Ordained clergy can assist you with creating meaningful ceremonies during life’s milestone moments. For most of us that will mean a wedding, a funeral or a memorial service. It can also mean a ceremony or ritual to mark a life passage such as recovering from a serious illness, welcoming a child into our lives, blessing a home or marking, in a special way, an experience of mourning. Charlise can assist you with all of these life passages to make them unique, beautiful and reflective of your personal taste and faith.
Weddings
In the tradition I was ordained into, there are only three times in our lives when we take sacred vows: at baptism, at marriage and at ordination. I understand the vows of marriage to be sacred and holy vows of commitment, and I work with couples to create a wedding ceremony that reflects that sacred quality, as well as, reflecting the couple’s personal taste and their unique faith tradition, if any. I offer an initial, no cost, consultation where I’ll gain a knowledge of your hopes and plans for the ceremony, we’ll get to know each other and you’ll decide if I’m the right minister to officiate your wedding. We’ll meet for two to three additional times to go over your vows, whether you choose to write your own or use vows from a particular tradition, to talk about the unique parts of the ceremony you wish to include and any concerns you have going forward. I’ll write the wedding bulletin for you and submit it you for your approval. Unless it’s a particularly small wedding with no attendants, I will help facilitate the rehearsal. A rehearsal helps you and your wedding party feel comfortable with the liturgy, and when that happens the wedding ceremony will flow smoothly and will truly reflect your wishes for your special day.
Additionally, if you desire any type of pre-marital counseling, I can assist you with that or refer you to a professional therapist. I ask for at least 60 days notice before the actual date of the wedding to accomplish the work of building your beautiful ceremony! Fees will be discussed and agreed upon at our first consultation.
Funerals or Memorial Services
To officiate at a funeral or memorial service for a loved one is, like a wedding ceremony, a moment that is sacred and holy. Recognizing that there are many ways to celebrate a life, I help families plan both traditional and alternative celebrations of the life of your loved one. I have experience in creating services of remembrance for people of all ages. Additionally, with my background as a Chaplain at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas in the Pediatric ICU and Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, I have a special desire in my work to create beautiful and meaningful services for children.
The primary purposes of a funeral or memorial is to (1) celebrate the life of the person you love (2) to care for those who are living by designing a service which will help you in your mourning process and (3) to honor the faith tradition or personal worldview of the person who has died. Additionally, you may be desiring to reaffirm your own spiritual values or to heal old family wounds. A beautifully crafted ceremony can help you attain these goals.
Like my services for a wedding, I offer an initial, no cost, consultation in which you will share your desires for a meaningful service and learn more about me so to help you in your decision in choosing the right minister for this occasion. We’ll discuss fees at that time. Additionally, I do offer reduced fees for families who are planning a funeral or memorial service for a child and for veterans.
Other Rites of Passage
For other rites, such as creating a ritual to mark recovery from a serious illness, renewal of marriage vows or to mark a significant moment in a time of mourning, such as a miscarriage, please contact me.