As the Coronavirus pandemic swept through New York State and the Governor flipped the switch to allow virtual marriage ceremonies, thousands of panicked couples reached out for guidance. Where did they turn? They turned to trained Life-Cycle Celebrants. They looked to us to guide them through the brand new process of applying for a marriage license virtually and then orchestrating an online ceremony. Celebrants acted as interpreters of the City Clerk’s guidelines. We became the frontline workers of the marriage process.

The one thing the virus couldn’t beat was love. Despite quarantine, despite being home-bound, despite a virus ravaging the city, despite losing their jobs, despite paralyzing uncertainty, couples still wanted to get married. Couples longed to celebrate the love they had, which in some cases was the only positive thing in their entire lives. They turned to trained Celebrants to help them.

As their ceremonies went online, they turned to us again to help them choreograph video weddings and license-signings. The process was confusing and distant and new but we prevailed.

Then recently as the city began to open up again and couples dared to take their weddings back to the parks and event spaces, they turned to us to navigate ways to make a ceremony socially distanced. And if that wasn’t enough, they turned to us to figure out how to make these new socially distanced ceremonies work simultaneously as video ceremonies because most of their guests, from all around the world, could not travel to be with them in person.

When it comes to marriage ceremonies, Celebrants are essential employees. Our bill, S-430, deserves to be passed. New Jersey passed this bill years ago. Our time is now.

Thank you for your support –

Christopher Shelley
Wedding Officiant | Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant™
Author: Best. Ceremony. Ever.
Illuminating Ceremonies | My Vow Writer Instagram: @illuminatingceremonies