Rising Stars: Meet Irene Swain of Tucson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Irene Swain.

Hi Irene, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story is an example of an easy, organic, flow that just happens without much effort. Looking back over 30plus years, I see it was a series of natural events emphasizing and manifesting a natural innate quality of being and personality. I was just good at this….services of Harmony and Union. In practical business terms being a Non-denominational wedding officiant. It began with my being ordained a Unity Minister. After a short while, I realized that even though I was great at writing and delivering sermons, this title was above my pay grade as they say. I stepped back and continued my own spiritual inner journey, however, that is another story. I had been given a wedding ceremony to use, if asked to officiate a wedding. Living in Santa Fe NM at the time, where many tourists come to get married, I had the idea of putting a little ad in the local weekly paper that I would officiate weddings. A few tourists reached out and my business began. Just about everyone who contacted me did not want a religious ceremony. I began to create my own version. Funny as life has it, I was wandering in a used book store and saw a book titled, New Age Weddings. I bought it for one dollar and began to use parts of each wedding ceremony offered (alone each was way too out there) to create what I felt and thought was a more conscious vision of how most people, especially the ones wanting me to officiate would like. Thus the creative process continued and still does to this day. At the time ( aging myself here) the internet was beginning to happen. Because most of my couples were tourists and not locals, I got the idea to do a website. Fortunately a friend of mine was knowledgeable and helped me create one. That was it! And now over 30 years later I have officiated way over 1000 weddings, and still create each ceremony anew with each couple . I am blessed in continuing to officiate with the nowness, and joy still finding each wedding and couple uniquely special. Yes, I love my service; can’t call it a job! .
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I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been a smooth road with speed humps and the road is always under some construction. I can’t imagine a self-employed service being any different. The difference is that the so called road blocks just become a creative challenge. Yes, it takes constant going to the higher point of view to catch this. The challenge of having my wedding service become a full time business (I was raising 3 boys on my own) was slow, steady and organic. I did have a second job for many of the first years to pay the bills. Making contacts with other vendors, getting on vendor lists, establishing a positive reputation and how to advertise online was and continues to be a constant. Becoming better and. better at what I did of course just happened with time. Establishing a very good reputation in the wedding business community took time. By the time I moved to Tucson from Santa Fe, I was considered the best wedding officiant one could hire. One quality that helped is that I was always available. I had to be to have work to raise these 3 kids. I was always professional from the first contact with each couple, by phone, email, personal. visit. One thing I think was an asset is that I wrote my website. I chose to represent myself as I wanted to. I say this because I had so many in the biz try to tell me how to represent myself to the public via my website. It was and still is my voice. Moving to Tucson 5 years ago, I had to begin again with reaching out to vendors. I had to literally begin again with my business. The only advantage I had was that I was totally confident in my professional ability and the quality of my services. The humility to start over was a bit of a challenge, but I was totally aware I would be needing to do this. And covid did not help. I have now established a professional reputation here and continue to create, grow and expand in this service of officiating weddings. That part never stops in my opinion.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work is a service. I serve couples and their weddings. I create with them a personal wedding ceremony that speaks to who they are as a couple, honoring their beliefs, whatever they are and including any cultural traditions. I listen to who they are as individuals and a couple. I am honored that each trust me to share themselves and their marriage and wedding vision with me. Together we create their ceremony. I let them know that I am serving them not the other way around. I think this natural innate gift of truly enjoying connecting with people like and unlike myself has been the quality that has been the success of. what I do. I am my business. I can’t help but put 100 per cent of my creative attention into each wedding whether just the couple of with 200 guests. Professionalism to me means being totally centered, kind, truthful with the utmost integrity from the first contact to the final wedding ceremony. For example, on the day of a wedding, I don’t run around town or do too many things, but stay focused within knowing my energy is to be used in a centered, joyous way for the wedding ceremony. Professionalism also means to me that I walk, talk, dress appropriately in honor of each couple and their wedding. Not stiff, but authentically from the heart of caring. Believe me people notice the respect!

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I live in Tucson. I love the diverse culture. I love the Hispanic influence as well as the newer contemporary influences. I especially love the music scene. And I love that the University of Arizona is here bringing so much in advanced ideas to our city and country. I love the weather, yes even the summer! I especially love the mountains for hiking and being all around. I love the nature being part of the city. The one thing I do miss is that there isn’t a cohesive location for galleries, coffee shops a place to just hang out.. One needs to drive to each. I also notice that the Native American culture is not very evident, which surprised me, I am used to a small town like some I lived in while in Europe and the Native culture in Santa Fe. But Tucson is great!

Pricing:

• Pricing dependent on date, time, location and number of guests and if the couple desires for me to conduct their rehearsal.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Tucsonazweddings.com
• Other: email: irene@tucsonazweddings.com

Image Credits
Babak photos, K loving photos,