"I have always believed in hope - hope means that life can be better. Your past does not equal your future. Simply put, you do not have to remain in the box that you were shipped in. You can have a new life - starting today." -Bill Turner
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Weddings
"I love Bill so much, that my fiance and I asked him to marry us and the wedding ceremony that Bill performed was the most amazing wedding ceremony I have ever heard (and I work at weddings). It honored life, it honored God, it honored us.
I am not a religious person, that's for sure, but I am a person in love with God and in love with this beautiful universe. I have always felt that Bill is a beautiful gift to be treasured."
Angela Suggs, Photographer
"Bill has made a strong impact on my life. His teachings have shown me how we are all connected. He believes in hope, joy, and goodness in people. He has shown me that there is a higher power, and that we are all a part of it. He encourages all of us to get in touch with our true selves, our selves that are beyond the physical. Bill wants us all to know ourselves better than we could ever imagine or dream. He is also one of the greatest listeners I've ever met. We chose Bill to marry us for many reasons, among those because he is an old soul. We're truly blessed to have him in our lives."
Peter
Raleigh, NC
Your personalized wedding ceremony, formal or casual, custom designed and officiated for your special day.
The core of a beautiful and meaningful ceremony is about you, your love, your relationship, your family. Your ceremony should reflect who you are, your beliefs, your traditions. As an interfaith, non-denominational minister, Bill honors and respects all beliefs and traditions, whether religious, spiritual, or secular. Bill will not use your ceremony as a platform to promote his personal beliefs, but to assist you in celebrating yours.
Bill is delighted to perform your ceremony in any setting you choose. He will assist you in writing your own vows or help you select vows from his personal collection written for hundreds of brides and grooms. Help Bill create a personal wedding ceremony that speaks for the two of you.
Typically, a wedding will fall into one or more of the following categories:
- Traditional Religious
This is the type of ceremony that is probably most familiar and is typical of most weddings. It includes time-honored language from one or more of the major religions, and was probably the sort of ceremony that married your parents and grandparents before them. - Traditional Secular
This type of ceremony can be of great variety. It includes the basic “civil ceremony” performed by judges and government officials, and extends to embrace more creative approaches using poetry or other texts to add style and an artistic element while remaining non-religious in context. - Contemporary Religious
This type of ceremony may be every bit as religious as the more traditional varieties, but uses modern language and reflects current thinking. Oftentimes, newer translations of the Bible and other religious texts, which express their content in common language, are used. - Contemporary Secular
This type of ceremony is more open and new age. These ceremonies often incorporate modern poetry and other texts, expressing contemporary concepts of love and relationships, and they may incorporate new ceremonial formats actively involving the guests.
At your request, Bill can also include special features into your ceremony:
- Unity Candle
This element symbolically emphasizes the uniting of two families through marriage. Typically a candelabra with three candles is used. During the ceremony, members of the bride and groom’s family light the outer two candles. Later, the bride and groom use these two candles to light a larger, center candle together. - Sand Ceremony
Similar to the Unity Candle, this element also symbolically represents the uniting of two families through marriage, but is often used at outdoor weddings when wind may be present. Families pour colored sand into two separate glass containers. The bride and groom then pour these into a center glass container which is later sealed and given to them to take home as a symbol of the mixing together of their families and their lives. - Handfasting
This is an ancient Celtic ritual. As the bride and groom respond to certain questions from the officiant, a decorative colored rope is draped over their clasped hands. After a series of five or six questions and corresponding ropes, the officiant ties them “fast” using a simple knot. The still-tied ropes are then removed and given to the bride and groom, never to be untied. This element symbolizes the lifelong commitment of marriage—thus the phrase, “tying the knot.” - Rose Ceremony
During the ceremony the officiant gives the bride and groom each a rose and talks about the rose as a symbol of love and beauty. The bride and groom are then asked to give their roses to each other as their very first gift in marriage. The officiant explains that while each is still holding a rose which looks the same as the rose they just gave, they know they have given something very precious to each other, just as in their vows. It is suggested that they may want to repeat this rose exchange each anniversary, as a remembrance of this day. - Wine/Glass Ceremony
The bride and groom are each asked to drink from a glass of wine, the ancient natural symbol of vitality, passion, and good luck in life. The empty glass is then wrapped in a napkin and placed on the floor. The groom is asked to stamp on the glass, breaking it as a symbol of fidelity—“no one else may ever drink of the wine that these two have shared.”
Please contact Reverend Bill Turner to discuss your wedding plans at bill@expandinward.com.