As any bride knows, the
officiant is an absolutely
essential piece of the
wedding puzzle. But
finding that special officiant – you
know, the one that makes you feel
like instant best friends – is tougher
than it sounds. If you want to get
married in multiple languages or
in unusual conditions (skydiving
marriage, anyone?), it’s even harder
to find.
Thankfully, you’ve got Urbanette to
rely on, and we found the perfect
wedding officiant for you. Kimberly
Worley answers a few questions
about the craziest weddings she’s
officiated.
Urbanette Magazine:
You have
officiated some of the most
interesting (and odd) wedding
rites and in effect created a niche
for yourself for unique New York
weddings. How extraordinary have
the rites been since you started?
Kimberly Worley:
I have officiated
weddings in six different languages
(Thai, Italian, and French to name a
few). I’ve officiated weddings in a
jail, on the stairs in Times Square,
at the Top of the Rock, on a boat in
front of Statue of Liberty, all over
Central Park, and in so many of our
beautiful hotels and specialized
venues all over the city.
The quirkiest one I have officiated,
was a wedding where I performed
the wedding scene from the Princess
Bride. They all unique in their own right and been so much fun. We
love New York, and all the unique
people that live and come here for
their own one of a kind ceremony.
I love hearing stories of people who
found love later in life, over the
internet, after loses, or over long
distances. It gives me a sense of
hope that everyone can find love at
any time in their lives and despite
any barriers that might seem too big
to overcome.
Urbanette:
You’ve done weddings in
languages you don’t even speak. Can
you tell us about this experience?
Kimberly:
One of the best things
about NYC is all the cultures here. I
have officiated ceremonies with just
a few sentences in another language
and others with the whole ceremony
in another language. I just write it out
phonetically and practice and practice.
I have done an entire ceremony in
Italian and I did not speak a word of
it. I actually received compliments
on my Italian accent, which was really
nice to hear because you always want
to provide the best memories for
people. It no doubt raises my anxiety
level and I get many strange glares
from my husband and son at first but
now they know it’s just part of my
crazy fun job.
Urbanette:
How involved are you
with the entire wedding process? How much assistance do you give to
foreign couples eloping?
Kimberly:
I am very involved in the
wedding process, especially when
the couple does not have a planner.
I have done this so many times that,
coming from being a teacher, I have
no problem directing traffic, calming
the bride, and telling everyone where
to stand and what to do. It always
really puts my brides at ease when
they have someone that help them
out with all the decisions and last
minute surprises that arise.
I give couples great suggestions of
wonderful vendors I have worked
with all over the city and all the
venues I have encountered. I also
love the idea of using Etsy.com. They
have so many wonderful and creative
wedding items. It’s so hard to plan
a wedding when you don’t live here.
I work with couples who live out
of the state and out of the country
all the time. I sometimes feel like a
wedding planner when I am dealing
with couples who don’t live here. It’s
really nice to know that I have helped
make it a more relaxing experience, I
know it can be stressful to plan when
you don’t live here.
Urbanette:
How do you incorporate
specific cultural or special
preferences by the couple?
Kimberly:
Every culture has great
wedding traditions. Many couples
like to incorporate small aspects
into their ceremony rather than the
whole ceremony. I love the Serbian
tradition where the groom has to
shoot an apple out of tree with a
rifle in order to win the right to
marry the bride. We really can’t do
that tradition here in NYC. There
are so many interesting ones that
I get to learn about. Couples also
are coming up with great new and
creative ideas all the time. I tell
couples all the time that they should
do exactly what they want, it is great
to be original because it makes it
into your own wedding.
Urbanette:
Have you encountered
“objections” by third parties to the
couples during the ceremony?
Kimberly:
Luckily, I’ve never had
any objections. I wouldn’t have
wording in any of my ceremonies
that asks if anyone objects to
the ceremony. That would be so
horrible for someone to do that,
even as a joke.
Urbanette: What is your dream
wedding?
Kimberly: I would love to marry a
couple in a helicopter, or sky diving.
For more about Kimberly Worley and
her wedding officiant services, visit
www.officiantnyc.com
