My husband and I decided to renew our vows after 30 years of marriage. We realized it was almost as much work to put together as a wedding. We did not know where to start and one of the most important things to consider was who would officiate. By the grace of the universe, we came across Ernie of Simply Vows and knew within the first meeting he was exactly who we needed for this very special day. Ernie was able to key into my husband and I and provided us with one of the most touching services we could have asked for. Many of our guests said they were "brought to tears" by the beauty of our ceremony. Ernie took the time to weave into our ceremony the most beautiful and touching moments, we feel we had met him before. If you are looking for an officiant that provides a caring and sincere ceremony, Ernie is perfect. Our day has now passed but we will always carry the memory of this special anniversary. Thank you Ernie

Hiring Ernie as our wedding officiant was the best decision we made!

Where to begin?

From the moment I met Ernie, he was extremely funny, charming and witty. He set up an hour long FaceTime call with me and my husband where he really took the time to get to know us, what kind of people we are and what we value in each other— and then he used that information to craft a highly personalized ceremony, which was lengthy, full, super accurate, and hilarious. It was so personalized, in fact, that several of my guests thought that Ernie was a family friend. Others thought that I gave him a script to read off from, because it was so perfect and accurate. But in reality, I had no idea what was going on. He wanted his ceremony to be a surprise, and asked us to trust him that he would make something beautiful. And he did! There wasn’t a dry eye in the audience, but he also injected enough wit to make everyone laugh out loud.

He helped us every step of the way with our vows and ceremony, even though we were super clueless going into this process. He suggested several things to make the ceremony more interesting, like a wine box ceremony, giving roses to our parents — and even went as far to ask my MIL and husband if it was okay to dedicate a few words about my FIL, who passed away a few years ago. That was very considerate and my MIL was so touched by it. She kept speaking of Ernie with such fondness after the wedding.

But as an added bonus to the wonderful ceremony, every single email from Ernie was an absolute delight to read, and I became super excited whenever I received a new message from him. He seems wise beyond his years and has an otherworldly charm of some sort. I am convinced he is the reason why it didn’t rain on my wedding day.

His prices are extremely reasonable, too. I saw other officiants would charge you extra for something personalized, another extra fee for consultation, and yet another extra for attending your rehearsal. Not Ernie! He has one flat fee for literally everything you could ever want from an officiant. He came to the rehearsal without an additional cost and took charge of the process— helping the wedding party with what to do, answering questions, making everyone feel comfortable, and making sure everything went smoothly (this was especially helpful when I noticed that the day-of-coordinator was struggling to control the situation).

He also did not stress me about payments and wouldn’t even talk about how to pay him until after the wedding. He kept telling me to not worry about it until later, and didn’t charge me until after I got back from the honeymoon. I got the sense that he is truly passionate about his job and doesn’t do this just for the money.

He sent me and my husband a full printed copy of our ceremony along with a handwritten card, too.

Wedding planning was hard, but working with Ernie over the last 9 months made it worth it. Interacting with him was definitely the most fun part about the whole thing. Do not look any further than Ernie. Hire him and he will make your wedding day fabulous.

After meeting Ernie, we knew he had to be our officiant. He is such a kind, intelligent, and thoughtful human, and we really enjoyed getting to know him through the process of creating our ceremony. He created such a warm and welcoming and we are so hopeful to have the opportunity to stay in touch with him. Our wedding ceremony was stunning — we received so many incredible compliments about Ernie’s words and what he created, and when we have talked about it since, we feel so grateful for the love and care he put into it. I got a little choked up during my vows and Ernie gently guided me to help me get through them. There is no better person you could select to help create a beautiful memory for your special day. He’s a wonderful, wonderful human being.

I contacted Ernie through this website and he answered immediately. We did vows renewal for our 10th wedding anniversary. We came from Canada to Newport Beach for the ceremony. He understood what we want and he was extremely flexible. He did a Facetime with us and we discussed all the details. We trusted him a lot and we had no worries. He was there ahead of time and he even called me to say that he arrived, he was very well dressed and he did our event very special. He gave us a wonderful vibe and we felt special.

We are so lucky to have Ernie as our wedding officiant! He met with us prior to the wedding to get to know us. He worked very hard to tailor the ceremony to exactly how we envisioned it. The ceremony was beautiful and beyond perfect. Ernie did an amazing job. You can tell he worked hard to make everything go smoothly and came prepared. He attended the rehearsal to help us then as well! Would definitely recommend him!

We were lucky enough to have Ernie as our wedding officiant, and we cannot recommend him highly enough. From the moment we met him, it was clear that he wasn't just doing this for the money; he genuinely cared about witnessing and being a part of our special moment.

What sets Ernie apart is his dedication to creating a truly unique ceremony for each couple. He took the time to sit down with us for about an hour, getting to know our love story, our personalities, and what mattered most to us. Using the information we provided, he crafted a ceremony that felt personal and meaningful. As a wonderful touch, he even mailed us a copy of the ceremony, allowing us to cherish and remember that special day forever.

One of the best aspects of working with Ernie was his flexibility and willingness to accommodate our needs. He included a rehearsal in his package, which helped us feel more confident and comfortable on our big day. Ernie always emphasized that we should never hesitate to ask for what our hearts desired, assuring us that he would do his best to make it happen.

Ernie's professionalism is unmatched. He was always punctual, ensuring that everything ran smoothly and on time. Yet, he managed to balance his professionalism with an incredible sense of fun and charm. He put us at ease throughout the entire process, reminding us to relax and enjoy every moment. His light-hearted approach made the ceremony feel warm, personal, and full of joy.

If you're looking for a wedding officiant who will go above and beyond to create an unforgettable ceremony, Ernie is the one for you. His genuine care, personalized touch, flexibility, and charismatic personality make him an exceptional choice. We will forever cherish the memories Ernie helped create on our wedding day, and we are grateful to have had him as a part of our journey.

Silly me, I left getting an officiant until about a month before my wedding 😅
But that may have been for the best as I had the pleasure of having Ernie officiate my wedding on 09/17/22.

He is funny, quirky, and sweet: exactly what you would want from someone writing your wedding ceremony. 🥰

I found Ernie here on wedding wire, set up a phone conversation so I can see if we jive well enough to meet in person and we met at Starbucks for about an hour and hashed everything out. It was a painless process and my ceremony came out wonderfully.
Ernie asked us what kind of vibe we were looking for and I'm sure I amused him with my "short, not sappy, religious lite, and 30 min max" description. 😂

He gave great advise on writing my own vows and overall it was a wonderful experience working with him.

I absolutely recommend at least shooting him a message to see if you vibe well, the pricing was very reasonable and the process was smooth.

Happy wedding to everyone out there 💖💖

Ernie (or G, as I know him as my high school philosophy teacher) has always been an amazing and deeply caring man. That is why my husband and I didn't have to think twice when deciding on asking Ernie to be our officiant. Ernie's heartfelt words resonated within my husband and I as well as our guests. He made our ceremony very personal and included many details of our story. We absolutely LOVED our ceremony and we received many compliments from our guests. In all my years knowing Ernie, he has never ceased to amaze me and our wedding was no exception. I recommend Ernie to anyone who is looking for a meaningful and touching ceremony, as will not be disappointed. Not only are his ceremonies beautiful but he's also very easy to work with and extremely helpful.

Ernie officiated our wedding in September 2016, and we can't thank Ernie enough for the beautiful ceremony that he gave us! We had so many guests telling us that it was the most touching, memorable, and beautiful ceremony that they had attended. Our wedding ceremony was filled with beautiful words, joyful happy tears, and laughter. It was so easy to work with Ernie during the wedding planning process. He gave us reassuring and encouraging words during those stressful months and days before wedding. Ernie puts enormous thoughtfulness, sincerity, and kindness in everything wedding that he officiates. I will recommend Ernie to all the couples go there who want an unique and beautiful wedding ceremony!

I personally did not use Simply Vows for my wedding because of the timing and the different state. However, I needed guidance and I had questions about some details with my wedding that Ernie was so great. He made himself available and was so understanding and the most kind person I could speak with. He was more then helpful and I would recommend him to anyone who wants to have the most amazing wedding. I wish he could of been my officiant!