Hi. I’m Revvi James A. Weinkle.

In a nutshell, I’m really all about seeing in others, that which I understand to be God. It is empowering others to see within themselves, their potential and a kinder way to live. And, it is my way of leaving this world a little bit better.

Bringing passion, dedication and enthusiasm, I craft moving, inspirational ceremonies and life-cycle events. These include: weddings of all kinds and vow renewals; baby blessings and welcomings; funerals, end-of-life tributes and dedications of memorial plaques and graves and other ceremonies that speak to you, that are for you. What I do is about you. The ceremonies and experiences individually reflect and celebrate the people involved. Working closely with you, I will design a ceremony that distinctively expresses your personal vision for your day.

In crafting any experience, I first spend time with you, listening to you and learning all about you and your beloved and loved ones. Through listening and hearing, the ceremony at which I will officiate, takes shape. Each ceremony is a truly unique experience because it is inspired by you! Throughout the planning process, I make myself available through unlimited email contact and phone conversations. I want you to have the ceremony that is an expression of you, your beloved and loved ones.

Blessings of the Most High Within and All around! - Revvi James

weddings

The Weddings I create are all about you – the couple being wed. They are spiritual experiences that cross dimensions of religious expression and with the couple who journeys with me, we enter into an experience which leads to a wedding ceremony, celebration and blessing, that is nothing short of ExtraOrdinary. And because it is ExtraOrdinary, your wedding will be a holy experience for you and all you gather. The ceremony is you, because it is of you. It is Love. It is about your Love.

I have officiated at all types of weddings, for interfaith couples as well as couples of the Jewish faith, Christian faith or no faith expression; couples who share a spiritual path and couples whose religious and spiritual paths are unique. The wedding experiences manifest your love and life, your commitment as a couple toward each other and the family you are creating. If you have children that you wish to be part of the marriage experience, I will work with you to craft something that incorporates these most important people into your wedding ceremony.

To be true, the spiritual services I offer are my avocation and not my vocation. I do what I do because it is part of what I came into the world to do. And so, for most of the past 25 years in which I have been officiating at weddings, I did not advertise my services. Rather, people who came to me, learned about what I do through word-of-mouth. Friends of a couple or parent who attended a wedding at which I officiated, shared my name with others...and from that other ceremonies emerged. To be honest, because I so dedicate myself and my energy to those who engage my services, I don’t officiate at just any ceremony. When you contact me, we begin the process by getting to know each other to see if what I offer is what you envision for your wedding. Once we begin our journey, I listen to who you are as individuals and as a couple so that an amazing experience is created. There will be laughter, there will be tears of joy, there will be inspiration, there will be smiles, there will be incredible memories. There is love. It is your story.

Before the wedding, we will go over the ceremony I craft for you to ensure that it is that which you envision and more. I look forward to, learning the wisdom that led you to love and helping you through the walk you will take up and down the aisle.

BABY BLESSINGS / LIFE EVENTS

I come from a very large family...lots of aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers, cousins, nieces and nephews. Throughout my life, I have been witness to the entrance of new life in my family and friends. What a joyful, amazing time!

It is important to create a sacred space to welcome a baby or adopted child into your family. Choosing to celebrate this amazing experience with a ceremony is a wonderful way to welcome your child into your family, home and community of friends.

I will work closely with you to create a ceremony that celebrates and welcomes your baby. We will bring together your traditions and desires in a beautiful, ceremony.

vow renewals

Recently, I was sitting next to a woman on a jet, who upon learning what I do, shared with me the profound experience that came with the Renewal of Vows that she and her husband engaged in after 25 years of marriage. My parents and grandparents were married for over 60 years. Couples whose weddings and commitment ceremonies at which I officiated, have been joined together from a few months to over 25 years.

We humans grow and evolve in our lives. So to, do we grow and evolve in our relationships. We learn to live and love through the challenges. We learn to communicate better. And with each lesson that life brings, those original vows that may have been taken at the time of a wedding or commitment ceremony or other life experience, can take on deeper meaning.

Renewing vows is a great opportunity to remind you of the ExtraOrdinary nature of your love and life. With you, I will create an experience that will bring the joy of your initial walk down the aisle all over again.

celebration of life / funerals

Let’s create a meaningful experience together. Speak to me about what’s most important to you today.

What is a “Revvi you may ask?

To be true, a title in my spiritual expressions has never been particularly important to me. While the title “reverend” was bestowed upon my colleagues and me when we were ordained as InterFaith/InterSpIritual ministers, somehow, that title just didn’t seem to capture the MultiFaith manner in which I approach life.

And, so in a momentary flash of expression and a bit of joking with a friend, the title “Revvi” came to me and The Revvi was born. In some way, that title captures my path... a fusion of faith expressions... totally unique and the way I choose to live and offer myself to the world. It captures my roots and presence in Judaism; but, so too does it capture that which I have learned and gained through teachings of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Bahá’í, Sufism, Feminist Theology and other faith expressions, as well, the earth-based traditions of Native-Americans, Africans and those expressions emerging on other continents.

But, lest you think I take this too seriously... I am mindful of the danger of becoming lost in one’s titles. One of India’s greatest poets, religious reformers, mystics and saints was Kabir who lived in the mid 15th Century. Kabir wrote:

The words Guru, swami, Super Swami, Master, Teacher, Yogi, Priest, (and I would add Reverend, Rabbi, Minister and Revvi) most of those sporting such a title are just peacocks.

The litmus test is:
Hold them upside down over a cliff for a few hours, If they don’t wet their pants, maybe you found a real one.

And so I am quite mindful of titles and very much conscious of who I am and what I bring to life...how I show up...for ultimately, its my name that is more essential than any title I may have earned or assumed.

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“James helped make our wedding the most memorable and spiritually significant event in our lives. He took the time to get to know us and worked with each of us to ensure that we were able to communicate how we felt about each other in the best way possible. James has continued to be an important part of our lives, continually serving as a friend and spiritual guide when we need him to be.

Our ceremony was exactly what we wanted it to be... he listened to our ideas, our desires, and our feelings and formulated a ceremony that best met our goals. We wanted a non-traditional wedding that included our loved ones and felt intimate despite the number of attendees. James delivered that and more. He ensured that we felt the love from everyone in the room, that they understood how we felt about each other and about their importance in our lives, and he ensured that we felt the importance of our union.

We could not recommend him more highly... he is truly an incredible person and will help make anyone’s special day memorable.”

Ry & Drew

“Witnessing the marriage of my son Jon was a breathtaking experience. The concept of providing a very personal and spiritual ceremony was like being wrapped in a blanket of love. It took me on journey of my son's relationship with his beloved. Thank you James, for providing a sensitive and poignant description of my beautiful children. It was evident that you spent a great deal of time and thought to create a memory that will last forever.”

Best always, Linda

“It was so wonderful working with you, you made us feel comfortable and relaxed at a time when there's so much going on. We were very pleased with the way the ceremony came together. Thank you so much for making it so special. It really was perfect and everyone was so touched. It was very sweet and personal and we loved it. We still get so many compliments on the way the ceremony was done and will always recommend you. Thank you very much James!”

Sonia & Hunter

“James the honor was all ours, You are a great human being and an extremely talented sensitive and spiritual Revvi and leader. With your wonderful will you created the possibility of our beautiful wedding Thanks one more for your blessings.”

Enrique & Cecilia

Many years ago, I began creating spiritual and religious expressions, including new forms of prayer and celebration. I officiated at my first weddings nearly 25 years ago, when I offered my services to a secretary in my office. She was Jewish and her fiancé was Catholic. They were an older couple and had both been widowed. During the wedding planning, I developed a ceremony that celebrated their uniqueness as a couple. I helped them write their own vows and scripted the ceremonial rituals so both of their faiths and beliefs were represented. The ceremony moved all present and that wondrous experience led me to help others. When tragedy struck and the husband passed away, I was asked to preside over his funeral service. This inspired me to be present and help others move through all cycles of life...especially those of different religious and spiritual backgrounds.

I have lived in Miami most of my life and was raised in Judaism but have had a lifelong interest in exploring spiritual and religious expressions. By profession, I practice law and have done so for the past 25 years with some of the nation’s leading law firms and now in government service.

Essential to my life is my spiritual expressions, always learning and exploring. My service as an InterFaith/InterSpiritual Minister and Counselor is my avocation. My undergraduate work was at Denison University where I received a B.A. in Political Science. After time in government service, I traveled the world, went into business, before going to law school at the University of Miami where I received my J.D. degree. I was ordained through One Spirit InterFaith Seminary in New York City after several years of formal study and many years of informal exploration.

Please feel free to contact me, as I look forward to creating with you an expression of your moment to remember forever.