A castle, a micro wedding, and a T-Rex

A T-Rex at a Wedding?

As a wedding officiant in New York, I have performed more than 1,500 weddings and Vow Renewals and this was a first.  It turns out my couple met online and part of what brought them together was their mutual passion for Jurrasic Park.  After having to postpone their nuptials numerous times due to Covid-19, they finally planned their micro-wedding in Westchester at Whitby Castle.

Looking for a Venue for your Micro-Wedding in New York?

Wedding Venue in New York
Castle Wedding in New York

Only 30 minutes from NYC, Whitby Castle in Rye, NY is the perfect venue for your fairytale wedding.  These days when you are planning your wedding it is so important to consider the safety of your guests.  Many venues are adapting to these new safety standards and are now offering small, intimate weddings for you to celebrate your big day.

New York Venues Offering Small Weddings

Central Park is the perfect option year-round for your intimate wedding.  If you’re looking for a venue where your guests can attend your ceremony and have a socially-distanced reception, the following New York venues are offering packages for your big day:

  1. Water Club (Manhattan)
  2. 620 Loft & Garden (Manhattan)
  3. Wythe Hotel (Brooklyn)
  4. My Moon Restaurant (Brooklyn)
  5. Midtown Loft & Terrace (Manhattan)

For Officiant and Pre-Marital Counseling services, contact Rev. Dr. Samora Smith for a consultation to discuss your needs.  Dr. Samora is an award-winning wedding officiant in New York and offers ceremonies for multi-faith, non-denominational, LGBTQ weddings and Vow Renewals.  

Email:  rev.samora@gmail.com

Phone: (646) 736-2510

We Are Featured in The Knot!

Check out this new article on The Knot!

Are you planning your Micro Wedding and looking for meaningful ways to write your wedding ceremony? This article is for you.

As a top-rated wedding officiant in New York, I was recently contacted by one of the editors for The Knot to assist engaged couples who are planning their intimate, non-denominational, or hybrid-spiritual ceremony.  These times call for creativity and heartfelt celebrations to celebrate our nearest and dearest. This article answers your questions on how to put together a personal ceremony while still honoring tradition.

Need help with writing your personal vow?

As I mentioned in the article, one of the best ways to personalize your wedding ceremony is to write personal vows to each other.  I recently wrote and published a book with 300 plus original phrases for you to use as inspiration for creating your own wedding vow.  Many engaged brides and grooms refrain from writing vows due to a lack of confidence in their writing skills.  Sometimes with a little encouragement and inspiration, you will find that writing your vow is actually enjoyable.  It’s a chance for you to share your feelings on the most important day of your life.  To order a copy of my book, click here.

Are small gatherings the new normal for weddings?

Since social-distancing protocols have become the fabric of our existence, it is probably best to plan a smaller wedding celebration than you may be accustomed to.  Many engaged couples are planning outdoor weddings to keep their guests (and themselves!) safe.  If there are people who are unable to attend or travel, you can set up a skype or zoom call to allow your long-distance guests to attend your wedding ceremony live via Livestream.

Rev. Dr. Samora Smith, owner of Common Ground Ceremonies is an award-winning NYC wedding officiant, pre-marital counselor, relationship and life coach, hypnotherapist/NLP practitioner.  You can contact her directly at rev.samora@gmail.com or visit her website for more info www.commongroundceremonies.com

 

 

What to Do When you have Problems with Your Bridesmaids

Every bride seeks help on how to deal with problematic bridesmaids. Some problems occur when the bridesmaids have never met each other and they can find it extremely difficult to get along. Being a bride, it can be really stressful because all of them matter to you and you cannot just let them be on their own on your special day. Moreover, there can also be other unforeseen issues that can arise like a problem with the dresses, vendors showing up late, or even issues with the venue. Here we will discuss what you can do when your bridesmaids are being less than helpful.

Problem 1 – They Don’t Like the Dress

We all come in different shapes and sizes so the “one-style-fits-all” doesn’t really go over too well these days.  If you have chosen the dresses of your bridesmaids and they are not comfortable with it, you should think of a quick alternative. You may have already invested your time and energy to find the best available dress, but if they don’t like it, there is no point in forcing them. What you can do is arrange an alternative dress that they can wear. Let them choose the style and you decide the color. Of course, they should respect any limits you may have like no strapless, or nothing that comes above their knees.  In the end, they will feel more empowered and their confidence will shine through because they chose their favorite dress that will complement the event as well.

Problem 2 – I Don’t Want to Work

You should know that your bridesmaids are not your maids. They are your friends and they are here to share your happiness. You should try to treat them accordingly and ask other family members to attend them with care and concern. If they are asked to work time and time again, they will get annoyed and will want to leave as early as possible. Moreover, you can always include a male friend on your bridesmaid’s list because they will want to feel useful by helping out a little extra and keep things normal.

Problem 3 – Bridesmaids Don’t Like Each Other

There are chances that the bridesmaids may not like each other. In this case, what you can do is define areas where they will be working and limit their interactions to taking group photos, being in the ceremony and entering the reception.  If you have a wedding coordinator, have them act as a buffer when they foresee any possible conflicts arise.   It will take some of the pressure of you and make the rest of the bridal party calm so that your event will happily continue without any mishap. Just try to keep things simple as much as you can at your wedding ceremony.

Problem 4 – Bridesmaids Didn’t Show Up

One of the biggest problems that you may face is when your bridesmaids ditch you at the very last minute. All your plans are dependent on their presence and if they fail to show up, you can find yourself in serious trouble. For this problem, you should always have some backup. This is where you can ask your other friends to be ready for any kind of help that you would need.

These are some problems that you might face at your wedding ceremony. Using the solutions given above, you can easily cope with them and make your wedding ceremony a memorable one. If you like, you can also lean on the expertise of your wedding officiant to offer solutions for the ceremony, regardless of whether your wedding party is cooperative or not.  After all, it is your wedding day and all of your family and friends are there to celebrate you and your future spouse.

Spring Wedding Color Trends Have Arrived!

Are you planning to get married this Spring?  Well, we are so excited to share these new, exciting color trends that have emerged for this spring.  Whether you are looking for unique ideas for your bridal party or searching for ideas for your groom or groomsmen.

We love to refer our couples to The Black Tux, a rental company specializing in groom and groomsmen attire.  

You can’t go wrong with these wedding color inspirations.

Contact Common Ground Ceremonies today to learn more about how we can assist you with your wedding in New York City and the surrounding areas.  We offer elopement packages and large-scale wedding packages.  We will work with your budget and always deliver award-winning service!

Unique NYC Wedding Location with Views

Looking for an artsy, scenic location for your small wedding in New York City?

The High Line offers a unique location for your elopement in NYC.  It is built on a historic freight line and elevated above the streets downtown on Manhattan’s West side.  It runs from the West Village’s trendy Meatpacking District up to 34th Street.

It offers views of the Hudson River and the rooftops of buildings of Manhattan.  There are many unique nooks for a small ceremony and an ideal spot for a sunrise or sunset ceremony.

Contact Common Ground Ceremonies to discuss all the different locations to elope in NYC.  There are many wonderful restaurants and the famous Chelsea Market are under the High Line.

Please call us at 646-709-2090 to book your unique wedding ceremony today.

Elopement at The High Line Park in New York City
Elopement at The High Line Park in New York City

The Knot-Best of Weddings “Hall of Fame” Award 2016

It has been an amazing journey from the moment I decided to become an Interfaith Minister back in 2005.  At that particular time I didn’t know where it would lead, but I knew that I had opened up myself to be of service to myself and others.  I still don’t define myself as religious but I feel blessed and liberated when I can assist people on their spiritual journey.  I began marrying couples in 2010 and it has been one of the most gratifying experiences.  I am so moved by all of the wonderful couples I meet, hearing their stories and always feel honored to bring their families together.  As a New York City Wedding Officiant, I have met people from all over the world, straight and gay who are overjoyed to finally marry the person they love.  I have won The Knot “Best of Weddings” award for the past 4 years and because of all of my amazing reviews, I am proud to announce that I have finally made The Knot “Hall of Fame” Award.  Happy New Year to everyone and please contact me at (646)709-2090 to discuss your upcoming celebration.