Gary's Bargain Wedding Philosophy

Why do you pay less for Gary’s wedding ceremonies than you would for other officiants? Gary believes that we should be able to come into the world, later get married, and much later leave the world for minimum expense. He is disdainful of those, be they doctors, ministers, or undertakers, who over charge for basic human privileges. Officiating at a wedding ceremony is not only fun, Gary considers it an honor to serve. That's why he's the Bargain Minister

Two of our chapel's six stained glass windows

Wedding Advice from the Bargain Minister

It's hard to mess up a wedding but a sure way is a really late start. I've worked weddings where guests were kept waiting in their outdoor seats on hot days for up to an hour because the bride didn't plan for the time she needed to change into her wedding dress. Another bride who was ready insisted on waiting for her mother to arrive. The mother hadn't allowed sufficient time to drive to the wedding venue and showed up without apology an hour in retard. The guests were furious, as well they should have been. Short of a medical emergency, there's no excuse for an excessively late start.

Photographers have their job to do and good ones do it unobtrusively. If you want pictures of every possible combination of wedding party members and family, have your photographer take most of them before the ceremony. Some photographers think they need shots of the bride alone, with her bridesmaids, with her bridesmaids and the groomsmen, with each member of her family, with the groom's family, with everyone, with the potted plants, and in a dozen positions with the groom only. Then the same for the groom. If you're having a reception following the ceremony, the closer it comes to the ceremony, the more of the energy generated by the ceremony spills over into the reception. A long delay, even with wine and fine snacks, is a ticket for boredom and loss of momentum. 

Rachel and Clint called and came the same day to our chapel for their wedding.

What you choose to include in the ceremony is important, the order doesn't much matter. A blessing can come at the beginning or right before the pronouncement, which is always the climax. The symbolism of the ring exchange -- the circle standing for infinity, the unbroken nature of love -- speaks for itself no matter where in the ceremony it occurs. It's the same when the bride and groom pour sand from two containers into one larger one: once joined, the grains cannot be separated. Where in the ceremony you pour the sand is arbitrary. 

Many couples are unsure whether to include a blessing. If the bride and groom are from different religious traditions, or none in particular, the decision seems to perplex them. Not to fret: I can do a generic prayer of thanks -- for the day, the privilege of gathering to celebrate, for the bride and groom having found in each other a deep and lasting love. If you're unsure, something to consider are the expectations of your guests. Will your parents, especially if they've paid for the wedding, feel better if you include a brief blessing? At one wedding I worked, the groom's father gave me a lengthy statement -- part prayer, part sermon -- he wanted read. With the couple's consent, read it I did. My job is always to honor the wishes of the people getting married.

Wedding Vendors

If you need help choosing vendors – a caterer, musicians and other entertainers, florist or photographer – Gary is happy to help. He keeps a file of vendors whose professionalism he’s witnessed.

Marriage Counseling

Although Gary does not require, or even recommend, pre-marital counseling, he makes it available to those who want it. If it any time after their ceremony a couple gets off track in their communication and want help restoring their marriage to a place of bliss, Gary welcomes the opportunity to see them through their difficulties. After all, the marriage is, in a way, his work product, even though the success of a marriage is the responsibility of the husband and wife,

Wedding Portraits

As an accomplished and widely recognized portrait artist, Gary accepts commissions to paint couples and children in either oil or pastel. You can see samples of his work at gary-theartist.com.

Ceremonias en espanol

Es siempre divertido conducir una ceremonia en espanol. Me gusta la atmosfera jubilosa, los vestidos bonitos (aun los ninos tienen  vestidos elegantes), y la oportunidad conversar con los invitados.  Podemos crear una ceremonia como la novia y el novio quieren.

Telling the groom to ante up at a poker theme ceremony

Contact Gary at:
303-321-6607
talkdoc@ecentral.com
3009 E 10th Ave
Denver, CO 80206

Site updated: May 2011