Ceremonies By Design Reviews

Ceremonies By Design

Blue Mounds, WI

5.0 out of 5 rating, 96 reviews

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Sarah Sent on 10/01/2022

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Joan is amazing

We chose Joan based on a search for someone who could capture our personal magic, while honoring two different belief realms. Joan was absolutely perfect. She was so kind, caring and easy to speak with. She sent us rough drafts of our potential ceremony and made edits with us until we felt that all things were perfect.
She is so eloquent and amazing with words. We received so many compliments on how beautiful the ceremony was overall.
It was the most perfect day and we are so happy that Joan was a part of it.
Amanda Sent on 09/29/2021

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Highly recommend Joan!

Joan was so easy to work with and provided so many great options for our ceremony. We were able to completely make the ceremony our own. She was present for our rehearsal the night before and was available early before the ceremony. She made the ceremony run very smoothly. Joan was such a pleasure to work with and I would HIGHLY recommend her!
Patrick Sent on 09/16/2021

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Great officiant, super pleasant to work with!

Rev. Joan was so pleasant to work with! She helped craft the perfect ceremony for US and went above and beyond in assisting with the marriage license filing process and turned it in for us after the ceremony. We received so many compliments from the guests about how well the ceremony was conducted. Afterwards, we received a printed and binded program of our ceremony. Highly recommend her services!

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Caroline Sent on 09/08/2021

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10/10 for Joan - Couldn't Recommend Her Enough!

Rev. Joan is a no-brainer when it comes to choosing your Officiant! We interviewed 7 potential officiants in a day, and knew she was the right choice as soon as our meeting ended. Joan was extremely helpful throughout the year leading up to our wedding; from helping us choose the perfect ceremony flow, to sharing helpful links and resources to apply for and receive our marriage certificate. If you haven't found an officiant yet, look no further. Joan is the best and more than we could have asked for.
Ashley Sent on 10/28/2020

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Highly Recommend!

We heard about Joan through one of the wedding coordinators at our venue. We were super nervous about booking an officiant because we knew we wouldn’t be able to meet them before we booked them because we lived 3 hours away from our venue.
We took a leap of faith and booked Joan after seeing countless good reviews of her and her work. I am so happy we stumbled along Joan’s path. She is the most friendly and personable woman you will ever meet. She helped us write our ceremony from start to finish and answered all of our questions along the way. There were so many tears shed at our ceremony because of how beautiful it was. I truly can’t say enough good things about Joan. She truly made our wedding day everything we wanted and more.
Melissa Sent on 02/02/2020

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More than we could ever ask for.

Rev. Joan was amazing & blessed us with a beautiful ceremony. Everyone was left speechless afterwards-including us! The ceremony she wrote for us was completely personalized and was a perfect & beautiful rendition of our love story. Many of our guests said it was the “best ceremony” they have ever seen. We are so thankful for Rev. Joan-the best officiant in Wisconsin.
Louisa Sent on 12/16/2019

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Joan is exactly what you're looking for!

We learned about Joan through a friend who had used her and spoke highly of her. Neither of us had been married before, but we knew we wanted a less traditional ceremony. Joan was responsive and available for the wedding date and upon meeting her, we immediately felt at ease about the entire process. She got to know us and what we envisioned for the wedding and had a great deal of advice and options for us. She tailored the flow and content of the ceremony for us, which completely exceeded our expectations! She was always willing to answer questions and kept us on track throughout the year of planning the wedding.
We opted to have her come for a rehearsal the night before the wedding and I was incredibly impressed by how she conducted the entire walk through. We hadn't decided on a few crucial details, but Joan helped us decide the best approach right on the spot. By the end of the rehearsal, we felt completely at ease with how the actual ceremony would go.
The end result - the ceremony - was absolutely beautiful. Joan was welcoming, warm, and made the entire experience come together. We highly recommend Joan for her flexibility, her helpfulness, her warm personality, and her professionalism that accompanies everything she does. Joan is the absolute best and I can't imagine anyone else being such a crucial part of the beginning of our lives together.
Kelli Sent on 11/18/2019

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Top notch!

Joan was fantastic as our officiant! She went above and beyond to make sure our ceremony was exactly how we wanted it. She was professional, organized, easy to work with, and genuinely cared about us and our big day. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for an officiant.
Courtney Sent on 10/07/2019

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Voice of calm amidst the wedding day chaos!

My husband and I can't recommend Joan highly enough! Joan gave us a couple draft ceremonies with dozens of customization options, making it easy for us to pick and choose the language we liked (we preferred a non-religious ceremony but she had both options). She was extremely communicative via email during the whole process, giving us gentle nudges when needed, and offering suggestions based on her experience. On the day of the wedding, not only did she coordinate with the DJ, but she single-handedly coordinated the entrance of my nearly 20 member procession (including two dogs and three flower girls!). We had hoped to keep the ceremony to ~20 min and she was awesome keeping us on schedule, reading through the content we had drafted with her at a steady yet still reverent pace. As the bride I didn't have to worry about a thing on my wedding day! And she took care of submitting the license to the county and all that paperwork. We were a few hours away from her but the price was still reasonable for all of her hard work. Joan was exactly what we needed and we highly suggest working with her!
Katie Sent on 07/06/2019

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Perfect Ceremony

Joan was able to capture our relationship and the right tone for our ceremony perfectly. We loved working with Joan to get the ceremony exactly how we wanted it. We received many, many complements on our ceremony and Joan. Would highly recommend working with her.
Jessica Sent on 06/06/2019

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Great Choice!

Joan was extremely easy to work with through the planning process and our ceremony turned out great! Everyone was telling us how wonderful the ceremony was. We are not religious and didn't have a pastor, etc. Originally I wanted a friend to marry us because I did not want a "stranger" to do it. My parents, however, were adamant that I hire a professional. Originally I was upset but after I met Joan I knew they were right. She was very organized and it was obvious she had many years of experience. That was very comforting. It was then I realized I had so many other things to worry about that if I hired Joan I wouldn't have to worry about the ceremony. She was very prompt in answering all of my questions. She also understood my predicament and was able to make a ceremony that worked for everyone. She is just an overall nice person as well. We are very happy with her services and recommend her to anyone!
Erika Sent on 10/17/2018

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Exceeds expectations

Joan is truly exceptional. She provided guidance and insights into our ceremony from the very beginning. She was able to capture the essence of our relationship from start to finish, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place! She made us feel confident and comfortable with everything and when we renew our vows someday, Joan will be there for us again.
Rachael Sent on 09/25/2018

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Joan did an amazing job for our wedding! She is very responsive, polite, and thorough. Our ceremony was beautiful and she was so helpful in helping plan the ceremony for two people who had little to no idea what we wanted. She took what we said and liked and helped guide our ceremony selections for the most beautiful wedding. It truly was amazing working with Joan and I feel our guests loved the ceremony and the special touches we added during the ceremony that Joan helped to create!
Dianna Sent on 08/12/2018

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Joan was referred to my husband and I through our wedding coordinator. We have only been to a few weddings so my husband and I weren’t really sure what to expect with an officiant. We are so thankful that we went through with a professional, like Joan. She brought up ideas that we wouldn’t have even thought of. She was extremely accommodating to meet with. She even responded to a text message that I accidentally sent at 8:30pm! There was no pressure to go with her as our officiant but we knew from our first meeting that we needed her. She made our wedding ceremony warm and memorable. She knew to take control before the ceremony and I’m very thankful for that.
April Sent on 06/01/2018

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Joan was the officiant to our wedding over Memorial Day weekend of 2018. There are not enough stars for us to give. Joan was great. She customized the ceremony to be unique. She let it be about us and what components we wanted for our special day. She truly made our wedding memorable. Guests commented all night about what a unique and beautiful ceremony. It was perfect. We would HIGHLY recommend Joan to any bride and groom looking for a personalized and customized wedding ceremony.
Emily Sent on 01/13/2018

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Rev. Joan did an amazing job with our ceremony. Since we lived out of state we were only able to meet her over the phone before the "big day." Despite this, she personalized our ceremony perfectly and made it feel intimate and loving, and like we had known her all our lives. Highly recommend!
Ashley Sent on 10/22/2017

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Joan created a very personalized and heartfelt ceremony that had our entire family talking about how it was the best ceremony they had ever been to. On top of making our ceremony so special, she was responsive, professional, helped us understand the steps of the license/certificate/etc., and had a lot of fantastic ideas to add into the ceremony to make it that much more meaningful. We couldn't imagine our ceremony being any more perfect than it was. We were so happy to have Joan as our officiant!
Jason Sent on 10/20/2017

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Joan gave us the ability to completely customize our wedding ceremony from the ground up. She helped us perform a traditional Celtic handfasting, and allowed us to be outside of the "typical Wisconsin wedding" stereotypes. She holds no judgements regarding who you are, or what type of church/religion you attend. She's there to make your day the best day you want it to be.
Ashley Sent on 09/28/2017

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The moment we met Joan, we knew she would be the perfect fit for us. We met her at Panera for our first meeting and she provided a detailed menu of all her available services and we discussed what options would be best suited for our wedding ceremony. She made sure she got to know my husband and I and sent us detailed questionnaires so she could write a personal ceremony script.

When she sent the first proof, she truly captured exactly what my husband and I were after for our personalized ceremony. Her words were so accurate and true that they made us cry when reading them.

Throughout the entire process, she communicated and responded quickly and efficiently and made sure we loved our ceremony experience.

For the rehearsal ceremony and wedding day, Joan was consistently available for us and answered any and all questions we had. She was organized, calm, and made me feel very comfortable with the whole process.

I would definitely recommend Joan Pape to anyone looking for a ceremony that is personal, unique, and custom. It definitely is evident that this is her passion and I am honored to have had her as our officiant on our wedding day! Thank you, Joan!
Hannah Sent on 08/29/2017

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Joan did a fantastic job officiating our wedding! She offers such a wide range of ceremony styles, and took the time to get to know us and understand what kind of wedding we wanted, down to the smallest details. She helped us keep track of deadlines and was so helpful on the big day!
Stephanie Sent on 08/10/2017

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After much research I came upon Reverend Joan M Pape. I wanted to find an officiant that we felt comfortable with and someone who would make our ceremony unique and personal. She replied fairly quickly to all of our emails and was very accommodating to scheduling a skype meeting since we live in a different state. Once we had our skype meeting we knew that she was the one whom we wanted to marry us and we just had to book her. She shortly sent us a questionnaire for us to fill out to help make the ceremony more personal, which I loved. She gave us samples of readings and a guide ceremony draft for some guidance. we were able to go through a couple of drafts perfecting it until it was the ceremony we wanted and she helped us through it all. On the day of the wedding she was beyond nice and professional. She did a great job and truly helped make our ceremony special. Thank you Reverend Joan M Pape!
Devon Sent on 07/04/2017

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We are so happy we hired reverend Joan for our ceremony. Even though we were planning our wedding from across the country she still took the time to give us a phone call to get to know us and was very easy to communicate with through email. Also, Joan was very helpful when my husband and I were writing our vows giving wonderful suggestions and edits. We received so many compliments on our ceremony and how beautiful it was and that is because of her. Any bride would be lucky to have Reverend Joan.
Carly Sent on 06/13/2017

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Joan was an amazing officiant. She was always very timely in her responses and provided several selections (both traditional and contemporary) for us to choose from. She provided guidance and advice that was much appreciated as we put together our ceremony. She was willing to meet with us several times to get to know us and to answer any and all questions. I would highly recommend Joan as a wedding ceremony officiant!! -Carly & David Mendelsohn
Jessica Sent on 06/05/2017

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We thoroughly enjoyed working with Joan as our officiant for our wedding. She is so friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. We highly recommend Joan to any couple looking for an officiant!
Melissa Sent on 11/04/2016

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Joan was referred to me by a co-worker. After our first meeting at Panera Bread in Feburary of 2016 it was love at first sight! She has an amazing energy about her, wonderful sense of humor and much appreciated experience that will help you feel confident and secure in knowing your wedding ceremony is going to be everything you ever wanted it to be. Through scheduled phone chats Joan helped me piece together our beautiful ceremony and provided a much needed counsel for this stressed bride-to-be :) No matter what style of ceremony you desire Joan will accommodate you and your vision while providing top notch guidance. Look no further for professional, prompt, kind hearted service! Joan is your top choice for a wedding officiant!
Michaela Sent on 10/03/2016

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Joan and Karen were amazing throughout our entire wedding process. They both took a very personal interest in the vision we had for our personalized ceremony. Living in a different state, communication through e-mail and phone was essential to ensure everything was on track. I never had to worry that things were not being done, and that itself was a gift. Karen also made sure that things ran efficiently and smoothly for the rehearsal and actual wedding. We received so many compliments on our ceremony and would recommend them highly to anyone!
Kristin Sent on 09/28/2016

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Joan was exactly what we needed. We got to customize our ceremony, reviewing every word that would be said, but she also walked us through the process of putting the ceremony together. She gave us ideas for reading, vows, unity ceremonies, and everything in between. It can be as religious or secular as you want. I would recommend her services to anyone!
User2793012 Sent on 09/28/2016

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Joan was amazing to work with. She was quick to respond to any questions we had and offered her help when we had questions. She helped make the process smooth so it was one less thing we had to stress about.
Sara Sent on 09/21/2016

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Reverend Joan was a pleasure to work with. She made everything easy and helped us to customize our ceremony to exactly how we wanted it. She guided us through every step and even allowed us to make last minute changes. We highly recommend her!
Kari Sent on 09/15/2016

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Look no further for the perfect ceremony! Rev. Joan has made our wedding absolutely perfect! She helped us customize the most beautiful ceremony. We have received so many compliments from guests on how personal and unique our ceremony was. She has so much wedding knowledge, and was such a calming presence for me. Talking to Rev. Joan made me feel at ease, and trust that everything would turn out right. She was always easy to reach and responded quickly. We loved designing our ceremony together. Before meeting Rev. Joan I was not excited about the ceremony. I felt like it was something I had to get through to get to the party. Now it is truly the best part of the whole day. I was more excited for our ceremony than anything else on the day, and it was perfect. She helped incorporate so much sentiment and personality. I recommend Ceremonies by Design to every couple!
Haley Sent on 08/17/2016

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I cannot say enough good things about both Joan and Karen. They both did everything to make our wedding day PERFECT! would highly, highly recommend!
Courtney Sent on 08/15/2016

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Joan was absolutely amazing! She helped us make our ceremony uniquely ours, and we received so many compliments on the service! Honestly, I think she is a bargain for the price! She was super flexible and very responsive to all of our last minute concerns and changes. I have no regrets, and am so glad we had her officiate our ceremony!
Suraya Sent on 06/10/2016

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Rev. Joan was phenomenal! My husband and I chose the personalized ceremony Joan offers and wouldn't have had it any other way. Our guests commented and continue to tell us how original and inspiring our ceremony was. We loved it and so did everyone else. The process was easy and relaxed. I would highly recommend Rev. Joan to anyone who is looking for a unique and personalized ceremony. She also provided us with a very nice booklet of our ceremony, which I absolutely love because I didn't remember to have anyone record our ceremony. So at least we still have the words :)
User2477782 Sent on 12/22/2015

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Joan is the absolute best - super easy to work with, SUPER flexible, and such a calming presence - we felt totally confident placing our ceremony in her very capable hands, and she delivered times 10. Our ceremony was memorable and personalized. I can't recommend her enough or sing her praises more highly. Hire her now!
Jami Sent on 12/16/2015

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Joan was an amazing officiant. She went the extra mile, was relaxed, funny and thoughtful in
Her choice of words. She also helped coordinate a
Sand ceremony where we combined sand from our two countries as a symbolic
Representation of our Union which was very cool! I would highly recommend
Joan Tate!
User2428767 Sent on 11/16/2015

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She was extremely helpful answering any questions and she helped us create a unique ceremony.
Alex Sent on 10/28/2015

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Reverend Joan was WONDERFUL! She was willing to meet us 1/2 way between our place and hers for our first meeting and was completely prepared and very knowledgeable from the start. She provided us with drafts of "traditional" and "contemporary" wedding ceremonies; each of which had multiple examples for each section of the ceremony. From there she let us completely customize our ceremony so that it was exactly what we wanted. We picked our favorite pieces from the examples she provided and added in some of our own ideas. In the end, we had our dream ceremony. We got so many compliments from our guests on the ceremony. They loved how personal and unique it was. We couldn't be happier!
Karen Sent on 10/06/2015

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Reverend Joan Pape was totally awesome and is someone I would highly recommend!! She created a beautiful wedding ceremony!! She has many great ideas to share but is also very open to the couples thoughts and ideas as well. She tailors the ceremony to be exactly what the couple wants!! She is very reliable, efficient and truly enjoys what she does!!
Christian Sent on 09/28/2015

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Rev Joan was amazingly professional, and helpful in helping create the perfect ceremony for my wife and I. She took the time to get to know us, and our relationship very well before drafting our ceremony. She created an incredibly personal and intimate ceremony which gave us exactly what we wanted for our big day. I couldn't recommend her more highly as an amazing officiant.
User4782097 Sent on 08/31/2015

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The ceremony was perfect and Joan was such a pleasure to work with! She really knows what she is doing and is a very experienced professional. She'll walk you through the process of creating a ceremony script, send you outlines/samples of readings, make suggestions, and incorporate your draft edits. She always responded right away and definitely put me at ease knowing she had things under control.

I highly recommend her!
Jessica Sent on 08/16/2015

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Joan was a wonderful Officiant for our wedding. She did a great job of creating a very personal ceremony that both our Protestant and catholic families loved. She encouraged the ideas we had, and gave us suggestions when we needed them. We had so many people tell us it was one of the most personal and unique ceremonies they had ever seen. If you are looking for an officiant who is warm, personable and creative then look no further. I would recommend Joan to anyone!
Bethany Sent on 08/10/2015

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We knew right away when meeting Joan for the first time that we wanted her as an Officiant. She took the time to get to know us in a comfortable setting and walked us through the entire process of creating a ceremony to fit our personalities and wishes. We were able to combine contemporary and traditional elements into our ceremony and include our own personal touches. We also really appreciated that Joan took the time to create and give us a beautiful copy of the written ceremony. We would love to recommend her to anyone!
User2236900 Sent on 07/21/2015

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What a delightful job done by Joan and Karen. Our officiant fell through at the last minute (who was just a friend), and we turned to Ceremonies by Design for help--maybe only 3 weeks before our wedding, I believe! They were superbly accommodating, and we are actually glad now that we used their services instead of relying on a friend to take care of it. What lovely people. We had a nice little meeting with both Joan and Karen before the wedding; Karen did the ceremony. They're both very accepting, accommodating, kind, and professional. Karen was just fine with our very minimalist & secular preferences, and she did a lovely job! We felt so well-taken-care of, and so will you.
Sierra Sent on 07/19/2015

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My husband and I are so pleased we worked with Joan. We wanted our ceremony to be meaningful, personal, and thoughtful. We definitely got that and more. Joan was professional, made lots of really great suggestions on things we could add to our ceremony, but most of all she was easy to work with and very kind and calm — the exact sort of energy you want when planning a wedding. Working with her felt effortless because she was so professional, responded to all our questions within a reasonable period of time, and helped guide us through the entire process of working with her to create a personalized ceremony that spoke to the relationship my husband and I have built, and what we wanted to communicate to each other and our families on our wedding day. I will suggest Joan to all my closest friends and family for her great service, kindness, and professionalism!
Colleen Sent on 07/10/2015

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You can feel safe and calm with Joan as your officiant. Her custom & personalized ceremonies are very impressive and elegantly written. She listens to you and gets to know you as an individual creating a connection that adds meaning behind just being an officiant. She becomes your new friend in life. Her tender personality and calm, caring voice will make you fall in love with her. She is very detail-oriented, empathetic, organized and understanding. I simply loved our ceremony and received many compliments from my family and friends. Some even stated it was "BEST Ceremony they have ever heard" and many tears of happiness were shed by our guests. I would highly recommend Joan with the utmost respect.
Lewis Sent on 06/29/2015

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I'm going to make this very simple, Rev. Joan Pape was absolutely amazing. She was the officiant for our wedding and did such a great job! I don't need to get into details because that would take forever. I would definitely recommend her!
User2175407 Sent on 06/11/2015

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Reverend Joan provided quality, personal, and professional officiant services for our wedding. We contacted Rev Joan mid-way through our planning process and although we felt as though we did not have a lot of time, Joan made us feel relaxed and reassured us that our big day would go just the way we wanted. She personalized our wedding to include special touches for certain family members and made our ceremony feel like we had known her for years. We were skeptical about going outside of our congregations to find an officiant, but we are so happy that we did. Reverend Joan was very open minded and supported our ideas and creativity.
Bianca Sent on 06/07/2015

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Joan from Ceremonies by Design made our ceremony feel authentic to us and rooted in our core values. She allowed us to choose a ceremony design that was a good fit for us and helped provide guidance on all of the details regarding the wedding ceremony, including the process of applying for a marriage license. She was always responsive to my questions and needs and was such a calming presence on the day of the wedding. After the wedding, my family commented on how kind she was to everyone during the rehearsal and at the ceremony. They also commented on how wonderfully the ceremony flowed. I would recommend Ceremonies by Design to anyone that is looking for officiant services in the Dane County area.
Anne Sent on 05/01/2015

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Joan was our officiant for our April 25th, 2015 wedding at The Wilderness in the Wisconsin Dells, and it was an absolutely beautiful ceremony! Joan, thank you so much for helping us make our dream of getting married come true, and making the process so easy and fun. Joan helped us put together a beautiful custom ceremony, we got so many compliments on our vows! We really appreciate you being there to celebrate with us. :) Thank you also for the wonderful book and the very nice copy of our ceremony outline!
Emily Sent on 01/30/2015

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Joan is a wonderful person who is very talented! As soon as we met with her we knew that she could create the ceremony we always dreamed of. The ceremony actually turned out even more beautiful than I ever imagined! We received sooooo many compliments on our service! Even some family members that were upset that it wasn't going to be very religious, really loved it! My maid of honor, who really dislikes weddings, cried when she read the ceremony draft ahead of time! Joan had great suggestions and ideas throughout the planning process and kept tweaking the draft until we had it exactly how we wanted it. I was really dreading creating a ceremony, but she made it a very simple process! She emailed us tons of readings and vows for ideas and options, which was great so that we didn't have to spend time researching them online. I just can't even express how happy we are that we chose Joan to create our ceremony! We really wanted a personalized service that told our love story, and that's exactly what we got! We couldn't be happier and would HIGHLY recommend Ceremonies By Design!
User1973740 Sent on 12/17/2014

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Our experience with Rev Joan Pape couldn't have gone any smoother. We were looking for a non-denomination experience, one that afforded us a high degree of flexibility as we incorporated the baptism of three of our children into our wedding ceremony. It came across fluid and seamless. It was great. Rev Joan Pape had helpful suggestions along the way that added nice touches to our day.
Heidi Sent on 11/03/2014

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Joan is an amazing officiant. We are so glad that we chose her to do our ceremony. From our first phone call, my husband and I felt very comfortable with her. She was really easy to work with while planning our ceremony. Being out of state, our ability to meet with her was limited, but she worked with us so we could meet before the big day. She was very knowledgable about our wedding location and all the ins and outs for the day ahead of us. I had absolutely no worries the day of because I knew that Joan had everything covered.
Courtney Sent on 10/03/2014

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Joan was absolutely amazing to work with. My husband and I contacted Joan for our civil ceremony in December knowing that we were also going to have a full ceremony with all our friends and family again in August. Joan created two unique ceremonies to fit both events.

She made the whole process so easy and took the stressors of planning the ceremony script off of us. Just by answering a few questions about ourselves, individually and as a couple, and letting her know the feel that we were going for, she put together a ceremony that was not only beautiful but extremely special to us as well!

I am so happy that we made the decision to go with Ceremonies by Design. I recommend them to everyone, especially if you want a ceremony that is specific to you, your spouse, your family, and your special day.
Amirah Sent on 09/03/2014

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Joan was great! She is sensitive to all backgrounds and is extremely professional. She cares about making the ceremony a perfect fit for the couple and their families. I would hire her again in a heartbeat!
Steve Sent on 08/26/2014

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We were very happy on the ceremony and how she kept a big smile on her face .
James Sent on 08/23/2014

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We found Rev. Joan after an online search and reading reviews on wedding sites such as this one. My fiancee (now wife!) and I did not want a religious wedding and were considering justices of the peace when we saw Rev. Joan and Ceremonies By Design. Rev. Joan was incredibly helpful, flexible, and responsive throughout the planning for our ceremony - including helping keep us on track in a very gentle manner when we got a bit swamped. We went into the process without a lot of upfront notions of what we wanted, aside from it being secular and personal. Rev. Joan helped us establish a solid starting point by discussing options and common elements with us at our first meeting. We went back and forth probably 3 - 4 times with suggestions/changes, via email, as we tweaked that initial framework. Come the wedding day, the ceremony was truly unique and we wouldn't change a thing about it; though our wedding was small and pretty simple, Rev. Joan was also a big help in terms of orchestrating people and events - that took a lot of stress off before and during, and is not something you get with a justice of the peace. We received many comments afterwards about how relaxed and enjoyable our ceremony was, and how much a reflection of us as a couple it turned out to be. All in all, Rev. Joan & Ceremonies By Design helped make the most critical part of our wedding day a true joy!!
User1767698 Sent on 08/17/2014

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Both Joan and Karen were wonderful! They were very professional and did their best to make sure our special day went smoothly. Can't thank them enough for their help!
User1695112 Sent on 07/04/2014

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Reverend Joan did an amazing job of customizing a ceremony for us. We knew that we wanted a secular ceremony that would let people know who we are as a couple, and we couldn't have been happier with the result. She also sent us 2 drafts of the ceremony in the weeks leading up to the wedding, which gave us a lot of input into the final result. However, we really didn't have to change much of anything because Joan's writing was fantastic. She also did a rehearsal the night before, which was really well organized and made us confident that everything would run smoothly on the wedding day. The ceremony itself was perfect! We had many comments from guests about how great the ceremony was. People were really impressed by how much the ceremony was focused on our story. We really loved working with Joan and would highly recommend her to other couples.
User1861801 Sent on 06/26/2014

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If you are considering working with Joan - do it! You will not be disappointed with her clam demeanor, attention to detail/schedule, and of course her ability to craft a unique ceremony that reflects on your personal love story! Joan also gently encouraged us to try to write our own vows (this isn't something we thought we wanted to do out loud). But I can't thank her enough for the encouragement. Our family and friends said that our vows were the most special part of the ceremony. Our ceremony was non-denominational/civil and Joan was more than we could have hoped for. Enjoy working with her on your wedding day.
User1663855 Sent on 06/16/2014

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We enjoyed working with Joan - she was professional, easy to work with, and very organized. We wrote our own vows, added readings into the ceremony by family members, and worked in a unique element at the last minute, which made the ceremony perfect for us. She was attentive through every change, and we had multiple compliments on how beautiful the ceremony was. We are very happy that we chose Joan to officiate our wedding.
Jennifer Sent on 06/13/2014

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We loved working with Joan for our wedding. She was able to put together a wonderful ceremony for us and was also very helpful in coordinating our ceremony at Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
We initially met with Joan in person in her home office and felt right away that she was the right person for us to work with for our wedding. After that we communicated mainly by e-mail and Joan was always very prompt to respond and we got everything we wanted in our ceremony. We didn't see her again until our rehearsal but everything went wonderfully.
Many of our other vendors commented that they loved working with her and that she always does beautiful ceremonies. We could not agree more!
User1636480 Sent on 05/28/2014

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Joan was wonderful to work with!! She helped me feel calm during the planning phase and our ceremony went very smoothly and was exactly what we wanted!
User4782079 Sent on 04/17/2014

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We are truly grateful that we found Joan!
We are so pleased with how smoothly the planning process went and how professional and kind Joan was. From the first time we contacted her and initial meeting through the planning process, ceremony revisions, and all the way through to the wedding day! She even made a last minute revision right before the ceremony began!

The ceremony itself was perfect (and not at all cheesy) and it was exactly what we wanted! We received so many compliments on how lovely and personal the ceremony was and I couldn’t agree more. Joan captured the spirit of our relationship and both of us as individuals and created a ceremony that was a perfect reflection of us. I could not be more pleased with how wonderful it all was!

We would recommend Joan to anyone!
Samantha Sent on 11/14/2013

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Great officiant! Very professional! She really helped make our ceremony special!
Caryl Sent on 11/12/2013

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Rev. Pape was exceptional as the officiant for our daughter's wedding a couple weeks ago. My daughter and her new husband live abroad, so planning had to be done via e-mail and Skype. From their first correspondence, they felt very comfortable with Rev. Pape. The day of the wedding she put us all at ease and made sure everything went smoothly in spite of all the participants not have 'rehearsed' together previous to the ceremony. Many of the guests commented on how personal and beautiful the ceremony was.
Mariel Sent on 09/26/2013

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I would like to preface this review by noting that I am borderline OCD and a perfectionist. Words can't even describe how amazing Reverend Joan was. She is the COMPLETE package! From the moment we sat down and met with her, we knew she was the perfect fit for our wedding. She is so personable and immediately understood exactly what we were looking for in our ceremony. She gave us a comprehensive sample ceremony with a la carte options. We were able to pick and choose from a wide variety of vows, readings, prayers and additional personalized ceremony options. She was so patient with us deciding on our vows. She would email and call to follow up to see if there was anything she could do for us. Attentive is an understatement. This was all leading up to the actual rehearsal and wedding day. When those days came, she was brilliant. She guided us through the rehearsal with much patience (as our bridal party was a bit rowdy and unruly). The day of the wedding was EVEN BETTER. While everyone around me was asking me questions and adding to my stress, she was the one person who put me at ease. She was so helpful, caring and kind. On top of that, she knows her stuff. She helped guide us through getting our marriage license and even picked it up for us (there was a 5 day waiting period). I loved the packet she gave us after the wedding. There was a beautiful bound copy of our ceremony, our marriage license, a marriage certificate and a wedding gift. I cannot emphasize enough how amazing she was. I would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone that asks.
Kristen Sent on 09/19/2013

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My husband and I live in Missouri, but our wedding took place on his family farm in Wisconsin. Planning a wedding through mostly emails and phone calls can be stressful. The quick responses and consistent phone calls and emails with Rev. Joan Pape whenever I needed to speak with her was so easygoing and more importantly she was always available for us.

She was such a pleasure to work with during the planning process, the rehearsal, and especially the wedding day. She took lead in some of the most important parts of our day, was incredibly on top of it all, and well organized. It was such a relief to have her. She exceeded our expectations and we had several guests praising her for a job well done.

We absolutely loved our ceremony! It was unique...it was us! We were so comfortable working back and forth with her to make it just right! She wont settle for anything, but perfect! Joan is so kind and a pleasure to work with; we couldn't be happier how everything came together so easily.

We highly recommend Rev. Joan for your wedding ceremony!
User1328359 Sent on 09/14/2013

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We picked the civil ceremony package from Joan. She sent us readings and ceremony options to choose from. We got to design the ceremony how we wanted it with Joan's advice along the way. She was very warm and friendly, even when we waited until the last minute to choose our readings and vows. She married us in a state park and met us an hour before the ceremony to make sure everyone felt comfortable with the process. Joan has been extremely helpful with everything and I would highly recommend her.
User1291447 Sent on 08/18/2013

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Rev. Joan made it easy to plan the ceremony details. Joan was very professional, receptive to our wishes (we included our dogs in the ceremony), supportive, and she always got back to us quickly. We initially met with her in person, and were able to figure out which ceremony style we liked. We then emailed drafts of the ceremony back and forth until it was perfect. Joan emphasized that she wasn't done helping us until the ceremony was exactly what we wanted. Joan helped the entire way, and her experience really showed. When it came to our wedding day, the ceremony went flawlessly.

We would definitely recommend Rev. Joan to anyone looking for a wedding officiant in the greater Madison area.
Jamie Sent on 08/13/2013

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Rev. Joan is AMAZING!! I honestly cannot say enough great things about Joan.

She helped us so much, every single day of our engagement from the minute we hired her, she was incredible.

Joan is worth every penny. We're from Chicago so having someone local, who knew the what we needed to do to apply for our marriage certificate and all that jazz was great. She also, so graciously, offered to help and pick up our license once it was ready and have it there for us on our wedding day.

Having someone we knew we could depend on and someone to do that for us was so incredibly helpful.

She also performed a PERFECT ceremony for us! Not everything went perfectly - our rings fell off the pillow on the walk to the front of the aisle (in grass) the ceremony didn't start on time, etc ... but Joan rolled with the punches, made the ceremony everything we wanted it to be and we couldn't have been happier!!

If you need a Reverand, and Joan is available ... hire her!!!! Seriously, do it!

XOXO
Jamie and Mike
User1277305 Sent on 08/07/2013

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Joan made planning our ceremony stress free and fun! She provided structure to planning our ceremony but also let us personalize it as much as we wanted. She also helped us obtain a marriage license and change my name.
I would highly recommend Joan!
Samantha Sent on 07/23/2013

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Joan is amazing - There are no words to describe her professionalism and creativity she brings to your ceremony.

Joan worked with me and my fiancee from day 1 - we had our venue set, changed that, and through all the chaos that a wedding takes - she moved with us.

We met once and talked on the phone many times, only because my schedule was so busy - she is so flexible.

We got so many compliments from our guests on Joan - I'm so happy we went with her; she made our day so special. Even in the July heat! :) She was so prepared and helpful throughout the whole process... She is simply amazing!

Samantha
Aaron
July 6th, 2013 @ Milford Hills Hunt Club
Johnson Creek, Wi.
Scott Sent on 07/07/2013

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We found Ceremonies by Design after looking for ministers on theknot.com. We were very impressed after meeting with her and receiving a booklet full of ways to put together the perfect wedding ceremony. We aren't the type of creative people to come up with a ceremony and write our own vows, Joan helped guide the way and gave us plenty of little reading to include in our special day. We didn't want an overly religious ceremony but still wanted a few prayers and reading to make all the families happy with the ceremony, and it was easy to do so. Joan helped run the rehearsal flawlessly despite the miserable weather, and the next day with perfect weather, the ceremony ran off without a hitch. Thanks Rev Joan!
Dustin Sent on 01/16/2013

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Joan was so helpful and worked with us to make sure that the ceremony was everything we wanted. I couldn't recommend her enough.
Alecia Sent on 12/04/2012

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Joan did a wonderful job not only the day of our wedding, but throughout the entire planning process. She was easy to work with and always very kind and helpful.
Marie Sent on 11/20/2012

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Peace of mind is invaluable, and that is what Joan provided. She was wonderful at explaining and walking us through the ceremony. Always punctual and understanding, she helped make our wedding day perfect!
User1571448 Sent on 11/20/2012

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Joan was great to work with throughout the ceremony planning process! She genuinely wanted to make the ceremony exactly what we wanted, and she succeeded. Our guests all said that it was beautiful!
Kelli Sent on 11/02/2012

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Joan did an amazing job with our ceremony. We couldn't be happier with the way everything turned out! If you are looking an awesome officiant-- look no further!
User1140746 Sent on 11/02/2012

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Rev. Joan and Rev. Karen both did an amazing job for us. The ceremony brought tears to my eyes, it was so perfect. They really take the time to create the perfect words that portrays your story.
User999784 Sent on 11/01/2012

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Very professional, very personable and made our special day exactly what we wanted ceremony wise so very flexible. Highly recommend!
Shelly Sent on 10/31/2012

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Joan was absolutely amazing. She made our ceremony so warm personalized and caring. We were soooo very lucky to have chose her as an officiant. She way went beyond our expectations. We got soo many nice comments from the guests on how impressed they were too.
Ashleigh Sent on 10/16/2012

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Rev. Joan Pape made our wedding feel personal from the first day we called her. She helped us make our wedding ceremony completely unique to us as a couple. On the day of the wedding, she was there ahead of time, and really helped to get the wedding started. We are so glad that we chose to have her as our officiant, and we highly recommend her to other couples getting married.
Sally Sent on 08/10/2012

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Joan was an absolute delight. She worked with us to create the perfect ceremony (short and simple) that we wanted and offered nothing but complete and utter support throughout the entire process. Joan was a blessing on our wedding day when several crisis arose- she took care of it all. As a bride/groom who did all the wedding planning themselves- it was a relief to finally get to enjoy the ceremony and forget the details. Though our Chuppah fell during the ceremony, and other little quirks occurred (lightning, etc), Joan simply made it part of the ceremony. We were so lucky to have an experienced and loving officiant who truly cared about our special day. She was one of the best parts of our wedding and I don't think I could have asked for a better officiant. She is one of a kind. If you want a personalized ceremony or would rather have her write it (she has several versions that would please anyone from agnostic/atheist to Christian/Jewish/Buddhist, and other faiths- you will find the ceremony you need. She is worth every penny. Book her early and then let the magic begin! Much love to Joan. -Sally and Joe
Allyssa Sent on 06/27/2012

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Ceremonies by Design made my wedding experience/ceremony stress free and was everything a girl could imagine. Everything was specifically laid out months before the wedding so I knew exactly what to expect. Ceremonies by design was so flexible when it came to setting up meetings, etc. It made the whole experience stress free. I wouldn't have picked anyone else!!!
Dina Sent on 06/18/2012

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Working with Reverend Joan was the easiest and least stressful portion of our wedding planning process. The ceremony was designed exactly to our specifications and her suggestions were extremely thoughtful. Her ceremony was wonderful, meaningful, and the perfect length. Moreover, she did a great job of relaxing all members of the wedding party, ensuring people were seated in the correct spot, and her presentation was in a word, flawless. We felt comfortable with her immediately and would recommend her to anyone for their wedding needs.
Nikki Sent on 05/10/2012

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Joan is the BEST!! She is so sincere and great at what she does!
Lydia Sent on 04/30/2012

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Working with Joan was the easiest, most stress-free part of my wedding! She not only created a beautiful and personal ceremony for us, but was there to help navigate the details of the whole process along the way as well. We recommend her to any couple looking for an officiant!
Sue Sent on 04/30/2012

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Joan was awesome in all areas. She responded to every inquiry quickly and thoughtfully. She made it very easy for us to blend elements of a traditional religious with contemporary less religious vows. She was very open and accomodating to our location, ceremony format, as well as the date and the time.

Joan was a joy to work with. I would recommend her to anyone!
Michelle Sent on 02/05/2012

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I couldn't have seen our special day without Joan there. Thank you so much!
Kim Sent on 02/03/2012

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Reverend Joan is the best. Planning a wedding from overseas was difficult, but this was the easiest bit thanks to her. We were able to personalise every part of the ceremony and really make it 'ours'. Looking back, this was my favourite part of the day. Thank you Reverend Joan!!
Emily Sent on 06/15/2011

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My husband and I worked with Joan and Karen to officiate our wedding. Joan provided great templates to help us craft our wedding ceremony. We were able to have a ceremony that fit our personalities and beliefs without a lot of hassle. Karen actually officiated our ceremony. She did a great job of providing direction at the rehearsal and making sure the day flowed smoothly.
Leigh Sent on 10/22/2014

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We are so thankful to have found and worked with Rev. Joan for our wedding ceremony. We found her after our original pastor moved too far away to do our ceremony. We had most of our ceremony written, and Joan came in to add the perfect compliments to the ceremony we had worked so hard on. The additions and changes she suggested were absolutely fantastic. Joan was very responsive which helped us get our ceremony planned and squared a few months before our actual wedding.

Rev. Joan, has an incredibly kind heart and is very professional. She added a level of peacefulness to our ceremony that we really appreciated. She isn't pushy at all when it comes to designing a wedding ceremony. She gently guides you to help create a ceremony that's perfect for you. We had several guests comment that they thought you did a wonderful job. Thank you so much for presiding over our ceremony, you were a pleasure to work with.
Melanie Sent on 10/17/2016

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Joan was awesome to work with! She is happy to work with couples to make the ceremony exactly what you want it to be. She was invaluable to us as a resource and we enjoyed working with her and getting to know her. She was accommodating and flexible with her schedule and was always happy to meet with us to make sure we had the perfect ceremony. We highly recommend Joan for whatever type of ceremony you'd like - she will make is special.
Eva Sent on 07/20/2015

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Joan was amazing. We were beyond happy with the services she provided for us before, on and after our wedding. She was a little more than we budgeted for but I think that knowing that your officiant is experienced, going to do a great job, and not having to stress about the MOST important part about getting married (the actual ceremony) it was worth it. She was also extremely personable and genuinely cared about the small details and helping make the process easier for us. My husband and I were extremely satisfied with the services provided to us by Joan.
User924015 Sent on 09/05/2012

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Joan was fabulous! Even though we were planning an out of town wedding, she was very easy to work with over email.
User993442 Sent on 10/28/2012

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I enjoyed working with Joan and found her to be very professional. Joan takes the time to meet with you to get an understanding of the kind of ceremony you want and asks questions to learn about your love story.
To ensure you get what you want out of your wedding day she provides a rough draft of your ceremony. At first blush I felt our rough draft was a little “cookie-cutter” and didn’t fit us, however Joan was open to suggestions and met with me one-on-one to amend our ceremony to fit our personality and style.
I enjoyed working with Joan and was impressed at all the different vows, readings and prayers that she had on file for me to choose from. It really made it easy to find what I liked. I appreciated her professionalism and ability to deliver a wonderful ceremony. Thank you Joan!

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