Happy New Year!
Look back:
2010 was a great year for me personally, and for the building of Ceremonies by Bethel. Those who have gotten to know me in one way or another, or who have read the "About Bethel" section of my website, know that I came to officiating weddings from an unusual way, with a business and Wall Street background. But they also know that I come to this with a real passion for connecting cool couples in a unique way. While I began officiating weddings in 2006, it was mostly for friends and family, and those who heard I did it, until I launched this business full-time in May of 2009. Since that was late in the year for many 2009 weddings, I only officiated 12 weddings that year. This past year, though, was a different story, with 72 ceremonies. Mostly weddings, along with a sweet baby blessing for twins, a renewal of vows for a same sex couple, and a house blessing as well. And, oh yeah, a celebration of life, too, for my beloved Grammy. Boy, she always loved hearing about my weddings and my great couples!
Word spread about me and what I offer, and brought me not only wonderful couples from throughout San Diego, but also terrific couples from elsewhere! In 2010 I married couples from Milwaukee, Chicago, Memphis, New York, the Bay Area, Texas, and London, in addition to a bunch from Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.
These weddings ranged from intimate elopements with only me and a photographer (or even a couple with my husband as the witness, and no photographer), to large 200 person weddings with processions of 32 people, and everything in between. I also had the chance to do another surprise wedding! It was a second marriage for each and a surprise to their kids - the kids showed up thinking it was going to be a family photo session, and instead, they were all witnesses to the wedding!
I also had the opportunity to work with, and get to know, so many incredible wedding professionals! From wedding planners, to photographers, to DJs and musicians, to videographers, to florists, to venues... Wow, there are some wonderful professionals in San Diego, and double wow, there are some incredibly talented photographers in this town! It is an absolute pleasure to arrive at a wedding and see a top-notch team of professionals there - I know the wedding will go well, I can focus on just my role in the celebration, and my couple will love their entire event.
So, what does 2011 hold? Lots of amazing weddings and other life-cycle moments, I expect! I already have 35 weddings on my calendar for the year, with some really terrific couples. They are coming to me already from Austin, Chicago, and the Bay Area, as well as all over Southern California. I will be getting to work with so many of my favorite wedding planners and photographers, as I already have couples in common with some of them. And I know that I will be doing at least one baby naming /blessing ceremony for one of the couples I married this year, since they are expecting!
Here's to a fantastic, love-filled 2011, and a wonderful year for all! I am so very grateful for the 2010 that I had, and am looking forward to an even better 2011. May it be a year filled with good health, happiness, love, prosperity, fun times, new adventures, and lots and lots of laughter for us all!
Cheers,
Bethel