My husband and I were inspired by high Yelp reviews to work with Reverend Rich for our Nestldown wedding in September. That said, we are sad to be writing only a 3 star review based on our experience. HIGLIGHTS: 1) He was very quick to communicate and always friendly and personable on the phone 2) He was flexible with us changing our date due to the pandemic 3) He was very determined to say my husband's non American name correctly and he did! Thank you so much for that, Reverend Rich! DISAPPOINTMENTS: 1) Wedding day speaking was a lot more monotone and less energetic than what we had hoped for 2) The vows he read at our ceremony were NOT the same as the ones we confirmed in the "final vows" email. 2a) My husband and I both checked this before I sat down to write this review. At best, this was a lack of organization that left us surprised at the altar. Specifically, we removed "for the first time" when Reverend Rich would introduce us as "Mr. and Mrs." We had explained to Reverend Rich that because of covid, we had already been legally married for a year and I had been going by my new last name since then. So, it was not "for the first time" that I was "Mrs.". Some of our less close guests were left confused, and my husband and I had to hide our frustration at the end of the ceremony. Reverend Rich was also aware that we did not need to be legally wed (since again, we had already been legally married for a year at that point), as we discussed not having a marriage license for him to sign. 2b) He also had added "let's do that again" after my husband and I kissed. It wasn't clear if we were supposed to kiss again (which we did), or if the audience didn't clap loud enough to his opinion. The possibility of the latter left us somewhat embarrassed. TLDR; nice guy, but the word doc called "final vows" that we got was not in fact the same doc that he read at our ceremony read more

"It doesn't matter how much you spend, it doesn't matter what the photos look like or how many guests show up, what matters is that you hold your promise to the other person" - Reverend Rich Unfortunately I was not able to book Rich because he has a prior engagement. That said, Rich has gone aboive and beyond in reaching out to his network and referring me to his other officients which are friends of his. He is a wonderful man who is well connected and is always willing to help in however he can. Thank you Rich! read more

Don't hesitate, and book Reverend Rich for your wedding date! We had a consultation with him after talking to another officiant, and loved him. He is funny, kind, personable, and would've crafted a great ceremony for us. His fees are very reasonable, but we unfortunately hesitated due to his additional travel fees since our wedding is a bit far for him (in the East Bay). Due to the travel fees, we decided not to book him and thought we'd find a more local officiant. We talked to several others in the next few weeks and struggled to find one we liked as much as Rev. Rich. We decided he was worth the travel fees and gave him a call back, but he was already booked for our date (over a year out)! Even though he was booked, he worked hard to give us recommendations for other officiants and even offered help with writing a script if we decided to have a friend officiate. read more

Reverend Rich is truly a pleasure to work with! He is so kind and a true professional. We ALWAYS know that we are in GREAT hands when Rev Rich is present for a celebration at our Chapel. He is a wonderful human being and always willing to help and provide close attention and care. We can truly say the we wholeheartedly recommend Rev Rich to all! read more

Rev Rich or bust. He's a likeable, easy-going guy. You will chuckle because he reminds you of that funny guy at all your family gatherings. He made my husband feel like he was in it with us. Rich wrote us a great ceremony that wasn't cheesy or tired. Guest after guest came to us and said how much they connected with and enjoyed his ceremony. Rich will be anxious to book you, but it's in your favor. We met with 5 different officiants, and only Rich felt like a friend. He will say he books up quick, and I'm sure it's true. Face it, your friends and family (however close to you and well-spoken they are) aren't professionals. You will want to book him for your rehearsal as well, preferably at the same time of day as your ceremony. What we paid him was worth it in the end because he's reliable, available to speak with when you need, and everyone loved him. Thanks, Rich, for everything. read more

Reverend Rich - A perfect October day. - Officiants Near Me

You will not regret having Reverend Rich officiate your wedding. Because of the pandemic, our engagement was longer than most so I had plenty of opportunity to work with Reverend Rich. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him over the several months as he is extremely thoughtful and works diligently to capture the unique spirit of the couples he works with. My husband and I were looking for someone who was nondenominational, but who could speak with wisdom, poise, sincerity and joy. Reverend Rich delivered on just that with his vows. They really resonated with the audience, and made people laugh, as appropriate, during the ceremony. He is a very personable and respectful person and was very responsive and attentive through the whole process. Reverend Rich made suggestions to capture the spirit of our families and made us feel at ease. We are so appreciative of him and his role in setting the tone of our perfect ceremony. read more

Reverend Rich - Officiants Near Me

Reverend Rich was not available on our selected date, but he gave us recommendations for another officiant. So helpful and positive to interact with! We appreciated his guidance and recommendations. read more

We loved working with Rev Rich from start to finish. He made a point to really get to know us as a couple and made sure we had a ceremony layout that we were both pleased with. We also appreciated all his help with our vows! We are still getting compliments from friends and family on our ceremony. Thank you Rev Rich!! read more

Reverend Rich - Officiants Near Me

We needed an officiant for our elopement at the very last minute and Reverend Rich responded quickly and walked us through the process step by step, even recommending a perfect location. Our ceremony was exactly what we were looking for and the vows were lovely. Would highly recommend if you're looking for an officiant who is warm, welcoming and amazingly easy/helpful to work with. Extremely grateful he was able to fit us into his schedule. read more

Reverend Rich was so extremely helpful and wonderful to work with. We wanted to do a ceremony in a quick amount of time and he leapt through hoops to make it happen. Within a week, they found us a beautiful, indoor, quiet venue because of the bad weather. He always checked in with us every step of the way, and we were wedded successfully and happily. He is very compassionate, caring, and experienced. I hope I will never have to get married again, but if I did, would use him lol. read more

Reverend Rich -- is without equal. Surprise for wife -- he helped me coordinate renewal of vows on our 5th anniversary. Rev Rich suggested a stunning location, that was free of charge and required zero permits: Santa Cruz / Lighthouse Point. Where the ocean meets the surf... Dramatic and picturesque. Rev Rich prepared great sounding vows, and personalized the text -- to include our unique context. His recitation, and interactions -- were energizing and poetic. MY WIFE HAD TEARS IN HER EYES. I interviewed five other ministers, and made the right choice. Rev Rich -- you made this day perfect for us. Thank you! read more

My wife and I used Reverend Rich's service last year for our wedding and we could not have been more pleased! We met with Rich a couple months before our wedding at a small cafe in Aptos and our first impression was that he seemed to love performing this service for people and he was very enthusiastic about it, which we loved. Another thing we found to be great were his rates. Of the other officiants we spoke with, Rich not only seemed the most personable, but his rates were also the best. For more information on his rates, you can check out his "Rates" section on his website. The day of our wedding went absolutely perfect! Rich has a very calming demeanor about him and this helped keep me calm and composed as well in the moments before the big "I Do!". For those looking for a fantastic officiant and a fantastic person as well, I cannot give a big enough praise for Reverend Rich. He will help make your wedding as memorable as possible! read more

Reverend Rich was incredible! His vows were beautiful and humorous at all the right moments, and felt so personal to my husband and I. We received compliments the entire night about how much everyone enjoyed the ceremony, so much so, that Reverend Rich was the first vendor we wanted to thank formally after the wedding weekend. On top of the incredible vows, Reverend Rich was so organized and on top of everything, that we felt we could trust him from the very beginning. 5 stars isn't enough! We'll remember Reverend Rich and his wonderful ceremony for the rest of our lives :) read more

My only regret is not writing this review earlier. Rev Rich married us on Halloween at the Winchester Mystery House. He kept our wedding beautiful, funny and classy- the perfect combination. I would recommend him to anyone who is looking for a caring, very personal person to marry them. A few weeks later he married my daughter and son-in-law and that ceremony was beautiful as well. He is a funny, sweet, caring and professional man. From the moment we first talked to him on the phone, my husband and I knew he was the perfect person to marry us. We just 'clicked' and it was like we were all friends. Thank you, Rev Rich for being part of our special day and making our wedding ceremony unforgettable! I can't say enough about you!! -Mary Molina read more

Reverend Rich is a wonderful officiant and truly appreciated his time and energy into making our little intimate wedding so special. He was timely, respectful, outgoing, knowledgeable, personable, sweet, caring, and thoughtful. We felt like we knew him so well after our first talk with getting to know him. We wanted him to speak on a more personal level and so he made sure to add more and cater to what we wanted in his speech. He double checked in with us two days before to ensure everything was in place and ready to go. He even turned in and mailed our certificate right away after the ceremony. Sending us an email confirmation with a picture. See a timely mannered man! Our favorite part about Reverend Rich was how calm and sincere he was. He even moved out of the way so we could stand alone for pictures to make it more intimate for us as he stood on the side and read. We were so lucky to have him officiate our little wedding- highly recommend him if you're in the area, seriously thank you Rich for all you did for us! read more

Reverend Rich - Caramel Beach elopement wedding - Officiants Near Me

My husband and I wanted to get married on New Years Day. We knew that it would limit the options that we had. But, I am glad I found Rev. Rich. I have nothing but great things to say about him. He took an interest in getting to know us and our love story which was super important to us, and what really set him apart from anyone else. He was funny, personable, and easy to talk to. He kept in contact with us leading up to our special day. On the day of, he arrived early to scoop out the place since we were dead set on getting married by the ocean near the Golden Gate Bridge. The ceremony itself was beautiful and I was very pleased how the Rev. incorporated our love story in, down to the smallest details that were most important to my husband and I. When it came time for us to read our personal vows the Rev. stepped back letting my husband and I share the intimate moment together, which set the bar even higher and made our wedding that much more special. If you are on getting married there is no one better than Rev. Rich! read more

I'm sorry I took so long to write this review! Reverend Rich married my husband and I on New Years Eve and it was spectacular. We were charmed by him on the phone interview, but the ceremony blew us away. It was absolutely my favorite part of the wedding. We had so many compliments on it and him. He recommended "personal stories" instead of personal vows. They are the stories of how you meet and fall in love and Rev Rich reads them. At first, I didn't know what that would be like, having him read our love story. But it was amazing!! He made our stories sweet and absolutely hilarious. But not in a contrived, jokey way. In an honest, love is funny and crazy way. The congregation was falling out of their chair laughing as well as crying. I wish I could get married again with Rich at the helm. I had several guests say the same to me! Thank you, thank you! read more

My wife and I had Reverend Rich officiate our wedding service and he did an amazing job. I cannot comment enough on how strong an orator he is. We worked with him (emailing back and forth) a script for the vows, which he very much bought alive with expressive punctation and really good humor. He was very engaging and made the audience feel very much part of the ceremony. Overall, He was easy to work with, fun to talk to as we prepared the ceremony, and very professional and punctual. (His instructions on required paper work are clear and complete). I feel confident recommending him to a friend or family. read more

Rev Rich is amazing. We got married in a really small outdoor COVID friendly ceremony. Rev Rich was on top of everything related to the ceremony, he helped us prep our vows and stories, worked with us together and individually to make sure we were prepared. During the day, he was on time, made sure he saw the venue beforehand, was calm (clearly he's been doing this for a while), and had a great sense of humor. He made our ceremony and day special. We highly recommend him. read more

My fiancee and I contacted Reverend Rich a few months before our wedding. He was very professional, explained the process of how we would go about booking his time, and set up a call for the three of us to talk about ourselves, what type of ceremony we wanted, etc. After the call, Reverend Rich was very prompt in sending us a contract and once the deposit was paid, sent some vows our way to read, review, and edit based on our desired language and how much "God" we wanted included. He gave great suggestions on how we would incorporate some very personal passages, my new stepdaughter into the ceremony, and our own personalities as well. We did one more call after he received all of our changes to run through the additions and make sure we were all comfortable with the final vows, the timing, emphasis, etc. Obviously, Reverend Rich has done many weddings before and was able to hold our hand and make us feel comfortable. Our wedding day went off without a hitch. Despite starting a few minutes late, Reverend Rich was on-time, personable, and our guests enjoyed the entire experience. It was a pleasure working with Reverend Rich and he comes highly recommended. read more

Reverend Rich came through for us as a last minute addition when a couple of ordained "friends" backed out in the 11th hour. Everything happens for a reason and RR performed fantastically for us! My wife and I each wrote a personal story that he worked into the vows and the final result made for a truly beautiful reading and ceremony. We got nothing but praise on his officiating. One comment was, "It was a little long but we loved it!" Maybe the vows were a little long but I didn't and wouldn't change it. He's very willing to work with what you want and will no doubt customize the vows to be shorter in length if you'd like. Worth! read more

Thank you thank you thank you!!!! Rev rich was amazing from the beginning! He responded really quick and made our ceremony fit us perfectly. We received so many compliments on how well it went. Everyone laughed, cried and thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony. My favorite part was "our story" and I can't thank him enough for that suggestion. We are so appreciative of him and his work in making our day special. I would recommend him to every. Thanks again Rev Rich! read more

Reverend Rich - Rev rich is amazing! We highly recommend!!! - Officiants Near Me

I really don't know where to begin with how happy I am with the wedding ceremony performed by Reverend Rich. It all started with a phone call - we were unsure if we wanted to hire an pro or have a friend become ordained. As we're talking to Reverend on the phone we explain that we're not religious, traditional, and we really want the ceremony and the entire event to be fun, friendly, and sincere. He then stated to tell us a few things that he would suggest and I kid you not, as he was saying the things that we would say to each other I started to tear up. This is when I knew I was in trouble. We still weren't 100% sure and felt zero pressure. When another couple inquired about our date he called and asked if we wanted to book as since we contacted him first we had priority. We agreed, we booked and fast forward a few months. Wedding day! He is right on time and totally took charge of the situation. We didn't really have a rehearsal the night before and he took care of everything. Who walks where, what hand does this, who takes the bouquet, who fluffs the dress, how to pose for this photo...I mean we're talking game on smooth as can be. It was a blur, a well timed, well organized, super fun blur. he didn't even blink twice when our robot came down the aisle and spewed petals...that's how pro he is. Super friendly, polite, and really took charge at the same time. I approve. After the ceremony he paused for a few photos, got my sister and hubbys sister to sign the certificate and was gone. I got a follow up email from Reverend Rich thanking us for letting him be apart of our ceremony and to confirm that the certificate went out in the mail. And the ceremony....I can't begin to express how many complements we received. Everyone loved Reverend Rich and the ceremony he put together for us. I can't recommend Reverend Rich highly enough - he really made our wedding memorable, sincere, and well perfect. read more

When we researched on Yelp for an officiate I narrowed the search to San Francisco and 4+ stars and Rev. Rich was on the top of the list. I also contacted other officiates but Rev. Rich really stood out. His interview with us was more than just questions he was sincere and we just knew he was the one we wanted to share our day with. The vows were written in a remarkable time and he listened and included the main focal points of thanking our parents for being wonderful role models on marriage and that we complimented each others lives. I've only seen my husband cry when he's laughing too much but that day Rev. Rich provided my husband with a handkerchief to wipe the tears that fell down his face. During our wedding dinner family members complimented on how beautiful the ceremony was and asked how long have we've known Rev. Rich? And our response was we met him about a month ago on the yelp. Everyone who attended our ceremony thought my husband and I were long time friends with Rev. Rich. He provided exceptional service from writing the vows to informing our guest where to go after the ceremony. Thank you, Rev Rich we will definitely recommend you to all of our friends who are getting married! Always, The Browns Rosemarie & Terry read more

See all

Thanks Rev Rich for coming to the rescue last minute when we hired you. You were very patient in waiting for us to give our vows. You also provided great feedback, and recommendations. Thank you for making our ceremony lovely! Great job! read more

Reverend Rich is absolutely top notch! His voice and public speaking gifts are second to none, but that's just the front end. His approach is incredibly well assembled. He has developed a precision set of tools to get to know his clients and their wishes. By using that toolset combined with an artful intuition regarding people, allows him to custom craft a ceremony script that was 100% perfect. His willingness to have things go just the way we wanted along with his professional touch made our big day flawless. You really want Rich to do your wedding! read more

After doing quite a bit of research for an officiant for our wedding, I really had my heart set on Reverend Rich. I contacted him with the wedding date, hoping he was available for our wedding day. He got back to me very quickly, but unfortunately he was not available that day. Ahh.. I was so disappointed :( However, instead of just leaving it at "sorry, I'm not available" or not responding at all, Rich gave me two detailed recommendations for other great officiants in the area. This was so nice of him to do, and he really didn't have to go above and beyond for me. Navigating through the wedding planning process can definitely be stressful but getting personal recommendations makes it so much easier! This tells me that Rich really cares about his clients and genuinely wants them to have the best day possible! read more

Reverend Rich married my husband and I over the weekend and I couldn't be happier. He coordinated with us the entire time and I felt like we always knew exactly what was going to happen. I knew from the second we talked to him on the phone that he would be a wonderful officiant, but the ceremony exceeded my expectations. Both his organizational skills and his charming demeanor made it an unforgettable and thoroughly enjoyable event. Thanks for everything Reverend Rich! read more

My husband and I just got married on August 30, 2014. Since we were having a destination wedding in Capitola, CA, I started searching for officiants in the Santa Cruz County area in early 2013 and came across Reverend Rich's website. It is a good thing I did! The chemistry was great during our first visit at an outside cafe...both of us instantly liked him. He was great throughout the entire process! When there were a few last minute changes, he was able to accommodate us with no problems. When the day came, he was on time, prepared and was his wonderful gregarious self. The ceremony was wonderful and it was as though Rich was a lifelong friend of the family. Many of the guests asked..."who is the reverend?"..."Is he a friend of yours?"..."he was fantastic." And they were right. Reverend Rich is fantastic and we enthusiastically endorse him! read more

So here's to a great Yelp find! The Rev Rich did a great job with our wedding! He was exactly what my wife and I were looking for. He was funny, charming and everyone couldn't believe we found him here. I personally liked in our interview when asked, "do want a lot of God, medium God or No God?" For anyone who is looking for a solid officiate who will keep your big day great, call the Rev! read more

We used Rev Rich for our wedding a few months ago and I would highly recommend him. To start with, he is very organized and professional, which are very important first impressions for a key person at your wedding. He spent time before the wedding to get to know us a little, explained the process, and with his considerable experience was able to suggest the right type of vows for our wedding (which of course my wife and I customized). He showed up an appropriate amount of time before the ceremony, and his speaking ability and personality helped make our wedding ceremony very memorable. read more

Rich got the job done. He was always on time, always easily reachable by email, and wrote a great ceremony script that we were able to edit to our liking. We got many compliments from our guests that our officiant was amazing. The ceremony was a good length, and he was very organized. My husband and I felt very prepared for what would happen, which eased our nerves. (We didn't do a rehearsal with Rich, so we met him for the first time on our wedding day.) We would have preferred to have a minister who could take us through premarital counseling and give us a more personal ceremony, but since my husband and I just moved to the area, that wasn't really an option for us. We just wanted to find someone who would conduct the ceremony the way we wanted it (non-denominational Christian). We had several people at the ceremony who are strong Christians, and we had many people who have no religious convictions, so we wanted to represent our Christian faith without making anyone upset. Rich was great for that. read more

Thank you rev Rich for all your help. I was in a jam to find an officiant for my wedding which is only 2 weeks away. Even though rev Rich was busy he was so Incredibly nice and helpful and help me find an officiant by contacting people he trust. He did not turn me away right away he seem very caring and empathetic. I wish I contacted him sooner because he sound like such an incredible person who would go an extra mile for people he doesn't know. I think couples are going to be so happy and is so lucky to have him officiate their wedding. It's always nice to find someone with a kind heart to officiate your wedding. Appreciate all that you do. Contact rev Rich and you would feel so blessed! read more

Reverend Rich is an outstanding wedding officiant. Talk about someone who is on his A-game... from the day we met over one year ago, he has always been on top of the details and really seemed to understand who we are as a couple. Many, many guests at our wedding commented on how terrific he was... he truly had a command of the ceremony but at the same time came across light-hearted and personal. In working with Reverend Rich, we quickly appreciated that being an officiant isn't about just showing up on the day of -- it's about making sure that every single detail is thought of, from the personalized vows to the mailing of the marriage license to ensuring the groom had a mint immediately before the bride walked down the aisle. Reverend Rich did all of this and more. We never once worried about this portion of our wedding because we knew it was in great hands. Thanks RR for a wonderful day! read more

Rev. Rich was the best officiant we could have asked for! From the get go, he worked closely with us to ensure we were comfortable with all aspects of the ceremony and left no stone unturned. As the bride, I had no stress whatsoever knowing Rev. Rich was in charge. He made sure the wedding party and family knew their roles the day of, he took care of the marriage license logistics, and the ceremony itself was perfect - exactly what my husband and I wanted. I'd recommend Rev. Rich 100%! Very on top of details, very quick to respond to any emails, happy to answer any questions. He was by far the easiest vendor I worked with during the wedding process. Like I told him, I wished all of our vendors had a little more Rev. Rich in them! Thanks RR for an amazing ceremony and for making our lives just a little bit easier on the day of our wedding! read more

Where do I even begin? When my fiance and I began the process of planning our wedding I admit that I was very nervous with all of the endless details that seemed to pop up with frightening regularity. What color should the linens be? What should be do for food? Who would be our caterer? Truly the list was daunting. Fast forward to about 75 days before the actual wedding. We realized we now needed to find one special person to be our officiant. Our very first course of action was to look at YELP for guidance. Truth be told there were only a half a dozen officiants with the experience and reputation that we were looking for. One of those was Rev. Rich We contacted 4 of the 6 that looked good and waited to hear back from each of them. Rev. Rich stood out because he seemed to be them most tech savvy. He texted us within minutes our reaching out to him. He was engaging, polite, he listened to us and immediately we knew we had found our officiant. His rates weer competitive and his willingness to custom write our wedding vows was the final deciding factor to hire him. Without exception he kept in contact as warranted. The three of us worked together on the vows until each word was perfect. Day of the wedding he shows up 30 minutes before the wedding dressed perfectly and went to the altar and took command of the proceedings. His voice was assuring and professional. He was both sincere and emotional as required. He captured who we are as a couple and had our guests spellbound from the very start. At the reception we got countless comments and praise for our officiant. None of our friends could believe we had not known him all of our lives. They were stunned when we told them we found him on YELP. If he is available for your wedding day, you would be foolish not to secure his services for your special day. Thank you Rev.Rich for making my wedding day a dream come true. read more

My wife and I are very happy that we chose Rich as the officiant in our wedding. We loved how personalized our wedding vows were and we loved the tools that he used to get to know us. He became an instant friend of ours and we felt extremely comfortable with him and sharing our stories. He is extremely quick to respond to emails, text messages and phone calls. He made all of our guests laugh and enjoy themselves, while also making it a very emotional experience. read more

We highly recommend Reverend Rich to officiate a wedding. Rev. Rich was recommended to us by another pastor we knew of who was unavailable the day of our wedding. Rev. Rich actually contacted us first through email. We set up a phone appointment and he asked us questions to get to know us. We could tell he was experienced at officiating weddings, and we felt very comfortable talking with him. My husband and I quickly decided that we wanted him to officiate our wedding, so we booked him right away. In the months to follow, Rev. Rich emailed us vows to look over and tweak to our liking. He was always very quick to respond to emails, which was great. He was on time and very helpful at the rehearsal. He made us feel comfortable and ready for the big day. The wedding ceremony was amazing. He followed the exact vows that we had agreed upon through email. He helped us through the whole ceremony and made it a very special, unforgettable day for us. Numerous guests at our wedding commented on how great Rev. Rich was. Some even said they would have to let some of their soon-to-be friends know about Rev. Rich. Thanks so much for officiating our wedding, Rev. Rich! read more

Reverend Rich officiated our wedding in August 2017 and we cannot say enough positive things about him! From the start, he was quick to respond by email and promptly answered any questions that arose. We met up with him many months before our wedding for coffee and to discuss the vision for our ceremony; he had excellent suggestions but was also open to our ideas. Reverend Rich had us write personal stories that he read during our ceremony and this was truly one of the highlights of our day. Hearing personal stories for the first time was such a treat and our guests loved the personal touch. On the big day Reverend Rich arrived early and was calm while also taking care of business, ensuring our wedding license was signed and that everyone knew their place at the altar. I will definitely recommend Reverend Rich to friends in the future. read more

Reverend Rich truly made our wedding ceremony. When I first reached out to him, he was in Tennessee for another wedding but he responded extremely quickly. After talking with him on the phone, both my fiance and I knew we wanted him to officiate our wedding. He captured our story so perfectly, I couldn't read the script he wrote without crying! Throughout the wedding, all of our guests kept commenting on how wonderful he was and that the ceremony was their favorite part. He was also very helpful during the rehearsal by taking charge and making sure everyone knew their role and how the big day would go. Thank you Reverend Rich! read more

Reverend Rich - Officiants Near Me