Rev. Mercy Ceremonies
Weddings, Baby Blessings, Life Celebrations, and More
Creating and officiating custom ceremonies that honor your sense of spirituality, while still respecting your family’s traditions.
Bilingual: English and Spanish / Based in Los Angeles, CA
Photo of Lizbeth and Esiquio by Stephanie Williams, IG: @ThisModernRomance
So, you don’t want a church wedding or baby blessing, but you also don’t want to face mom or Abuela’s judgmental stare…
Are you tired of explaining to your very Catholic mother that you are not getting married in the Church?
Or, once she’s accepted the idea that it’s not a church wedding, that the ceremony can still be as meaningful and sacred to you and the church wedding would be to her and Abuela?
There’s no need to give in to the guilt trip.
So, you’ve decided against the church ceremony and your family is guilting you about it.
They’re saying the marriage doesn’t count if it’s not in the church, or your baby will get stuck in limbo if not baptized by a priest.
But you know your relationship with the Higher Power can be free of the usual rules and dogma and so do I.
I’m here to tell you it is possible to have your ceremony outside of the traditional institutions and still have it feel sacred to you.
Photo of Mariana and Rafael by Jose Alvarado
Don’t worry.
You can have the ceremony you want while making your family and guests happy too.
Talking to Jessica after her wedding ceremony.
Photo by Jenel Elizondo
I’ve been in business since 2017.
I have 100% 5-star reviews on Wedding Wire and The Knot.
I spent two years training at One Spirit Interfaith Seminary and I was ordained as an Interfaith Minister in 2016.
I am fluently bilingual in both English and Spanish, having grown up in a Spanish-speaking immigrant household in the Los Angeles area.
I can help you:
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Have a ceremony that reflects your values and your own relationship with the divine.
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Make your family and guests feel welcomed, loved, and considered.
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3
Feel a new sense of peace and confidence about your spirituality.
You’re looking for a bilingual officiant, but bilingual is only half the story.
With my Cuban Family in 1984.
I am a first-generation daughter of Catholic Cuban immigrants who, after 47 years in this country, still don’t speak English very well.
In fact, my parents just started taking English classes together as their retirement hobby!
So I know how it feels to worry that your parents are feeling left out of the conversation.
But that’s only part of the problem. Does this sound familiar to you?
“My fiancé and I were raised in the Church and we still believe in something bigger than ourselves, but we’re not sure we believe in the Church anymore.
However, our parents are still pretty religious and they’re not happy that we’re not getting married in the Church. They believe if it’s not in the church, this marriage doesn’t really count.”
Hi! I’m Rev. Mercedes Ibarra, a.k.a. Rev. Mercy
With my husband, Tarik, at our wedding in 2001. Photo by Lance Dawes.
I’m an Interspiritual Minister, Neo-Pagan Buddhist who married a Muslim-Turned-Atheist Back in 2001.
I get it.
I know what it’s like to be raised with all those old school religious views of gender, sexuality, hierarchy, and God.
I also know what it’s like to disagree with much of it and spend a lot of time coming to my own understanding of the divine.
You Deserve a Ceremony That Doesn’t Compromise Your Beliefs About Love.
Starting a Unity Candle ceremony for Angelica and Fernando, photo by D.Park Photography
You can have a spiritual ceremony without the church.
I create custom-tailored ceremonies for your love story and unique sense of spirituality, without having to follow other people’s rules.
Smoke-cleansing the ceremonial space at Erik and Erica’s Ceremony, photo by Liz Erban.
You can make your traditional and religious family feel loved and welcomed.
The ceremony I create for you does this because:
It is bilingual
It focuses on you, but also expresses your love for them.
It still holds the marriage up as holy.
Performing a Water Blessing ceremony for Amanda and Zeke, photo by Matthew+Jade.
When you choose the Milestone Preparation sessions along with your ceremony, you can build confidence in your spirituality.
The Milestone Preparation sessions are spiritual counseling sessions where we dive deeper into the significance of the milestone you are celebrating, what it means to you, and how it will change your life.
A milestone, like a wedding or a baby blessing, can set the tone for the future of your relationships with others.
Setting a strong foundation for your milestone, will help you build more confidence to not only celebrate in the way that feels right to you, but to live more authentically in the future.
I officiate beautiful, unique, and divine ceremonies that reflect your values and not everyone else’s.
Your ceremony should be a memorable reflection of you. It doesn’t need to be religious if you aren’t, but it also doesn’t need to be a dry cookie-cutter process you get through just to get to the party.
The courthouse isn’t your only other option.
This ceremony celebrates a major milestone in your life. It should be as meaningful as “once in a lifetime” means.
Even if it is untraditional, your family can love your ceremony just as much as you do.
You can be authentic and true to yourself while showing love for your family and the traditions in which they raised you.
“Reverend Mercy delivered the wedding ceremony of our dreams…We signed up for a spiritual counseling session and she helped us discuss some big topics prior to our wedding, which was really wonderful…
We were grateful that she was inclusive of all types of ceremonies and couples…she recommended the lasso ceremony (along with the chuppah), which ended up being the perfect way to include our family.
She was very communicative and helped us feel at ease. Thank you, Reverend Mercy. Our day was so special, and you helped the ceremony be the highlight of the day as we wanted!”
—Jasmine Mora
Photo of Jasmine and Christy by Orellana Photo
Getting started is easy.
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Step 1
We have a discovery call to talk about your goals. If we’re a good fit, just pick your package and book!
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Step 2
Let me take the lead. I’ll hold your hands through the process.
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Step 3
Have a ceremony you and your guests will happily talk about for years!
What is an Interspiritual Minister and How Can I Help You?
So, what does it mean that I am an Interfaith and Interspiritual minister?
It means I went to Interfaith Seminary for two years and spent that time studying the texts and traditions of most of the world’s major religions.
I also learned how to apply that knowledge to create ritual and ceremony for all of life’s major events, such as weddings, baby blessings, end-of-life celebrations, quinceañeras, and more.
I have likely studied more about most religions than most people have ever learned about their own.
I use my personal experience and my seminary training to take what I learn about you, your spirituality, and your love story, to create a custom wedding that represents you in such a way that you feel authentic and at the same time, your family feels their needs were reflected as well.
Photo with my parents taken by my sister-in-law at my graduation from One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in 2016.
“Unforgettable…Wedding of the Year!
Our catholic symbolic wedding has been the talk of the year with our friends and family…
There was laughter, tears, and lots of love radiating the hall. Our guests thought she was our mutual friend because it just seemed so personal…
Mercy takes the time to meet you and learn you love story so she can then surprise you with a beautiful ceremony…I’d choose her a million times again!”—Betty Plascencia
Photo of Betty and Carlos by Alex Fernandez
Packages:
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A Lovely Day
Ceremony and Rehearsal
A ceremony made just for you that your family will love too!
Includes:
A 1.5 to 2 hour ceremony planning session where we talk about your story, vision, and preferences, and then design customized ideas to make your ceremony unique to you.
Unlimited text, email, and phone calls.
Guidance on vow-writing if you choose to write your own vows, or vows written for you.
Rehearsal, which includes rehearsal of the structure and outline of the ceremony and any rituals involved.
In the case of a wedding ceremony, guidance on the process of acquiring the marriage license and then my delivery of the completed, signed marriage certificate back to the appropriate county clerk.
Officiating the day of the ceremony.
$797
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Ready for Love
Ceremony, Rehearsal, and one Milestone Preparation Session
Dedicate some time exploring the deeper meaning of the milestone you are celebrating.
Get help framing the context of the new stage in life you are embarking on, whether it be discussing what marriage means to you with your partner, creating goals around parenting your new child or the child who is quickly becoming an adult, or dealing with the grief that comes with a diagnosis.
A Milestone Preparation Session could be what you need to feel better prepared for your celebration.
This package Includes:
One 90-minute Milestone Preparation Session geared towards your particular type of ceremony:
Marriage Preparation for Engaged Couples
Child-Rearing Goals for New Parents having a Baby Blessing
Growing into Adulthood for a Quinceañera and her Family
Living with Grief
A 1.5 to 2 hour ceremony planning session where we talk about your story, vision, and preferences, and then design customized ideas to make your ceremony unique to you.
Unlimited text, email, and phone calls.
Guidance on vow-writing if you choose to write your own vows, or vows written for you.
Rehearsal, which includes rehearsal of the structure and outline of the ceremony and any rituals involved.
In the case of a wedding ceremony, guidance on the process of acquiring the marriage license and then my delivery of the completed, signed marriage certificate back to the appropriate county clerk.
Officiating the day of the ceremony.
$947
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Above and Beyond
Ceremony, Rehearsal, and Five Milestone Preparation Sessions ($10 off per session)
If you are fully committed to being as prepared as possible for the milestone you are about to celebrate, this is the package for you.
Each session can be used to dive deeper into specific issues such as Spirituality/Religion, Finances, Family, Relationship(s), Work and Career, Identity and Personal Roles, etc.
This well-rounded package will bring you to the day of your ceremony feeling like you are fully grounded and aware of the profound meaning of this moment in your life, leaving you better prepared for what comes next.
This package Includes:
Five 90-minute Milestone Preparation Session geared towards your particular type of ceremony:
Marriage Preparation for Engaged Couples
Child-Rearing Goals for New Parents having a Baby Blessing
Growing into Adulthood for a Quinceañera and her Family
Living with Grief
A 1.5 to 2 hour ceremony planning session where we talk about your story, vision, and preferences, and then design customized ideas to make your ceremony unique to you.
Unlimited text, email, and phone calls.
Guidance on vow-writing if you choose to write your own vows, or vows written for you.
Rehearsal, which includes rehearsal of the structure and outline of the ceremony and any rituals involved.
In the case of a wedding ceremony, guidance on the process of acquiring the marriage license and then my delivery of the completed, signed marriage certificate back to the appropriate county clerk.
Officiating the day of the ceremony.
$1497
“Couldn’t have been happier!
Rev. Mercy came through with a beautiful and touching ceremony…She gave us tons of generous time getting to know us before the wedding and giving us sage advice and priceless marriage counseling. She perfectly handled our less religious and more spiritual inclinations and had a beautiful and professional delivery of the ceremony. We are very grateful that we found and chose Rev. Mercy.” —Erik Dubrow
Photo of Erik and Erica by Liz Erban