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What religion are you?

All of the ministers associated with SoulMates are legally ordained interfaith ministers. In other words, while some ministers may be ordained by different specific churches, we are all of similar spiritual beliefs. My personal beliefs are that God is the spirit and light and energy that is in all of us, and we are all just little pieces of God, so to speak. I was raised in a Christ-centered belief system, and I still have my faith, although it has evolved over the years. I have come to the belief that no one "religion" is right, and that God doesn't mean for us to get caught up in the rules---just to love each other (and ourselves) to the best of our ability. I don't believe that God is a respector of persons or religions, and that he loves none of his children more than any others. I believe there is truth and beauty in all faiths, and in all of us. I have chosen my associate ministers based on similarity of philosphy, both about spirituality, and about wedding ceremonies.

All of that having been said, your ceremony will be performed according to the traditions and language of your faith, and we will never try to push our own ideas onto anyone! Your beliefs are the ones that matter in your life, and in your ceremony. This goes for weddings as well as commitment ceremonies, and baptisms/babynamings/dedications, and all ceremonies.

What makes our marriage legal?

Any ordained minister of a legally recognized church may marry you, and all of SoulMates' officiants are ordained by legally recognized churches. It is the filing of the license that makes a marriage legal. Your marriage  licensed is obtained by you, then signed and filed by your officiant.

What is your fee?

Here's the good news: It is important to me to keep my services affordable. You may hear the claim: "you get what you pay for", and in some cases, that may be true. However, I feel our fees are adequate to provide excellent service, yet affordable enough that I don't feel guilty about putting any extra financial stress on a couple starting out their new life together. As you search, you will find many fine officiants charging a lot more for their services (if you don't believe me, bookmark my site to come back to when you find out the truth :-) We offer packages with varying levels of service to fit almost any budget. Please click here for information about packages and pricing.

Will we meet you in person?

Actually, that's another option I give my couples. Some choose to meet with me in person, and others choose to do everything via telephone and email. Some are more comfortable meeting, and others, for reasons of distance and convenience, choose to handle eveything via phone and internet. All meetings are handled personally by Reverend Kita, who will be creating your ceremony. If your ceremony is to be performed by one of our associate ministers, you will, of course,  have a chance to speak either on the telephone or in person to the officiant performing your ceremony before your big day (depending on the package you choose).

How do we work together to create our ceremony?

Again, it depends on the personalities of,  and level of involvement desired by the couple. It always starts with a questionnaire, designed to give me an idea of your desires for your ceremony, your personalities, and the particulars of the wedding. I learn about your relationship, how you met, what made you fall in love, etc. Between that questionnaire and an inital phone conversation or meeting, I get a sense of who you are, as individuals and as a couple. From there, one of two things can happen: One, I can custom-create a cermony based on your answers and our conversations. This is a very personal option, and you can alway make changes to the ceremony when I submit it you for approval. Some couples find this is a lot less intimidating, yet still allows for a very unique and meaningful ceremony. Others have a little more time, and want a little more control over their "first-draft". For those couples, after gathering a sense of them, I will send or show them several sample ceremonies, from which they can pick parts of each, to "mix & match" their way to their dream ceremony. Either way, we keep working on it until it's exactly what they want.

Do you have references?

Once a couple contacts me, if they are serious about using my services, references will be provided. I don't provide them unless a couple is serious, because I don't want my past couples to be inundated with calls unecessarily.

Can we write our own vows?

Absolutely. There are even some links on this site that you can use for inspiration.

We want a non-religious wedding---do you do that?

It is YOUR ceremony, and we will do it YOUR way. Anyone who insists on their own way of doing your ceremony is doing a disservice to the institution (and the very meaning) of marriage. Our relationships with each other, ourselves, and Our Higher Power (if we believe in one) are very personal, and to deny anyone that kind of freedom is something we have no interest in.

What about commitment ceremonies/holy unions?

We don't have a separate section for commitment ceremonies, simply because we treat these unions exactly as any other marrige. I strongly believe that God didn't make up all the religious "rules," people did. In the case of gay or lesbian commitment ceremonies, I believe the same thing as for my more "traditional" couples: it is YOUR ceremony, YOUR day, and I will do it YOUR way! Hopefully, one day soon, our government will treat all unions of love with equal respect. Until then, that is my pledge to you. I realize that some of the wording may be different in a same-sex ceremony, but otherwise----love is love is love is love!

What if you are unavailable for our date?

SoulMates Ceremonies consists of several specially chosen associate ministers---all legally ordained---together with Reverend Kita, who all do a beautiful job of officiating these ceremonies. I (Rev Kita) will personally help you create your dream ceremony, and take care of all the other details with you. Your ceremony will then be performed by one of my associate ministers. Because there is a wide selection of wonderful officiants, someone amazing will be available for your date!

Sadly, I have heard from many couples whose officiant cancelled at the last minute, not providing them with any alternatives, and leaving them to fend for themselves. Of course, sometimes things happen in life. With SoulMates, in the case of an emergency, there are other ministers in the fold who could be called upon---saving you the trouble of looking for a replacement at the last minute.

What about baptisms/dedications?

As a relatively new mother myself, I absolutely love to do these! We offer special pricing for these ceremonies, and whether your beliefs require a baptism, dedication, naming, or blessing, we are happy to help make it something very special! Please call or email for more information!
Frequently Asked Questions