If you're looking for an officiant whose words will leave a lasting mark on your special day, look…read moreno further than Reverend Tom. My husband and I didn't know where to start when it came to planning the ceremony, but Reverend Tom was so kind and patient and walked us through the whole process with meaningful advice. When it came to the big day I can't imagine a better ceremony. His speech was witty, and wise, and perfectly captured our feelings for one another. Reverend Tom is such a genuine, loving person and truly made the whole experience so meaningful.

We just had our wedding on 6/22/18 at Lincoln Park Salvatore. Rev Tom was wonderful. Prior to the…read morewedding, we touched base over the phone to set expectations and what we needed to do (we didn't do a rehearsal as we want to keep everything fresh). Rev Tom gave us clear instructions/guidance. On the wedding day, Rev Tom tells a good story of the 3 things we liked each other and the way he tells it is interesting and the ceremony was just beautiful. Love is in the air, the whole atmosphere were just beautiful. The way Rev Tom carried our ceremony was impeccable. I would recommend anyone to use Rev Tom as an officiant! Thank you Rev Tom!

Rev. Bill is the best! My fiancee (now husband) and I met him for coffee in late 2017, and after…read moreone meeting knew that we wanted to move forward with booking him for our 9/8/18 wedding. Throughout the entire process, Rev. Bill was incredibly responsive, met all timelines set and made everything so easy. We did not have a really clear idea of what we wanted for our ceremony, except that we wanted it to be on the shorter side and aligned with our personalities. He wrote the most perfect ceremony which we were able to review and edit months before the big day. We met again about 2 months before the wedding to go over everything, and again our minds were totally put at ease. We had no idea what we were doing, and Rev. Bill's guidance was invaluable. About 3 weeks before the wedding we decided we really wanted to have a rehearsal. Rev. Bill fit it into his schedule with no problem, and was great about giving us, our families and the wedding party the guidance we needed. On the day of the wedding, everything went perfectly! We invited him and his wife to join us for the reception, and it felt like they were part of our group of family and friends. We are SO glad he was available for our wedding date! In addition to him being a great person, Rev. Bill submitted our marriage license right after the wedding, and emailed us a copy with a cute word cloud. He is sending us a bound copy of our ceremony as a keepsake, and even shared a guided meditation in the weeks leading up to the wedding to keep us calm. Rev. Bill is the best, and we would absolutely recommend working with him for your ceremony!

Rev Bill is the best, simply put. He is extremely down to earth and truly has the couple's best…read moreinterest in mind. He is not afraid to go out of his way to ensure your special day is perfect! I would HIGHLY suggest Rev Bill for any weddings!

Rev. Phil was a great and lucky find. My husband and I don't really have the same spiritual views…read moreand we almost went with a friend officiating the wedding. When I changed my mind and decided I didn't want to leave God out of our wedding, I said that I would pay for and find the officiant. I admit I didn't shop around. My wedding planning approach was one and done. Once I found something I liked, I was done "shopping." I liked that Rev. Phil offered a free intro session before committing to his services. After the first one hour meeting, my husband also liked him and we were sold. We did the full package and I'd recommend it. The love story was definitely the best part of the service. It's true what the other reviewers said, people talked about that love story for weeks and months after the wedding. We were willing to make fun of ourselves and this really helped carry-off the fun of the story. Rev. Phil has a great knack for telling a story. Everyone was laughing, including us. So many of our pictures show me looking around to the crowd laughing at my ridiculous self and trying to make eye contact with someone mentioned in the story. We were also able to incorporate a touching candle-lighting memorial for my husband's deceased parents, as well as readings that were a mix of religious and secular. Rev. Phil is very detail-oriented and will give you explicit instructions and details about each part of the service. I found this helpful, as I didn't want to worry about all the details myself. As he says, he's the professional and will take the stress of this part of the wedding off of you. As a bonus, I heard he even "fooled" by super-Catholic mom by wearing his collar. No grief for no Catholic wedding! Rev. Phil really helped make our wedding a perfect, unique and special night! I'd recommend him to anyone!

Reverend Phil. Wow. How do I even begin to express how amazing he made our ceremony? If you're…read morelooking for a personalized ceremony that will engage versus bore your guests, call him today and cross your fingers that he is available. I couldn't begin to count the amount of times we heard how amazing our ceremony was. He will make your guests laugh, cry, and truly feel a part of your story. Although we didn't know him for years, our guests thought that he had known us from the beginning. How cool is that? I know your stressed and the to-do list is never ending. Rev Phil will make this portion of your planning seamless. He will guide you through the details and make it easy. He is organized, insightful, and truly invested in his couples. So, stop reading this and call him today.

Martha was incredible! She was detailed orientated and so warm. Her calm demeanor and organization…read moremade this process so easy! highly recommend AELO. I do not know what we would have done without her!

We had an absolutely wonderful experience working with An Event Less Ordinary for a birthday…read morecelebration. From the planning process through the event itself, the team was kind, responsive, knowledgeable, and incredibly easy to work with. They helped us think through details we never would have considered on our own, offered thoughtful advice and support, and brought so much expertise to the overall planning. On the day of the event, they made everything feel seamless. It was such a relief to know they were managing all the details and making sure everything went according to plan. The decor they created was truly magical. When I came downstairs after getting ready and saw what they had done with the greenery, candles, and overall setup, I was blown away. They added beautiful touches I never would have thought of myself. It completely transformed the event! Most importantly, they made the actual celebration happen without a snag. We truly could not have done it without them, and I'm so grateful for the care, creativity, and hard work they brought to such a special day. Highly recommend!

Choosing Shannon Gale and their wedding planning team was one of the best decisions we made for our…read moreLabor Day weekend Indian-Western wedding. A friend had recommended them with the promise that I would feel completely at ease--and that proved true from the very beginning. Shannon paired us with Cecelia McIntosh, who turned out to be the most exceptional project manager I've ever worked with, not just in the wedding world but across all of my professional experiences. Cecelia's attention to detail was extraordinary. She cataloged every element of our multi-day Indian-Western celebration, managed vendor relationships with grace, secured us excellent deals where she had negotiating power, and offered thoughtful recommendations--like the perfect florals for our mehendi ceremony. She understood the cultural nuances of our events, from the importance of removing shoes at the mandap to the way certain rituals needed to be set up. She took ownership of everything: carrying and setting up décor, assembling seating charts, ensuring plate service was flawless, and keeping the entire wedding running with a level of timing and precision that every single guest commented on. There were moments where Cecelia truly went above and beyond--most memorably when she calmly and safely helped transport a ceremonial fire to an unexpected location, taking control of a situation that could have easily become chaotic. She handled every last-minute request without hesitation, kept our planning calls on schedule, and brought a sense of structure, warmth, and professionalism that made her an absolute dream to work with. As someone who is naturally a very thorough planner, I stepped into my wedding days feeling completely calm, knowing Cecelia had everything handled. Because of her, I was able to be fully present and simply enjoy our celebration. I cannot recommend Shannon Gale and Cecelia more highly--they are truly among the best planners you could ever hire.

Hiring Marie from Shannon Gail Events was hands-down the best decision we made for our wedding…read more From start to finish, Marie was an absolute dream to work with--calm, organized, joyful, and endlessly professional. Her attention to detail, reassuring presence, and ability to handle every situation with grace made the entire planning process not only stress-free, but genuinely enjoyable. Marie took care of everything--from recommending absolutely incredible vendors, to assisting with design choices that brought our vision to life, to managing the many complicated logistics that come with having a wedding in a tent (think: flooring, electricity, bathroom access--you name it, she handled it). She consistently went above and beyond to make sure every element of our wedding weekend was perfect, and she did it all with a warm smile and steady confidence that kept us grounded and excited throughout. Marie brought our vision to life with such care and expertise--it honestly felt like we had a close friend guiding us every step of the way. She even took the time to thoughtfully put together all the welcome bags for our guests and, throughout the entire wedding weekend, handled every single detail so that we didn't have to worry about a thing. We were able to be fully present and enjoy every moment, knowing Marie had it all under control. If you're planning a wedding and want someone who is not only deeply experienced and connected in the wedding world, but also kind, attentive, and truly invested in your day, Marie is it. We love Marie so much that we wish we had another event to plan just so that we could continue to work with her! We are beyond grateful for her and cannot recommend her highly enough!

We hired David to officiate our wedding in June of 2026. All contact stopped months before the…read morewedding and we had to find someone knew. 1 month after our wedding and we still have no heard from him or gotten our deposit back.

BEST DAY EVER!!! Dave was literally the best person possible to be the person we chose to marry us…read more You'd be surprised how difficult it is to connect with someone online and get a quick and straightforward reply. If you want someone you can trust, someone who is punctual, flexible and genuine, then Graceful Day Officiant is for you! You can really tell when someone is passionate about their profession. And on the most important day of your life, you want someone who can bring out all those feelings and tell a sweet and well-crafted love story. Dave was truly amazing. He was super fun to work with and we are so happy to have shared such a special day with him. He made the whole process really fun. If you have ideas, he's there to listen and guide you. If you want more traditional, he's got you. If you want to hear the story of the beginning of how it all started with you and your hunny, that's the magic right there! My husband and I chose the love story option and I tell you what, it's just so much more special to hear your closest friends and family's perspective and of course your hunny's, right in that moment, in front of everyone during your ceremony. Hearing our love story told like that and hearing it for the first time with all our guests, it was just so magical. We both loved working with Dave and are so grateful to have someone as amazing as him craft our story on the best day of our lives and catapult us into the excitement and joy together as husband and wife. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

We were referred by another Officiant that was booked for our wedding date, and couldn't have been…read morehappier how this worked out. Jill was very responsive, and she just got my husband's humor and our personalities. She was able to pick up on things from just a phone call and a few emails exchanged. She could have provided a very standard ceremony and vows for us, but she went above and beyond making something customized and personalized incorporating both of our cultures. It was a very thoughtful and much appreciated thing when you are planning a wedding that she can think of something that we didn't even think of, especially when you are in the thick of planning and thinking of so many other things for the wedding and other events going on in your life. She was on time and laid out expectations, easy to communicate with, and made everything simple. I must have also gotten quotes from more than 10 others and they were such ridiculously exorbitant prices for what in actuality might have been a half an hours worth of time that was spent in person. I feel like some people just capitalize on someone else's happiness and take advantage by charging a high fee or cost because you are getting married. This was not the case with Jill, as she was very reasonable in price and her personality really set her apart. We would highly recommend her.

I was lucky enough to get some referrals that led me to Jill, and I'm so thrilled that she was the…read moreofficiant for our wedding. Finding the right officiant isn't exactly easy -- we put a lot of effort towards creating a celebration that felt true to us as a couple, and we didn't want to necessarily follow the normal flow or traditions of a wedding ceremony. Jill was a perfect partner in helping us create something uniquely meaningful to our relationship. She was warm, personable and inquisitive during each of our meetings. I was impressed on her skill at picking up all the small details of our relationship and crafting them into a compelling story for our wedding guests. She was so excited to help us craft the right type of unity ritual -- she was a great creative partner and balanced our ideas with her sense of what would be most impactful for our event. I am so thrilled that the universe brought us together with Jill. Our wedding was a perfectly memorable event, and she played a huge role in making it so magical.

I read somewhere that premarital counseling is positively correlated to successful marriages. My…read moreown opinion of marriage was dubious after witnessing seemingly unhappy marriages and happy divorces all around me. I surveyed many married people about the secrets to their success and always cringed when they responded in a sarcastic manner indicating that their relationship was no longer as glowing as it once was and it was merely a habitual status quo of ennui. I wanted none of that for myself! Finding a premarital counselor proved harder than expected. I asked the Unitarian Temple in Oak Park and the Congregational Church across the street. Neither of them provided the services I sought nor did they offer up any referrals. I found a non-religious organization online that offered something like five sessions and a workbook outlining specific lessons; however, they never returned my calls. That's when I found Celebrate Love Chicago and Jeffrey. Jeffrey and I played a fine game of phone tag that resulted in our first contact being way too exuberant and familiar on my part than his want. I definitely caught him off guard and he seemed skeptical of me. We scheduled our first consultation. I learned from his website that his first consultation was free and also that he had a premarital counseling deal that's $450 for five sessions. We told him we wanted to take advantage of that deal and he agreed. At our second meeting I was disappointed that he sprang on us that our first meeting (the consultation) was included in those five sessions. I quickly learned that Celebrate Love Chicago is a small operation. Although it definitely has it's charm being in Andersonville, having free drinks, samples, and literature in the waiting area, and a therapy dog... Well. I think that Jeffrey runs it all by himself which explains all the phone tag, occasional lost emails, and no formal billing process. It's a lot to handle and I am pretty sympathetic about it all even though I was initially annoyed. We learned a lot about how to format the framework of our relationship from Jeffrey. I won't disclose the points that he taught us but I will say that sometimes our tempers flared when he poked into certain problems. Our relationship is rosy and our disagreements are small. We didn't like it when we would dwell on one of our hiccups when we already considered it resolved. Now we understand Jeffrey's method and we know he was simply using those problem points as an example for his framework. We have found his framework to be extremely helpful and now we observe other couples and think that they need a little Jeffrey in their lives too. Fortunately he gave us plenty of cards to distribute and I've already handed out four!

So, the fiance and I hired Jeffrey Sumber to be our officiant and part of the costs require three…read morepre-marital sessions. Since we wanted ours to be non-religious/secular, Jeffrey had asked us to come in so he could get to know us better and help us shape our ceremony to be befitting of us - what a great concept! Our first intro session was FREE (yes, some things in life are free which is very very nice, especially if you're paying for a wedding anyway) and then, he also gave us a 50% discount after four pre-marital sessions with him - we've found his pre-marital sessions are extremely helpful - it's nice to have things laid out in a different manner. He's helping us see past the present and really help us lay out the foundation for our 'culture' together and for our lives together as one. He's also helping overcome little obstacles and something as silly as "why we fight over the center of the bed" - we're very confident in his abilities and look forward to having a beautiful ceremony that is catered to our personalities and our relationship. I highly recommend him as an officiant (if you're going the non-religious route) and a counselor. Plus his office is right next door to Hopleaf and La Donna - another bonus right there, too! With less than three weeks away for the wedding, we're very pleased with the outline of the ceremony and how it's turning out exactly what we could have imagined - it's very personalized to the two of our personality and relationship. I'll edit this after the wedding. EDIT: Our ceremony was fabulous and Jeffrey definitely added quite a bit of personalization and flair to our wedding. He even made a little slipup which was actually really endearing because you could tell that he's spent quite a bit of time with us! Thank you again, Jeffrey!!