Kamala Officiated Stepson’s Wedding with the Best Advice!

Kamala Harris, wedding officiant! The VP officiated her stepson's wedding last year, and it wasn't her first

 

 

Kamala Harris isn’t just US Vice President, mom, wife, auntie, lawyer, and author… She’s also a wedding officiant! 

 

Kamala officiated her stepson’s wedding last October and gave the newlyweds the best marriage advice, and the best wedding gift to commemorate their big day.

 

Here are some of our favorite details from the joyful fall wedding between Cole Emhoff and Greenley Littlejohn, along with other fun facts about Kamala Harris, Wedding Officiant. 

 

 

1. ‘Momala’ was the couple’s first-choice wedding officiant

 

Kamala was stepson Cole Emhoff’s first choice to officiate his wedding to longtime girlfriend Greenley Littlejohn. (Not that we’d ever believe otherwise; just look at her!) 

 

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Kamala’s husband and Cole’s father, took a moment during the Democratic National Convention this week to recount the special moment when the happy couple asked Kamala to officiate their wedding: 

 

“Those of you who belong to blended families know that they can be a little complicated,” Doug said. “But as soon as our kids started calling her Momala, I knew we’d be ok…

 

In the same breath that Cole and Greenley told us that they were engaged, they asked Kamala to officiate their wedding.” (NBC News) 

 

What a happy moment for the beautifully blended family! 

 

• How to Ask Someone to Officiate Your Wedding: Our Favorite Way to Say 'Will You Marry Us?'

 

 

2. Kamala understood the assignment when deciding what to wear to officiate a wedding

 

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the stunning, dark red velvet Dior dress that Kamala wore to officiate this wedding! It was the perfect choice for a formal ceremony inside The Cathedral of Saint Vibiana in Los Angeles (aka St. Vibiana's), and here’s why. 

 

Every professional wedding officiant considers a few important details when it’s time to choose what to wear to officiate a wedding:

 

1) Dress to match the tone of the event: formal, casual, cocktail, costume/cosplay, etc
2) Don’t wear something that’s going to distract from the couple 
3) When in doubt, wear neutral colors
4) Accessorize sparingly and with intention
5) Consider how your clothing will compliment (or contrast) the colors in the ceremony space

 

Wedding officiants put a lot of thought and care into what they wear because, just like what they say, what an officiant wears can make or break the tone of the ceremony.

 

One look at Kamala’s garnet-colored gown and sheer ruby-red shawl (so deep red that it’s  nearly a neutral black in photos), and it’s clear that this officiant understood the assignment! She paired the look with a complimentary ruby ring, red velvet-bound ceremony book, thin gold bracelet, and toned-down makeup for a look that stood out without competing with the couple.

 

Her attire accentuates the red in Cole’s rose boutonniere; perfectly compliments the jewel-toned red and pinks of the flowers adorning the altar; offers a grounding contrast to Greenley’s classic white wedding gown, emphasizing the bride’s silhouette; and helps gives the ceremony a sophisticated and cinematic feel. 

 

• What to Wear (and Not Wear) as a Wedding Officiant

 

A beautiful photo from a very beautiful and special moment. ❤️@VP @KamalaHarris officiated her son Cole Emhoff’s wedding to Greenley Littlejohn on October 14.

📸: Amy and Stuart Photography pic.twitter.com/mmKNFTru75

— best of kamala harris (@archivekamala) November 15, 2023

 

3. Kamala gave the newlyweds the best wedding gift 

 

Kamala gave the newlyweds a very special wedding gift after officiating their ceremony: a copy of her heartfelt wedding officiant speech, bound into a ruby-red velvet-wrapped book. What a meaningful wedding gift! 

 

Second Gentleman Doug described the hard work and love Kamala put into writing a custom wedding ceremony script for the couple and creating the book during his speech at the DNC this week: 

 

“...In the same way that she always steps up when it matters, Kamala put so much time into [writing] those remarks,” Doug told the crowd, “and she bound them in a book that matched her dark red dress, and then turned that into a gift for the happy couple.” (via NBC News)

 

What an incredible gift for an officiant – and proud mother – to give two newlyweds to commemorate their wedding day! 

 

• 7 Ultimate Engagement Gifts To Make a Couple’s Wedding Planning a Breeze
• Gift Ideas for Your Wedding Officiant

 

 

4. Kamala celebrates marriage as a time for families and communities to come together, not just couples

 

Kamala celebrates marriage as a union between families, not just a union between two people, and she brought this same energy into officiating Cole and Greenley’s wedding.

 

“For us, we think of marriage as being not just between these two people, but the coming together of families,” told People.com shortly after the ceremony. “So it was very much with that spirit that we all participated.”

 

“I want for those two [Cole and Greenley] to have a loving marriage where they are best friends and they know that it’s not just them against the world, that our family supports them. That the community of people that came together at the wedding supports [them].” (Via People.com) 

 

Kamala Harris married Doug Emhoff almost a decade ago in an interfaith wedding, creating a happy blended family with stepchildren Cole and Ella, and Doug’s ex-wife Kerstin Emhoff. Kerstin is still a close friend to Doug, and an active co parent to their kids, so it’s no surprise that Kamala emphasized the importance of families joining together during Cole’s wedding to Greenley. 

 

While Kamala officiated the wedding, Kerstin was also a big part of the blended family’s big day, helping to plan the entire party with Greenley (via @greenleykl )

 

• Blended Family Wedding Ceremony Script with Sand Blending Ritual

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Greenley (@greenleykl)

 

5. Kamala’s marriage advice to the newlyweds made headlines: be intentional and nurture your marriage

 

After the ceremony, Kamala shared a powerful piece of marriage advice that she’d given to her stepson and new stepdaughter-in-law on the wedding day. 

 

“Pay attention to your marriage. Pay attention to it and be purposeful and intentional about nurturing it,” Kamala told the couple, adding, “...at the end of every day, find some way to check in, no matter how tired you are or how many miles apart you may be, even if it’s just at the end of the day, and say ‘I love you.” (via People.com)

 

This marriage advice certainly rings true, and it’s something Kamala seems to put into action in her own family and her marriage to Doug. She spoke about being intentional with her marriage and family time just a few months ago, during an interview with daytime talk show maven Sherri Shepherd.

 

During the show, Sherri asked Kamala how she balances the many hats she wears (VP, presidential candidate, mom, wife, aunt, and of course, wedding officiant). Just like she told Cole and Greenley on their wedding day, Kamala said the key to balancing marriage and family with other parts of life is to be intentional: 

 

“We all have a lot that we carry, and you have to be intentional… You have to sit down and plan for it… Like Sunday family dinner for me is very important, and it is not negotiable, and whoever’s around, they can bring their friends, they can bring whoever, but Sunday family dinner. Like, have something where you just say, ‘that’s the routine and we’re gonna all stick to it.’” (via Sherri Show TV)

 

Interestingly, Cole and Ella’s wedding was on a Sunday, and we like to imagine their wedding reception as one big, happy Sunday family dinner! 

 

• 6 Pieces of Unconventional Wedding Advice for Modern Couples

 

 

6. This was not Kamala’s first time performing a marriage ceremony 

 

Kamala Harris has performed numerous wedding ceremonies over the years, stepping up first as a civil servant, then as a trusted friend and colleague, and now, as a mother.

 

In 2004, Kamala officiated some of the first same-sex marriage ceremonies for gay and lesbian couples in San Francisco, during a 29-day period in which then-Mayor Gavin Newsom allowed same-sex couples to apply for marriage licenses. (Just this year, one of those lucky couples met with Kamala to celebrate their 20 year wedding anniversary!)

 

In 2013, Kamala proudly stepped up to officiate more same-sex marriages in California after the 5 year ‘Prop 8’ ban on gay marriage in California was finally overturned. Following the news that the ban was overturned, Harris tweeted: 

 

“About to marry the #Prop8 plaintiffs Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier. Wedding bells are ringing!” (via LA Times)

 

And not so long ago, in May of 2022, Kamala Harris officiated the wedding of New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham and Manuel ‘Manny’ Cordova. Gov. Grisham’s wedding had been postponed for several years because of the COVID pandemic, which made the private ceremony at the Naval Observatory in DC (where Kamala lives), even more meaningful. (via The Santa Fe New Mexican / Yahoo News)

 

(Talk about taking a beautiful backyard wedding to the next level!) 

 

Cole and Greenley’s October 2023 wedding appears to be the first time Kamala officiated a marriage ceremony for a family member, but it might not be the last. We’ll have to wait and see what the future holds for the many other children in Kamala’s life: Ella Emhoff, goddaughter Micah Ernst, or her many nieces and nephews. 

 

We can’t wait to see which wedding Kamala officiates next… perhaps even as President. 

 

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You might also like: 

 

• Our Favorite Ways to Include Moms and Matriarchs in a Wedding Ceremony

 

• Sweet Wedding Script for When a Parent Officiates the Ceremony

 

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Get Ordained Online to Become a Wedding Officiant with AMM!

 

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Why AMM? American Marriage Ministries is an inclusive nondenominational internet church that ordains and trains ministers to officiate marriage ceremonies. We are a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit church, and help people from all backgrounds and beliefs become ordained ministers for weddings. Our online ordination is free, accessible, and never expire.

 

Officiating weddings is an incredible honor, and a great way to show your love and support for the people getting married. As a wedding officiant, you will help to create memorable ceremonies and memories that last a lifetime.

AMM Ministers can legally officiate weddings in every state* (it's much harder in Virginia, where we're looking into our options). After getting ordained with AMM, you might need to register your ordination with your local county clerk’s office. Click the link above to get started! 

 

 

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