These blog posts draw on my 11+ years of experience as a local wedding officiant and include thoughtful explorations of marriage as a rite of passage, ideas on why ceremony matters in a secular age, clear-eyed takes on the wedding industry, cliché-free poetry for nontraditional couples, grounded premarital resources, thoughtful guidance for blended family ceremonies and second marriages, insight for couples eloping in Big Sur, and spotlights of some of the most beautiful local wedding venues I’ve officiated at, including Waterfall Lodge, Sand Rock Farm, The Holly Farm, Nestldown, Hollins House, Kennolyn Hilltop Hacienda, Alila Ventana and Glen Oaks Big Sur.