Brian Lyke of Life Celebrations was one of our first members. He believed in the vision for MBWEP from the start and has been a wonderful asset to our membership. We are pleased to feature him in this month’s MBWEP member spotlight interview where he shares his background with us.Please tell us a little about yourself:

I grew up with an older brother and sister in a small town in western New York State where my mother was the Postmaster and my dad worked on the D.L. & W. Railroad.  We went to church two times every Sunday and I was taught right from wrong and what to believe in order to go to heaven.

While in college I felt called to be a minister and went to Princeton Theological Seminary where my faith was severely tested.  It was there that I discovered a truth, that faith in God isn’t a list of things to believe, but an attitude of trust and a willingness to live with paradox and ambiguity. It’s embarrassing to realize how sheltered I had been, how unaware of other ways of thinking and living.

My first job out of Seminary was as Assistant Chaplain at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. This was during the Vietnam War and and the counter cultural revolution and it was a lively time to be on a college campus.

After four years there, at age 29 I came to Big Sur to visit a friend who was working at Esalen Institute, and I got a job and stayed for 20 years.  I began as a dishwasher and ended as the General Manager.  That was also where I met my wife, and where we had our two children, both born at home.  During those years,though I wasn’t in an official ministerial capacity, I married people, and presided at memorial services and christenings for the Esalen community.  I also served as an EMT with the Big Sur Volunteer Ambulance and as a Captain in the Big Sur Fire Brigade.

After Esalen, I returned to my work as a minister, serving as a hospice chaplain for two years and then as an interim pastor in churches that were going through leadership transition.  I served 4 different churches in 15 years, and then began what has become my current work in Life Celebrations.

How did you get started with your business?

Life Celebrations began when I realized through my hospice work that many people have no one to turn to when it comes to dealing with some important transition in their lives….a death to mourn, a birth to celebrate, a love to consecrate.  I also realized that the Monterey Bay area is an ideal destination for people who wish to

get married so creating this kind of service made a lot of sense and gave me an opportunity to bring my whole self to my work.

What sets you apart from other wedding officiants?

I believe what sets me apart from other wedding officiants is my background and experience.  I’ve made a journey from being the very conservative, “I know the answers” kind of guy, to hopefully becoming a wiser, more open person having a lot of respect for all religious traditions.  My training in seminary, my experience as a college and hospice chaplain, my 20 years at Esalen have awakened in me a profound gratitude for this journey we call life, and there is so much to celebrate about the journey. I also enjoy doing pre-marital counseling with couples who want that.  Having been married for 33 years also gives me some credibility.

Why are you passionate about what you do?  What inspires you?

What inspires me in my work is simply the role I play in the special moments in people’s lives.  I think of myself as being the minister for people who have no minister.  So many people who grew up as I did, either remained stuck and stopped growing,or bailed out on the whole “God thing.”  I find myself able to relate to

them all.  In that sense I can speak many languages.

What is the hardest part about what you do? The best part?

The hardest part of what I do is often the travel.  Living where I do in Big Sur, and making appointments to see people in Carmel for interviews or ceremonies can be a challenge especially in the rainy months when I have to carry my chain saw in my truck.  The best part is the friendships I’ve made with the couples I’ve worked with, and especially with the other vendors of wedding services.

I love this community!

How has being a member of MBWEP been beneficial to you?

“MBWEP has brought me in contact with so many great people who are sharing their passion and gifts as together we help couples celebrate what is perhaps the most important day in their lives.  And I love that we are standing together, telling the story that there are professionals here, in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties that are as skilled and experienced as anyone in San Francisco or LA.  I’m grateful to be part of this organization and look forward to deepening my friendships with my colleagues.”

For more information on Brian’s services you can contact him at 831.626.8570 orbrian@lifecelebrations.org.

Visit his website at www.lifecelebrations.org