About Barbara’s Ceremonies

Ceremonies, rituals and celebrations are essential to helping us live a Divine Juicy Life® as they ground us in the present moment to honor times of change and transformation in our lives, connecting us more deeply with ourselves, others and the Divine, and experience belonging and unity in community. They help us align in our soul, and foster authentic and heart-based connection, in a co-created space with sensual elements that may include candles, bells, incense, music, flowers, colors and more.

Ceremonies, rituals and celebrations help us thrive. They are the “pause” and “reset” buttons on our life, so that we can S L O W down, STOP; feel into where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going in a conscious, intentional way, honoring our heart and spirit in the company of those who witness and support us in our lives. They provide meaning, direction, clarity and purpose to our human existence.

Learn more at Barbara’s Ceremonies Website

Ceremonies I Offer:

  • Weddings

    • Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. It sets the tone for the kind of marriage you'll have for years to come. That's why it's important to be intentional with your vision for your ceremony, so that it reflects who you are, and what you value most.

    It's a joy for me to officiate spiritual, secular, non denominational, religions, intercultural and interfaith wedding ceremonies. I will help you create a ceremony that brings your vision to life.

    Questions to ponder: What do you and your fiancé/fiancée value that you want your wedding ceremony to reflect? What do you want your guests to know about you? What do you want them to experience? What do you most want to experience on this day?

  • Self-Marriage

    • I LOVE helping men and women who are currently "flying solo" to create their own unique self-mariage ceremony in which they commit to loving and honoring themselves before any other person, with close friends and/or family as witnessess who will support them in this commitment.

    "You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy." - Author Unkown

  • Vow Renewals

    • Whether you made your original vows three weeks, 1 year, 5 years, or 50 years ago, together we’ll create a ceremony that honors where you are now in your relationship and what’s most important to you today, and going forward.

    Taking part in a Vow Renewal ceremony is a way to refresh, renew, and re-invigorate your lives together!

  • End-of-Life Tributes

    • Creating Personalized Memorials and Funerals

    It’s an honor to hold the space for families and friends to remember and celebrate the lives of their deceased loved ones.

    I will craft a personalized celebration of life ceremony for your loved one, which is a truthful and kind representation of their life. I can suggest creative and meaningful ways to honor and celebrate your loved one’s life. You will have final approval of the ceremony. My goal is to do what’s needed to create and lead a service with compassion and care, being sensitive to the varying needs of all those involved.

  • Healing Ceremonies & Rituals

    • When we’re in need of healing, whether it’s physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, we are often feeling at our most vulnerable and in extra need of compassion, and loving, non-judgmental support from friends and family. I love to hold the space for this to occur and offer myself as a witness and observer.

    As a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist® through The Grief Recovery Institute (https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com) I am experienced at working with those experiencing grief due to unresolved loss, of which over 40 kinds have been identified, including job loss, ending of a friendship or business partnership, empty nest, loss of faith & trust, and more..

  • Other Transitions
    • Baby Blessing for a new birth or adoption
    • Healing for pregnancy loss
    • Healing for surviving or facing an illness
    • Healing for a separation or divorce
    • Healing for legal and financial challenges
    • Celebrating a relocation, & move to a new home
    • Coming of Age – from womanhood, to mother to crone

Testimonials:

Marriages:

“Thanks so much for your help making our wedding day perfect!”

- Andrew & Scott Phelps, Asheville, NC

“Barbara went over and beyond to make our ceremony extra special!...She crafted a perfect ceremony that included our love story and a handfasting ceremony that was very unique. Our ceremony was lighthearted yet personal…just like we wanted!...We highly recommend Barbara for officiating a wedding!”

– Tiffany and Chris Kinney, Asheville, NC, 

Memorials:

“THE ANGEL NEXT DOOR: Barbara has been my neighbor and we always had a loving relationship and appreciated our closeness in space and in spirit. So naturally Barbara offered to be our celebrant when we needed help in arranging and running the memorial for my husband. We had one day to plan and Barbara sat with me and my two daughters to see what we would like it to be. In a few hours she had a plan that was so fulfilling of our wishes and visions...All was done with intuition and wisdom of what were the family needs for this occasion.”


- Memorial Service I co-created with Maria and her two daughters for Maria’s husband, Asheville, NC

Pet Memorials:

Barbara really helped us honor our profound feelings and the blessing it was to live with our four-legged children. Though we still deeply miss our warrior-lover boy and his home-turf guardian brother, the burial ceremony Barbara created with us has helped us remember our cats from a place of love rather than loss.” – Shonnie

-Pet memorial I co-created with Shonnie Lavender, her husband & daughter, Asheville, NC