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About this vendor

Antonio Rodriguez
Antonio Rodriguez
Spanish-speaking & Bilingual Officiant

Black-owned, Hispanic or Latinx-owned, Woman-owned

We speak English and Spanish

Rev. Dr. Samora Smith (DMin) of Common Ground Ceremonies is a highly acclaimed and award-winning wedding officiant, interfaith minister, and pre-marital coach based in New York City. Dr. Samora brings more than 14 years of experience as an officiant and has united more than 3,000 couples of all faiths, beliefs, and backgrounds. Rev. Dr. Samora was born and raised in NYC and comes from a multi-faith and multi-racial family, which naturally gives her the compassion and sensitivity needed when working with diverse couples. Rev. Dr. Samora’s approach is couple-centered, love-filled, and inclusive, always carrying the intention to create a heartfelt experience and, most importantly, a lasting memory for all who are present.

Services Offered

Common Ground Ceremonies offers personalized ceremonies that reflect the individual styles and tastes of each couple. Rev. Dr. Samora performs a wide spectrum of ceremonies, including non-denominational ceremonies, spiritual weddings, interfaith ceremonies, LGBTQ weddings, vow renewals, and baby namings. She is also a licensed hypnotherapy and sound healing therapist, specializing in supporting individuals and couples with marriage prep, relationship skills, and individual growth. Rev. Dr. Samora understands the importance of seamless service, offering support to each couple beyond the wedding, not only ensuring a wonderful wedding but also a successful and fulfilling marriage.

Rev. Dr. Samora has also invited her “brother from another mother” mentee and now colleague, Antonio Rodriguez, a Spanish-speaking and bilingual officiant, to join the Common Ground Ceremonies family. Antonio has performed numerous ceremonies for Common Ground Ceremonies over the past couple of years, and Rev. Dr. Samora is delighted to have him on the team. If you are interested in hiring him for your ceremony, please send an inquiry.

What You’ll Love About Common Ground Ceremonies

Couples agree: Common Ground Ceremonies was the perfect choice for their special day! Rev. Dr. Samora is a warm, welcoming person who values inclusivity and will go above and beyond to ensure that your ceremony perfectly reflects you and your love story! Check out the gallery for photos and videos of past celebrations!

Rev. Dr. Samora-Common Ground Ceremonies is a New York, New York-based wedding officiant.

Pricing

$350 starting price
$1,200 average price
4 Pre-marital Coaching Sessions (non-denom)
$500 / starting price
4 hours
4 virtual coaching sessions with Dr. Samora
Elopement Package with Photographer
$899 / starting price
1 hours
Licensed Officiant and one hour of pro photography

Availability

No availability details yet

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FAQ

Which of the following are included in the price of your wedding officiant services?

Ceremony Rehearsal
Premarital Counseling

Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?

No

What is the starting price for ceremony rehearsals?

$250

What is the starting price for pre-marital counseling (per session)?

$200

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

Non-religious
Interfaith
Ceremony Rehearsal
Vow Renewal
Civil Union

What services do you provide?

Premarital Counseling
Bilingual

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Agnostic
Anglican
Baha'i Faith
Buddhist
Catholic
Earth-Based
Episcopalian
Evangelical
Hindu
Islam
Jainism
Jewish
Lutheran
Methodist
No Denomination
Pagan
Presbyterian
Quaker
Shinto
Sikhism
Taoist
Unitarian

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

Less than 30 mins.
30-60 mins.

In which states are you licensed?

CT
NJ
NY
PA

What languages do you speak?

English

Still have questions?

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Wedding couple

Reviews of Rev. Dr. Samora-Common Ground Ceremonies

This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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Dr. Samora is highly praised as the perfect officiant for weddings, receiving glowing reviews from couples of various backgrounds and preferences. Her ability to create personalized, moving ceremonies that cater to unique love stories is commended, with guests and families expressing appreciation for her heartfelt and engaging presence. Dr. Samora's inclusivity, attentiveness, and professionalism shine through in her services, making her a standout choice for couples seeking a warm, caring, and memorable wedding officiant.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Dr. Samora is highly praised as the perfect officiant for weddings, receiving glowing reviews from couples of various backgrounds and preferences. Her ability to create personalized, moving ceremonies that cater to unique love stories is commended, with guests and families expressing appreciation for her heartfelt and engaging presence. Dr. Samora's inclusivity, attentiveness, and professionalism shine through in her services, making her a standout choice for couples seeking a warm, caring, and memorable wedding officiant.

S
Sade Sent on 09/08/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Seamless, amazing, reasonably priced, authentic, creates touching love stories.

We went through a lot trying to find the perfect officiant for our same sex ceremony. We wanted someone who was authentic that really embodied the saying “love is love”. Dr. Samora officiated our ceremony on 9/1/2023. My wife and I are a little particular so when she said she would write a love story, we were prepared to offer suggestions on how to improve it but guess what? EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT!! She spoke about us as if she had known us for years. The entire audience was in tears. Her energy is welcoming and warm and so many people asked us where we found her. Listen up!! If you’re trying to decide who to choose, go with Samora you won’t regret it. We couldn’t have picked a better person.
Alexandra
Alexandra Sent on 12/08/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Best part of the wedding!

Hiring Rev. Dr. Samora was the best choice my husband and I made for our wedding. We were challenged with having to incorporate customs of two religions (he’s Hindu and I’m Catholic), while wanting to make it very personal and contemporary. The final product was a ceremony that was completely unique and tailored to exactly what we wanted. We received tremendous compliments from everyone about how touching, moving, fun, and memorable our ceremony was.
Rachel
Rachel Sent on 11/21/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect Ceremony

Dr. Samora was the officiant for our NYC central park wedding, and she was wonderful! She created a comfortable and personalized ceremony our family really enjoyed. She guided us smoothly through everything and delivered a ceremony that reflected our individual story with warmth and eloquence. Her calming presence was invaluable, and many guests praised the heartfelt and engaging experience she provided. Dr. Samora's passion for her work made our day memorable, and we wholeheartedly recommend her services.
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Awards

283
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2021 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2013 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner
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Team

Antonio Rodriguez
Antonio Rodriguez
Spanish-speaking & Bilingual Officiant

Professional Network & Endorsements

Rev. Annie NYC - Wedding Officiant Rev. Annie NYC - Wedding Officiant Wedding Officiants

Rev. Samora comes to your wedding day with a wealth of experience--as a musician, as a mother, as a minister. Her warm smile & candid conversation will immediately put you at ease. You can trust her to listen closely to your wedding requests, offer you experienced advice, and be there for you every minute of your ceremony to support you, honor you, and bring out the best in you! I am happy to recommend her as a friend & colleague, and encourage you to ask her to SING at your wedding!

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