Destination Weddings -- IMPORTANT TIP

Hey gang,

It's been several months since my last blog post.  I continue to enjoy ministering at weddings around the Austin area -- particularly in south and west Austin, and surrounding towns.

(Mr. and Mrs. Casey & Michelle West, and me)

Next month I will officiate at my first INTERNATIONAL destination wedding -- just outside Cancun, Mexico. A nurse that I work with at Odyssey/Gentiva Hospice is marrying her fiancé, and Bonnie and I will fly down and combine some sunny vacation time, with a wedding for a great couple.  (Photos from that wedding should have a lovely beach theme.)

Important tip!  If you are going to do a destination wedding outside the US, check with your local County Clerk's office to see what rules there are about how the wedding is legally recognized in the US.  In some cases, there are so many hoops to jump through -- signing sworn affidavits after your return, and never being granted a true "marriage license" -- that you may want to have a quiet ceremony beforehand with a US officiant.  Then, it doesn't matter what forms (and credentials of the minister at the foreign destination) are used, because you are already legally married in America.

Email me or call with any questions -- and more information about my wedding services are available at http://www.ReverendConnor.com

blessings,
John

Lovely old church for an Austin wedding

I was happy to bring together in marriage CJ & Lauren Geoffroy on Friday, March 29, 2013.  They are a sweet and loving couple, and all of their friends and family were thrilled for them.

Here is a photo of the new husband and wife, with me in the middle:

If you want more information about Hyde Park Presbyterian Church, at the corner of 40th and Avenue B in Austin,  their site is at http://www.hydeparkaustin.org

You can reach me at John@ReverendConnor.com, and the page for my wedding officiant services is:  http://www.ReverendConnor.com

blessings,
John

Last weekend I ministered a wedding at the Stephen F. Austin/Intercontinental Hotel.  It's beautiful and historic, and right on Congress and 7th Street.  A member of the wedding party got this shot for me after the ceremony with the happy couple, Brian and Kari Rothenthaler.

Here are some photos of the hotel, from their website:
http://www.intercontinental.com/intercontinental/en/gb/locations/AUSHA?sicreative=9244672980&dp=true&sicontent=0&sitrackingid=211306197&cm_mmc=Google-PS-InterContinental-_-G%20B-Americas-Top-TX-Austin-_-TX-Austin-Stephen%2BF-_-stephen%20f.%20austin%20hotel&siclientid=1911

A wedding at a downtown hotel can be fun, because after the Rehearsal, (or the wedding) your friends can walk right out of the hotel into the entertainment district and get a taste of Austin.  The staff at the Stephen F. Austin were very accommodating and eager to help.

That's the blog for today, now I'm going to see what's happening at the Olympics!

blessings,
John
Rev. John Connor

The exact day...

Yesterday, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Austin, I ministered a wedding.  The groom was born on the exact day of my wedding, November 26, 1988.  In a way, it made me feel old, but not in a bad way.

Of the 200+ weddings I've officiated, this groom was among the youngest, at age 23.  Most of my weddings are for couples around 30, on up to 50's and 60's.

It meant that Lundin and Jodie's parents and I were the same age.  But as later-in-life parents, my children are 15 and 13, so it'll be a good number of years until my girls walk down the aisle.  (And I like it that way!)  It was a little strange knowing that, since Jasmine is just a few days from being 16, she is only 7 years younger than the groom.  Seems to soon to me.

Age.  I can say that I feel comfortable with the age I am.  I don't wish I was younger, or older.  (However, in a few years I'll be getting those 55-and-over discounts at restaurants and theaters, which will be sweeeeeet...)

Today, I'm sitting with my family around the Christmas tree we just decorated, and I'm thankful for everything, including my years on this earth.

blessings,
John

Shawn & Lorraine Bradley's wedding

Hello gang,

Tonight I was glad to minister the Bradley wedding at Vintage Villas, on Eck Lane in Austin.   It was held outdoors at sunset, overlooking Lake Travis.  (Photo from the Vintage Villas web page.)

I have done some 50 weddings at Vintage Villas over the years.  A couple of months ago I stayed at their Bed & Breakfast hotel on the property, where I took this picture on the balcony with my iPhone:

Several of the wedding guests this evening asked me where I pastor a church.  Actually, my primary ministry is as a hospice chaplain with Odyssey Hospice in Austin.  It is good and rewarding ministry.  Yet having weddings to officiate occasionally is a nice, happy counterpart to the sometimes challenging hospice work that I do.

I also sometimes give guest sermons at Unity churches, and you can watch a video or listen to an audio at one of these sites.  Just scroll down to see me in a screen shot, or look for my name in their list of past services.

http://www.downtownunity.org/videopage.html

http://www.unitycenteraustin.org/   (here you can find my sermons under #16 "Divine Complements", or #21 "Who are You?")

blessings,

John

A country feel right in Austin for your wedding: Mercury Hall

Last Saturday I ministered the wedding for Scott and Anna at Mercury Hall.  While not far from Ben White and S. First Street, it's four acres makes you feel like you are out in the country.  And the hall, a former church building moved from little Mercury, Texas back in the 90's, has a feeling of substance and charm.

While you can get married in the Hall, most couples choose to have their ceremony outdoors on the lawn by the trees, and have their reception inside.  Prices for Saturday weddings, based on the time of year, are $3400 and up, but weddings on other days can be less than half that much.

I've probably officiated 15 or more weddings at Mercury Hall over the years, and they've all turned out lovely.  (When you want an outdoor wedding, it's always best to choose a site, such as Mercury Hall, that has the indoor option for when it rains.)

Their website is here for more information.  http://mercuryhall.com/index.htm

blessings,
John
Rev. John Connor

You CAN go home again...

Last weekend, I went "home" to New Hampshire, and visited with some old friends and family.  We gathered at the site of a spiritual community where I spent part of my childhood and teen years. Inspired by the 23rd Psalm, the community was called, "Green Pastures."  Most of us present, including my brother, Cliffe, had been there in the 1960's and 70's, but there were also a good number who lived and studied there in the 80's and 90's, too.

Around the year 2000, the community disbanded.  But in the last couple of years, a small group of us reconnected.  (Thank you, Facebook!)  The property is now a mixed use facility for, among others, a day program for adults with Autism, and a performing arts theater.  It has been re-named "Verdant Pastures."  Last weekend was the second time in a year that several dozen friends visited, and this time we volunteered to do a bit of clean up.  It was an amazingly beautiful and warm October day.

(Glenn Kikel, Ross Morrison [an original Green Pastures resident, 1963] and Brett Spaulding)

Then we had a spontaneous concert in the Leddy Center Theatre (formerly our chapel).  It was special that one of the guys, Jim Paine, who helped build the beautiful chapel was there, and played guitar.  We sang old songs by The Beatles, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, and Shake Russell & Dana Cooper.  (And yes, a hymn as well.)

(John Connor, Jim Paine, James Eifling)

The idea that "you can't go home again" springs from the idea -- true -- that home is not the same when you return.  But when you knew real brotherly and sisterly love, you may find that, even after all the years have passed, that it's still there in your heart -- vibrant, funny, and sweet. It is my hope that all of you know that love.

Next blog post will have some helpful wedding resources, and insights on wedding facilities.

bye for now,
John