Reverend Russ Button

I officiate for:

- Weddings
- Memorial Services
- Renewal of Marriage Vows
- Baptism
- Consecration: the declaration of anything as sacred

I have been married more than 30 years, and still celebrate every day I have with my life partner. Every day is still a blessing and that is the intent I will bring to every ceremony I do.

Most of the ceremonies I get called for are weddings that are the simple ones with just a couple friends and family. With or without religion, all weddings are sacred, transformative moments filled with meaning and purpose. No wedding is too small to not be sacred.

I am typically available on short notice.

I work directly with you to customize your ceremony. We start out with a template that works well for most people. You can work with the standard vows I have or write your own. For blended families, I'm happy to include the children in the ceremony if that works for you.

- Do you want a wedding without religion?
- Are you spiritual but not religious?
- Are you agnostic or atheist?
- Is there more than one religion in this marriage?

Love is love. It is where we find it. I support love between two people.

- All faith traditions
- Those of no faith tradition
- Handfasting!
- All Gender preferences
- LGBTQ friendly of course. Do you have to ask?

For most weddings I charge a flat $150. This fee includes creating your custom ceremony, as well as performing the ceremony itself."

I also do memorial services: I am called to bear witness, hear sorrow and honor pain in times of loss. These times are universally experienced and bring the great questions of meaning and mystery. Everything changes. Everything is impermanent. Whoever knows love will also know loss. Your grief is just your love in another form. To never grieve is to never love and who wants to give that up?

I will fashion a memorial and service for your loved one, which will help you to find the strength and courage to deal with your pain.

The role of chaplain is to bear witness to suffering, to offer a spiritual perspective in times of challenge, and to help remember that there is always a tomorrow.

About Rev Russ: Ordained by the Chaplaincy Institute of Berkeley, California, Rev Russ has done service work with the Ministry of the Golden Gate, the San Francisco Night Ministry, as well as the work of hospital and hospice chaplain. Rev Russ has borne witness to suffering and brought comfort to those in the worst hours of their lives. His work is one of compassion and giving back to Life.

I tailor ceremonies to fit your spiritual traditions and preferences. I meet you on your spiritual turf. I like to describe the word sacred as that which gives us life as well as gives us meaning. Hawaiian culture sees the land and ocean as sacred, for they provide the means of life. The ti plant is sacred because its many uses including healing, food preparation and construction. Many Hawaiians feel that ohana(family) is sacred because they anchor their identity in it.

Whether or not you see yourself as religious, weddings and memorial gatherings are sacred because they mark major milestones in our lives. They identify who we are and speak to meaning and purpose, which feed the heart.

There are always those wonder about the label "Interfaith" and what it is that I believe, since I do not identify as Christian. If you are inclined, I invite you to read my blog at: