Joan Phillips, Officiant & Celebrant

Joan is both a true professional and a joy to work with. When my now-husband and I started planning our wedding, we hadn't been sure how to select an officiant--none of our close friends had the right kind of personality for the role (and it involves a lot of work!) and we didn't have any religious affiliations to make the choice evident. Joan was the first person we reached out to, based on the many glowing reviews we read, and our search ended after our initial conversation with her. She was always prompt and responsive to our emails and questions, and made herself available to us in-person or via Zoom as often as needed. (Based on what I've seen online, other officiants often seem to place restrictions on the number of meetings you get with them). She provided us with a range of useful documents (including sample ceremony readings, rituals, and vows) that helped us craft a personalized ceremony. She also took the questionnaires that we filled out separately to create a lovely narrative of our relationship to share with guests. We appreciated the careful planning and detail she put into her preparations--the preparatory ceremony document she shared with us even indicated who would be hugging whom at specific moments and that the two of us would be "beaming" during the recessional! :) There were many tiny details about the ceremony that we either hadn't even realized or didn't know how to approach, and Joan was invaluable in providing guidance, suggestions, and answers. So many of our guests commented on the beautiful ceremony and asked how we had "discovered" Joan!
After the wedding, she sent us the complete "keepsake" version of the ceremony text, which we read during our honeymoon, shared with family members, and will cherish for a long time! We can't recommend Joan enough.

Working with Joan was an absolute joy from start to finish. She is incredibly personable and has a way of making you feel completely at ease during such a momentous occasion. Throughout the process, Joan was remarkably attentive, taking the time to understand who we were as a couple and ensuring that the ceremony details were authentic to us. Her kindness shines through in everything she does, and her warm presence added a special layer of calm and sincerity to our day. We cannot recommend her highly enough for anyone looking for an officiant who truly cares about the couples she works with. We will be adding photos soon, but we can not say it enough how wonderful she was!

Working with Joan was one of the absolute highlights of our wedding experience. From start to finish, she is the definition of a true professional: organized, thoughtful, and incredibly warm.

From the very beginning, Joan brought such a genuine sense of care and intention to the entire process. She provided us with a wealth of resources to help us choose readings and shape our vows in a way that felt deeply personal and authentic to us as a couple. When we wanted to incorporate elements outside of a traditional template (like a ring warming) she was not only familiar with the process, but enthusiastically supported us in making the ceremony our own.

She also took the time to truly get to know us. Through a detailed questionnaire and a lovely dinner together, she created space for us to share our story, which she then wove beautifully into the ceremony. The result was something that felt uniquely us.

The ceremony was heartfelt, personal, and filled with meaning from beginning to end. Joan has an incredible gift for storytelling and for incorporating symbolism in a way that feels natural and impactful. We had so many guests tell us it was the most beautiful, thoughtful, and personal ceremony they had ever witnessed--and we wholeheartedly agree.

We are so grateful for the care, time, and heart Joan put into our day. We absolutely adored working with her and cannot recommend her highly enough.

(photos by Vicki Grafton Photography)

Joan was our Officiant and Celebrant recently and she was lovely, her communication was clear and easy and quick. She made our day feel unique and special, she took time to learn about us and gave us some excellent direction and advice in preparation. On the day she was warm and on point and gave us unique and lovely memories.

We couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful officiant. From our first conversation to the ceremony itself, Joan was warm, professional, and truly invested in making our ceremony meaningful and personal. She took the time to get to know us and crafted a ceremony that perfectly reflected our story and values!
The ceremony was beautifully delivered — heartfelt, engaging, and the perfect balance of emotion and joy. So many of our guests commented on how much they loved our officiant and how touching the ceremony was. It felt genuine, memorable, and incredibly special.
We are so grateful for the role Joan played in our wedding day and would highly recommend her to any couple looking for an officiant who is thoughtful, kind, and exceptional at what they do!

It can be difficult to find and trust someone you’ve never met with such an important part of your wedding day. However, after one phone call with Joan, I knew she was going to be the perfect fit for us!! Joan is not only such an incredibly, kind and warm person but she is so genuine and took the time to really get to know my fiancé and I, understand our love story, and the type of ceremony we wanted. She was so respectful and open to everything and was highly organized throughout the whole process. She crafted a beautiful ceremony that brought tears to my eyes, and did a flawless job delivering it the day of. I cannot recommend her enough!!!

From the very first conversation, we knew Joan was special. She exudes joy, calm, and a deep love for her work, and that energy carried beautifully into our wedding day. Joan has a rare ability to listen deeply, understand your vision, and translate it into something poetic and true.

We wanted a ceremony that honored our Catholic and Muslim upbringings without being overly religious — something that felt inclusive, grounded, and reflective of who we are. Joan approached it with grace, curiosity, and respect, weaving together traditions and intentions in a way that felt seamless and heartfelt.

Her voice carried warmth and gravitas, and her delivery was filled with sincerity — never scripted, always connected. She guided our families and guests through each moment with ease, helping us focus on the meaning behind our vows rather than the mechanics of the ceremony.

Everyone could feel that Joan truly loves what she does. She didn’t just officiate our wedding — she crafted an experience that reflected our love, our roots, and the values that will continue to guide us. It was one of the most personal and moving parts of the entire day, and we’ll be forever grateful.

Working with Joan was absolutely fantastic. From the very first meeting she was kind, warm, and seemed genuinely excited to be a part of our special day. The process was seamless and simple and everything went great! The ceremony that she wrote for us was so beautiful and something that we appreciate and will never forget. Thank you so much Joan!

Joan was amazing! She helped us come up with a wonderful, intimate, and personal ceremony, and tailored it to us personally. Joan was very communicative and fabulous to work with. We highly recommend Joan's services, as we'd hope every couple could have as amazing ceremony as we did. Thank you, Joan!

Joan agreed to officiate our wedding about two months in advance, and we are so happy we made the decision to have her officiate our special day. She gave us peace of mind in walking us through what the ceremony would look like and truly understanding our story. She worked with us as we needed to modify the ceremony, provide feedback on our vows, and ensure traditions and special touches were included. The result was a beautiful ceremony that touched everyone in the room. It was like Joan had known us for the entirety of our relationship, and had prepared us to move forward into the next chapter of our lives. Joan, thank you so much for your care, attentiveness, and love you provided on our special day!