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Best officiants
Reverend Susanna Stefanachi Macomb
This former executive ditched her nine-to-five 13 years ago to embrace the interfaith community, for which she has performed nearly 2,000 weddings; she’s even written a book about it (Joining Hands and Hearts). Macomb is all about overcoming obstacles. Don’t want a reading from some archaic scripture? She’ll read something else. Marriage between a Wiccan and a Jew? She’ll make it work. Recently, Macomb traveled to Santorini, Greece, to perform a Jain–Greek Orthodox wedding, which she says may be the most spectacular one she’s done yet. She describes how the couple wanted the ceremony “on the caldera—high on a cliff in a place which they say was raised from the Aegean by the hands of God.” While we can’t promise she’ll whisk you away to Mount Olympus, we can absolutely vouch for her passions: “Interfaith is not a religion—it recognizes that we are all lamps, different on the outside, but burning with the same light on the inside.”
Starting rate: $500. (susannamacomb.com)
Captain Arnold
All aboard! This U.S. Coast Guard–licensed captain-cum-chaplain marries nondenominational and interfaith lovebirds on the high seas, in helicopters, in parks (Central Park, Brooklyn Botanic Garden), in cemeteries (Greenwood) and even at gas stations (a CITGO in Jersey). That last couple was in such a hurry, they called for same-day service—and the captain obliged. “She asked me if I needed some gas,” laughs Arnold, “but I said no, I had filled up earlier.”
Starting rate: $600. (516-413-4555, nauticalweddingbells.com)
Adelisa “Blackie” Deuce
Like so many others before her, Deuce received her ordination from the Universal Life Church (ulc.org), the Internet’s most popular ordainer. One thing that sets her apart from the pack, however, is that she’s a rockin’ burlesque performer, and is ready to let it all hang out while officiating your ceremony! The burlesque minister, who “loves to unleash [her] inner drag queen,” describes her getup thusly: “Wig, fake lashes, fun makeup, lots of sparkly rhinestones and crystals, feathers…think love child of Dolly Parton and RuPaul with a touch of Tura Satana. All done in a very classy way, of course.” Of course.
Starting rate: $100. (973-715-2358)
Dudeist priest Wayne Pyle
Okay, we know what you’re thinking. But the Church of Latter-Day Dudes is a legally recognized religion, and its members, who can be ordained online for free as Dudeist priests, span the globe. One such yokel is Wayne “Reverend Zonk” Pyle; he got into the game when, after a restorative session with one of his favorite DVDs (can you guess which one?), he logged on to the Dudeism website and “I like, fucking jumped on it man, like a marmot.” Pyle is about as open-minded as they come (“if a couple—gay, straight—wants to join in matrimony and abide together for the rest of their days, I think they should be fucking allowed”) and is all about chilling out. His own ideal wedding would include “oat sodas, White Russians, sarsaparilla and whatever strict drug regimens people might be using to keep their minds limber.” What would he be wearing? “Jelly shoes, a T-shirt, a four-pound wool sweater from Winona Knitting Mills and Zubaz.” The dude abides.
Starting rate: $350. (917-655-5853, dudeism.com)
Reverend Angela S. Heil
Long Island wedding officiant and certified Reiki master Heil, who also goes by Rev. Angie, specializes in Wiccan ceremonies, Celtic handfastings (a traditional pagan ceremony in which the couple’s hands are bound together as a symbol of their union), and unique themed shindigs (1950s, vampire/goth, Renaissance fair, Star Trek, etc.). “Love is not a one-size-fits-all emotion,” says Heil. “Each couple should be able to express their love in ways they feel comfortable performing.”
Starting rate: $250. (631-736-1371, angelaheilministries.com)
Rusel Parish
This newly ordained madcap artist recently opened the Cult of Michael Jackson Chapel in Williamsburg—and now he’ll marry you inside! Candles, gold-leaf paintings and an altar make the space serene, and if the King of Pop’s regal gaze doesn’t sound like a turnoff, this could be the ceremony for you. What the eff motivated him? “I just wanna be startin’ somethin’.” says Parish. “Everyone should be able to take their dirty Diana to a chapel, after working day and night, and tell that girl, ‘you are my life.’”
Starting rate available upon request. (ruselparish.com)
The Wedding Grannies
Local grandmas/chaplains Mary Beaty and Beth Lamont take their role as nontraditional, nonreligious officiants quite seriously. Their website is an excellent resource for catering, photographers, musicians, and florists—not to mention legal stuff, like how to get your license at City Hall. As humanist chaplains, they support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which basically states that anyone, regardless of race, religion or sexual preference, has the right to marry and start their own family. The Grannies have performed weddings on a Metro-North train and at Grand Central Station at dawn (crazy-hour surcharges apply).
Starting rate: $300. (718-312-8424, weddingsofnewyork.com)Reverend Lorili
Dum, dum, dum-dum…here comes the…medieval warrior fairy Princess? This interfaith, nondenominational Long Island minister can make all of your mythical dreams come true: She’s led numerous themed weddings and vow renewals, including Floral Fantasy, Western and Victorian.
Starting rate available upon request. (516-662-7282, reverendlorili.com)La Domaine Esemar
Officiant Master R opened his country house in 1993 as a B&B, but eventually expanded and equipped it for BDSM master-slave training sessions and kinky getaways. “Newlyweds definitely get a kick out of coming here on their honeymoon,” says Master R, adding that the goal of the house is to provide a “sexy, happy, healthy experience free of all the negative associations of S&M.” Alas, interested parties should plan for a late spring ceremony if they’re seeking a BDSM wedding in the house because it’s currently booked for months.
Starting rate available upon request. (ladomaine.com)Kali Morgan
Owning a sex shop that specializes in high-end corsets? Awesome. Being a sex-shop owner who also does kinky weddings? Priceless. The Philly-based Morgan was referred to us by a Hudson Valley dominatrix who explained very simply, “She’s the one you want.” Morgan, who is willing to travel to NYC, has seen her fair share of unique weddings—from the New Jersey opera singers on a nude beach who sang their vows to each other, to the bride who arrived on a cart pulled by a “human pony.” She’s even helped a couple customize a “collaring ritual” for their ceremony.
Starting rate: $200. (215-829-4986, passional.net)Cantor Harry Weintraub
A graduate of Hebrew Union College, Cantor Weintraub specializes not just in Jewish ceremonies but also in interfaith weddings, and has been marrying couples for more than 40 years. For the full-on J-couples out there, Weintraub is well-versed in the two-part traditional Kiddushin (engagement ceremony) and Nissu’in (wedding). The cantor is passionate about music, and will work closely with the couple to personalize their ceremony according to the parameters of their religion. Interfaith, says Weintraub, “means that the feelings two people have for each other are more important than the religion they each practice.”
Starting rate available upon request. (marriageceremoniesbydesign.com)
Time Out New York / Issue 731 : Oct 1–7, 2009
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Wedding Grannies, a Dude-ist priest and the minister of the of the Cult of Michael Jackson Chapel...
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Far out man! Dudeism rocks.
Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway should have been on this list. She officiated my wedding 5 years ago and she created a stunning non-denominational wedding and tailored it to our needs. It was absolutely gorgeous.
This is Mary, the 'wedding granny', thanking photographer Joanne Chan, www.jchanphoto.com, for the great rowboat wedding pix - the groom IN the boat is photographer Klaus Schoenwiese, www.tribeofman.com - go enjoy their stuff :-)