Photo by Briana Autran Photography at The Biltmore

I am a wedding officiant and specialize in LGBTQIA weddings and elopements. I like to do video chats first and get to know the couple to see if we are a good fit for each other. I do non religious ceremonies and spiritual ceremonies. I customize all of my ceremonies to fit the need of my couple and tell their love story. My ceremonies can include hand-fasting ceremonies, tree planting ceremonies, anniversary box ceremonies and more.

 

I also offer a grounding ceremony before the wedding that includes: Sound healing, Reiki, intention setting & energy clearing

Serving Western North Carolina

My name is Gina, and I truly love life and love. I’m an ordained minister and hold a Bachelor of Divinity, and I have been fortunate enough to officiate the most intimate weddings as well as larger-than-life gatherings. Along my journey, I have served as a life coach, a mentor, a Reiki practitioner, and even as a gay and lesbian matchmaker! The first wedding I officiated was a 200-guest ceremony for a family friend; I was super nervous but I got through it and got such a high from it! And the rest is history LOL.

Photo by Heidi Bee Photography

Photo by Heidi Bee Photography

I was born and raised in Ohio, moved around a bit, spent a collective 15 years in Los Angeles, and have finally found my peace and happiness in the mountains of North Carolina. For the first time in my life, I can say I have found my forever home.

My wife, Melissa, and I met back in 2009 when I was living in Asheville before I moved out to Los Angeles. We were both partnered but I never forgot her – she was so beautiful. We both went through painful divorces and a mutual friend told Melissa to reach out to me since we had gone through a similar situation. Long story short – I was living in Los Angeles and she was in Asheville.  She came to visit me in LA and it was 7 days of pure magic.  It was as if our souls had found each other again. I mean we both had costume bins AND our first date was on Halloween!

Photo by Briana Autran Photography at The Biltmore

Photo by Briana Autran Photography at The Biltmore

Since early in our relationship, we’ve used the phrase, “All the things,” to describe our love, such as how lucky we were to find all the things we wanted in a partner. And thus, All the Things Ceremonies got its name.

Alvis

We did long-distance for almost a year and in 2020, I moved back to Asheville, we bought a house together and got married. We eloped for our wedding, and it was so intimate and perfect. We bought a hot tub as a wedding present to each other and had a frozen pizza that night because that’s what we did together on her first night in LA with me. She’s my everything. Life is just easy and fun with her. I’ve never been loved so perfectly, and we truly believe in real-life meant-to-be moments. I finally have a house after living in apartments most of my adult life, which is really a home filled with so much love and support and our fur babies, Lucien and King!

Living in Asheville, I love the mountains and rivers and really anything outdoors. I love the foodie scene and all the breweries. The friendships and community here are incredible, and as a vendor, I love all the incredible humans I get to meet from not only just my couples but all of the vendor peeps who have become a part of my inner circle. I am a reiki practitioner, meditate daily, and love cold showers. I enjoy camping, kayaking, and hiking. I’m a huge Halloween fan so if anyone ever wants me to dress up for their wedding, I’m in! Especially if they would like for me to be Elvis. LOL

Photo by Tim Willoughby Photographer

Photo by Tim Willoughby Photographer

When I start working with a couple, it’s so important that we both feel a connection with each other, so we set up a video chat. I like to meet all of my couples before starting the process. I customize all of my ceremonies and writing my couples’ own unique love story is my favorite part – plus seeing their faces when I read it! They can include a handfasting ceremony, tree planting ceremony, anniversary box ceremony, and really any ceremony that speaks to them. I file all the paperwork and provide witnesses if needed. It is so important to me that the LGBTQ+ community feels safe, heard, and seen, especially on their wedding day which is why I specialize in LGBTQ+ ceremonies. I am part of the community and I get it.

Photo by Heidi Bee Photography

Photo by Heidi Bee Photography

I offer grounding ceremonies for my couples before their wedding day or on. I use my sound bowl for healing and meditation, and I burn some palo santo to clear the energy. I have my couples connect with each other and let go of anything that is no longer serving them. I’ll have them set their intentions for their marriage and do a mini reiki session for them. My couples always rave about how they really needed that but didn’t know it.

Q: What’s your title/position in your business?

A: Owner and Reverend Gina Angel

Q: What’s a fun fact about yourself?

A: I love karaoke, Elvis, and dressing up for Halloween

Q: What is your favorite thing about elopements?

A: Ah, the intimacy of the ceremony! It’s usually in the most beautiful place and the peacefulness that comes with eloping. My wife and I eloped and it was the best thing ever!

Q: Is there a wedding detail on your bucket list?

A: Dressing up as Elvis and marrying my couple- HA

Q: Tell us about your favorite elopement!

A: In one of my favorite weddings (Michelle & Emely), I did a grounding ceremony for them before the big ceremony and their love moved me so much! I could feel it in every bone of my being. We did a tree planting ceremony during the actual ceremony. It was all just so beautiful and magical and Mountain Top Vistas was breathtakingly beautiful.

Grounding Ceremony from Favorite Elopement - Emely Michelle - Photo by Vine & Light at Mountain Top Vistas

Grounding Ceremony from Favorite Elopement – Emely Michelle – Photo by Vine & Light at Mountain Top Vistas

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

 Where to even begin… We can not say enough about how incredible our experience with Gina was. We feel so incredibly lucky to have found someone as special, authentic, grounded, calm, and fun as Gina to represent our queer wedding! We had a large 130 attendant, very formal, black tie wedding, and Gina was so warm, professional, and articulate. She crafted the absolute most magical vows/love story for us that was truly beyond anything we could have dreamt. We had a couple of meetings before the wedding to go over what kind of feeling/environment we were wanting to create during the ceremony. She really took the time to get to know us. Gina was so easy to connect with, and we felt immediately confident and assured that she was the right person to represent and officiate our ceremony. In her preparation of the words and vows for the ceremony, she was patient and thorough in tweaking the couple of edits we wanted to make. They were very small edits, as the original draft she presented had us blown away with so many good feelings! It was the most perfect and tender story, and just what we were hoping for! We were in tears reading these words for the first time (a few weeks before the ceremony), and her delivery the day of blew us away even more! We could tell that she was practiced and ready, yet it still felt authentic and organic. Those moments up at the altar with Gina ended up being our favorite moments of the entire wedding weekend <3

Weddings can be very stressful, but the ceremony felt like all time was stopped, and she kept us present and right in the moment together!

We also did a grounding ritual with her the day before the wedding. We were SO stressed the day before with what felt like a never ending list of things that still needed to be done (and on very few hours of sleep), but Gina encouraged us to follow through and take that extra moment to pause and connect with one another. It really helped us to feel ready to take on the weekend together!

We love Gina, and could not recommend her enough!!! Thank you for everything Gina- you are a true.

Hannah & SB, Spring 2022

Photo by Tim Willoughby Photographer

Photo by Tim Willoughby Photographer