Hi, my name is Carla Fortunato-Knox, founder of You and Me Nuptials! I’m originally from Connecticut, but I live in sunny San Diego, CA where we’re fortunate to have the wedding business thrive all year round. It’s a little bit funny how I became a wedding officiant.
My son, Tony: “Mom, I’m getting married and don’t know when or who will do it!” Me: “Okay, don’t worry, it will all work out!” Minutes later I was applying to be an officiant with American Marriage Ministries! I knew that becoming ordained through AMM was the right fit because we share the belief that all people, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, have the right to marry. I had no idea that I would fall in love with becoming a wedding officiant! My son Tony and his wife Jen followed their hearts and decided to get married in Jamaica in a small ceremony, which was performed by an officiant there. Because it was a destination wedding, not all of our family members could attend. That’s when I stepped in! Who knew that my first wedding would be a vow renewal! Two months after their wedding in Jamaica they flew to San Diego where all of our family and friends could attend. I performed the renewal ceremony and we were surrounded by so much love. This is when I knew that I wanted to share this experience with other couples and lend my heartfelt words in joining two people in love. Beginning my career as a junior high and high school teacher, it taught me empathy, patience and listening. The next path I traveled down was being fortunate enough to raise three beautiful children over a 10-year period as a stay-at-home mom. As a busy mom, I learned to embrace the unpredictable nature of life and stayed flexible in order to go with the flow. These skills come in quite handy because weddings can sometimes have last minute changes. After my kids were grown, I went back to school and earned a master’s degree in human development and aging. This enabled me to promote health care topics and coach individuals in managing life stage events. Public speaking through lectures, television and radio on these topics was most enjoyable. I’m happy to be able to return to this passion of public speaking by officiating weddings! Life moved forward and I began managing real estate projects in Costa Rica. This helped me to see that no matter where you go in this world, all people want the same thing; to be respected and treated with kindness. I have truly learned what makes people happy and being of service as a wedding officiant brings me so much joy. After all, life is supposed to be fun and the best part is enjoying the ride along the way! |