“My partner and I are a same-sex couple who both come from Catholic backgrounds. Although we decided to have a garden ceremony and not a church ceremony, it was important for our families to feel at home. Our initial ask of Fr. David was not to officiate our ceremony (because we had a courthouse ceremony also planned), but to deliver a homily. However, over time, my and my partner's plans expanded slightly to include other aspects of a traditional Catholic wedding (blessings for the parents and godparents, the cord ceremony, etc.). Fr. David was more than accommodating and so supportive throughout our journey. With his support and understanding, we felt very comfortable incorporating these aspects of tradition that mean so much to us and our families, while still making the ceremony uniquely our own. He is so gentle, encouraging, and warm, and strikes the perfect balance between signifying authority given the importance of the occasion, and providing commentary to elicit laughter. We feel very blessed for Fr. David to be a significant part of our special day!”