Chaplain Claudia Meyer

07/13/2024

Checked out "The Scene" today while meeting a friend for coffee (a shaken espresso, my new fave drink!) and coaching her on her upcoming role as a first-time Officiant for her friends wedding *on a cruise*!! Had an AMAZING Nutella French Toast (with fruit on top... so it was healthy!!)... let's just say I'll be back for sure! If you haven't checked out this spot, that just celebrated its 1st birthday, you need to! It's def a Scene!!

DID YOU KNOW???
A marriage performed on a cruise is generally not considered legal?
Ship's Captains can perform weddings, but they *ALSO* generally NOT legally valid!!

For these reasons, couples usually get married *legally* before cruise, and they can easily ask a friend or family member to officiate a symbolic ceremony on board...

Know before you go!! 🛳

07/12/2024

If this doesn't put a smile on your face, you'd better check your pulse!! 🤣🤣🤣

07/11/2024

Instead of saying, "I know what it feels like", let's say "I cannot imagine your heartbreak".

Instead of saying, "You're strong, you'll get through this, let's say " You'll hurt, and I'll be here.

Instead of saying, "You look like you're doing well, Let's say, "How are you holding up today?"

Instead of saying, "Healing takes time", let's say "Healing has no timeline".

Instead of saying, "Everything happens for a reason, let's say "This must feel so terribly senseless right now".

And when there are no words to say at all, you don't need to try and find some. Love speaks in silences too.

~ 'Words' by Ullie Kaye Poetry

~ Art by Jennifer Yoswa

07/01/2024

So it's the little things that make me laugh... got a backhanded compliment at a wedding Saturday. Grandma of groom looks at me and says, "You look very pretty today! A little makeup is always a good idea." (She had seen me the day before at the rehearsal... I guess I wasn't wearing enough makeup that day...)

06/22/2024

Question: What do you think CICADAS and a SAME-SEX ELOPEMENT I officiated earlier this spring have in common?

The Nat Geo article posted here will give you an idea.

Post your guesses in the comments. I'll provide the answer on Sunday 6/23.

Massospora consumes cicadas from the inside out then drives them to mate—in the process making infected males more attractive to both sexes.

06/07/2024

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! I'm so glad we live in a time when being your true and authentic self (who you are, how you identify, who you love, and ALL OF THAT) can be celebrated... because LOVE IS LOVE! ❤️ 🏳️‍🌈👬🌈👭❤️

BUT at the same time, I'm saddened to know that many of our family, and chosen family, our brothers and sisters, cannot live as their true and authentic selves because of small-minded, homophobic and transphobic individuals who wish to push their religious beliefs and political agendas on others.

So I will do my part. To be an advocate. And an Ally. To educate, to amplify the voices of LGBTQ and BIPOC persons, and to raise awareness of the struggles faced by them every day. And I will fight until these injustices are stopped!

And I will PROUDLY MARRY ANY COUPLES THAT WISH TO LIVE AS THEY PLEASE AND LOVE WHOM THEY PLEASE!! 👭💍🏳️‍🌈👬🥂🌈

06/01/2024

A CASTLE near Albany, NY?! Yes indeed!!

This built-by-the-owner (world renowned artist TE Breitenbach) unique castle was the perfect setting for today's wedding between Lacey and Andrew. It had always been a dream of Lacey's to get married, and her fairytale wedding WAS a dream-come-true! I was so honored to officiate their celebration of committed love!!

05/23/2024

Keeping it real: I was due for new head shots because, well, fresh and updated and all that.

Only I haven't been feeling very good about myself - physically - for the last six months or so. You see, I've put on 20-25 lbs and almost every piece of clothing I put on doesn't fit and just reminds me of this disappointing fact.

But I decided to splurge and buy myself a new outfit. One that fit me *now* and made me feel good. And you know what? It felt great! And I got my new head shots taken, looking radiant and happy. 😊

We're all our own worst critics. But each and every one of us is absolutely amazing! And there will never be another one just like us.

So, maybe just for today, go easy on yourself. The golden rule says to "treat others as you'd like to be treated." But I'd like to suggest "treat YOURSELF the way you'd like others to treat you"! We could all use some of that!

📷: Simple Snaps Studio ()
👚👖: Lane Bryant
💄: Alayne Curtiss Laura Geller Beauty L'Oréal Paris

04/27/2024

I'm kicking off my Wedding Season 2024 with Kristina & Haley's rehearsal tonight and wedding tomorrow!

Rehearsals are one of my favorite parts of a wedding! It's when everyone involved in the wedding (family, wedding party, etc.) arrives for the festivities and meets one another, and there's a really great energy with everyone looking forward to the next day. As an Officiant, it gives me a glimpse into the dynamics and a hint of what's to come! (And while I don't usually join the rehearsal dinner, tonight I did, and it was such a treat!)

In the last picture, Haley and Kristina are poring over a scrapbook of photos and letters from many of their friends & family, wishing them well for their wedding. I don't know if tomorrow's tears can top the ones that flowed tonight! ❤️😭🥰

04/17/2024

I am OBSESSED with this picture... and how the foggy weather set SUCH a mood for this private elopement. It was nothing short of ✨️magical✨️!!

Hire people who obsess and care about your wedding (almost) as much as you do. Who are invested. Who are passionate and are rooting for you and working to create the kind of day you deserve. Nothing less.

Got some dreams and ideas? Let's talk!

📷 :

03/25/2024

Of course... I don't do this work for the kudos I receive.
But of course it feels great when couples notice all the love and hard work I put into making their wedding day something really special, and take the time to write a thoughtful review! Thanks, Diana and Jesse!! ❤️❤️

03/23/2024

D & J's wedding was supposed to take place at City Hall, but we arrived to find that City Hall had double booked the time slot. Some quick thinking (of the Officiant and Photographer) allowed us to pivot to the State Capitol (just up the hill), which turned out to be a FAR BETTER location! Sometimes curve balls land us in a better place!!

📷 :
📄 :

03/15/2024

So what's the shortest notice you've ever had for a wedding? **15 HOURS!** 😲

Mack and Josephine contacted me last night to see if they could get married today at noon. SURE, of course!! 😁

I love coming in clutch to help couples tie the knot... whether it's the wedding of their dreams or a simple ceremony in a coffee shop!! ❤️💍☕️

(To be clear, they already had their marriage license in hand. NY state has a 24 hour required "waiting period" after getting the license before you can get legally married. 😊)

(Location is actually Motor Oil Coffee on Madison Avenue...)

02/27/2024

Nothing wakes you up fast like finding out your website is down... and spending the next hour frantically calling the domain registration company to get it up and running again! 😬😫

On a related technology note, does anyone know a way to forward messages from a Google Business page (now located on Google Maps...) or from FB and IG business pages to a place that I'll actually see them instead of accidently finding them 2-3 weeks later because there are (to my knowledge) no "notifications" sent to account I check regularly?? Help a girl out!! 😖😵‍💫

02/18/2024

So... to "Jacob" (if that's even your real name), who contacted me 12 days ago about "just getting married quick," and then re-contacted me Monday to finally set a date, but then stood up my friend Tuesday (that I had arranged to marry him & his fiance, because my child was sick), so then he re-contacts me yesterday, claiming he had a "family emergency" the other night, saying he wanted to get married tonight (at my home), and texts me this afternoon, confirming that "he'll definitely be here"...

I waited for you for an hour. After 20 minutes, I texted you, asking for an eta. No response. After 1 hour, I called but the call dropped. I called again, and it went to voice mail.

Now I'm reminded why I never book a wedding - even a "quick elopement" - without a contract and full payment. And in the future, I will ignore any "good feelings" I get about someone like you that might cause me to bend these rules.

When I was new at this, I expected people to take advantage of my good nature. But I guess after 10 years in business, I thought I was immune. Fool me once... don't fool me again!

02/02/2024

MAKE NO MISTAKE. I AM UNAPOLOGETICALLY PRO - LGBTQ LOVE!!!

If it seems like more and more young people are identifying as gay or queen or transgender or bisexuality or gender nonconforming, it's because IT'S TRUE!! (and or may be biological and it may be a choice... I'm not a scientist or a psychologist and I actually don't care how it came about!)

And while many of my (former) friends in the Christan and Evangelical world may point to the Bible and say this this is (somehow) "wrong" and "against God's creation," I (who went to seminary and hold a Master's Degree in Theology) believe that GOD CREATED EVERYTHING AND CALLED IT GOOD. And I believe in the inherent dignity of ALL PEOPLE, regardless of ANYTHING about them.

Some of my closest friends and loved ones are L-G-B-T-and-Q and I AM HERE FOR IT!!

I WILL MARRY YOU AND UNAPOLOGETICALLY SUPPORT YOU!! I'm a PROUD ALLY!! 🏳️‍🌈❤️🏳️‍🌈❤️🏳️‍🌈

02/01/2024

"I'm engaged!!"

Those of you outside the wedding industry may not know, but we're in the midst of "engagement season."

40% of all engagements happen between Thanksgiving and Valentines Day. Holidays, family time, a New Year, and V-Day.

I work primarily in the other end of this arc... at the actual weddings. But I also help with proposals. How, you may ask?

Anyone thinking of popping the question to their love, and wanting to do it in a memorable fashion, can contact me, and I'll recommend some epic locations in the Capital District, find them a super talented photographer, and arrange to have champagne & chocolate ready for the big moment!

Reach out and I'll fill you in on all the deets! I can't wait to help you take the first step toward a future together!!

📷 : Nicole Nero

01/20/2024

SO very grateful to ALL my couples who have hired and trusted me to tell their story and celebrate their love!! It's YOU who truly make my job the !!!!

This is the **8th year in a row** I've been selected as a winner in BOTH Wedding Wire's "Couples Choice" Awards and The Knot's "Best of Weddings," awards representing the highest-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by real couples!

I was inducted into The Knot's "Hall of Fame" in 2022, an outstanding achievement for wedding professionals.

01/18/2024

"We're Wedding Officiants..."

Which statement do you like the best? For me, it's a tie between the "because we know what we're doing" one and the "last to be booked, but the only one that matters!"

(You'll catch me not once but twice???)

01/16/2024

Ever wondered how much it costs to hire a Professional Wedding Officiant? Here's a sample of Officiant prices across the country...

Video courtesy of IAPWO - International Association of Professional Wedding Officiants .

Wedding Officiant Cost - How much does it actually cost to hire a professional wedding officiant?IAPWO Asked professional officiants and celebrants to share ...

01/02/2024

Lots of thoughts for this New Year. Most focusing on taking it easy on yourself. I encourage those of us who have been hurt or burned out or are just aging to embrace these.

And the last one is tongue-in-cheek, of course. Not throwing shade on the hikers and climbers!

12/31/2023

Here's my : 4 pictures of ME with some personal reflections, 2 of amazing couples I married this year, 1 of my doggo, and 2 Reels: a meaningful ceremony ritual and a wedding industry gathering. All in all, a great year!

Here's to a 2024 filled with more of the good things! ❤️🍾🥂🌹💍🐶😊

12/31/2023

Wishing you all that is bright and beautiful in the New Year... because the hard stuff will always be there. We don't have to focus our gaze on it. We can choose joy. And pleasure. And simplicity. ❤️😊

Thank you, for the inspiring poetry

12/29/2023

The Holy Family is still among us here and now, in the faces of the refugee, the immigrant, the oppressed, the stranger, the unhoused, the sick and poor.
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Matthew 25:35

- from the work of Kelly Latimore, Iconographer

12/24/2023

Merry...or peaceful... or "whatever" Christmas needs to be for you. Take good care of yourselves. Thinking of all of you. ❤️

12/22/2023

Throwback to a beautiful Christmas wedding I officiated a few years ago... Cold but beautiful!!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and peace and love in the New Year!! 🎄🕊❤️🥳