Services:
Established:	2002
Accepts:

Are you looking for a wedding celebrant who:
 -honors all beliefs, traditions, & lifestyles?
 -will come to the location of your choice?
 -offers beautiful & unique custom-written ceremonies?
 -takes the time to develop a personal relationship with each couple?
 -knows how to incorporate customs from all major faiths & cultures?
 -can skillfully navigate sensitive family issues where needed?
 -brings both creativity AND professionalism to the table?
 -is experienced, caring, reliable, & organized?
 -officiates weddings as a full time occupation?
 -provides your choice of several packages to fit different needs (and budgets)?
 -provides a microphone and discreet, portable PA at no charge when needed?
 -provides a contract, and also gives you valuable legal and practical information?
 -provides a network of "backup" officiants in case of emergency?
 -has hundreds of references from happy couples?
 -is highly respected and recommended by many other area wedding professionals?
 -takes your wedding day as seriously as you do?

Do you need a wedding minister who:
 -does not require premarital classes or counseling?
 -does not just "read the words out of a book"?
 -does not "farm out" weddings to a dozen "associates"?
 -does not just do weddings "on the side"?
 -does not judge your personal choices or lifestyle?
 -does not deliver your ceremony in a "sterile", "wooden", or "stuffy" way?

Are you searching for a wedding officiant who will really "get"
what’s important to you?:
 -Are you "spiritual, but not religious"?
 -Are you an interfaith couple (or even an "anti-faith" couple)?
 -Do you believe that your wedding ceremony is the most important part of your day?
 -Do you want something warmer and more personal than a "city hall" type wedding,
even though you don’t belong to a house of worship?
 -Do you want your ceremony to truly reflect who you are as a couple?
 -Do you wish for all your guests to be truly touched by your ceremony?
 -Do the words "romantic, but not cheesy" mean anything to you?
 -Do you dream of a ceremony that is personal, meaningful, and memorable?

Look no further. It’s all possible if you Call SoulMates Today!

SoulMates, founded and headed by Reverend Natalie Kita, is a ministry of celebration.
All of life's momentous occasions require a loving touch to bring the true
meaning of their rites and ceremonies to life and to light. That's why SoulMates was founded---to
provide you, the couple, with a ceremony that is personal, meaningful, and memorable.
Your perfect ceremony will  be created, together with you, by Rev. Kita, who is dedicated to
beautifully performing the ceremony she creates for (and with) you. From start to finish, SoulMates'
pledge to you is this: It will be your day, YOUR way!

Although Rev. Kita presides over all of SoulMates eceremonies personally, rest assured that Rev Kita                                                                                                       maintains contact with an extensive network of the finest "back-up" officiants in case of an emergency.

*A portion of SoulMates' profits are dedicated to charity work to better our communities.

What "religion" are you?

I am an interfaith/non-denominational minister, as are all of my associate (back-up)
ministers. What this means is that I have studied all of the major world religions (and
many of the minor ones), and am able to perform ceremonies for people of all faiths. My
personal beliefs are that God is the spirit and light and energy that is in all of us, and we
are all just little pieces of God, so to speak. Over time, I have come to the belief that no
one "religion" is right, and that God doesn't mean for us to get caught up in the
rules---just to love each other (and ourselves) to the best of our ability. I don't believe that
God is a respector of inidividual persons or religions, but that he loves none of his
children more than any others. I believe there is truth and beauty in all faiths, and in all of
us. I also believe there are inherent flaws in all faiths, especially the parts that are
exclusionary of others' beliefs and rights.

For more information, please click here to visit our sister sites for:

Spirit Universal Interfaith Fellowship (or)
Pathways of Unity

All of that having been said, your ceremony will be performed according to the traditions
and language of your faith (or lack thereof), and I will never try to push my own ideas onto
anyone! Your beliefs are the ones that matter in your life, and in your ceremony. I also
don't believe that one must practice any specific faith or attend services in order to be a
spiritual being. This philosophy holds true in all I do as a celebrant---including weddings,
commitment ceremonies, baptisms/babynamings/dedications, and all celebrations of life
and love.


What makes our marriage legal?

Any ordained minister of a legally recognized church may marry you, and I (Rev. Kita)
am actually ordained by several legally recognized non-denominational and interfaith
churches, including my own. In fact, I am even registered to perform ceremonies on New
York City, which has the most stringent ordinances of any place in the USA regarding
who is eligible to legally officiate weddings. It is the obtaining and subsequent filing of the
license that makes a marriage legal. Your marriage license is obtained by you, then
signed and filed with the court or municipality by your officiant.


What is your fee?

It is important to me to keep SoulMates' services affordable. We've all heard the saying:
"you get what you pay for", and for the most part, that is true. However, I feel our fees are
adequate to provide excellent service, yet affordable enough that I don't feel my service is
putting any extra undue financial stress on a couple starting out their new life together.
Many couples see the officiant as just someone who "shows up for 1/2 hour" and helps
them say their "I dos". What they don't see is the preparatory work that goes along with
what we do---There is a LOT more time than just the actual length of the ceremony that
is spent talking and corresponding with our couples, creating and helping them to create
their ceremonies, planning different aspects of the ceremony with them such as the
recessional, processional, rehearsal, etc., as well as the administrative work and
expenses that go along with ensuring a couple's happiness with the most important
aspect of the most important day of their lives. Of course, different couples have different
needs. For this reason, our pricing is not "one size fits all". I would not charge the same
amount for a couple whose ceremony and planning takes up 10 hours of my time as a
couple whose ceremony and planning takes 50 hours. In your search for an officiant, you
may find some people or services that charge less.... You will also find many fine
officiants charging a lot more for their services. (If you don't believe me, bookmark my
site to come back to when you find out the truth.) :-)

We offer packages with varying levels of service to fit almost any budget.

Please click here for more detailed information about packages and pricing.


Why is your fee higher than another wedding officiant I talked to?  
(or: Why is your fee lower than another wedding officiant I talked to?)

We truly mean no offense, but to us, that's a little like asking why a hamburger from the
drive-thru costs more than five course meal at a fine dining establishment. While lots of
people love those burgers, almost everyone understands that for higher-quality
product/atmosphere/service, there is a higher cost. Weddings are expensive, and take a
lot of time to plan. If you want an end result that is worth all the time, effort, and expense,
you need to trust in the professionalism of all of your vendors. My guess is, you wouldn't
hire just anybody to be your caterer, just because they say they know how to cook.
Certain things should be left to true professionals---and what could be more important
than your ceremony?

Regardless of where you look for an officiant, be sure to check what you're really being
offered: Is there a contract? Do they have back-up if something unforeseen happens? Do
you get to choose your own wording, do they create something especially for you, or are
you getting the same exact ceremony a thousand couples before you have had? How
many weddings have they done? (most times it is brand new officiants or
part-timers---usually both---who offer very cheap fees) Do they arrive early, or show up 5
minutes before the ceremony? Will they stay if your ceremony starts late for some
reason? Do they allow enough time between bookings on the same day, with allowances
for traffic/bad directions/late starts, etc? Do they offer YOU the option as to whether or
not you use their services for a rehearsal, and adjust their fees accordingly? Do they offer
help with the planning aspects of the ceremony? Do they have a clear and pleasant
speaking voice, and a warm personality? Do they just read the words in a wooden, sterile
way, or do they put some emotion and feeling into the delivery of your ceremony? Can
they provide references from other couples and/or vendors? Do they offer you resource
and reference material to help you in planning your day?  Can they provide a microphone
and/or public address system for the officiant/couple if needed? Are they flexible and
open-minded about your traditions, your faith (or lack thereof), etc.? Are they easily
accessible by phone when you have a question, or are they hard to reach because their
"real job" gets in the way? If these things are important to you, then, while price is
always a consideration, it shouldn't be the main one.... After all, without the officiant,
you're just throwing a big party...and wouldn't you rather have your guests remember your
touching and beautiful ceremony, as opposed to the mini-quiches and pigs-in-a-blanket?
;-)


Will we meet you in person?

Actually, that's another option I give my couples. Some choose to meet with me in
person, and others choose to do everything via telephone and email. Some are more
comfortable meeting, and others, for reasons of distance and convenience, choose to
handle everything via phone and internet. All meetings are handled personally by me
(Reverend Kita).


How do we work together to create our ceremony?

Again, it depends on your personalities, and the level of involvement you wish to have in
the process. It always starts with a comprehensive questionnaire, designed to give me an
idea of your desires for your ceremony, your personalities, and the particulars of the
wedding. I learn about your relationship, how you met, what made you fall in love, etc.
Between that questionnaire and an initial phone conversation or meeting, I get a sense of
who you are, as individuals and as a couple. From there, one of two things can happen:
One, I can custom-create a ceremony based on your answers and our conversations.
This is a very personal option, and you can alway make changes to the ceremony when I
submit it you for approval. Some couples find this is a lot less intimidating, yet still
allows for a very unique and meaningful ceremony. Others have a little more time, and
want a little more control over their "first-draft". For those couples, after gathering a sense
of them, I will send or show them several sample ceremonies, from which they can pick
parts of each, to "mix & match" their way to their dream ceremony. Your input can be as
much or as little as you desire. Either way, we keep working on it until it's exactly what
you want.


Do you provide references?

Absolutely. Once a couple contacts us, if they are serious about using our services,
references will be provided. I don't provide them unless a couple is serious, because I
don't want my past couples to be inundated with calls unnecessarily.


Can we write our own vows?

Absolutely. There are even some links on this site that you can use for inspiration.


We want a non-religious wedding---do you do that?

It is YOUR ceremony, and we will do it YOUR way. Any officiant who insists on their
own way of doing your ceremony is doing a disservice to the institution (and the very
meaning) of marriage. Our relationships with each other, ourselves, and Our Higher
Power (if we believe in one) are very personal, and to deny anyone that kind of freedom is
something in which we have no interest.


How do we reserve our date with SoulMates?

To reserve your date, please call us at 302-836-4450, or toll-free at 1(866)404-3774. We
do require a retainer to hold the date, usually in the amount of $100-$200, depending on
the package you choose. You may fill out an inquiry form on the "contact us" page of the
this site to find out about availability, but you must actually call and put down your
retainer to reserve the date.


What about same-sex commitment ceremonies/holy unions/NJ Civil Unions?

We don't have a separate section for commitment ceremonies, simply because we treat
these unions exactly as any other marriage. I strongly believe that God didn't make up all
the religious "rules," people did. In the case of gay or lesbian commitment ceremonies, I
believe the same thing as for my more "traditional" couples: it is YOUR ceremony,
YOUR day, and I will do it YOUR way! Hopefully, one day soon, our government will treat
all unions of love with equal respect. Until then, that is my pledge to you. I realize that
some of the wording may be different in a same-sex ceremony, but otherwise----love is
love is love is love!


Who will be our officiant?

Actually, I (Rev. Kita) have recently decided that in order to preserve the quality of
SoulMates' services by developing and maintaining close relationships with all SoulMates
couples, I will henceforth be the one performing all ceremonies personally. This means
that we will be working closely together, start to finish!

Sadly, I have heard from many couples whose officiant cancelled at the last minute, not
providing them with any alternatives, and leaving them to fend for themselves. (A word to
the wise: Certain types of officiants are famous for this---I won't get specific, but I will say
that any time you are dealing with someone for whom officiating weddings is not a
primary (or sole) livelihood, you may be asking for trouble.)

I take my commitment to officiate your wedding very seriously, and have never missed a
wedding. Of course, it is always possible for  unexpected things happen in life. With
SoulMates, there are several levels of back-up in place to prevent such a problem. In the
highly unlikely event that an emergency would prevent me from officiating your wedding,
SoulMates maintains an extensive network of associate officiants who are available to be
called on if needed. I also maintain memberships in several professional associations,
and have extensive contacts among a long list of top area wedding professionals.


Will you stay for the reception/rehearsal dinner?

When a couple has their own pastor or spiritual leader as their wedding officiant, and/or a
prior personal relationship exists, then it is proper to invite the clergy and his/her spouse
to the reception and/or rehearsal dinner. However, when a couple is hiring a professional
wedding officiant to perform their ceremony, and does not have a prior personal
relationship, no such social obligation applies. There should be no reason for you to feel
you have to spend money on another plate, when you have hired a professional to
perform a service for you.

That having been said---I often do develop close relationships with my couples, as I work
with you on the most personal aspect of your day. If you would like to extend an
invitation, I appreciate the gesture, and in some instances, may accept the invitation.
Usually, however, I do not stay for the meal, either because I have another ceremony to
do, or because as a professional wedding officiant AND mother of a small child, weekend
time with my family is scarce as it is.

If, on the other hand, for some reason, you REQUIRE my attendance at the rehearsal
dinner and/or reception, please understand that this will be at an additional charge, as it
prevents me from accepting another wedding, and/or spending time with my family on
that evening. (not that I don't love your company!) :-)


What will you wear for our ceremony?

For the more formal/official look, I wear celebrant's vestments/robes. These differ from
ministerial vestments in that there is no religious insignia (symbols) on the robes . I offer
a few color combinations in these, but the most popular is the off-white vestments with a
subtle gold trim. I also have black, red, and ecru, most with interchangeable trim that can
be white, gold, silver, red, or black. For those who are having a very informal wedding, or
who wish to avoid any small similarities to a religious ceremony, a dark suit can be worn.
I am also happy to accommodate special requests for theme weddings.

What about baptisms/dedications/baby blessings/baby namings/christenings?

I absolutely love baby ceremonies! We offer special pricing for these ceremonies, and
whether your beliefs require a baptism, dedication, naming, or blessing, we are happy to
help make it something very special! Please call or email for more information!