Weddings
Being an Interfaith Minister means that Karen is available to officiate weddings, large or small, for people of all faiths and walks of life, and she will do so with love and integrity. Her purpose is to bring two people together in love and matrimony with the most beautiful ceremony possible.
You can write your own vows (she can assist, if needed) or you can select one from Karen's portfolio of vows. Your wedding ceremony can be held in a church, chapel, banquet hall, outdoors, or whatever venue you feel led to use for your special event.
Karen has a very outgoing, friendly personality, and a good sense of humor. If you should happen to have an unexpected occurrence (which can happen at any wedding at any given time), know that she has the ability to diffuse any situation whether with seriousness or humor, but most of all, with love.
Weddings /Ceremonies Performed:
Religious, secular, civil, renewals, spur-of-the-moment, unions, and she is open to any other ideas you may have.
Locations
Any location. Karen is open to traveling any distance, but would need to be compensated for her expenses for any distance greater than a one-hour drive. (She tries to keep the expenses for travel as low as possible for the benefit of the newly married couple.)
Fees
Fees vary depending upon the size of the wedding. Small ceremonies with less than ten people: $100 to $200. Large weddings: $250 to $400. Prices vary depending on how much preparation is involved. Reasonable compensation for gas and hotels if required would be additional.
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Premarital Discussion Sessions (aka, Counseling)
In the State of Tennessee, you are required to have four hours of premarital counseling. If you elect not to have the counseling, your marriage license will cost you more. Instead of calling it “counseling,” Karen prefers to call them Pre-Marital Discussions. When people think of the word ‘counseling,’ they tend to think that something is wrong that needs to be fixed before you even get out the gate. This is not the case. Her purpose is to make sure the couple is on the same page in regards to their expectations of their marriage. Below are just a few examples:
Finances: Who will handle paying the bills? If both partners work, will you have a joint account or separate accounts? How will you decide on what you will spend/buy and how much? Finances are one of the biggest reasons couples get divorced. Having this worked out beforehand can save you a lot of grief in the future. A prenuptial should seriously be considered, though Karen prefers to call it "marriage insurance." Just like any other insurance, you hope you will never need it, but it's there just in case.
Children: Do you both want children? How many? Who will be the primary caregiver and disciplinarian, and how will you discipline your children? If you come from different religious backgrounds, what faith do you want your children to be raised or will you encourage them to find their own beliefs? Do you know what it takes and how much money it costs to raise children? (You’d be surprised at how many people do not have a clue.) Who will decide what names to give them?
Interfaith: If you both come from a different religious backgrounds, how will you determine your future religious path? Will one of you convert to the other's religion or will you each continue in your own tradition? How will you handle the holidays? Which faith will your children be raised or will you allow them to decide on their own?
In-Laws: You may chuckle along with all the great comedians who ever cracked a joke about the In-Laws, but they more than likely will not be a laughing matter when it comes to the married couple. Do both of you get along with your In-Laws? If not, what can we do to bring peace to both parties? Will your spouse take your side or their side in certain matters? Whose house will you visit for which holidays? (You may not think this is an issue, but it can cause a lot of fights and grief in a marriage.)
Homestead: Where will you live? In the country? City? How big or small a house do you want? Who will keep the house clean? Will you share cleaning duties? Who will take out the trash? (Don’t laugh. This has caused many a fight.) Should you have two bathrooms? (Again, not putting the toilet paper on the roll a certain way, leaving the toothpaste cap off the toothpaste, etc., has caused a lot of issues in marriages.)
Favorites and Dreams: What is your partner’s favorite color? Food? Movie? What kind of books do they like to read? What are their dreams in life? It’s all in the details and many couples couldn’t tell you what all these are even after they have been married for years.
There is a lot more to go over. The goal is to make sure you both have the same expectations from your marriage and from each other before you get married. There is no reason to fear the process. If there is an issue, now is the time to work it out before you get into the marriage. Once you know you’re on the same page, your marriage will be much stronger from the get-go. Many couples say that their first year of marriage is the hardest because they’re learning a lot about each other that they didn’t know while they were dating. When couples are dating, they tend to hide their weaknesses and quirks thinking that once they’re married, it won’t matter. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. You want to know everything there is to know before you get married. If you do, you’ll be way ahead of other newlyweds!
Fees: $60 ($15 each for four sessions) If you would like more counseling, Karen is available to do spiritual counseling. (She is not certified for psychological counseling; only spiritual.)
You can write your own vows (she can assist, if needed) or you can select one from Karen's portfolio of vows. Your wedding ceremony can be held in a church, chapel, banquet hall, outdoors, or whatever venue you feel led to use for your special event.
Karen has a very outgoing, friendly personality, and a good sense of humor. If you should happen to have an unexpected occurrence (which can happen at any wedding at any given time), know that she has the ability to diffuse any situation whether with seriousness or humor, but most of all, with love.
Weddings /Ceremonies Performed:
Religious, secular, civil, renewals, spur-of-the-moment, unions, and she is open to any other ideas you may have.
Locations
Any location. Karen is open to traveling any distance, but would need to be compensated for her expenses for any distance greater than a one-hour drive. (She tries to keep the expenses for travel as low as possible for the benefit of the newly married couple.)
Fees
Fees vary depending upon the size of the wedding. Small ceremonies with less than ten people: $100 to $200. Large weddings: $250 to $400. Prices vary depending on how much preparation is involved. Reasonable compensation for gas and hotels if required would be additional.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Premarital Discussion Sessions (aka, Counseling)
In the State of Tennessee, you are required to have four hours of premarital counseling. If you elect not to have the counseling, your marriage license will cost you more. Instead of calling it “counseling,” Karen prefers to call them Pre-Marital Discussions. When people think of the word ‘counseling,’ they tend to think that something is wrong that needs to be fixed before you even get out the gate. This is not the case. Her purpose is to make sure the couple is on the same page in regards to their expectations of their marriage. Below are just a few examples:
Finances: Who will handle paying the bills? If both partners work, will you have a joint account or separate accounts? How will you decide on what you will spend/buy and how much? Finances are one of the biggest reasons couples get divorced. Having this worked out beforehand can save you a lot of grief in the future. A prenuptial should seriously be considered, though Karen prefers to call it "marriage insurance." Just like any other insurance, you hope you will never need it, but it's there just in case.
Children: Do you both want children? How many? Who will be the primary caregiver and disciplinarian, and how will you discipline your children? If you come from different religious backgrounds, what faith do you want your children to be raised or will you encourage them to find their own beliefs? Do you know what it takes and how much money it costs to raise children? (You’d be surprised at how many people do not have a clue.) Who will decide what names to give them?
Interfaith: If you both come from a different religious backgrounds, how will you determine your future religious path? Will one of you convert to the other's religion or will you each continue in your own tradition? How will you handle the holidays? Which faith will your children be raised or will you allow them to decide on their own?
In-Laws: You may chuckle along with all the great comedians who ever cracked a joke about the In-Laws, but they more than likely will not be a laughing matter when it comes to the married couple. Do both of you get along with your In-Laws? If not, what can we do to bring peace to both parties? Will your spouse take your side or their side in certain matters? Whose house will you visit for which holidays? (You may not think this is an issue, but it can cause a lot of fights and grief in a marriage.)
Homestead: Where will you live? In the country? City? How big or small a house do you want? Who will keep the house clean? Will you share cleaning duties? Who will take out the trash? (Don’t laugh. This has caused many a fight.) Should you have two bathrooms? (Again, not putting the toilet paper on the roll a certain way, leaving the toothpaste cap off the toothpaste, etc., has caused a lot of issues in marriages.)
Favorites and Dreams: What is your partner’s favorite color? Food? Movie? What kind of books do they like to read? What are their dreams in life? It’s all in the details and many couples couldn’t tell you what all these are even after they have been married for years.
There is a lot more to go over. The goal is to make sure you both have the same expectations from your marriage and from each other before you get married. There is no reason to fear the process. If there is an issue, now is the time to work it out before you get into the marriage. Once you know you’re on the same page, your marriage will be much stronger from the get-go. Many couples say that their first year of marriage is the hardest because they’re learning a lot about each other that they didn’t know while they were dating. When couples are dating, they tend to hide their weaknesses and quirks thinking that once they’re married, it won’t matter. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. You want to know everything there is to know before you get married. If you do, you’ll be way ahead of other newlyweds!
Fees: $60 ($15 each for four sessions) If you would like more counseling, Karen is available to do spiritual counseling. (She is not certified for psychological counseling; only spiritual.)