x2 Award winner
Award winner thanks to recommendations from couples on WeddingWire.com.
- 2026
- 2024
Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi
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"I knew long before I got engaged (and before I met my husband) that Rabbi Franzel, would be the one..."
"We couldn't have asked for a better wedding officiant! From the moment we met Rabbi Ethan, he was..."
What is the story behind Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi?
This section is supposed to market me as a long-time wedding officiant, but let me start with the heart of any wedding – you! Congratulations and mazal tov on your engagement, it’s such an exciting time! I believe that everything about your wedding should be meaningful to you, and a reflection of who you are as a couple and your love story. It’s your story, after all, that is bringing everyone together on your day. And it’s your story that is at the heart of the wedding ceremony.
As a wedding officiant based in the Greater Philadelphia area (including New Jersey, New York, and Delaware) with years of experience, I work with couples to put together ceremonies that are warm, personal, filled with humor and love and joy. I officiate at secular ceremonies of all types – LGBTQ+ welcome! – and, as an ordained rabbi, I officiate at Jewish weddings that feel both modern and traditional. Interfaith, multi-faith, co-officiation, civil ceremonies, commitment ceremonies, vow renewals – yes to all!
The couples I work with feel both heard and taken care of. I take the time needed to get to know you and what you want from one of the most important days of your life. Have special readings? Music? Family customs or rituals? Great, I say “yes!” Often I hear from couples and guests that the ceremony I led was special and memorable and really captured the feeling of love in the room. Isn’t that what a wedding is all about? I would love to work with you to help make the ceremony the foundation of your amazing day.
What are Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's coordination packages and rates?
Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?
No
What is the starting price for pre-marital counseling (per session)?
$100
What types of weddings and events do you provide services for?
Non-religious
Interfaith
Vow Renewal
Civil Union
What services do you provide?
Premarital Counseling
What religious affiliations do you serve?
Agnostic
Jewish
No Denomination
On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?
Less than 30 mins.
In which states are you licensed?
DE
NJ
NY
PA
What languages do you speak?
English
Any other questions?
Reach out about anything you didn't see answered here—no question is too small!What are real couples saying about their experience with Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi in reviews?
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.
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Rabbi Ethan Franzel crafts deeply personal, warm, and often humorous ceremonies that balance tradition and individuality. He takes time to know each couple, explains rituals for non‑Jewish guests, and is responsive and flexible. Guests praised the heartfelt, memorable services and highly recommend him.
Benna Sent on 10/12/2026
5 out of 5 rating
Best Rabbi Ever
I knew long before I got engaged (and before I met my husband) that Rabbi Franzel, would be the one to marry me. He’s been my rabbi for years, and he’s the only rabbi I’ve ever fully trusted with something this important. When the time came, there wasn’t even a question.
Our two meetings before the wedding meant more to me than I expected. He already knew me, but he took real time to get to know us as a couple, to listen to what mattered to us, and to shape a ceremony that felt like ours. I walked out of those meetings feeling calm, understood, and so ready to get married.
Standing under the chuppah with someone who has been part of my life for so long was something I’ll never forget. He spoke about us with so much warmth and knowledge, and it felt less like a ceremony being performed and more like being blessed by someone who truly cares about us. I could feel how much it meant to him too.
He was amazing from start to finish, and I’m so grateful he was the one there with us on the most important day of our lives. Thank you, Rabbi Franzel, for everything.
Our two meetings before the wedding meant more to me than I expected. He already knew me, but he took real time to get to know us as a couple, to listen to what mattered to us, and to shape a ceremony that felt like ours. I walked out of those meetings feeling calm, understood, and so ready to get married.
Standing under the chuppah with someone who has been part of my life for so long was something I’ll never forget. He spoke about us with so much warmth and knowledge, and it felt less like a ceremony being performed and more like being blessed by someone who truly cares about us. I could feel how much it meant to him too.
He was amazing from start to finish, and I’m so grateful he was the one there with us on the most important day of our lives. Thank you, Rabbi Franzel, for everything.
Thea Sent on 07/23/2026
5 out of 5 rating
Couldn't Have Asked for Better
We couldn't have asked for a better wedding officiant! From the moment we met Rabbi Ethan, he was warm, personable, and genuinely interested in getting to know us and our story. He made the entire process easy and stress-free, and his professionalism gave us complete confidence every step of the way.
Our ceremony was the perfect mix of heartfelt and fun. He made us laugh, kept our guests engaged, and created a ceremony that felt authentic and personal. It truly reflected who we are as a couple, and we've received so many compliments from our family and friends about how wonderful it was.
If you're looking for an officiant who is personable, funny, professional, and truly passionate about what he does, we can't recommend him enough. He made one of the most important moments of our lives unforgettable, and we're so grateful he was part of our special day!
Our ceremony was the perfect mix of heartfelt and fun. He made us laugh, kept our guests engaged, and created a ceremony that felt authentic and personal. It truly reflected who we are as a couple, and we've received so many compliments from our family and friends about how wonderful it was.
If you're looking for an officiant who is personable, funny, professional, and truly passionate about what he does, we can't recommend him enough. He made one of the most important moments of our lives unforgettable, and we're so grateful he was part of our special day!
Michelle Sent on 07/02/2026
5 out of 5 rating
A Truly Memorable Ceremony
My husband and I are an interfaith couple, and we couldn’t have asked for a better officiant. Ethan created a beautiful, personal ceremony that perfectly reflected our relationship and made everyone feel included. Our friends and family still complement how meaningful and heartfelt our ceremony was. We are so grateful he was part of our wedding day and highly recommend him to any couple looking for a thoughtful and caring officiant.
Julia Sent on 06/20/2026
5 out of 5 rating
Chuppah ceremony
When my husband and I were doing our research, yes, we were already married officially but wanted to have a Jewish ceremony, Chuppah. Tradition was important to us, but also the type of ceremony we wanted to have for ourselves and our family. Working with Rabbi Ethan was an incredible experience. He took his time to understand who we were, got to know us as a couple, gave us advice and pointers, and together we created a beautiful ceremony that fit exactly into what we originally had in mind.
We highly recommend Rabbi Ethan to any couple.
Julia and Alex
We highly recommend Rabbi Ethan to any couple.
Julia and Alex
Dana Sent on 05/16/2026
5 out of 5 rating
Ethan was Excellent
Rabbi Ethan was an excellent choice for our wedding! When we got engaged, we looked specifically for someone personable that would get to know us as a couple. Ethan did exactly that by scheduling Zoom calls to learn more about us both individually and as a couple. This paid off and came through at the ceremony where we had multiple people come up to us after telling us how much they enjoyed his style of including personal details. We are so happy we chose Ethan for our special day and we used him for our baby naming ceremony as well. I would give him 5 stars & recommend you give him a call without reservation!
Nicole Sent on 11/09/2025
5 out of 5 rating
October 2025 Wedding Review
Rabbi Franzel is beyond amazing. He was timely, always responsive, and crafted such a beautiful ceremony for our October 2025 wedding. During our first meeting, he really got to know us. We immediately felt so welcomed and really listened to, his personality is encouraging, warm, charismatic and kind. He even met us in person for our following meetings, and was very flexible with scheduling. We got numerous compliments on our service, it was beautifully personalized, down to every single detail, including proof-reading our Ketubah and tallit. I can go on and on about how much Rabbi Franzel made our wedding special, but he also made it so easy to understand what the ceremony would look like; answering our (many!) questions. Again; beyond grateful to have discovered this incredible Rabbi.
Eric Sent on 10/19/2025
5 out of 5 rating
Fantastic Wedding thanks to Ethan!
Rabbi Ethan Franzel was absolutely incredible to work with and made our wedding ceremony truly special. He struck the perfect balance between a light, casual tone (exactly what we wanted) and the deep meaning and significance of the occasion.
In the months leading up to the wedding, we met with Ethan several times so he could get to know us as a couple. It was clear during the ceremony how much attention he paid — he crafted a beautiful and personal narrative of our love story that felt both heartfelt and authentic.
We’ve had countless guests, including many who aren’t Jewish, tell us how moved and impressed they were by the ceremony. Several even asked for Ethan’s contact information afterward! We can’t recommend him highly enough — Rabbi Franzel made our day unforgettable.
In the months leading up to the wedding, we met with Ethan several times so he could get to know us as a couple. It was clear during the ceremony how much attention he paid — he crafted a beautiful and personal narrative of our love story that felt both heartfelt and authentic.
We’ve had countless guests, including many who aren’t Jewish, tell us how moved and impressed they were by the ceremony. Several even asked for Ethan’s contact information afterward! We can’t recommend him highly enough — Rabbi Franzel made our day unforgettable.
Abigail Sent on 10/08/2025
5 out of 5 rating
Blessed with the best Rabbi!!
We feel so incredibly lucky and grateful to have had our wedding officiated by Rabbi Ethan. From our very first meeting, he exuded kindness, warmth, and genuine care — not just for the ceremony, but for us as a couple. He took the time to truly get to know us, to understand our story, and to craft a ceremony that reflected who we are with such beauty and meaning.
On our wedding day, Rabbi brought a calm, joyful presence that made everything feel even more special. His words were thoughtful, heartfelt, and full of wisdom — striking the perfect balance between tradition and personal touch. He made us feel grounded, loved, and deeply connected — not just to each other, but to something much greater.
So many of our guests came up to us afterward to say how moved they were by the ceremony and how incredible our rabbi was. We couldn’t agree more. He helped create a moment we will treasure forever.
Thank you, Rabbi Ethan for making our day so meaningful and unforgettable. We are truly blessed.
On our wedding day, Rabbi brought a calm, joyful presence that made everything feel even more special. His words were thoughtful, heartfelt, and full of wisdom — striking the perfect balance between tradition and personal touch. He made us feel grounded, loved, and deeply connected — not just to each other, but to something much greater.
So many of our guests came up to us afterward to say how moved they were by the ceremony and how incredible our rabbi was. We couldn’t agree more. He helped create a moment we will treasure forever.
Thank you, Rabbi Ethan for making our day so meaningful and unforgettable. We are truly blessed.
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Ethan Franzel
Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi
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