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About

Civil Ceremony Officiant to perform your wedding ceremony!

???My name is Theresa Thoden and I'm a civil ceremony celebrant from the greater metropolita!n area of Washington, DC. I received a lifetime appointment to perform Rites of Matrimony from the Fauquier County Court and am authorized to perform marriage rites in Virginia and Maryland. I grew up in Northern Virginia, and together with my husband of more than 20 years and our two daughters (now grown), have made it our permanent home.

I've been performing ceremonies since 2003. My aim is for every one of the couples I work with to create a ceremony they are proud to invite their friends and family to - rather than dread as an inescapable formality they feel they're forcing their guests to endure. I draw on the invaluable inspiration my own marriage has been, and listen carefully to couples as they share their own ideas and plans. I write each ceremony individually after reflecting on all a couple has shared with me about their love story, their families & traditions, their goals, and their personal style.

I'm proud to have earned a reputation for one-of-a-kind ceremonies that are surprisingly enjoyable to witness, and are cherished memories for those I’ve joined together as family. I feel honored by my role and enjoy meeting so many fascinating people. Hopefully, I’ll be fortunate enough to meet you too!

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Frequently asked questions

Which of the following event rental services to you provide?

Clean Up
Delivery
Setup

What event items are available?

Altar/Arch
Decor

What food and beverage items are available?

Linens

What music genres do you specialize in?

Country
Electronic
Hip Hop
International
Jazz
Oldies
Pop
R&B/Soul
Rock

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

Non-religious
Interfaith
Civil Union

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Agnostic
Baha'i Faith
Buddhist
Hindu
Islam
Jainism
Jewish
No Denomination
Shinto
Sikhism
Taoist
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Reviews of The Art of Ceremony

4.9 out of 5 rating
4.9 out of 5 rating
8 Reviews
98% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.7 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
G
George D. Sent on 07/11/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Professional, thoughtful, and heartfelt!

We were really happy having Theresa as our officiant! She was well prepared, professional, generous with her help, easy to reach and communicate with. More importantly, she helped us create a beautiful and heartfelt ceremony for our outdoor mini-wedding. She had really nice templates to get us started, and we were able to customize the ceremony to really suit us. She was thoughtful about our needs and suggested several things that helped address our needs and our guests, including many who were participating virtually. Theresa was able to accommodate our schedule on pretty short notice and even offered use of her garden as an alternate rain location. We really felt she was invested in our wedding and with us each step of the way. Our guests really liked her, and so did we! She was a big part of making our wedding day so special.
jgold
Jodi Sent on 06/20/2009
5 out of 5 rating
Theresa Thoden did an outstanding job. From day one, she was responsive and super helpful and super friendly. She made us feel special throughout the entire planning process of the ceremony. She is very reliable and looked beautiful the day of our wedding (her dress even matched our wedding colors perfectly). Theresa is so easy to work with. She helped us create a special ceremony with several personalized touches and made it all so easy to do. My father had heart surgery 5 days before the wedding and we didn't think he'd make it. Theresa and her husband came prepared with the webcam all set up for us. My father was able to make the trip but got ill the night of the wedding and couldn't leave his room so we are so grateful for the recording of the ceremony. Theresa is a delight to work with and provides amazing, friendly service. We are so grateful that Theresa officiated our ceremony. Thank you Theresa!
L
Lynette Sent on 06/12/2009
5 out of 5 rating
I cant even begin to say how much of a pleasure it was working with Theresa Thoden. We got engaged in January and only a few short days later my father became very ill, so the wedding had to be planned in a very short 4 month period. I originally called Theresa (http://www.idopronounceyou.com/) to inquire about officiant services and received a lot more than I ever expected. Not only was this a very difficult time for me due to my father’s illness but the stress and headaches of planning a wedding were taking its toll. Theresa was extremely dependable, professional in every possible way. I felt as though this wasn’t just a service I was paying to have done but I was gaining a friend. Someone who truly cared about what was happening in my life and wanted to help me through it. She not only provided officiant services but was able to help me with my ceremony music (which was absolutely beautiful- thank you so much Christy and Devon). ME and my fiancé recently purchased our first house and wanted to have our rehearsal dinner at the new house so all of our out of town guests could celebrate with us. She provided everything I needed for my rehearsal BBQ dinner (tables/chairs/linens/cups/decorations/plastic cutlery that looked like real silver). She also set everything up for me as well and had tents on hand in case the weather turned. She has these darling 2 seater resin chairs with small tables that provide an intimate atmosphere. Her prices are unbelievably reasonable, I will definitely use her services again and recommend her to everyone !!!! Im sad to say that my father passed before our wedding date. Theresa handled the situation with such a delicate manner. She customized our ceremony to pay respects to him but was subtle enought that it didnt overpower the event, it was perfect. Thank you Theresa, I couldnt have accomplished this without you !!!
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Awards

8
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2010 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2009 Winner

Professional Network & Endorsements

3 Endorsements
Kristen Gardner Photography Kristen Gardner Photography Wedding Photographers

I couldn't say enough about Theresa Thoden with Ceremonious. I have had the privilege of being a part of two weddings involving Theresa, and she did such an amazing job. She listens intently to her clients, and goes above and beyond to make each wedding day unique and special. Theresa is incredibly professional in the way that she officiates each ceremony and, at the same time, has the ability to connect on a personal level with her clients. I would definitely recommend Ceremonious to all couples seeking a quality officiant for their wedding ceremony!

Celebrations Made Simple Celebrations Made Simple Wedding Planners

Theresa is wonderful to work with. As a planner I really appreciated your thoroughness and the documents she gave my client to review were top-notch! She even planned out the ceremony music and provided a outline of the program including it in printed and voice format. I look forward to working with her in the future and highly recommend her services. You will not be disappointed.

Lucky in Love Photography Lucky in Love Photography Wedding Photographers

We highly recommend Theresa! She is professional, friendly, fun, and is a wonderful officiant.

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