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Cortney Pasternak
Cortney Pasternak is licensed by the Registrar General of Ontario and the Ontario Humanist Society to provide Humanist (similar to civil or legal) marriage ceremonies in Ontario (though she is happy to officiate at many other life cycle events as well). She has been screened and trained by the Ontario Humanist Society, which is a vibrant, dynamic and growing organization. More about Cortney →
Author Archives: admin
Alternative Weddings: Resisting Pressure
I met a groom-to-be recently who told me that he and his fiance had wanted a tiny, quiet wedding at City Hall. However, when the bride’s parents discovered their plans, they were so upset that the couple bowed to the … Continue reading
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Tagged alternative weddings, green weddings, Humanist weddings
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Surprise wedding plans? Risky business.
Personally, I think it’s a pretty brave person that attempts a surprise wedding. It’s one thing if your guests don’t know about it (read my last blog here). It’s quite another if your spouse doesn’t know about it. In some … Continue reading
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Tagged humanist officiants, Humanist weddings, Surprise Weddings
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The Politics of Surprise Weddings
I’ve officiated a few surprise weddings over the years and I’ve seen many different reactions to the news and event itself. Some guests have reacted with joy. Some show no reaction at all. For others, it can be downright upsetting … Continue reading
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Tagged humanist wedding, surprise wedding
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Getting Married? Take That Trip Down Memory Lane
OK I acknowledge the article I am posting here may not be exactly the thing you want to read so close to Valentine’s day (or your wedding day!) but no doubt many of you reading this article will silently agree … Continue reading
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Tagged Humanist Wedding Officiant, Humanist weddings, personalized wedding ceremonies
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The Mindful Marriage: How about Starting on your Wedding Day?
I have become increasingly interested in the notion of living mindfully — with care, awareness and presence — in a long term relationship such as marriage. This is something I find is strongly aligned with values as a Humanist Officiant … Continue reading
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Tagged Humanist, humanist officiant, mindful, mindful marriages, mindfulness, wedding
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Wedding Selfies – To snap or not to snap…that is the question
I used to always begin my wedding ceremonies by asking members of the audience (and sometimes the groom — never the bride so far) to turn off their cel phones for the duration of the ceremony. The idea was to … Continue reading
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Tagged humanist officiant, Humanist weddings, photography, selfie
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Fair Trade Enters the Eco-Wedding Business
As a Humanist Wedding Officiant it is probably no surprise that I am a a big fan of finding more environmentally ways to plan a wedding. I’ve certainly blogged about it in past posts and if you google “green weddings” … Continue reading
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Tagged eco weddings, fair rade, green, green weddings, Humanist, Humanist Wedding Officiant, weddings
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Marriage Officiant Fraud: How to tell the difference
Recently, members of my organization, the Ontario Humanist Society voiced concern about a news article that appeared in the London Free Press. The article featured a woman named Dale Brewster who was charged with performing marriage ceremonies in London, Ontario … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Uncategorized
Tagged humanist officiant, humanist wedding ceremonies, marriage fraud, ontario humanist society
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Planning the Interfaith and Intercultural Wedding with a Humanist Officiant
I’m no wedding planner. However, as a Humanist Officiant, I do plan, build, write and conduct Humanist weddings and other life cycle ceremonies in a collaborative and creative way with couples and families. These ceremonies are grounded Humanist principles; a … Continue reading
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Tagged humanist ceremonies, humanist officiant, Humanist weddings, intercultural, interfaith weddings, non-religious
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