As a Wedding Officiant in Los Angeles County and an all-around Southern California Life Cycle Officiant, I help couples create meaningful rituals for their ceremonies. Some couples love beautiful traditions even though they may not come from their own religious backgrounds.

When you step outside of rigid traditions, you open the door to a ceremony that truly reflects who you are today because you see the universal truths and messages across different religions and cultures. And then, you see what resonates with you. 

A Humanist Wedding Vow Renewal at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes

I recently officiated a wedding vow renewal ceremony at the stunning Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The couple, celebrating twenty years of marriage, came from Christian backgrounds. However, now they identified more strongly as Humanist, and so, they wanted a ceremony that felt spiritual and deeply personal, without being overly religious.

But even though the couple wanted a more Humanist and not-too religious wedding vow renewal ceremony, the husband expressed an interest in the traditional Jewish ritual we call the Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings).

As a flexible Los Angeles Life Cycle Officiant, I jumped at the chance to adapt this beautiful ritual to fit their unique story. And what was the result? The couple was absolutely delighted.

What is the Traditional Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings)?

“Sheva Brachot” in English means “Seven Blessings”. During a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, or an Interfaith wedding ceremony where one partner is Jewish, it would be appropriate for me to recite these ancient blessings.

Traditionally, the Seven Blessings focus on these core themes:

1. The Wine: We bless a cup of wine, symbolizing joy.
2. Creation: We praise the creation of the universe and everything in it.
3. Humanity: We give a blessing for all of humanity.
4. The Divine Image: We thank the Divine for creating humanity.
5. Restoration: We offer a blessing for renewal and the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem.
6. The Couple as Adam and Eve: We bless the marrying couple, comparing their joy to Adam and Eve rejoicing in the Garden of Eden.
7. The Union of Souls: We offer a final blessing of thanksgiving and celebration for two souls being reunited as one.

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Adapting Jewish Wedding Rituals for Multi-Cultural Ceremonies

While the traditional Sheva Brachot is very Jewish-specific, its core symbolism is universal. So, what if you love the structure of the Seven Blessings, but want to adapt it to a non-Jewish marriage or vow renewal?

I say: Absolutely, yes! As an Ecumenically Correct Southern California wedding officiant, I love looking at the universal symbolism of rituals to see how they function across different cultures and belief systems, because we live in an enormous universe, and I believe we can embrace beautiful truths wherever they are found.

The most powerful truth about the Seven Blessings is actually found in the number itself: Seven.

Across countless cultures worldwide, the number seven represents creation and perfection. When couples renew their wedding vows, they symbolically recreate and renew their wedding day, and they ritually step into a brand-new phase of their lives together.

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A Modern, Family-Centered Seven Blessings Ritual

For this specific Terranea Resort ceremony, the couple wanted their adult children, themselves, and me to offer one of the seven blessings. It became a beautiful, collaborative family ritual:

• Blessing 1 (Adult Child): Spoke on Love.
• Blessing 2 (Adult Child): Offered a blessing of Abundance.
• Blessing 3 (Adult Child): Shared a blessing about Music.
• Blessing 4 (Adult Child): Reflected on the beauty of Home.
• Blessing 5 (The Husband): Focused on Strength.
• Blessing 6 (The Wife): Shared a beautiful message on Patience.

For my part, I delivered the 7th Blessing about Faith. So, with their permission, I shared a meaningful excerpt from the Christian Bible (Hebrews 11:1) that perfectly bridged their past backgrounds with their current Humanist philosophy:

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

I shared that “where thought goes, energy flows.” We don’t see our thoughts, yet they carry enormous power. We hope and yearn for evidence that we can create circumstances that bring joy and love into our lives. In choosing to renew their wedding vows, they demonstrated their faith in the belief that love is the ultimate power in life—one that overcomes all challenges.

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Let’s Create Your Unique Southern California Ceremony

Whether you are looking for a wedding officiant in Los Angeles, or you’re planning a vow renewal in Rancho Palos Verdes, or you want to blend diverse traditions into an alternative wedding ritual, I craft ceremonies that feel authentically like you.

Contact me today to start designing your custom life cycle ceremony!