My Wedding Philosophy

All wedding couples, regardless of faith, race, or sexual orientation, deserve to be treated with love, respect, dignity, and kindness.

My wedding practice is inclusive and honoring of everyone with whom I am blessed to work. When a wedding couple chooses to work with me, I am included in a very pivotal and vulnerable moment in their lives. They put their trust in my hands. It is an honor for me to serve in this way, and I do not take it lightly.

Couples deserve a ceremony that is honoring, joy-filled, and personal.

Sadly, I have heard enough horror stories about wedding officiants to know that not all couples have a good experience at the altar. I work very hard to ensure my couples get the ceremony they want (barring rain, of course!). There are only three elements needed to make a wedding ceremony legal. After that, everything is optional. Why NOT get what you want?

What I Do

The Custom Ceremony

This is my specialty. I take the time to get to know you as a couple, creating, in tandem with you, a personalized ceremony that highlights your history, what makes your relationship work now and where you are going in the future. We work together on incorporating family and friends (and sometimes pets) as well as unique rituals that suit your individual backgrounds and tastes. It is usually fun, light, joyful, and most definitely honoring of who you are as a couple. Designing your unique wedding is a great honor and joy for me.

The Simple Ceremony

For the couple who want a basic 10-minute legal ceremony with no custom elements or rehearsal, I offer the "Simple Ceremony." The cost is minimal, and is often chosen by those who want a small and very private ceremony, in a setting of their choice that is more personal than a clerk's office.

Fees

My fees fall within the mid-range of wedding officiants. Many officiants offer personalized ceremonies. The costs for these services vary widely, but are generally within the range of $450-1000 or more, depending upon the experience of the officiant, distance to the ceremony, whether mileage is included in the price, whether or not there is a rehearsal, in-person meetings, and other services that may be offered in addition to officiating. Not all officiants include these costs or services in their advertised fees or initial quotes, but are added on as extras later.

Once we establish the parameters of your ceremony (location, rehearsals, etc.) I will provide you with a quote. All expenses - including mileage and rehearsal - are included in the quoted price.

Most couples are budget-conscious. Like every professional service offered, the cost you incur will depend upon the level of service you desire. To keep the officiant cost in perspective, consider the cost of the officiant within the percentage of your total wedding budget. You will likely find the officiant cost to be very small in comparison to the rest of the wedding, and many brides and grooms will spend far more on flowers, music and photography than on the ceremony, which is the heart of your wedding experience. It is important to put the time and - if need be, the money - into the officiant you believe can give you the wedding experience you want.

What is important is finding an officiant with whom you feel comfortable, and whom you trust.

Independent Clergy vs. Congregation-Affiliated Clergy

Most independent wedding officiants function as independent contractors. Some officiants are ordained ministers, while some are Justices of the Peace. Like any other professional, some are more experienced than others; some are more expensive than others, and some will be a better "fit" for you than others.

Independent wedding officiants are not ministers who are salaried by a congregation; their income derives from services they provide to their client. Ministers salaried by a house of worship, on the other hand, charge little, if anything, to officiate a generic wedding ceremony. Their primary income is covered by the church, and weddings within their congregation, and sometimes for outsiders, are considered part of their congregational duties.

For the most part, congregational clergy do not do extensively customized ceremonies. That niche is filled by independent officiants such as myself who are committed to personalizing weddings as a unique expression of each couple. The fee structure for both the congregation-affiliated clergy and the independent wedding officiant reflects the amount of time, effort, client involvement and creativity put into the ceremony by the officiant.

About Me

I am an ordained interfaith minister with a thriving wedding ministry. But me telling you about me is not as effective as my clients telling you about me, so I offer you below some of my client comments. As you read this, you will understand why I love doing what I do.

Testimonials From Wedding Clients

Justin and I are about to conclude our first year of marriage, but we could not end it without expressing our thanks to you for making our wedding ceremony so special and memorable. To this day, guests who attended our wedding continue to tell us how it was the best wedding ceremony they had ever witnessed. We could not have pulled it off without your wonderful ability to understand and capture the essence of our love for each other and translating it to spoken word.

~ Nhu & Justin
Middletown, CT

I wanted to thank you for a GREAT ceremony. You were a hit! I have to tell you that the ceremony was my favorite part, really. It really was everything that I hoped for . . . You are WONDERFUL!!!!!!

~ Natasha & Alan
New Haven, CT

Thanks so much for sharing in our special day. It was absolutely perfect and lovely! We enjoyed every minute of it.

~ Deb & Kevin
Brookfield, CT

Thank you, we agree that it was a huge success, and everyone had a wonderful time - we got a number of compliments on the service and about you, how well you captured our relationship and what marriage is about - a Great way to start our married life!

~ Patty & Carl
Mount Kisco, NY

It was so great to meet you and even more special to have you as our Reverend at our wedding. Eddie and I were both touched by the personal references and warmth and thought you put into the ceremony. Many of the guests comment on how lovely the ceremony was and how much they liked you. Your smile and caring eye said it all! You were there to bring us together in a loving and long lasting way that was truly personal to Eddie and me. Thank you.

~ Cindy & Eddie
Greenwich, CT

Thank you for helping us to make our ceremony so meaningful and memorable - from helping us write our vows, to the thorough rehearsal, to the flawless special event - we enjoyed working with you . . . . Thank you again for making our ceremony truly special and meaningful. It was a pleasure having you officiate our wedding!

~ Dawn & Michelle
Las Vegas, NV

THANK YOU for being our officiate! The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Your guidance and support was invaluable throughout our event and we couldn’t have done this without you. . . . Our family’s praised your professionalism, your strength of voice, and your individual touch to make our ceremony so personally touching and uniquely us! We will remember you fondly. Thank you so much for sharing yourself with us.

~ Jessica & Krista
Tuscon, AZ

Dave and I can’t thank you enough for making our ceremony so special and memorable. I can’t even tell you how many people commented on the ceremony and thought you were absolutely fabulous! We could not have made a better selection. You truly made our ceremony unique to us and our lives and everyone enjoyed “the story.” You truly have a gift. Thank you for being a part of our day.

~ Leigh & Dave
Middletown, CT

Thank you for all of your thoughtful care in making our wedding ceremony personable and heartwarming. You will always be a special part of our memories for the rest of our lives!

~ Ari & Ashley
Wallkill, NY

We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts, the ceremony was more beautiful then we could have ever imagined. It was honest and personal and heartfelt, all things you helped accomplish. People kept coming up to us afterwards complementing the powerful and moving ceremony.

~ Sarah & Joe
Watertown, MA