Meet Alice Soloway, Master of Ceremonies
The first wedding Alice Soloway officiated was for her niece. The couple couldn’t put together a traditional religious wedding as the Rabbi in question refused to marry them (the niece didn’t identify as Jewish) and clergy wouldn’t either (they didn’t want a church wedding). Finally, the couple asked Aunt Alice. The experience transformed Alice’s path.
Soloway runs her business, Alice Soloway Weddings, out of her Ditmas Park home office. She originally picked Ditmas Park 25 years ago because she wanted to raise her family in a diverse neighborhood. The linden trees were an added bonus.
“I love the fragrance in the spring and early summer,” she said. It was a practical choice as well. Ditmas Park offered everything she required as she then — and still — worked as a freelance graphic designer and needed enough space for a home office, resources, and proximity to Manhattan. The neighborhood has served her well.
Alice’s career transformation happened with her niece’s wedding.
“For years I had been looking for a meaningful new way to work with people,” Alice said. “Now I am a ceremony expert! I give voice to the connections among human hearts.”
Alice brings together multi-cultural, interracial, same sex, and interfaith families and traditions. As families come together, communities follow.
A large portion of her celebrant work is as a marriage officiant.
“There are a few things in life more joyous,” said Alice. “It’s my privilege to work with couple to design marriage ceremonies that uniquely express their values and beliefs.”
Simple or elaborate, Alice helps define goals for ceremonies and “co-create an experience that allows them to relax, express their love, and celebrate.”
“The heart of a celebrant ceremony is the couple’s personal love story and the re-envisioning of traditions and rituals.”
To illustrate her point Alice shared this story: “In a same sex ceremony I recently officiated, one of the grooms wanted to break the glass as is traditional in a Jewish ceremony but he feared it was too random in the simple civil ceremony they desired. We reinvented the tradition by symbolizing the breaking of the glass as the crushing of prejudice and intolerance toward LGBT couples and marriage everywhere. It felt authentic and triumphant to the grooms and their guests were really moved.”
Speak now or forever hold your peace?
Try an alternative Alice came up with for another couple unmoved by tradition’s rigidity.
Shout out love and support for the bride and groom!
“The place went wild,” Alice said. “I enjoy involving the friends and family of the couple in the ceremony.”
Other joyous events Soloway helps celebrate include baby blessings, housewarmings, and anniversaries. And there are powerful, life altering events not traditionally thought of as joyous that still need to be recognized and honored.
Alice will work with people dealing with job loss, retirement, empty nest, divorce and even end of life to help bring meaning and respect to these happenings. “Ceremony helps us slow down and take a minute to reflect and honor and share our milestones,” Alice said.
A full list of significant life events Alice officiates is on her website.