Today we’d like to introduce you to Mercedes Ibarra.
Hi Mercedes, 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?
Before I became a ceremony officiant, I had and still have a whole other career as a Flamenco dancer, choreographer, and teacher. However, back in 2013 I felt a calling to volunteer in hospice. From there, I felt the need to dive deeper into my spirituality and so I enrolled in One Spirit Interfaith Seminary, and after two years, I was ordained as an Interspiritual/Interfaith Minister in 2016. The day I arrived at my graduation retreat, one of my good friends asked me to officiate his wedding in South Carolina because he and his fiancé were having trouble finding a bilingual officiant who understood their nature-based spirituality and understood his Dominican culture (I’m Cuban). I said yes, fell in love with the whole process, and went into the wedding business.
I now create and officiate beautiful, unique ceremonies for weddings, baby blessings, quinceañeras, maiden-to-mother celebrations, and funerals, and I do it in both English and Spanish. I especially love to bridge the gap between clients who are spiritual-but-not-religious and their traditionally religious families. I find a way to make their ceremonies reflect their own spirituality while making their families still feel considered and participating in something that is beautifully sacred.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road. First, I had the challenge of pushing to make it as a Flamenco dancer with Cuban immigrant parents who were terrified of an artist’s life for their daughter. I wasted a lot of time in my early 20s trying to make my family happy by doing work that did not fulfill me. I finally realized that I was miserable living my life for others and decided to fully go for my dreams, and although it has not always been easy economically, it is still the best decision I ever made.
Then, when I was in seminary, I got really sick. I had been dealing with strange symptoms for years, but they really came to a head during seminary. In spiritual circles, we talk about the “dark night of the soul,” and I really went through one during this time. I was having daily nightmares that were so bad, I became afraid of going to sleep. There were also moments where I was pretty certain I was going to die and doctors did not believe me. In 2015, I was finally diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks your own organs. It turns out it can cause inflammation in the brain which is what brought on the night terrors. Once my Lupus got under control, the night terrors went away.
My body has declined and now I walk with a cane, although I still teach Flamenco regularly as a teaching artist for the LA Arts Organization and the Music Center of Los Angeles, as well as teach as faculty member at the Orange County School of the Arts in their Ballet Folklorico Conservatory.
The gift Lupus has given me is to learn to take better care of myself, find balance in my life, and to say “no” when necessary and focus on what is important.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love creating ceremony and ritual for life’s milestones. I am especially good at creating unique rituals that reflect my clients. For example, I once had a couple who wanted a unique ritual for their wedding. I suggested we talk about their love story and see if something spontaneously popped up that we could use to create their ritual. They eventually told me that they used to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when they were first dating, so I suggested that we symbolize their union by having them make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich together during their ceremony. They loved it and so did their guests! One of my favorite memories from my career is watching the two of them gulp down their whole pb & j during their ceremony because they were so hungry at that point. They were only supposed to take a couple of bites, but they stood there gnawing away at the whole thing! It was very cute and funny.
I believe ritual is very important, and although I love traditional rituals and have done plenty of them such as the lazo, the arras, handfastings, unity candle ceremonies, etc., I also believe we can create our own and they can be just as meaningful, if not more.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
The first time I was on stage at a talent show outside of my dance class. I was in first grade and recruited two 5th graders from my ballet and tap classes to dance a tap number called “Irish Jig” for our school talent show. I remember being really proud of myself, even though I always forgot to take my top hat off at the end.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.revmercy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rev.mercy.ceremonies/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RevMercyIbarra
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rev-mercy-ceremonies-los-angeles
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/merche.de.losangeles
Image Credits
Callaway Gable Photography
Orellana Photo
Daniel Lennox Photography
Owen Captures Photography
Jenn Spain Photography
Tara Stewart Photography
