About
Annie Malcolm
Annie Malcolm
WEDDINGS
I thought everybody loved weddings, cried at every one they saw including those in movies, and made careful notes about what worked and what didn’t. Turns out, not really! This is a calling.
My wedding ceremony was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. It was like falling in love, but quickly, and calmly. My spouse and I entered into a portal as we stepped under the chuppah. There, we were held, described, blessed, witnessed, sung to, and cheered for. We laughed and cried multiple times throughout those thirty minutes.
A year later I had the opportunity to officiate the wedding of dear friends on Catalina Island. Collaborating with them through this process and writing their ceremony with them was profound. At their wedding we chanted and remembered, thanked, and joined. The ceremony honored their incredible twenty-two year love story, the land we stood on, the guests who participated, and the spirits.
RITUAL DESIGN
I have planned two weddings and a funeral. These experiences have all been unique and emotional, designed with deep attention to the story of those they honor. There is no one script to follow, and there are so many possibilities. I love designing rituals to mark life’s biggest and most surreal moments with words, community, and aesthetic experience.
EDUCATION AND WORK
I have a PhD in anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. I research and write about the particulars of human experience–the exquisite detail in which our universal stories play out. I currently work with Bay Area artists, helping them articulate their vision, and producing texts that express the meaning and process of their artworks.
ME
I am interested in all kinds of weddings, and especially queer and/or Jewish weddings.
In my free time, I hike with my black lab, visit family, practice yoga, and eat cake.
Queer the wedding! Love is the answer to all existential questions! Meaning for all!