bride, groom and their small baby. The sand ceremony incorporated into the ceremony along with the reading from 1st Corinthians chapter 13 added to the uniqueness on the beach with a full Christian ceremony. It was beautiful.

Update 6/13/09 Wedding in my Backyard under the Wedding Arch

2009-06-14T09:47:00Z

The first ceremony of a 3 ceremony day. Although the weather was threatening, I was able to perform this ceremony outside under the arch. It was a small, intimate, elopement type ceremony that included her bride, groom and the bride's daughter as the witness, Maid of Honor and Ring Bearer. It was very nice.

Update 6/7/09

2009-06-09T06:58:00Z

Sunday night. This was a lovely night for a wedding. The weather was perfect. This happy couple's ceremony was at the Orange Grill (www.orangegrill.com) in Brooklyn. This was a very cool restaurant. It is a Japanese restaurant with an Eastern European flair. They had a dj and live music as well. Although I was not able to sample the food, the presentation was beautiful and it smelled delicious. The newly wed couple had a very intimate ceremony in a small private room with 2 witnesses and 2 additional guests. It was very, very nice.

While I was there, I was able to check out my old "stomping grounds." Before the ceremony (I was an hour early) I snacked at Spumoni Gardens and had a slice of the best Sicilian pizza in Brooklyn. After the ceremony, it was still early enough to drop by Coney island for a hot dog and french fries on the way back to the island at the original Nathan's, as well as have a soft serve pistachio and banana ice cream.

5/30/09 Wedding Jones Beach

2009-06-01T12:20:00Z

A perfect day for a beach wedding. At 11 am, the sky was clear, and the sun was hot. Even the wind cooperated. It was beautiful. Approximately 20 family members and close friends were present. It was a perfect balance of beach, ocean and dunes.

5/24/09 elopement ceremony in my backyard

2009-05-25T04:16:00Z

Well, after only a small amount of traffic on the Belt Parkway and Atlantic Avenue, I made it home with and hour to spare for my 7:30 ceremony in my backyard. I previously had officiated many ceremonies in my home, but none outside under the arch. Although it was a very simple informal, Christian ceremony, it was quite meaningful for all. If you get a moment, please check out the pictures on my website. I look forward to doing more of these.

5/24/09 wedding at The Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture

2009-05-25T04:11:00Z

What a beautiful afternoon for a wedding. My first wedding today was a bilingual (Spanish/English) ceremony which included a Spanish solo by me. I love singing in Spanish. For the most part, the weather cooperated. The last minute or so of the ceremony contained a slight drizzle. But, other than that, the afternoon was perfect. The happy couple were able to take their photographs right across the street from the venue in beautiful Prospect Park. I had a ball.

Wedding at Garrison Landing

2009-05-24T09:14:00Z

What a charming town. What a charming couple. What a charming place for a wedding. An isolated gazebo right on the water. A beautiful evening for a beautiful military couple getting ready to head on to Germany. It was a lovely night for a wedding. About 1 1/2 hours and 70 miles from Long Island. It was a perfect evening.

UPDATE 5/22/09

2009-05-23T06:08:00Z

Well, this afternoon was perfect for a Memorial Day Weekend Beach wedding on Ditch Plains Beach in Montauk. It was a bit windy...a tad chilly...but gorgeous for a wedding. The happy couple chose to include the groom's daughter in the ceremony. This 18 year old young lady recited her own vows and had her own Final Blessing. It was beautiful.

Luckily, we were a little early, so we still had time to climb the steps of the lighthouse....lotsa steps...wow! On the way home, we stopped at an incredible little Mexican Restaurant in Amagansett called La Fondita. The food was incredible and the prices were very reasonable. We both had entrées which included rice, beans, nachos and salad, we split an appetizer, we each had beverages and each had a cookie for dessert and the total cost including tax was only about $30.00! They make their own salsas...9 in all with varying intensities of spice. Check out their website...www.lafondita.com. I was disappointed when they informed me the could not deliver to East Meadow. I suppose I'll have to make the trip again soon.

The Start of a Beautiful Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-23T06:05:00Z

4 Weddings This Weekend. Please check back for details.

UPDATE 4/26

2009-04-27T10:00:00Z

April 26, 2009...What a gorgeous afternoon for a wedding on the beach. This ceremony took place at The Pavilion at Sunken Meadow Park. It was truly a lovely ceremony. The staff of The Pavilion did a great job. The couple was from Poland. The DJ was very accommodating, having half of his sound system inside the Pavilion and the other half on the boardwalk for the ceremony on the beach.. He was a pleasure to work with. It was my first beach wedding of the season. I am really looking forward to my next one next month.

Update 4/24

2009-04-25T20:31:00Z

On 4/24 I performed a ceremony at Bruno's on the Boulevard in East Elmhurst. It was my first All Spanish ceremony. I had a blast. Me gusta mucho! The handsome groom was from The Dominican Republic, and the beautiful bride was from Guatemala. This ceremony had one of the most powerful DJ systems I ever heard. It was like being at Madison Square Garden. Wow.

Update 4/19

2009-04-25T20:28:00Z

On 4/19 I performed a ceremony at The Historical Thatched Cottage in Centerport. Everyone did a great job. It was a lovely afternoon. The ceremony took place at the Gazebo right by the water. A very romantic sounding string quartet provided the music for the Prelude, processional and recessional. It was a fine idea for music. It was really enjoyable.

UPDATE 4/17

2009-04-25T20:08:00Z

On 4/17, I performed a bilingual (Spanish/English) ceremony for a lovely Argentinian couple in a private residence in Central Islip. It was a lovely, intimate ceremony with close family and friends. The bride and groom did not speak any English, so I had an opportunity to practice my conversational Spanish. It was a fun evening.

UPDATE 4/11

2009-04-25T20:03:00Z

On April 11th, I performed a ceremony for a really nice couple at The Swan Club. It was the first time I worked with a Chinese interpreter. The weather was nice in the late afternoon, so the couple was able to get really nice pictures on the beautiful grounds of The Swan Club. The staff was very attentive to the bride and groom.

UPDATE

2009-04-25T19:57:00Z

Well...it appears it has been 17 days since my last and first post. It's been so busy. I guess I really have to make time for posting updates. I am really going to make a conscious effort to make posting regularly a priority.

MY VERY FIRST BLOG ENTRY

2009-04-08T21:24:00Z

Welcome all!

I am new to blogging, so please have patience with me. Please check back often for updates, Please feel free to post whenever you like.

Blessings and Peace,

Rev. Johnny