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About

On WeddingWire since 2013

Since 2010, I’ve brought my heart and creative writing talent into designing wedding ceremonies as an ordained non-denominational multi cultural Officiant. I bring honey into the heart when I perform ceremonies with warmth, joy and a sprinkling of humor. Your love is unique because the two of you are. I love this about couples! They come together as two separate individuals that find each other, fall delightedly in love, and they decide to step into this deeper commitment. In doing this, they are open to all the possibilities that lay ahead of them being united in their strengths that they contribute to one another with a love that continues to deepen. I believe on the day that you join together more love is brought into the world. I’d be honored to help you the two of you! People from all beliefs, cultural/ethnic backgrounds and LGBTQIA+ are embraced.

Many couples have expressed appreciation for my calm presence, flexibility, and knowledge that I can share from my vast experience performing ceremonies that have incorporated differed cultural influences and components that make their ceremonies have more meaning than the typical ones that they’ve experienced attending in the past.

Services Offered: You have a choice of wedding ceremonies that range from civil union, interfaith, non-religious, to modern spirituality. Couples from all beliefs, cultural/ethnic backgrounds, and LGBTQIA+ are embraced.

Here's a description:

  • Keep it Simple Please - You want an easy, simple and sweet ceremony. We talk about your beliefs, and I perform a beautifully crafted pre-written ceremony that comes from my heart! You can bring your own vows to read to each other or choose from samples that I provide.

    Sweet and Easy - Your desire is to have a ceremony that’s filled with an honest simplicity that allows you to be fully present in the moment. You can choose from a variety of pre-written ceremonies that give you the perfect words that convey your love. I have several ideas for additional components that you can add such as hand-fasting, using an Oathing Stone for your vows, and a Wine Ceremony. Samples are also provided for your vows, or you can write your own and I’ll make keepsake vow booklets for you to read from. Want to edit the wording – no problem!

    Bespoke - Your unique love story will be woven into your ceremony to make it even more personal. The offerings in the Sweet and Easy Ceremony are included. I’m open to including additional elements, that you’d like to include or having edits that you may want to make.

    We Want the Whole Package – Perfect for an Elopement with 20 or fewer in Attendance

    This package includes the Keep It Simple Please Ceremony, plus a professional photographer. You can upgrade to the Sweet and Easy ceremony for an additional fee.The photographer is there for one hour starting with your ceremony and staying afterwards to capture more beautiful memories. You receive the photos in a downloadable format - you own them!

    This area has beautiful and romantic spots that I know of with the trees in the Redwood Forest as your witnesses, or you can say, “I do” while overlooking the beach at sunset.

    This package includes the Keep It Simple Please Ceremony, plus a professional photographer. You can upgrade to the Sweet and Easy ceremony for an additional fee.The photographer is there for one hour starting with your ceremony and staying afterwards to capture more beautiful memories. You receive the photos in a downloadable format - you own them!

    There are many beautiful and romantic spots that I know of in the Redwood Forest, or you can say, “I do” while overlooking the beach at sunset. I also offer an exclusive elopement package in collaboration with Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton at their beautiful private setting at the Big Trees Grove.

Donna is available via phone, text, email, or Zoom to chat in more detail. Let's chat soon!

Wishing you Honey in the Heart - Donna Rose Gardner (she/her)

  • Woman-owned

Frequently asked questions

What is the typical price for your wedding services?

$495

What is the starting price for your wedding services?

$495

Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?

No

What is the starting price for ceremony rehearsals?

$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?

Bilingual

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Agnostic
Buddhist
Earth-Based
No Denomination
Pagan
Unitarian

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

Less than 30 mins.

In which states are you licensed?

CA

What languages do you speak?

English
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Reviews of Donna Rose Gardner - Honey In The Heart Ceremonies

5.0 out of 5 rating
5.0 out of 5 rating
87 Reviews
100% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
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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Donna Rose Gardner is highly recommended as a wedding officiant by multiple reviewers. She is praised for her personalized and heartfelt ceremonies, incorporating the couple's love story and traditions. Donna is described as kind, genuine, and helpful throughout the planning process. She provides various ceremony options and takes the time to understand the couple's preferences. Reviewers appreciate the little details, such as vow booklets and assistance with the marriage license. Overall, Donna's professionalism and ability to make the ceremony special and memorable are highly regarded by reviewers.

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.

Donna Rose Gardner is highly recommended as a wedding officiant by multiple reviewers. She is praised for her personalized and heartfelt ceremonies, incorporating the couple's love story and traditions. Donna is described as kind, genuine, and helpful throughout the planning process. She provides various ceremony options and takes the time to understand the couple's preferences. Reviewers appreciate the little details, such as vow booklets and assistance with the marriage license. Overall, Donna's professionalism and ability to make the ceremony special and memorable are highly regarded by reviewers.

Jessica
Jessica K. Sent on 10/06/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Like our very own Fairy Godmother!

Donna officiated our very small ceremony a couple of weeks ago, and the experience was wonderful. Donna is so sweet, honest, and easy to talk to. You can tell she dearly loves her work, and absolutely had our best interests at heart! As we prepared for the ceremony, she provided us structure along with plenty of options, and gave us the space we needed to figure out our vows, while also always being available when we had questions. On the big day right before festivities began, Donna checked in with both of us separately right before - it was great to get a little pep talk amidst all the nerves, and to touch base with her in person after the emails and phone and Zoom calls (pandemic times!). The ceremony turned out beautifully thanks to Donna's earnestness and support. Several guests told us afterwards to pass along how much they enjoyed Donna's beautiful, emotional words. As we were able to review the ceremony she'd put together beforehand (minus our vows, which we were keeping secret until the big day), we could to stay in the moment during the ceremony and really take things in, and we are so happy to be able to have the ceremony binder and vow booklets as keepsakes to remember this day going forward. The whole thing was such a surreal experience, we couldn't help but think our brief yet wonderful time with Donna was like having our own caring Fairy Godmother for a little while! Thank you, Donna! We can hardly express our gratitude for all that you did to make us feel comfortable, supported, and to create such a meaningful experience for both us and our guests!
Nate
Nate H. Sent on 11/05/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Heartfelt ceremony

We had the privilege of having Donna Rose Gardner as the officiant at our outdoor wedding which took place in the serenely beautiful backdrop of the Redwoods at the Waterfall Lodge this past October. She spent a good amount of time getting to know us, which was beautifully reflected in the words she chose for our ceremony. On the day of the wedding, Donna spoke with an elegance and clarity that resonated with our hearts, and the personal anecdotes she included made the ceremony feel incredibly intimate and special.
We couldn’t have asked for a better person to officiate our marriage, Donna made sure our love story was told in a manner as beautiful and unique as the setting we were in. We highly recommend Donna for anyone looking to have a heartfelt and personalized wedding ceremony.
A
Alyssa C. Sent on 08/15/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful Ceremony

Donna is an amazing officiant. To start, she is the most kind-hearted and genuine lady that seems to truly love being in the presence of real love. We liked her so much that we had her marry us twice; once for the paperwork and again recently for our big ceremony and reception (9 months later).
She does an amazing job with incorporating a love story and any traditions you may have into the ceremony. We chose an Oathing Stone to be added (along with our personalized love story) and Donna’s delivery and conduction was flawless.
Not only is she very comfortable with her work and speaking in front of crowds, but she also came to assist/direct us at the rehearsal the day before. We had no idea how things traditionally go, but Donna did a great job with mapping it out for us.
Months leading up to the event, Donna takes the time to ask the questions (to both bride and groom) to personalize the ceremony. She has a questionnaire for each person, so that she can see each point of view. Donna also has about SIX different ceremony options (if you don’t have verbiage of your own to use). She will also provide different ideas for the traditions (mixing of sands, oathing stone, prayer stones incorporating guests, etc). For our first ceremony, we opted to use some of her suggested vows that she had pre-prepared; however, for our bigger ceremony, we wrote our own vows.
Overall, Donna made it so easy. Whether you are more religious, spiritual, cultural, or none of the above, Donna can fit and perform your ideal wedding ceremony. She is super easy to work with, VERY responsive (quick too), and willing to assist any where she can. We highly recommend her for your special day, or days in our case!
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Awards

87
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 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner

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Pricing

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Professional Network & Endorsements

7 Endorsements
Sweeley's Design Shop Sweeley's Design Shop Wedding Florists

I have known Donna Rose Gardner from many, many years back during her start as a wedding coordinator for distinguished establishments in the Santa Cruz area. It is of no surprise she chose to be a wedding celebrant. Donna has a unique gift of connecting to her clients and being a part of their special day. Always a joy to see her.

Duke and Pearl Weddings Duke and Pearl Weddings Wedding Planners

Donna's wedding ceremonies she creates with her couples are some of my favorite! They are a joy to experience as she engages not only the couple but the guests as well.

Sound In Motion Entertainment Group Sound In Motion Entertainment Group Wedding DJs

We really enjoy working with Donna. She does a great job of personalizing every ceremony she does. This isn't easy but she somehow makes it happen! :)

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