Dear Captain Arnold, Mike and I want to thank you for making our wedding perfect. Of course, I knew that we were in good hands when I first spoke to you on the phone–when Mike was still a skeptic–and then when we met for the first time at the Border’s Bookstore downtown. After just a…
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Bruce & Lisa Clark
FROM: Woodbury, New York
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married at The Lighthouse (Chelsea Piers, New York)
Bruce and I want to thank you so much for making our wedding so special. The service was the highlight of the evening. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house! We loved including the children and our mothers. It made the ceremony so special. All of our friends have called and said that this is the first wedding that they have ever been to where they heard every word that was spoken and took them all to heart. Usually you are looking at your watch waiting for the ceremony to end. That didn’t happen on Saturday.
We know our situation was a little unique and the format was as well. That alone made it special. Your contribution only heightened the emotional impact for everyone. It was a magical evening!
As soon as we have pictures we will forward them to you.
Until then, thank you again.
With warmest regards,
Lisa and Bruce Clark
James & Patricia Reidy
FROM: Croton, New York
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married on the Cruise Ship Queen Mary II (Port of New York, New York)
Dear Captain Arnold:
We just got off the QM2 and immediately wanted to write and thank you for making our much anticipated wedding day so wonderful. We thought a spectacular ship like the Queen Mary II would be romantic and special, but you made it even more so. Your selection of the room, complete with fireplace, had a wonderful intimacy. Your words were heartfelt and our vows made everyone misty eyed. Thank you for paying special attention to my mom, who kept saying how wonderful you were.
And thank you so much for arranging for our cabin steward, Karen, to take our pictures after the ceremony. You can tell how blissful we were on our wedding day with each picture better than the next.
Warmest Regards,
Pat and Jim Reidy
By the way, the ship called mom before disembarkation looking for you. We told them you had an emergency and could not come back on for the voyage!
Sandy & Cynthia Vergara
FROM: Bronx, New York
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married at Marina del Ray (Throgs Neck, New York)
| Dear Captain, We are so happy that we found you. As you know, we wanted our ceremony to be meaningful and one that we would never forget. Thank you for being there on our special day and making our guests feel like they were truly sharing in our union. They laughed; they cried and heard every word you said. Thank you for honoring our loved ones who are no longer with us. I cannot tell you how much this meant to our families and us. Your words touched our hearts and we will always remember you and all that you did to fill our wedding day with warmth and magic. The sand ceremony was exactly what we envisioned. Thank you for surprising us by asking my mother to present me after learning last minute that my father could not make the trip. It brought tears to my eyes and I felt truly blessed. Thanks again, from the bottom our hearts! |
Chris & Debra Lang
FROM: Long Beach, New York
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married at Land’s End (Sayville, New York)
Dear Captain Arnold,
It’s been weeks since our wedding, and our family and friends are still talking about how special and unique our ceremony was. And how great “the Captain” was. Many of them tell us it was the best wedding they’ve ever been to. Chris and I have you to thank for so many of the wonderful memories.
Our families didn’t come out and say it, but Chris and I knew they were skeptical having a “Captain” preside over one of the most important days in our lives. We knew all along we were in good hands.
Your ceremony was thoughtful, sincere, and simply beautiful. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house as we exchanged vows. The words seemed perfectly chosen to reflect our love for each other. We couldn’t have written them better ourselves.
Thanks for convincing us to take time out in the ceremony to honor loved ones who have passed. Our families were so touched that we remembered those who mean so much to us, yet couldn’t be there to share in our joy.
Thank you again for making our day so special.
Debbie and Chris Lang
David & Lori Cohen
FROM: New York, NY
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married at the Yale Club (New York City, NY)
Dear Capt. Arnold,
Thank you for making our wedding ceremony extra special. At the time of calling you, when I got off the phone, I knew Dave and I made the right decision. You were so helpful and so attentive to all our questions and concerns. Your demeanor was always appreciative.
After the beautiful ceremony you created, all our family and friends were very touched and commented on the wonderful words that were said by you. I was told that many were crying along with Dave and I.
Thank you again for giving us the wonderful and emotional memories.
Fondly,
Lori and Dave Cohen
Jed & Amanda Herman
FROM: Forest Hills, NY
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married at the “Crescent Beach Club” (Bayville, New York)
Dear Captain Arnold,
Thank you so much for performing our ceremony at the Crescent Beach Club. It was a perfect expression of love for the start of our lives together. Everyone keeps commenting on how great our ceremony was. The sand ceremony was also very fitting. We thank you again for your wonderful words of love and commitment.
Thank you,
Amanda & Jed Herman
George & Smita Thomas
FROM: Stamford, Connecticut
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married at Le Chateau (South Salem, New York
Dear Captain Arnold,
Thank you for sending us a copy of our wedding vows and the pictures.
George and I would like to thank you for our ceremony. It was lucid and thoughtful, and truly made us feel that we went through a profound ceremony that cemented our bond. The words were carefully chosen and beautifully said. They brought tears to many eyes, including mine as you know very well! Thanks for the warning ahead of time and for bringing the tissues 🙂 Many of our guests came up to us after the ceremony to let us know how much they appreciated it. They wanted to know how we found you! (Thank you Internet). As you know we broadcast the ceremony overseas using a webcam, so our distant family could participate in the ceremony as well. They could hear you quite clearly. We have saved a recording of the ceremony and enjoy looking at it over again.
The webcam recording does not have very good image quality (we had to keep the resolution low for transmission) but it serves the purpose of a memory — the audio is quite clear though once the volume is turned up. If you need help viewing it, please let me know!
George and I are leaving for our honeymoon (to Alaska!) in an hour. We will be back on July 10th.
Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Smita
Note: Through the use of sophisticated modern computer technology combined with our World Wide Web, George and Smita’s wedding ceremony was being broadcast to several different countries around the world. their families and friends in India, the UK, Czech Republic and in Belgium were able to see and hear the ceremony at the same time it was actually happening. They not only were able to capture priceless memories that were also being recorded on a CD, but were able to share them with those they love and who could not be with them to celebrate their very special day, their “wedding day.” A modern miracle if ever there was one, you might even say it was a special kind of “wedding gift” they gave to their loved one’s instead of receiving.
George & Emily
FROM: Miami, Florida
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married aboard the Norwegian Cruise Ship “Pride of America” (Port of New York, NY)
Oh Captain, my Captain,
Absolutely fantastic, amazing, spectacular, incredible, magnificent, touching and beautiful was your ceremony and these words are only but a few that I heard from all those present. Thank you for those beautiful words you spoke in Hawaiian and I we shall always remember that very special moment that you made possible on board the beautiful “Pride of America.”
Whenever you visit Hawaii, be sure to look us up.
Warm Regards,
Emily & George
Note: Captain Arnold was asked by The Wedding Experience, representatives of the Norwegian Cruise Line to perform the 1st inaugural wedding ceremony aboard the Pride of America.
George and Emily are the 1st couple to be married aboard the Pride of America, the largest U.S. Flag cruise ship in history that made its star-spangled debut on June 17, 2005 in New York City. After a series of inaugural festivities, complete with a christening ceremony that was held on Friday, June 17th in the Big Apple, Pride of America made her way to her homeport of Honolulu, Hawaii.
Pride of America’s All-American theme extends to the ship’s spacious public areas but on this special day the flavor was all Hawaii and Captain Arnold was asked to include into his beautiful ceremony a little “something” about Hawaiian tradition. Here is an excerpt from his ceremony:
“The lei (a beautiful string of flowers) is the Hawaiian symbol of love and aloha. The custom of giving and receiving leis at weddings began in the days of old Hawaii. During the wedding ceremony the minister bound the hands of the bride and groom as a symbol of the couple’s commitment to each other. During the lei exchange, the following words are usually spoken”: “E lei kau, e lei ho’oilo i ke aloha,” meaning love is worn like a wreath through the summers and winters; love is everlasting.”
(The groom then presents his bride with a beautiful white lei that he places around her neck and then the bride places a colorful lei around the groom’s neck.)
Matthew & Michelle Menard
FROM: Stamford, CT
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married at the Glen Island Harbour Club (New Rochelle, New York)
Dear Captain Arnold,
I am so sorry it has taken so long for us to write. We returned from our honeymoon (which was amazing!) and immediately had to pack to move and with settling back into work… Well, you know how it goes- time just gets away from you. However, I find it to be no excuse, so again, I apologize.
I can’t begin to express to you how much we loved our marriage ceremony. Your words were beyond perfect and touched not only us, but all of our family and friends. We had countless guests tell us that it was the most amazing ceremony they had ever witnessed. You certainly moved the entire crowd. Most importantly, you not only made our day one to remember and cherish forever, but more special than we could have ever imagined it would be.
We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You are truly a special person and we feel so lucky to have shared the most important day of our lives with you.
We hope all is well with you and your family.
Love,
Michelle and Matthew Menard
Carey & Melissa Burtt
FROM: New York City, New York
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married at the “Historical Chapel” In the Greenwood Cemetery (Brooklyn, New York)
Dear Captain Arnold,
Thank you so very much for a wonderful and memorable wedding day. Both Carey and I really enjoyed getting to know you, particularly during our dinner in May. Your warmth and gentle spirit gave us such reassurance. We came away from that dinner knowing we made the right choice in asking you to officiate our ceremony. You really took care of our every need, including your call the night before. We knew you would really be there for us, making sure everything would run smoothly.
Your ceremony was, quite simply, beautiful. Your words were inspiring, and captured so perfectly the reasons why we wanted to be married. Your sage advice about the ups and downs of relationships was also very meaningful. Your perspective – the long view – will really stay with us throughout our lives. Indeed, we both feel so lucky that you were available on June 1st, and we do so appreciate all the time and care you took with our ceremony. We also appreciate your remembering to acknowledge the members of our family that had died. Having their names read aloud really meant a great deal to us as they were truly in our hearts and it was important for others to know. We so appreciate that you thought of that detail.
Mostly, we really thank you for your warm and generous personality. You not only embraced us with your kind heart, but conveyed to our family and friends how marriage is all about love.
Thank you for everything.
Much love,
Melissa & Carey Burtt
David & Eve Giertz
FROM: New York, NY
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married at “Danford’s on the Sound” (Port Jefferson, NY)
Dear Captain Arnold,
Thank you for conducting such a beautiful and unique ceremony for our wedding. You fit right into the nautical theme at Danford’s as we were married in the lovely outdoors. Our mothers were particularly touched by the rose ceremony in which they were honored.
We can’t thank you enough for being a part of our special day!
Dave Giertz & Eve Hollywood-Giertz
George & Dianne Paciello
FROM: Kew Gardens, New York
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married on the Yacht Skyline Princess (World’s Fair Marina, Flushing, NY)
Dear Captain Arnold,
Our great day was pleasured by having you as our wedding Officiant. Weddings are really special when the one that performs your wedding ceremony also becomes a close friend even though this was our first time meeting each other.
Captain Arnold, you not only performed a wedding to be remembered by all, but also gave us joy and laughter at the reception. You will always be in our hearts and prayers.
Our sincere thanks and appreciation for a very special and beautiful wedding.
Sincerely,
George & Dianne Paciello
Todd & Nancy O’Connor
FROM: Cranford, New Jersey
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married on the Yacht Skyline Princess (World’s Fair Marina, Flushing, NY)
Captain Arnold,
We just wanted to let you know that we have received the package that you sent to us, and to especially thank you for the beautiful ceremony that you performed for us on May 28. Your ceremony was not only unique, but extremely touching, and very special to us and those who were able to share the day with us. Everyone loved it and had nothing but great things to say! Thanks again for everything. In addition, we appreciate your efforts in contacting the N.Y. office in an attempt to get our marriage certificate to us quicker.
Sincerely,
Mr. and Mrs. Todd O’Connor
Robert & Allison Marzano
FROM: East Meadow, NY
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married aboard the Yacht Nautical Princess (Freeport, New York)
Hello Capt. Arnold,
I thank you so much for the vows, as I was so nervous I was not able to appreciate them as they were being said. Many people commented that they enjoyed the vows and some commented that it was also nice they could hear them. Many times when you’re in a church you are unable to hear them. Thank you for everything, we are very happy.
Allison Marzano
Robert & Evelyn Johnson
FROM: Yonkers, New York
WEDDING DATE -
WEDDING LOCATION:
Married at the Royal Regency Hotel (Yonkers, New York)
Dear Captain Arnold,
Robert and I would like to thank you for the beautiful ceremony that you performed. Your ceremony touched not only by Robert and I, but also my Family and friends who can’t stop talking about it. We were deeply touched with your words. I thank you very much, and appreciate everything you have done to make this day wonderful for us!
Sincerely,
Robert & Evelyn Johnson