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About

On WeddingWire since 2008

Rev. Claire Frances is a wedding officiant based in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is an ordained interfaith minister and has proudly officiated more than 1,200 weddings since 2004. Rev. Claire Frances conducts unique and personalized ceremonies throughout Central Virginia.

Services Offered

Rev. Claire Frances and her team of passionate ministers provide a number of services to help make couples' big day even more memorable. She begins the process with an initial consultation via email or over the phone, before asking couples to complete a questionnaire outlining their preferences. Claire offers a range of ceremony options that include customizing vows, rituals, and blessings, with the option of honoring family members and ring vows also included. Rev. Claire Frances can perform at a wide range of ceremonies including interfaith, interspiritual, and intercultural weddings. She is also happy to perform at elopements, civil unions, and vow renewal ceremonies. Rev. Claire Frances and the team conduct a full rehearsal prior to the big day, allowing to-be-weds to feel prepared and make any final adjustments to the ceremonial itinerary.

Frequently asked questions

Which of the following are included in the price?

Ceremony Rehearsal

What types of weddings and events do you provide services for?

Non-religious
Interfaith
Ceremony Rehearsal
Vow Renewal
Civil Union

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Agnostic
Baha'i Faith
Buddhist
Earth-Based
Episcopalian
Hindu
Jainism
Jewish
No Denomination
Pagan
Quaker
Shinto
Sikhism
Taoist
Unitarian

In which states are you licensed?

DC
NC
VA
WV

What languages do you speak?

English
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Message vendor
4.9 out of 5 rating
52 Reviews
  • Quality of service
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.9 out of 5 rating
96% Recommended by couples
J
Julie G. Sent on 12/15/2022
5 out of 5 rating

From Stranger to Friend

There is not a more intimate moment to share with a stranger than your wedding day. But by the time you stand there at the alter Claire is no longer a stranger. Claire makes sure of this by meeting either in person or virtually, sending carefully curated questionnaires and asking the right questions. She read our owes and offered feedback and most of all by the end of the process but before getting married she understood us. Thank you Claire, for making our ceremony so special.
C
Courtney Sent on 12/05/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Best choice for officiant

We greatly enjoyed working with Rev. Claire to craft a ceremony that was reflective of us. She sent us a large packet of choices for each part of our ceremony, which really helped us figure out what we wanted. We appreciated her guidance and attention to detail -- our ceremony came out great! It really expressed who we are as a couple and what we value, and we are so glad we chose to work with her! We wanted someone who could work with our spiritual beliefs that don't quite fall in line with common religion, as well as someone who could help us work in traditions from our background. Rev. Claire hit all of those points for us!
Melissa
Melissa S. Sent on 06/25/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful, special ceremony

We loved working with Claire! From the first moment we spoke on the phone we connected, and my husband and I knew we wanted her to marry us. We live out of state, so Claire very kindly agreed to Facetime with both of us so we could all get acquainted. The questionnaire she sent us was extremely thorough and made us feel like she was really taking the time to get to know us before our wedding day. My husband and I come from different faith backgrounds, and Claire was fantastic at helping us navigate so that we had a ceremony that we (and our families!) were both happy and comfortable with. We had to postpone our original wedding date due to COVID, and Claire was beyond kind and understanding. Her grace made a difficult time a little bit easier! When our wedding day finally arrived, our ceremony was everything we could have hoped for. It was sweet, personal to us, and a perfect length. Claire even stepped out of the way for our first kiss (without us asking!), which felt like a next-level professional thing to do. Thank you, Claire, for helping to make our day so special!
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Awards

52
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2011 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2010 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2009 Winner

Real Weddings

Gaby & Chris
28 photos · 09/22/2017

Professional Network & Endorsements

24 Endorsements
Blue Mountain Weddings Blue Mountain Weddings Wedding Photographers

Words ARE the wedding, and Reverend Claire always gives her couples, family and friends the bond of a magical message. Consistently great. Highly recommended.

Eve Watters Eve Watters Wedding Musicians

I've played for dozens of weddings performed by Claire, and it never fails- the atmosphere is always calm yet joyful, and her words are always so moving. She knows how to create a meaningful ceremony sensitively tailored to each couple, yet she really knows how weddings work and how to make things flow smoothly. I always leave feeling better than I came!

Harvest Moon Catering Harvest Moon Catering Wedding Caterers

We have worked with Claire and her team quite often at our weddings. She listens to the bride and groom's vision and creates a beautiful ceremony that everyone will remember.

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