Weddings By Phyllis - Paradise Magazine

Romantics from all over the world long to wed on Marco

    Tourists and residents alike often refer to Southwest Florida as paradise.
    And Marco Island, specifically, has it all: beautiful beaches, ritzy restaurants, stunning sumets. It's the perfect place for a vacation -- or a wedding.
    "Couples come from as close as Fort Lauderdale and as far away as Germany to marry in paradise," said Phyllis Sinoradzki, an island wedding officiant.
    Sinoradzki, an ordained minister and notary public, performed more than 50 wedding ceremonies (eight in August alone) in 2003, averaging one each week. She began her business, Weddings by Phyllis, in November 2002.
    Her Web site offers brides and grooms a variety of wedding ceremonies from which to choose - a rose ceremony, a civil ceremony, a standard Christian ceremony and a contemporary non-religious ceremony, among others.
    Or couples can write their own vows, copying and pasting ceremony elements to suit their fancy.
    "I'm as helpful as I can be," Sinoradzki said.
    Weddingsbyphyllis.net also provides the soon-to-be-wed with links to services such as resorts, restaurants, florists, photographers and Limousine companies. If a couple doesn't arrange for a photographer, Sinoradzki can fill in with her digital camera.
    And as a local resort concierge, she kmows all the best island restaurants and businesses.
    Phyllis has a degree in marketing, is a freelance writer and worked as a psychology professor. "So I can deal with people on whatever level they're on," she said.

    Most couples find Phyllis's Web site and visit Marco specifically to marry. Others have family or friends who live on the island, she said. But she hasn't dealt with many Florida natives.
    She once married a Bulgarian couple and had to perform the ceremony slowly, saying everything clearly and sometimes repeating herself. Not that she minded.
    "Some ceremonies are longer, some are shorter, but it all evens out in the end," Sinoradzki said.
    Some couples plan their weddings up to a year in advance, while others contact her on a whim. A couple once called Phyllis in the morning and asked her to perform an afternoon ceremony. They were vacationing on the island and decided to elope, she said.
    The couple and Sinoradzki hopped aboard a chartered boat, and Sinoradzki performed the ceremony on the open water.
    "I think they kissed through the whole ceremony," she said and laughed. "I don't think they uttered one word."
    Having a wedding on or near the beach is a popular request. The Olde Marco Island Inn & Suites, Marco Island Marriott Resort and Radisson Suites Beach Resort are common island marrying spots, while the Naples Botanical Gardens and Lowdermilk Park are favorites in Naples. Sinoradzki also has officiated weddings at people's homes.
    Rain was the culprit behind the only indoor wedding she has performed. She will perform a ceremony this year on a condominium rooftop.
    Although she charges more when she must travel to Naples, Sinoradzki still is cheaper than most Naples officiants. "Some charge as much as $200," she said.
    Her rates depend on how involved she is with the planning. While she performs ceremonies and prints out programs, Sinoradzki said she doesn't do things such as contact guests or pick out flowers unless the couple asks for assistance.
    "I don't believe in ripping people off and taking advantage of people," she said. "I'm not a wedding planner; I'm a wedding officiant."
    She communicates with most couples through e-mail and the occasional phone call. The number of e-mails and calls depends on how nervous the bride and groom are; first-time brides usually are the most nervous, she said as she flipped through a large black binder.
    Phyllis keeps track of every past and upcoming wedding -- all correspondence, a copy of the marriage license and a wedding picture. Several happily married couples have sent her thank-you notes, and many send her email updates.
    She contributes to the relationship by mailing anniversary cards. Besides being a pen pal, she does her best to accommodate all of her couples' requests: picking the perfect location, including children in ceremonies and giving them the ideal wedding.
    While most ceremonies are conducted on a first-come, first-served basis, Sinoradzki can perform weddings on short notice if she is available. She's even done two in one day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
    Many of her weddings take place on weekday mornings, but sunset ceremonies also are typical.
    If people request a sunset wedding, Sinoradzki follows a specific plan of action. For a 6:10 p.m. sunset and a 15 minute ceremony, she asks the couple to meet her at 5:45 p.m. The ceremony begins promptly at 5:55 p.m. and ends right at sunset.
    "People love the sunset because they can get the beautiful pictures with that magnificent view," she said.
    Marco Island beaches are the most popular beaches in the county, Sinoradzki said, and for good reason. "Who wouldn't want to get married here? It truly is paradise."

Story by Tiffany St. Martin