Jody Serey, Pastoral Officiant

     Most week-ends find two women making their way to weddings. However, they are not adoring relatives. Caryn Unterschuetz usually dons a robe, and performs the ceremony in her role as a licensed minister. Although she is also a licensed minister, Jody Serey customarily remains behind the scenes, her work already complete as the creator/writer of the ceremony that shapes the particular celebration.
     Caryn, whose background includes decades as a nurse, says that she was first pressed into ministerial service as a stand-in chaplain at the Chicago-area hospital where she worked. "I dealt with a lot of trauma cases in a very busy hospital, so I was often called in when the other chaplains were tied up. Eventually, one of my co-worker friends asked me to marry her and her fiancé, and I began to do weddings in addition to memorial services. I called upon Jody, who has years and years of experience in writing and rituals, and we formed a team."
     Caryn and Jody discovered they had a niche among the "spiritually aware" but frequently unaffiliated. Says Caryn, "Many people have very deep convictions, but want to celebrate a wedding in their own way. We are happy to help them create something that is unique to their own needs and situation, and that says exactly what they want to express. We make whatever we do all about them. It's their day, so they have it their way."
     Spirit & Light also welcomes referrals from pastors who cannot marry couples in their churches because of religious restrictions. Caryn explains, "We have had any number of pastors actually attend the weddings of their parishioners as guests. Overall, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are always happy to be of help in a potentially delicate situation."
     When asked to describe a "typical" couple seeking help with a wedding, Jody says, "There is no norm. We have married people in their 60s who want a quiet, dignified affair at home. We have married soldiers on their way to Iraq, and couples who already have several small children. Wedding sites range from the very formal resort or fine country club, to botanical gardens, mountainsides, ranches, and living rooms. We also assist with many of the weddings at Virginia's House in historic Glendale. It is owned and operated by Natalie Stahl, and is a restored Victorian house with gorgeous grounds."
     Jody says that "if a couple wants to exchange vows in a remote location, Caryn and I would appreciate a decent headstart to reach the site. We're not as young as we used to be and you don't want us keeling over before you've said 'I do'. I'm also not fond of extreme heights or scuba-diving, so that imposes a few limitations. However, we can usually accommodate whatever a couple finds meaningful to them."
     Their wedding service includes a pre-wedding consultation with the couple, the creation of a custom ceremony, rehearsal, keepsake ceremony booklet, and officiating at the ceremony. Caryn adds, "We keep it very affordable, and we are ready with minimal notice. When all is said and done, Jody and I have our own post-wedding ritual of going straight to the post-office and sending in the signed license. We carry pretty stamps and wish the couple a long and happy life when we mail in their paperwork."
Caryn and Jody make their way frequently to The Tulip Tree to seek assistance from Judy Haenel and her staff. "We are often involved in the same event, so it's a natural match," says Jody. "Many of the same kinds of occasions call for all of our help. So we put our heads together for the total effort. In other words, Judy says it with flowers, and we say it with words."
     In addition to weddings, Spirit & Light officiates at baby blessings, renewal of vows, house blessings, funerals, memorial services, and other occasions of remembrance. The company is also listed as a preferred vendor by the prestigious Pointe South Mountain Resort.
     Their website is located at www.spiritandlight.net. Information can be obtained by calling 623-561-0240, or by addressing questions to jody@spiritandlight.net.

Spirit and Light
7413 W. Oraibi Dr.
Glendale, AZ 85308


from the April 2004 Bank Note$, published by Arrowhead Community Bank, Glendale, Arizona