Rev. Lauri Ingram, an interfaith minister in Hamden, Connecticut, believes the ceremony is the heartbeat of your wedding day. Meet the celebrant behind Awakened Thresholds and her nine-session Sacred Foundation Experience. Where sacred ceremony meets deep, intentional preparation. This is the story of an interfaith minister in Hamden, Connecticut who believes life's most significant moments deserve more than a script. Meet Rev. Lauri Ingram — an ordained interfaith and interspiritual minister and the heart behind Awakened Thresholds , the celebrant arm of her broader practice, Awakened Pathways. Lauri brings the same presence, intention, and care to the altar that she brings to a coaching session. At her core, she believes the sacred is alive in everyday life — especially when we pause long enough to honor it. "No two couples are the same, no two love stories are the same, and no two ceremonies should ever be either." — Rev. Lauri Ingram Rev. Lauri Ingram — Hamden, Connecticut From Corporate Speaker to Sacred Celebrant Lauri's path to officiant work wasn't a sudden turn — it was a convergence. Formally trained in public speaking during her corporate career, she learned early that how something is said is inseparable from what is being said. Over time, she found herself wanting to put those gifts in service of something deeper. When ordination as an interfaith minister entered her path, everything clicked. Here was a place where presence, language, and the ability to hold a room met a genuine call to serve — and where creativity wasn't just useful, it was essential. Lauri in her element — leading sacred group work at Awakened Pathways The Ceremony Is the Heartbeat of the Day Most officiants show up, deliver a ceremony, and leave. Lauri does something fundamentally different: she helps couples arrive at their ceremony already knowing who they are together — and already clear about the tone and experience they want to create. Her signature offering, The Sacred Foundation Experience , is a nine-session premarital preparation program that begins months before the wedding day. Couples explore everything from conflict navigation and daily-life vision to shared values — and together, they craft a Marriage Covenant and deeply personalized vows . By the time they stand at the altar, they've already done the sacred work. "The ceremony isn't a preamble to the party. It's the heartbeat of the day — and when it's done with real intention, it sets an emotional current that flows through every moment afterward." Everything From Elopements to Elaborate Gatherings Lauri works with couples…