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Singing and dancing at this circus-inspired German wedding

Anneke and Michael’s wedding in Lüneburg, Germany had a traditional ceremony, a second outdoor ceremony, and a carnvial-esque costume-themed reception. The bride wore a dress handmade by one of her best friends. The first ceremony was held in a medieval watertower, and afterwards the pair bicycled to the outdoor reception where the second ceremony took place.

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Create a coloring sheet placemat for the kids

Lisa and Bill’s ’80s-themed wedding had a big neon cake, records everywhere, and mix tape favors. But one of my favorite parts was their coloring book-style placemat for the kids in attendance.

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Lynsey & Dominic’s retro musical comic book-ish wedding

A retro look and snazzy suspenders only barely hold back a party of superheroes at this wedding. From the paper flower bouquets made from family heirloom sheet music to the groom’s red cape, this couple really infused their wedding with their favorite things. Follow the bat signal (or the ’50s music) to see more…

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How to have a friend officiate a wedding… specifically, YOUR wedding!

This is a notion that is near and dear to my own heart because that’s how I got started as a professional officiant.  My best friend asked me to perform her wedding ceremony, and her big fat Jewish-Lutheran-Pagan ceremony inspired me to become a Life-Cycle Celebrant.

Having a friend-officiate can be a lot of work — in the end, it is DIY project.  But if it is something that you have your heart set on, there are ways to really make it work, and make it work well. So, as a friend-officiant turned professional, I’d like to offer some advice and suggestions for having a friend officiate at your wedding.