Beth Carlson-Malena she/her
Get to know Greater Vancouver wedding officiant Beth Carlson-Malena.
Greater Vancouver, BC, Whistler, BC
*Not currently booking weddings*
One of my biggest priorities at weddings is to create belonging. I’ve sat through plenty of weddings that made me feel inferior for being a woman, for being queer, or for being single (before I married my wife), so I try to choose language and themes that celebrate all kinds of people and relationships.
Speaking of belonging… I believe all kinds of things can belong in a wedding and will gladly make space for what matters to you, whether it’s holding grief alongside joy and remembering your loved ones, or weaving in some of your cultural traditions, or finding a role for your pet, or quoting your favourite poem or song lyrics, or making a few Star Wars and D&D references to capture your nerdy vibe. If unexpected interruptions happen during the wedding, I can use humour to make those moments feel like they belong too!
Some other distinctives: I offer bilingual wedding services in English and French. I’m committed to making my work ecologically sustainable by going paperless and using my e-bike to travel to any meetings, rehearsals or weddings within Vancouver city limits. I’m grateful to have won two “Best Wedding Officiant” trophies from the BC Wedding Awards, in 2019 and 2020. Oh, and I know how to rock a bow tie.
I would love to grab a coffee or share a Zoom screen with you and hear the story of how you fell in love and made this decision to commit to one another. My hope is that after all the hard work of planning, you’ll be able to let go and breathe easy on your wedding day, free to focus on taking delight in the one you love and the community who loves you both.
Beth's Story
When my wife, Danice, and I were married in 2014, we hired a Young Hip & Married officiant (who also happened to be our friend), and she wrote a memorable, personalized ceremony for us.
Two years later, I became a wedding officiant in hopes of offering a similar experience to other queer couples I knew, especially those who had been kicked out of their churches after coming out, and still wanted weddings that reflected both their love and their faith.
I soon discovered the joy of working with all kinds of couples, whether they were religious or non-religious, queer or straight/cisgender. I loved the challenge of crafting scripts that highlighted what made each of them unique.
I’ve officiated over 250 weddings since then, and every time I officiate, it feels like such a gift to be invited to tell people’s love stories, and to help them write yet another chapter by bearing witness to this latest milestone in their lives.
When I’m not working on weddings, you can find me writing sermons for Open Way (the little church that my friend and I co-founded), reading the latest sci-fi book, or dancing with my wife, Danice, who works for a DJ company – every so often we both get to work at the same wedding!
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