Gwen was our officiant for our January 2021 wedding. We first met her during our initial consultation and we were super impressed by her friendliness, kind voice, and professionalism. We chose to work with Gwen and she wrote our ceremony to our style. Her final product synced with our wedding perfectly! Many of our guests commented on what a great job she did. Gwen made us laugh, cry, and feel the love that everyone in the room shared. It was beautiful. I highly recommend Gwen as your wedding officiant.
Sent on 02/07/2021
M L
· Getting married on 03/12/2022
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Exactly what I asked for!
All I wanted was a quick simple elopement and that I got. No stress and was able to do the time and date I wanted at very short notice. Thank you Gwen !
Sent on 12/28/2020
Lorryn D.
· Getting married on 01/07/2022
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Stress-free ceremony!
Gwen made our ceremony SO easy. She constantly kept in touch with us, and was very understanding to any changes or add-ins I needed. She also sent a very detailed copy of how the entire ceremony would happen and what would be said, which is extremely helpful, it especially came in handy while we were doing our rehearsal. She also allowed you to personalize it to make sure it is exactly what you want. I appreciated her services! 10/10 would recommend!
Sent on 07/27/2020
Shaina N.
· Getting married on 11/06/2021
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Best Halloween EVER
My fiancé and I had been planning our wedding since 12/21/2019. Unfortunately due to COVID-19, we were forced to move our wedding date from 02/06/2021 to 11/06/2021. We had been really down in the dumps because of this but wanted to find some way to cheer ourselves up, do something for US, but still keep it a secret until November of 2021. That is when I came onto WeddingWire and found Gwen. She was sweet, very responsive, and extremely helpful in deciding what would be best for us. We chose to do a signing of paperwork on 10/31/2020 that included ourselves and 2 witnesses that we brought on our own, however, Gwen did offer to find us 2 witnesses if we needed. When we got there she immediately came out and said hello, chatted with us for a little bit, did our legal signing, and recommended we drive about 9 minutes from her house to Bass Lake Park to take some photos!
I would definitely recommend Gwen for your small marriage officiant needs. If we didn’t already have an officiant booked and paid for since February of 2020 for our 11/06/2021 wedding date, we would 100% hire Gwen!
You won’t be disappointed!
Sent on 11/03/2020
Felecia G.
· Married on 04/10/2021
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Great Experience!!!
Working with Gwen was wonderful! She quickly responded to any questions we had and made our wedding day perfect! We absolutely recommend Gwen as an officiant!
Sent on 09/08/2020
Monica W.
· Married on 04/03/2021
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Awesome and Friendly
Gwen had the ability to simplify the details and keep us on track. She was helpful and made the process so much easier for us. We could not have done it without her!
Sent on 04/07/2021
Taylor W.
· Married on 10/20/2020
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Elopement package
Very nice outdoor location for small intimate wedding!!
Sent on 10/21/2020
Arlynn
· Married on 08/22/2020
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Phenomenal!!!
Gwen is AMAZING. We threw together a ceremony and made it happen within 36 hours and Gwen was communicative, efficient, and inclusive throughout the whole process. I was able to customize and approve her script and the ceremony could not have gone better. 10/10 recommend. Gwen you rock!!!
Sent on 08/24/2020
Kimber B.
· Married on 06/20/2020
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Micro wedding during Covid
Gwen did a phenomenal job as our officiant! She has a variety of ways for couples to choose how they want to exchange their vows. It was extremely personal and meaningful. There were a lot of joyous tears shed! Gwen was also flexible w/ Covid and provided a zoom meet & greet prior. Gwen wed us at our home and reasonably priced!
Sent on 06/24/2020
Kirsten T.
· Married on 03/29/2020
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Awesome Experience!
Gwen was extremely responsive and quick to respond and to follow through with the process. The process is all electronic and simple. The fee was very reasonable. We requested her services only one day in advance. She was extremely poised and professional and even provided her lovely family as witnesses! Her daughter even video recorded the ceremony and took photos and emailed them to us at no additional fee! They turned out great! She used the ceremony script we sent her, and she was very well-spoken and calming. We would highly recommend Gwen to everyone! Thanks Gwen & company!
Sent on 03/30/2020
Lydia
· Married on 01/18/2020
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Professional, friendly, and knowledgeable
Gwen was so great to work with. She was easy to get in touch with and always responded right away when we reached out. We felt a little clueless about how to make our non-religious ceremony feel special and like "us," but she listened to us and crafted a ceremony that felt so meaningful and fun. We loved how organized and knowledgeable she was - it really put our minds at ease during the stress of wedding planning! Highly recommend her to anyone in search of an officiant.
Sent on 02/02/2020
Caitlin L.
· Married on 12/10/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
A Custom Touch
We absolutely loved working with Gwen in creating our story. We are not a religious couple so finding someone like her that had the flexibility to incorporate religious/nonreligious as you wish was perfect. I honestly didn't know where to begin when it came to finding someone so diverse. I've only witnessed weddings with preachers reading from the bible. So when I met Gwen I instantly knew she was "the one" LOL. I love the creation of our story she told our guests to give them an inside perspective on us as a couple, we got plenty of laughs and 'aww's'. It was great having something so catered to us
Sent on 11/01/2019
Melissa
· Married on 10/19/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Best Day of Our Life
Gwen was the perfect choice for our recent wedding. She made the whole process easy and stress free. She was very knowledgeable on different ceremony types, traditions and rituals. Gwen did a great job personalizing the ceremony to accommodate our needs. She responded quickly to our questions and was receptive to any changes that needed to be made. During the rehearsal, she helped ease my anxiety with her calm demeanor and easy going personality. One of the things I looked forward to the most was hearing “Our Love Story” which she created for our ceremony. On our wedding day, she arrived early to make sure everything was organized. Gwen made our day better than we could have ever imagined and I would highly recommend her to anyone!
Sent on 10/31/2019
Tessa
· Married on 10/05/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Awesome officiant!
Gwen was a phenomenal officiant for my wedding. She worked with my husband and I on every detail of our ceremony. She was super professional and very nice. I would recommend her to any couple needing an officiant for their wedding.
Sent on 10/07/2019
Karen M.
· Married on 09/21/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
The Perfect Ceremony
What can we say? Gwen is awesome! The way she personalizes your ceremony, her professionalism, and her warm and caring personality combine to make your day extra special. Everyone was raving about how fun and unique our ceremony was, and that was all thanks to Gwen. She also makes sure things are in order, so people know what they are doing, where to be and when, and that took so much stress off of us. We are truly thankful we found her, and we HIGHLY recommend her. She's simply the best.
Sent on 09/24/2019
Abigail J.
· Married on 08/11/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Beautiful ceremony and so easy to work with
We are not really sentimental or attention-loving people so we were nervous about figuring out our ceremony, but Gwen made every step of the process very easy and painless. She worked with us on all the logistics and content of our ceremony, and surveyed our friends and family to write a "love story" to tell at our ceremony, which many of our guests say they really enjoyed. She also did announcements, cued the DJ, and organized our marriage license signing. She is extremely flexible and organized (spreadsheets and google docs!) and we didn't have to do much at all, just a quick questionnaire and a meeting or two! She did a great job running our rehearsal and was familiar with the venue. She was respectful of all of our preferences and we were really happy with the result. She is a very kind, down-to-earth person and it was a pleasure to work with her.
Sent on 01/02/2020
Taylor H.
· Married on 07/13/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Very professional with many personal touches
Picking an officiant was one of the last things we did when choosing our vendors. We knew we wanted a few Jewish elements but overall didn't want a religious ceremony. We didn't have a person in our life who we wanted to ask to be the officiant so we turned to the internet and found Gwen.
Gwen listened to our requests for what we did and didn't want out of the ceremony and totally delivered. Part of Gwen's work is the telling of a "Love Story" which is kept a secret from the bride and groom. This is a major part of the ceremony and when you're planning every little detail it's tough to turn over such a large chunk to someone else. Gwen asked us to trust her, we did, and the story was incredible. It had lots of details about how we met, how we grew closer, the proposal, etc. It also included anecdotes from friends and family so they were able to be included as well. We came away very pleased with what she delivered.
We also asked Gwen to perform a simple ceremony before the main event for the signing of the legal marriage and a ketubbah. She showed up early to do these and they were great as well.
We know that picking an officiant can be difficult if you don't have a Rabbi, Pastor, Priest, etc in your life or want to steer away from religion altogether. We highly recommend Gwen's services and professionalism to help make your wedding great!
Sent on 08/15/2019
Andrea M.
· Married on 07/03/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Awesome Elopement!
My new husband and I had such a wonderful time with Celebrant Gwen Downs! We eloped and it was amazing to have such a small personal ceremony. No worries, no stress, just a whole lot of love!
Sent on 07/05/2019
Tiffani A.
· Married on 06/27/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
June 29,2019
Our wedding was extremely last minute (like 2 weeks of planning last minute) and Gwen was SO flexible and understanding. She really made this day easy for me and my husband and in the end was the best day of my life. Thank you!!!!
Sent on 06/29/2019
Melanie C.
· Married on 06/15/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Easy and special
Gwen was fantastic! She was easy to work with and made us feel secure the entire time. We had no idea how to create a meaningful wedding ceremony, but Gwen walked us through and made it very special. Highly recommend her services!!
Sent on 06/29/2019
Kate
· Married on 06/01/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Go with Gwen
We were fortunate to hire Gwen on short notice to serve as our officiant. As wedding DIYers, her helpful guidance and consultation ahead of the wedding day made the process that much easier. She was responsive to tailoring her service to match us, and what we wanted for our big day. A big thanks to Gwen!
Sent on 06/07/2019
Angela C.
· Married on 05/31/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Just Perfect
Gwen was the perfect choice for our wedding. We had a non-religious ceremony but still wanted it to be personable and spiritual. She crafted a lovely ceremony and entertained the odd ceremony requests we had. Gwen was well prepared and the ceremony went off without a hitch. Both of us are so grateful for the care she took when putting the ceremony together and it was exactly what we hoped for and more.
Sent on 06/01/2019
Lindsey B.
· Married on 05/24/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Excellence in action
Gwen officiated our recent wedding and was amazing! The whole process working with her was so smooth and stress free. She was very knowledgeable on different ceremony types, traditions and rituals. She guided us through the process effortlessly and made sure to personalize our ceremony to us. Any questions or changes we had Gwen was so receptive to it. On our wedding day she was punctual and coordinated with our DJ, wedding coordinator and photographer to ensure that we could just enjoy our day without stress. I would highly recommend Gwen to anyone!
Sent on 06/07/2019
Helen W.
· Married on 05/11/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gwens rocks!
Gwen was absolutely awesome! My fiance and I decided pretty last minute (like, less than 60 days) that we wanted to host a party at his parents' house and get married at the same time. Gwen was super flexible and supportive, and was particularly helpful in walking us through the process one step at a time to ensure we were leaving nothing out. Working with her was very low-stress. She was very communicative over email and text, and once we completed our contract and payment, she checked in every week or so to ensure the plans were still set. She arrived exactly on time day of and went with the flow of things, just as we wanted. I couldn't have asked for a more laid-back and easy process! Thanks Gwen!
Sent on 06/09/2019
Paige
· Married on 03/23/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Absolutely Wonderful
Gwen is everything you want in an officiant and then some! She customizes wedding ceremonies to fit the couple and puts the focus on the love story. She is charismatic when she speaks and is very detail oriented.
Our Ceremony perfect and we are so glad that we chose Gwen!
Sent on 04/01/2019
Gwen Downs, Celebrant's reply:
Thanks Paige for your kind words. I loved sharing your unique love story with your family and friends.
