HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2010

Toni and Andy would like to thank all of the couples for whom we had the honor and delight to officiate at their weddings in 2009.

Our Hearts are full of Joy when we remember each and every couple whose lives we were privileged to launch as husband and wife. To just name a few of the couples and the places they chose to be wed, here are some highlights from 2009:

Holly & David at Pt Loma Nazarene Chapel

Maribel & Kyle at Darlington House in La Jolla

Miriam & John at Four Seasons Aviara

Ron & Lisa - Mission Beach Rowing Club

Merrick & Alan at The Admiral Kidd Club

Chad & Jennifer at The Little Rose Chapel in Chula Vista

Arlie & Sky at Hilton Garden Inn in Carlsbad

Stefanie & Jason at Qualcomm Stadium

Lindsay & Stewart on the beach at Coronado

Erin & Florin at the Hotel Laguna in Laguna Beach

Kelly & Matt at The Plaza in San Juan Capistrano

Loretta & Jimmy at the Marina Village

**************************************

We wish all of our couples a Happy First Year of Marriage !!

Toni & Andy

Coaching for the Bride

Lower Your Stress, Boost Your Bliss, Avoid Being a "Bridezilla"

Hi, this is an offer from Toni Torquato of All Heart Weddings.

As an experienced Life Coach and Certified Wedding Celebrant/Minister, I am offering a new service to supports women on their journey to their wedding day.

As a coach, I am a neutral person, interested only in an outcome that serves and supports YOU.

I am NOT a wedding planner or consultant. I have been trained by The Coaches Training Institute in Co-Active Coaching and by Celebrant USA in creating and officiating weddings.

Benefits of Bridal Coaching:
*Identify the support you need
*Strategies to keep stress at a minimum
*Honor your own process
*Manage family and friends
*Communicate clearly
*Stay focused on what's REALLY important and meaningful
*Clarify what you are leaving behind and what you are taking into marriage
*Maintain your heart connection with your fiancé
*Arrive at the altar balanced, fulfilled, and radiant

Fees start at $50 for a 45 minute phone or in-person session.

Packages of multiple sessions are available.

Call me at 858-926-6819 for a no-obligation, 20 minute interview.

Or email to toni@allheartweddings.com

A Truly Unique Place for a Wedding

Many people get married in unusual places that are special to them and their interests. I have done weddings on golf courses, on the beach, on board ocean liners, as well as the more usual venues like hotels, restaurants and private homes.

Recently I performed a wedding on a football field just before a primetime NFL game here in San Diego. The couple are avid San Diego Chargers football fans and the game was the divisional championship between the Chargers and the Denver Broncos. The date was Sunday, December 28, 2008.

I want to again congratulate the couple, Stephanie and Jason, for their prodigious efforts in obtaining permission from the Chargers organization to have their wedding in a very brief ceremony on the football field prior to game time. Indeed, we had ten minutes to get on the field and off! What an awesome place and time, getting ready to host 68,000 fans for such a critical game. I can truly say that the Chargers were excellent hosts and the that the couple truly loved the experience. To add to their joy, they attended the game and the Chargers won.

If you want to view the ceremony, a video has been posted to YouTube. Just go on the YouTube site and put “Qualcomm Wedding” into the search bar, then look for the 12/28/08 date. Enjoy. Sometimes the place you pick is truly unique and long remembered.

Andy

December Holiday Celebrations Lift Our Spirits.

As ceremony specialists and wedding officiants, we are exhilarated by requests to craft ceremonies with rituals that make for unique and memorable moments. December is potent with cultural and religious celebrations that are rich with rituals and symbols.

December 21, the Winter Solstice, is the official beginning of winter. This day has the longest night and shortest day of the year. The Winter Solstice portends the return of the Light and has been celebrated for thousands of years around the world.

Hanukah, the Jewish “Festival of Lights”, begins at sunset on December 22 this year. The ancient story tells that when re-dedicating their Holy Temple, there was only enough oil remaining to light the Temple menorah for one day. Miraculously the oil lasted eight days. Jewish people across the globe light one menorah candle on the first night of Hanukkah, and add a candle each successive night and give gifts.

Christmas, December 25, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, whom Christians call the Light of the World. Christmas has many symbols. Santa Claus, the bringer of gifts is based on St. Nicholas, a Christian leader in the 4th century AD who gave to the poor. The Christmas tree, a stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, the needles point heavenward, symbolizing thoughts turning toward heaven.

Kwanzaa, the African American holiday where people gather to reinforce each other's spirit and friendship was founded by Professor Maulana Karenga, in 1965. Kwanzaa lasts seven days, from December 26 to January 1, to promote the seven basic principles of Unity, Self-determination, Collective Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith. Seven candles are lit and gifts are given to children on the basis of merit.

Already passed is The Eid ul-Adha, a Muslim celebration on December 8. It is a time of feasting and family get togethers, gift giving and special prayers that commemorate Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son to prove his obedience to Allah. Traditionally it is observed at the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Andy and Toni of All Heart Weddings, send you our heart-felt wishes for a holiday season of Joy and Peace. May your celebrations bring you and your community spiritual sustenance that will guide you and keep you well in the New Year.

Family Unity Rituals

Weddings bring families together. The ceremony is a perfect venue in which to acknowledge the family members of the bride and of the groom. As ceremony celebrants Andy and I are well versed in creating and placing rituals within the wedding ceremony that make it meaningful and memorable. Here are a few examples:

A presentation of flowers to the mothers, such as the red rose, a symbol of Love, is a lovely honoring gesture.

A single flower on an empty chair or a bouquet set on a table can be referred to in the ceremony during a “Remembrance” of those family members who have passed away or are unable to attend the wedding. This acknowledgement brings the person to the wedding.

Another family unity idea is the groom can walk down the aisle accompanied by his parents, before the bride’s entrance with her parents. When every one is front and center, it is the perfect opportunity for all of the parents to welcome the new spouses into their families with hugs, handshakes and welcoming words.

Lighting a Unity Candle is a popular ceremony ritual. In a recent ceremony, my couple, Amanda and Andrew, chose to have their mothers and fathers each light candles, next, the bride and groom lit their individual candles from their parents’ joined candles, then the couple joined their flames together to light the Unity Candle. The passing of light from one generation to the next is beautiful symbolism.

Family unity…..it’s a good thing. Toni Torquato

Blending Traditions

Many of the couples that we work with come from different religious and ethnic traditions and we love to blend their backgrounds into their weddings. I can best illustrate this by describing the wedding of Rosa and Jonathan.

Rosa's mother is Mexican and Catholic. Rosa's father is Hawaiian and had a Protestant Christian upbringing. Jonathan comes from a Jewish family.

After discussion and some research we decided to honor and include the traditions of the families in three places. After the couple made their vows, we used the Mexican Catholic tradition of the Lazo (a braided rope) to encircle them and to symbolize their new unity together. After the rings were exchanged, we included the Jewish custom of breaking the glass by the groom. Finally, we asked Rosa's father to honor the couple with a traditional Hawaiian blessing as the wedding was completed.

Their wedding ceremony was a great success. The parents and grandparents were especially delighted and grateful that their children wanted to include these marvelous traditions. By mixing religious and ethnic symbols we were able to give real depth of feeling and honor to this wedding ceremony.

Jennifer and Jared

On their wedding day, the bride and groom are showered with good wishes, usually in the form of toasts at the reception and sentiments written in cards. In April 2007, for the ceremony of Jared and Jennifer Ashlock, I asked if I could request some heartfelt and/or light hearted blessings from some family and friends. I e-mailed and called the list of people the bride and groom gave me and got back lovely blessings that I kept private until I read them to Jared and Jen at the ceremony. They were delighted. Because their ceremony was non-religious, these blessings took the place of a prayer, blessing the union. They further personalized an already very personal wedding ceremony. These personal blessings and well wishes could also be read at the ceremony by a family member. This is one example of how customized a Celebrant wedding ceremony can be.