Black Swan Weddings

Black Swan Weddings is on indefinite hiatus. Thank you for your support through the years!

Welcome! My name is Halsted and I write and perform personalized wedding ceremonies within the San Francisco Bay Area.

Black Swan Weddings ~ A&E To write your ceremony, I begin from a basic outline, then draw from my library of readings and vows to customize it. I also encourage you to suggest your favorite songs, books, poems, movies, and traditions which I can then weave into the whole, making your ceremony truly personalized.

I will be delighted to perform your ceremony on your special day. I have extensive experience with microphones, both lavaliere and handheld, so I can work with your existing sound system. I also have a trained actor’s voice and am able to project to small audiences outdoors as well as indoors. Some of the couples I have married have written sparkling testimonials.

If you don’t know the first thing about obtaining a marriage license, never fear! My resources will show you what steps you need to take to make your wedding legal in the state of California. I also have some recommendations for terrific vendors.

If you have any questions for me that aren’t covered here, or would like to inquire as to my availability on your special day, please contact me. Congratulations on your future together!

About Me · Testimonials · Resources & Vendors
Black Swan Weddings ~ C&D I was first approached by two of my friends, Colleen and David, who asked if I would perform their wedding ceremony. I was absolutely floored, and accepted excitedly. Planning the ceremony with them proved to be a memorable, rewarding experience for me … almost as much as performing it!

Two of my other friends had been in attendance at that ceremony, and were so impressed that they asked me to perform theirs later that year. Again, I leapt at the chance. What had originally been a way to accommodate the unique needs of my friends soon became something I wanted to do for others as well.

Fusing my skills as a writer and as an actor, I create and perform ceremonies to be enjoyed and cherished. I lend my creativity, expertise, and enthusiasm to each ceremony.

Since 1991, I have been an ordained minister in the Universal Life Church, which gives me the authority to wed couples in the state of California. I have been writing and performing non-traditional wedding ceremonies since 1998.

About Me · Testimonials · Resources & Vendors

My husband and I were (and are!) thrilled by the job Halsted did in officiating our wedding. For us, the ceremony was perfect in expressing who we are and the commitment we were making to each other. Her enthusiasm was infectious and she was kind and reassuring. Halsted created for us a ceremony that was calm, joyful, and ran perfectly smoothly, and I don’t know what more we could possibly ask for. I recommend her highly to those interested in traditional and original ceremonies alike, for she has a true gift for celebrating the union of two people in marriage.
Colleen & David

Halsted did a wonderful job in helping us plan our vows. We have some nontraditional opinions about marriage and marriage roles, and she took a lot of time to discuss with us (from two states away!) what was important to us and what we wanted to express. By the time we were done talking, she’d already put together a rough draft for us, combining our ideas and her skill with words. It was probably the easiest part of our wedding planning! Afterwards, many of our guests went out of their way to tell us how much they liked our vows and what a good job Halsted did in conducting the ceremony. It couldn’t have gone better, and it couldn’t have happened without Halsted.
September & Joshua
Milton and I live in Texas, but knew we wanted to get married among trees. Why not the Redwoods, we said? Since neither of us had ever been to Northern California, we started with the internet. I found Halsted’s website and after several e-mails and a few phone calls we had the perfect wedding planned without even leaving home. Halsted was flexible, willing to go out in the middle of nowhere, explained how and where to go to get a marriage license, and was able to write a customized ceremony that fit us perfectly. With no prior face-to-face meeting and no rehearsal, Halsted met us in the woods and performed a beautiful and professional wedding ceremony. She made us feel comfortable and at-ease throughout the entire process. I would highly recommend Halsted M. Bernard to anyone looking to get married in the San Francisco Bay area.
April & Milton

There are more testimonials on my LinkedIn profile.

About Me · Testimonials · Resources & Vendors
Black Swan Weddings ~ D&R Thinking of an outdoor wedding? The SF Recreation and Parks Department has many lovely wedding sites.

To be married in California you must obtain a marriage license prior to the marriage ceremony. Although you are responsible for obtaining your marriage license, I have written this webpage in order to make the process less painful. Marriage licenses are obtained from county offices, so contact your local county office to find out about their procedures and fees.

A marriage license is valid for 90 days after it is issued, and only in the state of California. There is no waiting period between the time of issuance and the wedding itself, and blood tests are no longer required.

If you request a license in person, both parties must be present, unmarried, and over the age of 18. Government-issued picture identification with the persons full legal name and date of birth must be presented. The license must be paid for when it is issued, and most county offices only accept cash, so bring the fee in cash with you!

After performing your ceremony, I will sign your marriage license and return it to the county office within 10 days after the ceremony. After it is received, it will be recorded and you may purchase a copy of your marriage certificate from the county in which you were married.

Here is a list of vendors that I recommend based on the wonderful experiences they provided at my own wedding: