Sunflower Weddings & Relationship Village
Celebrating, Inspiring & Coaching Since 1989
Rev. Carolyn Carpenter, MSC, LRC
Many couples and families today are unafilliated with a spiritual community, or have not found a welcoming place that serves their needs. Others wish to blend and experience different faith and cultural paths to deepen their personal and spiritual growth. As a professionally educated minister, hospice chaplain, therapist and relationship coach, I offer services to mark life's milestones with meaning and purpose - ceremonies which reflect your unique beliefs, values, heritage, culture, traditions and approach to sacred union, be that a marriage, vow renewal, or commitment ceremony.
Simple, sacred, eclectic, elegant – or a blend of all – together we will co-create your relationship vision through a ceremony reflecting your voice and your choices.
The Process . . .
We set up a complimentary meeting to get to know each other and explore the possibilities for your ceremony. I work with many out-of-state couples via phone, email, conference calls and web-cams or skype, and then meet during a visit to Colorado for planning purposes.
If you decide to retain me for your ceremony, a $200 deposit is required to hold the date. After receiving your deposit, I send you a confirmation letter and a copy of my guidebook to use as a source for co-creating your ceremony.
We start a working draft at least two months out which gives us six weeks to tweak and perfect your ceremony. We generally email drafts back and forth.
Your balance is due one week prior to the ceremony unless arrangements have been made to pay at the rehearsal or day of.
You will receive a complimentary keepsake copy of your ceremony as a gift.
My Ceremony Guidebook . . .
120 pages containing nine complete, pre-scripted ceremonies plus hundreds of options under all the “parts” of a ceremony. It also contains lots of rituals and readings from various cultures for creating your own unique blend of the two of you. You are not limited to the choices in my guidebook. I welcome other material as well. It is intended to provide a working copy for couples and celebrants and be adaptable to Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Native American, Interfaith, multi-cultural, non-traditional, Humanist, Pagan, or Spiritual-but-not- Religious wedding, renewal, affirmation, commitment and joining ceremonies. It is complimentary to the couples I work with and can also be purchased for $15.00, including shipping.
Custom ceremonies run 20 to 30 minutes in length depending on the number of rituals and/or readings. The following plus more are in my guidebook:
candle lighting
handfasting
sharing of wine or sake
breaking the glass
the chuppah
jumping the broom
tibetan bells
tea ceremony
inclusion of family pets
opening and closing quarters
parent's questions & blessings
inclusion of children
reaffirming of vows for guests
smudging
wishing bowl
ring of stones
blessing of cloth for quilt
honoring those on the other side
robe wrapping
responsive readings
multi-cultural readings
and more