Celebrations of your life most dear to your heart

Religious traditions have long been the custodians of rituals marking significant life transitions. However, for many who have left behind conventional religious practices, these ceremonies can also disappear from their lives.

Meaningful ceremonies don’t require a religious framework! What truly matters is sincere, considerate planning.

Organizing and participating in ceremonies helps us break away from everyday routines and gain a deeper understanding of the significance of a transition. This perspective benefits not just the individuals involved but also their friends and family.

Intentionally build the life you want

At Flower City Ceremonies, we envision a world where every transition in life is honored with grace and authenticity. Our mission is to craft and officiate personalized life cycle ceremonies that celebrate the unique stories and values of each individual. Through thoughtful and creative ritual design, we aim to provide a meaningful space for reflection, connection, and celebration, enriching the lives of those we serve and their communities.

  • Every culture has a ceremony to name or welcome a new child into a family and their larger  community.  This can be to honor a newborn, older child, adoption finalization, or uniting a blended family.  I will create, with your guidance, a celebration that is right for you. Don't miss the opportunity to mark one of your most important milestones because you are not sure how to accomplish this - you can do it on your own terms, in a way that is honest for you, and I can guide you in this journey. 

  • Whether you wish to have a more in-depth ceremony after simply making it legal or are celebrating a milestone in your years of marriage, the ceremony we create together can involve personalized vows, symbolic gestures, and a shared sense of gratitude for the enduring partnership.

  • A heartfelt ritual offering good wishes and positive energy to the new homeowners. It typically involves expressing hopes for happiness, prosperity, and peace in the new home. The blessing aims to bring good fortune and create a warm, welcoming atmosphere in the new space.

  • A transgender-naming ceremony is a special and meaningful event that celebrates an individual's gender identity, and the decision to adopt a new name that aligns with their true self. The ceremony is a way to honor and affirm the person's journey of self-discovery and self-expression. The structure and components of a transgender-naming ceremony are deeply personal, and together we can create a ceremony to the preferences and cultural background of the individual undergoing the naming process. 

  • People today are looking for services outside of religious traditions, but the ritual of a funeral is still important to many.  I carefully construct and officiate, with compassion and care, a personal and dignified ceremony that accurately reflects the life and beliefs of the person who has died. I am able to suggest meaningful ways to honor and celebrate your loved one's life and pride myself in being inclusive and sensitive to the diverse needs of modern families.  This can be done for full services, graveside committals, as well as for cremations. 

    A Celebration of Life  can be scheduled any time after the death of a loved one. This gives people time to plan, especially when travel is involved. It also gives you time to honor your loved one in a way you may not have been able to - when the service is immediately after the loss. Having a funeral service and a Celebration of Life later is also an option.

  • A pet memorial service is a ceremony to honor and remember a beloved pet who has passed away. It typically includes sharing memories, performing symbolic acts to memorialize their impact on your life, and offering comfort and support to the pet owner. The service celebrates the pet's life and provides closure and healing.

  • A divorce ritual is designed to help individuals mark the end of a marriage and begin a new chapter in their lives. This ritual can take various forms, depending on personal beliefs and cultural traditions. Common elements might include activities like burning or shredding wedding memorabilia, exchanging final words or vows of closure, or creating a new symbolic item to represent a fresh start.  It might also include time for reflection and release, rituals of empowerment, and/or a celebration to acknowledge the transition, personal resilience, and to support the individual in their journey forward.  These rituals help provide closure, honor the past, and pave the way for a hopeful future.

Flower City Ceremonies’ Process

  • We Connect

    We’ll sit down together in your home, another comfortable place of your choosing, or we can connect via video chat or phone call so we can get to know one another. This is a complimentary consultation so you can decide if we are the right officiants for you and your life event.

  • We Chat

    The ceremonies that we write are created from personal interviews and collaboration with you. Once you’ve decided to work with us, we’ll get to work crafting a ceremony that is tailor-made for your life event. We’ll talk about why you’re having this ceremony and what it really means to you.

  • We Collaborate

    Because we work with you collaboratively, your ceremony will include all the elements you want and nothing you don’t. We will send a draft for your approval, and you are welcome to make as many changes or additions to the ceremony to ensure it is exactly the tone and message you want to convey.

  • We Are Ceremony Ready

    On the day of your event we will arrive thirty minutes before the start time to check in with you and as well as coordinate with any vendors you may have booked to assure your ceremony is delivered flawlessly and with love and care.

I know Keri because of her work as a teacher, and she knew most of my children for the same reason. Keri knew my youngest very well because of their improv connection. I watched Keri’s posts on Facebook about equality and love, and was happy to know that someone with her values and dedication to getting to know people was available to perform marriages. Unfortunately, my oldest daughter died in an accident on 4/12/20. Since it was during lockdown, we weren’t able to fly all the family here and gather to celebrate her life. Finally, restrictions lifted, and on July 11, 2021, Keri performed Alisha’s celebration of life. I was so impressed with Keri’s presentation. She met with us before the event to make sure she had all the information she needed about Alisha and what we wanted her to share. Keri did a fantastic job! She got the details correct, she connected with the people there, and she represented Alisha and our family well. She brought beauty and love and appropriate humor to the day. I have no doubt that Keri will do the same for your loved one.

FAQ for life ceremonies

  • A humanist celebrant provides an alternative to religious ceremonies for people wishing to celebrate or commemorate key life events — such as weddings, namings, and funerals — in a non-religious way.

    Humanists believe that people have the right to shape their own lives and build a more humane society through human values. Humanist celebrants are also expected to treat others with respect, tolerance, and dignity.

  • Life Ceremonies are created to commemorate milestones like marriage, birth, adoption, baby naming, coming of age, divorce, retirement, healing, end of life and death, and more.

  • Flower City Ceremonies has been in business since 2014 and has performed almost 400 weddings for couples all over the Rochester -Finger Lakes- Buffalo region.

    We added other milestone ceremonies 2022.

    Additionally, Keri is a Certified Master Celebrant through the Celebrant Academy which includes over 175 hours of formal training.

  • We don’t believe in “bait and switch” - whomever you meet with for your initial consultation will be your officiant. Both Keri and Katie write and perform ceremonies, so you really can’t go wrong!

  • Yes! We are fierce LGBTQIA+ allies and are happy to marry any couple who wants to tie the knot and support anyone who wants to affirm their identity through ceremony and ritual.

  • Definitely! During our consultation we can discuss ways to have your loved ones take part in your ceremony.

  • Our fees for Life Ceremonies vary based upon the complexity and scale of your ceremony, travel distance and whether a rehearsal is required. Life Ceremony fees start at $300, and we will be able to provide a complete quote after we discuss your ceremony. You can decide how you’d like to proceed.

    If you are interested in learning more about weddings please visit that section.

  • We will arrive at least thirty minutes prior to the ceremony. We take that time to check in with you for any last-minute details. During this time we also meet with any other vendors you may have hired for your event as well as the venue coordinator.

  • Inquire here