Mark and his wife Carrie were fantastic from start to end. My husband and I decided that we wanted to elope in Oahu earlier this year as a result of being a pandemic couple since 2019. After seeing the amazing reviews of Mark, I decided to inquire through their site. Carrie called me that night to walk me through and answer any questions since our wedding date would be just one month away. Carrie gave multiple location suggestions with photos and provided detailed instructions on how to obtain a marriage license in Hawaii. I was originally so nervous about getting married in a different state, but Carrie put my mind at ease! Each and every interaction clearly showed how much care they put into all their couples. When the morning finally came, everything went so smoothly. Mark's words were sweet with some added special Hawaiian elements that we absolutely adored. Even though we had just met Mark, having a private ceremony with just the three of us was not awkward as I had feared. Nothing felt fake or corny whatsoever. The ceremony itself was short and simple and exactly what we wanted. We highly recommend Mark and Carrie for any couple looking to have a memorable ceremony experience with some genuinely good people. Thank you again! read more

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This review should have been left 4 months ago while we were still in Honolulu, but time got away from me. After deciding 6 months ago to have a vow renewal ceremony in Hawaii, I was completely lost as to what my next step should be. Our daughter lives in Kapolei and suggested an informal ceremony on the beach. I loved the idea and typed these words into Google search: beach vow renewal Hawaii Reverend. About half a page down in results I found the listing for Mark's business. I went to his site and filled out the simple request for more info. I was pleasantly surprised when just a few hours later I got a very sweet and personable letter from Mark's wife, Carrie. Carrie handles all the correspondence and scheduling for Mark and she is wonderful! She was so good with every detail and question that I had. She had the perfect suggestion as to the place for our vow renewal. Her responses were always prompt and very detailed. Within a weeks time I had mailed out the deposit check and secured our date and time. The day of our ceremony Mark was in touch by text and told us right where to park and where to meet him. The ceremony went perfectly and his words were exactly what I had hoped for. I loved the fun detail of having us kiss as long as he blew his note on the conch shell. I definitely recommend Mark and Carrie as your go-to Hawaii ceremony organizers and officiant. Thanks to both of you for helping us to have a romantic and magical day! read more

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Rev Kurnow married my husband and I in Maui at Makena Cove almost 30 years ago, and we will never forget his kindness and sincerity. It was the happiest day of our life! God bless you, Mark! read more

This review is so long overdue, but I really wanted to take my time with it. I had a DYI wedding, which in the end turned out wonderfully. However, I had a crunch time of 7 months to prepare, with ALL of my family coming from the mainland and about 75% of all the guests flying into Oahu. Needless to say, I was beyond stressed out. I went online and saw great reviews for Rev Mark. I contacted him and spoke with his wife Carrie. She was so sweet and helpful from the beginning that it put me at ease. My wedding was 2 weeks away and long story short, my chaplain was unable to do the ceremony. The communication up to the wedding went smoothly and Mark showed up right on time. The Ceremony was one that my guests described as warm and beautiful, with a Hawaiian touch to it. I know it's silly but I didn't expect to cry at my wedding but I could not hold back. I am so happy we went with Rev Mark read more

Rev. Mark Kurnow - Officiants Near Me

The very first decision we made regarding our wedding was to hire Mark, even before we had our location chosen. After viewing/listening to countless samples of other officiants, Mark's stood out above all others. This proved true at our wedding as well. Our guests even talked about Mark and what a beautiful job he did. He was funny and authentic, but most of all memorable. Mark and his wife Carrie were so friendly, professional, responsive and on top of things. They make an amazing duo to work with. We are so, so pleased and blessed to have found Mark and Carrie for the most important day of our lives. Pro tip: Be mindful that the traditional ti leaf leis will stain Mark's wedding attire. He has a shell lei he wears and, to be honest, I like it much better than anything we would've picked anyways lol. read more

Rev. Mark Kurnow - Mark was the perfect choice! Would not have changed a single thing he said at our ceremony. - Officiants Near Me

Mark and carrie were very professional and amazing. My mother is hard of hearing and reads lips to communicate. She was able to hear and read every word he said. The only thing I wish Mark had said toward the end of our wedding was, "I present Mr and Mrs Ruiz!" instead, he said Cody and Chasity! Which is fine, but thats my only regret. It was my fault as I didnt make that clear with them. When I get remarried I would hire mark again for sure. He was on time too! Definitely would recommend him. read more

Rev. Mark Kurnow - Explaining where to sign - Officiants Near Me

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My wife and I were so blessed to have Mark be our officiant for our wedding! Mark's wife Carrie handled all of the communication and paperwork, in which they adjusted to the pandemic beautifully. It was such a great experience from when we first contacted Mark to the wedding day. They were so accommodating to what we wanted for our ceremony and we loved the Hawaiian aspect of all of it. Our family and friends were so impressed with Mark! We would highly recommend to others! read more

Rev. Mark Kurnow - Officiants Near Me

Mark and Carrie are the best! We're a couple from the Bay Area and we decided to have a destination wedding in Oahu with our friends and family. After searching through many wedding websites for officiants, we knew Mark would be the winner after watching some of his past weddings. His style was definitely very genuine, intimate, and had the Hawaiian touch that we were looking for. The process before the wedding was very simple, we hopped on a call with Mark and went over the script and he made us feel at ease since we knew that he would take care of us and that he would give us all the cues. On the day of the wedding, Mark walked us through everything like a pro and was able to surprise us and threw in some awesome moments during the ceremony. We highly recommend Mark Kurnow for all your Hawaii destination wedding needs. read more

Rev. Mark Kurnow - Officiants Near Me

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We could not of been happier with mark. He was outstanding. He did/said everything perfectly just how I imagined, but better! He was so kind, HAPPY, positive. Everything was straight from his heart, you could tell he really loves doing what he does! He is such a beautiful person inside and out. I also loved his wife Carrie she was so sweet to us! Thank y'all for making our wedding day perfect. We will always remember you two! read more

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Mark officiated our wedding on 02/20/2020 and we are grateful for his blessings. He shared good advices for true love and kindness. Our ceremony leaned more on the religious aspect and he captured everything we have hoped to hear. The process of booking Mark was also flawless, with the help of his wife, Carrie, who were so kind to offer help in my wedding preparation. Thank you so much Mark and Carrie, for being a part of our wedding. God bless. read more

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Mark and Carrie were wonderful and easy to work with and we cannot thank them enough for being so flexible and understanding through all of our changes, due to the pandemic.  They were very supportive and even provided recommendations when we had to change venues at the last minute.  Mark was very professional, friendly, and made us feel so comfortable.  We really loved Mark's style and how he was able to tailor the ceremony to exactly what we envisioned.  During the ceremony, Mark did a blessing for my husband and I and at the end blew the conch shell as we kissed.  It was so original (yet still traditional) and we loved it!  Thank you again Mark and Carrie for everything!  FIVE STARS AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! read more

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Mark was suggested by our coordinator with Salt & Sandalwood Events. I don't know if there could have been a more perfect suggestion. My guests were delighted with the style and attitude of our ceremony, as were we. It wasn't agonizingly long or disappointingly short - it was just right. There was incorporation of a song I had chosen, some not-over-the-top spiritual elements and of course the vows. Mark also did a surprise shout out to our fur-babies back at home. And he seamlessly worked in a last minute lei exchange after I fretted back and forth about potential family drama; Mark's wife, Carrie, sent me a thoughtful, unbiased email addressing my concerns prior to the event, which I appreciated. Thank you for a beautiful time! read more

Rev Mark and Carrie was such a pleasure to work with during our vow renewal in Hawaii. They were kind, professional and very accommodating. Our vow renewal was last minute and on a budget, and they assisted with photography, location and several recommendations to assure our day was perfect. I am so thankful for them both. Rev Mark was very personable and did a great job during our ceremony. It was heart felt and memorable read more

Rev. Mark & Carrie are a great duo to work with. They were very personable, got a feel of us as a couple, provided us ideas, and catered to the style of ceremony we were going for. Our special day (10/15/2021) went smoothly and we couldn't have asked for more. We will definitely recommend them whenever the opportunity arises. read more

Rev. Mark Kurnow - Officiants Near Me

Mark- your words/blessings were exceptionally heart felt and very meaningful. Your words have inspired us to continue to love one another more than ever. Carrie- thank you for always responding so attentively and help guiding us along the way! You both are truly amazing! Thank you once again! read more

Rev Mark and Carrie are phenomenal! Rev Mark was so easygoing and agreeable. We made some changes to his sample ceremony and he was able to meet every specification. My new husband is part Hawaiian and we knew we wanted a non-denominational ceremony with some Hawaiian elements. Rev Mark was just amazing and funny too! His humor and laid back demeanor was super reassuring (especially to a nervous bride!) Also, big shout out to Carrie who was a humongous help in suggesting vendors, sample timelines, and even emailed us after to check in. They are an amazing team and you definitely won't regret having Rev Mark officiate your ceremony. read more

I can't say enough amazing things about Mark and his wife Carrie. I didn't get a chance to meet Carrie in person but she assisted me over the phone with all of my questions. She even helped me make decisions on things I had no idea about. We did our 16yr vow renewal on the beautiful Island of Oahu, 2019JUN21. Everything was done just the way I imagined but better. Does that make sense? . If you're looking for an officiant for your big day, I highly recommend Mark Kurnow. You will not be disappointed . He memorized the whole script which was so incredible to me. His skills definitely shows. Please book this amazing guy!!!!! read more

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Mark was the best we could have asked for. He did a Hawaiian blessing for our non-religious ceremony which was great. Coming from two different religious background, having this third option was awesome. Ceremony lasted about 15-20mins with using our own vows. I think the longest part was the shell horn where we had to kiss for as long as he can blow the horn. It was long but great. With covid we had to be flexible with times and locations. Mark was very flexible as we changed locations and times on the fly to make sure we were compliant with Hawaii regulation. Mark made it happen and even picked up flowers for us. Thanks again Mark !!! read more

We love Rev. Mark and his wife Carrie! We planned our wedding from afar - but they were both so communicative via email and phone. They had a great sense of us as a couple and the type of ceremony we wanted. We chose a Hawaiian/Christian ceremony. Rev. Mark was very accommodating and seamlessly customized the program for us. We got rave reviews from our guests about how sweet and simple our ceremony was! We couldn't have been happier with our choice. Rev. Mark and Carrie are everything you want - reliable, professional & so warm and kind. read more

I'm very thankful I chose Mark and Carrie as my team to marry my husband and me. I was very nervous and scared to sincerely express my true desires as to what I wanted my wedding to be and Carrie was so thoughtful, thorough, and genuine in helping me to make the decisions that I wanted to make, not because my family pressured me into one thing or another. Carrie likes to say she welcomes her clients as "family" and I truly felt this warmth and acceptance. I really needed this validation during a very stressful time in planning my own wedding, from start to end. They were accommodating with my last-minute booking and I really felt like they took the time to make our wedding memorable. Thank you so much Mark and Carrie for your genuineness, kindness, professionalism, and your skills and talents in the wedding business. Mahalo from the bottom of our hearts. read more

Rev Mark and Carrie are awesome! From the moment I reached out, Carrie responded within 2 minutes and I emailed them at midnight PST. Thank goodness Mark was available on our date! We were already planning last minute for our elopement and I honestly thought we weren't going to be able to find an officiant on time. We ran into another issue where we weren't able to get an appointment with a licensed agent before our Sunday wedding date, since we were flying in on a Friday, which was a state holiday in Hawaii. Carrie came in and saved the day and helped us get an appointment. On the wedding day, they were early and just made the day go so smoothly! Highly recommend :) read more

This is a little late in coming as my wife and I were wed in a magical ceremony officiated by Mark on 9/10/2018. Mark performed a tri-cultural wedding incorporating American, Japanese and Hawaiian traditions and language. He also helped us find a great local under a Banyan Tree to do the ceremony. The whole thing went off without a hitch and Mark was a big part of that. Mahalo Mark! read more

Everything you read about Mark and Carrie is TRUE! This is a fantastic couple that will make your big day easy and you may even receive quite a few helpful tips along the way! When we were interested in learning more about Mark's services, we decided to give him a call. To our surprise, he and Carrie were on a walk but insisted that we could talk! We spoke to them for a while and after 5 minutes, it felt as if we'd known them for years. I spoke to Carrie a few times afterwards and it was the exact same scenario - like talking to a lifelong friend who was well acquainted and knowledgeable about the wedding industry. In fact, it was Carrie who recommended our incredible photographer, Jason! Thank you again Carrie!! She was instrumental in making sure we understood what followed, including all of the details surrounding the marriage license. Carrie should be charging for all of the insider information she gave. She alone is well worth it. And then, you meet Mark. This guy has wonderful energy and somehow made our two-person ceremony even more intimate and beautiful. Mark knows the words to say and we loved how he mixed in knowledge of the island, the word Aloha, and Hawaiian culture in general. Mark is so good at what he does that I can't even remember what time we started or ended because it felt like a sweet, but not lengthy, conversation with a friend . We appreciate his professionalism and, to my surprise, were not bothered that we did not know him previously. His energy was great and the way he shared bits about his family made it seem like we knew him for a while. We were blessed enough to receive a double-rain blessing in the middle of our ceremony and I appreciated that Mark did not shy away from the rain. We did hang under the tree for a few minutes but not a single moment was weird or awkward because Mark bridged the conversation effortlessly. Lastly, we opted not to write our own vows last minute and this flowed without issue. Mark has a great ceremony guide on his website that we loved and used (although he does not read this word for word). The ceremony was beautiful and one of my favorite moments was when Mark had my husband and I touch foreheads and noses. He'll explain the meaning on your big day but just know that this, along with the conch blowing was a cherry on top!! Would absolutely recommend again and we look forward to calling these folks friends for life! read more

Mark's wife Carrie was our main point of contact before our wedding ceremony at Kualoa Ranch on June 8th. I felt like our conversations were so genuine and we felt like they were people that we have known for years! We truly enjoyed our phone meets with the both of them. Mark carried out a sweet ceremony. He helped us customize and switch things around and even made a few suggestions here and there for things that we overlooked. We are so happy and could not have asked for a more gentle and sweet soul for our officiant. read more

I was looking for someone to officiate my parent's vow renewal and found Mark and Carrier. Right from the introduction, they were just AMAZING to work with. They were responsive, personable, and overall just the greatest people to coordinate any wedding/vow renewal event. Carrier helped me with general ideas on how to make my parents vow renewal a success. Mark officiated the vow renewal and was able to incorporate a sand ceremony that my parents LOVED! The overall ceremony and intimacy that Mark was able to incorporate into our event were just AWESOME! I would highly recommend anyone who is in need of weeding services to contact Mark and Carrier. Together they are a dynamic duo. Overall, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all you have done to help make my parents vow renewal a moment they will never forget! :) read more

The best decision I ever made in life was asking my wife out on our first date, a close second is choosing Mark as our wedding officiant. He was able to keep the ceremony light-hearted and serious at the same time. Making both me and wife feel completely at ease. If you are stressed about the wedding, be sure to at least hire Mark so you know the ceremony will be a success. read more

Mark was chosen by our wedding planner and she couldn't have chosen anyone better. Mark's experience really showed through during the consultation and throughout the ceremony. My husband and I were quite "hands off" and had one request for Mark which he executed precisely as we wanted. Outside of that one request, Mark was given freedom to do his thing. He combined Hawaiian tradition, Christian faith, and his sense of humor in a very succinct way. He was a perfect balance of business, fun, and tradition. Our guests had a great time and so did we. If you want someone with a TON of experience in his field and who knows exactly how to make everything perfect with zero worries, hire Mark - hands down. read more

Mark and Carrie are the perfect combination you want for your wedding. Mark is very easy going and mellow while Carrie is detail oriented, Organized, and full of ideas. We had no idea what We were doing and Carrie held my hand throughout the whole process both in what kind of ceremony we would want as well as allowing me to pick her brain with other wedding details (as she has a lot of experience having owned her own business in the past). Mark blew us away with how personalized the ceremony and how well the whole thing flowed. He brings a sense of calm and serenity to everything he does and put us both at ease. They are the perfect team. What an incredible, authentic Hawaiian, spiritual yet not overly religious (what we wanted) and incredibly touching ceremony. All of our guests said they had goosebumps at how beautiful and touching it was. Thank you both of you for such an incredible day/experience/union! read more