Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi Reviews
Reviews
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Awards
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![Julia]()
Julia Sent on 06/20/2026Chuppah ceremony
When my husband and I were doing our research, yes, we were already married officially but wanted to have a Jewish ceremony, Chuppah. Tradition was important to us, but also the type of ceremony we wanted to have for ourselves and our family. Working with Rabbi Ethan was an incredible experience. He took his time to understand who we were, got to know us as a couple, gave us advice and pointers, and together we created a beautiful ceremony that fit exactly into what we originally had in mind.
We highly recommend Rabbi Ethan to any couple.
Julia and AlexEthan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Lovely! Thank you so much! I loved being a part of your ceremony, and getting to know you both. I was honored to be a part of such a warm and family-oriented day! -
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![Dana]()
Dana Sent on 05/16/2026Ethan was Excellent
Rabbi Ethan was an excellent choice for our wedding! When we got engaged, we looked specifically for someone personable that would get to know us as a couple. Ethan did exactly that by scheduling Zoom calls to learn more about us both individually and as a couple. This paid off and came through at the ceremony where we had multiple people come up to us after telling us how much they enjoyed his style of including personal details. We are so happy we chose Ethan for our special day and we used him for our baby naming ceremony as well. I would give him 5 stars & recommend you give him a call without reservation!Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Thank you so much! What a pleasure working with you both!!! Honestly it is so easy to make the ceremony feel personal when you both were so open and joyous. -
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![Nicole]()
Nicole Sent on 11/09/2025October 2025 Wedding Review
Rabbi Franzel is beyond amazing. He was timely, always responsive, and crafted such a beautiful ceremony for our October 2025 wedding. During our first meeting, he really got to know us. We immediately felt so welcomed and really listened to, his personality is encouraging, warm, charismatic and kind. He even met us in person for our following meetings, and was very flexible with scheduling. We got numerous compliments on our service, it was beautifully personalized, down to every single detail, including proof-reading our Ketubah and tallit. I can go on and on about how much Rabbi Franzel made our wedding special, but he also made it so easy to understand what the ceremony would look like; answering our (many!) questions. Again; beyond grateful to have discovered this incredible Rabbi.Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
And, in turn, you were an incredible couple to work with - everything was so comfortable from the very beginning! Thank you so much for your kind words - I was so honored to be a part of your wedding!! -
![Eric]()
Eric Sent on 10/19/2025Fantastic Wedding thanks to Ethan!
Rabbi Ethan Franzel was absolutely incredible to work with and made our wedding ceremony truly special. He struck the perfect balance between a light, casual tone (exactly what we wanted) and the deep meaning and significance of the occasion.
In the months leading up to the wedding, we met with Ethan several times so he could get to know us as a couple. It was clear during the ceremony how much attention he paid — he crafted a beautiful and personal narrative of our love story that felt both heartfelt and authentic.
We’ve had countless guests, including many who aren’t Jewish, tell us how moved and impressed they were by the ceremony. Several even asked for Ethan’s contact information afterward! We can’t recommend him highly enough — Rabbi Franzel made our day unforgettable.Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Thank you!!! It was really an honor to get to know both of you. Like you said, getting to know each made the day so much more special. For me too!! -
![Abigail]()
Abigail Sent on 10/08/2025Blessed with the best Rabbi!!
We feel so incredibly lucky and grateful to have had our wedding officiated by Rabbi Ethan. From our very first meeting, he exuded kindness, warmth, and genuine care — not just for the ceremony, but for us as a couple. He took the time to truly get to know us, to understand our story, and to craft a ceremony that reflected who we are with such beauty and meaning.
On our wedding day, Rabbi brought a calm, joyful presence that made everything feel even more special. His words were thoughtful, heartfelt, and full of wisdom — striking the perfect balance between tradition and personal touch. He made us feel grounded, loved, and deeply connected — not just to each other, but to something much greater.
So many of our guests came up to us afterward to say how moved they were by the ceremony and how incredible our rabbi was. We couldn’t agree more. He helped create a moment we will treasure forever.
Thank you, Rabbi Ethan for making our day so meaningful and unforgettable. We are truly blessed.Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
I am so grateful for you both! It was a wonderful ceremony, but even more importantly, I feel like I'm the one who is blessed just to get to know you! Thank you so much. -
![Ashley]()
Ashley Sent on 05/29/2025A Beautiful, Meaningful Wedding Ceremony by Rabbi Franzel
We had the incredible honor of having Rabbi Franzel officiate our wedding, and we couldn’t be more grateful. From our very first meeting, he made us feel truly seen and heard. He took the time to deeply understand our unique story, and it was so clear during the ceremony that he had woven our journey into the fabric of his words.
The service he delivered was nothing short of magical — it was beautiful, special, and profoundly meaningful. Every word felt personal, every blessing heartfelt. Our family and friends couldn’t stop talking about how moving and sincere the ceremony was.Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Thank you so much! I was honored to be a part of your wedding, it was such a special day, and I felt blessed to be there! -
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![Andrew]()
Andrew Sent on 02/19/2025Beautiful Interfaith Ceremony
Rabbi Ethan performed the most beautiful wedding ceremony I have ever had the privilege of attending (disclaimer: I may be biased because it was my own wedding). We are an interfaith couple and decided on a Jew-ish ceremony. Rabbi Ethan worked with us to tailor the ceremony and make it exactly what we wanted. He went into deep explanations of each tradition to accommodate my family who is not Jewish and made sure to translate every Hebrew phrase into English so that no one was left out. We had one of if not the most tearful room of guests I had ever seen. The venue we were married at was so impressed with his ceremony that they are adding him to their recommended vendors list. 15/10Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
I don't think you are biased at all!! :) Thank you so much for your kind and wonderful words. I think you know how much I loved meeting you and working with you both!!! -
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![The]()
The S. Sent on 01/25/2025Rabbi Ethan is the REAL DEAL!
Having Rabbi Ethan officiate our wedding was truly a remarkable experience. He took the time to get to know us as a couple, assisted in helping us structure our ceremony in a way to make it the most impactful for us and our guests, and did a phenomenal job on the day of. Many of our friends and family remarked how great of a job he did and we couldn't agree more. Ethan is a true professional who we would also consider a newfound friend and mentor. We could not recommend more highly!Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Thank you both so much!! I love being the "real deal," that might be my new tag line! I really appreciate your kindness. -
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![Rachel]()
Rachel Sent on 10/23/2024Perfect Officiant for our Wedding!
Rabbi Ethan was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding day. We truly could not have been happier and we are recommending him to all of our friends! Rabbi Ethan was easy to communicate with and so kind. He is an amazing listener and customized every aspect to fit my husband and I's needs perfectly. He has a beautiful voice and performed a wonderful ceremony. We are already talking about ways that we can incorporate Rabbi Ethan into our lives for future events!Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
One of the best days of the year for me! Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so looking forward to our paths crossing in the future!! -
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![Rebecca]()
Rebecca Sent on 09/19/2024Best Officiant!
The truth is I have known Ethan my whole life. But even if I hadn’t, he was the perfect person to officiate our wedding. He takes the time to get to know you and your partner individually, and who you are as a couple. He took so much stress off of our shoulders that day by running through everything ahead of time and making sure we were happy with all the plans. Your wedding ceremony is a beautiful and sentimental event and Ethan always finds a way to give it that extra special touch. You will not regret using him to officiate your own special day.Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
What is there to say? Rebecca is incredibly special to me and my family, and I was honored to be able to officiate at what felt like a family wedding. The fact that I was able to make the day just a little better for both Rebecca and Jason means the world to me!! Thank you for having me be a part of your day, and for the review!! -
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![Allison]()
Allison Sent on 04/19/2024Best Rabbi!!! Highly recommend!
Rabbi Ethan was FANTASTIC! Made our ceremony so special and delivered such great words. Our guests told us this was one of the best ceremonies they had been to! I agree, he made it personal and heartfelt. I would recommend Rabbi Ethan to anyone looking to have the ceremony of their dreams!Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Thank you so much! I was so honored to be a part of your wedding. What a wonderful couple!! My best to you both. -
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![Lindsey]()
Lindsey Sent on 12/13/2023Memorable!
The rabbi's attention to detail and genuine effort to understand your personal story added a meaningful touch to our wedding ceremony, creating a truly memorable and personalized experience.Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Thank you so much! It was a wonderful day. So honored to have been a part of it! -
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Julia Sent on 09/17/2023
Ethan is the best!
My husband and I are so grateful we found Ethan! He was amazing as our wedding rabbi every step of the way. Ethan made our experience so personal and special. Ethan created a ceremony that was the perfect mix of humor and heart. We cannot recommend him enough!Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Thank you so much!!! I absolutely loved being with you for your wedding - so special! It really was a wonderful day. -
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Arielle Sent on 03/26/2023
Rabbi Ethan is warm, compassionate, insightful, and will bring your vision of a meaningful ceremony to life!
My partner and I knew that out of all of the pieces of this most momentous occasion—our wedding—the piece that we wanted to dedicate the most thought and intention towards was our ceremony. We are spiritual and connect with our Judaism through several forms of spiritual practice, some traditional and some outside of traditional Judaism. Rabbi Ethan worked with us, meeting with us several times leading up to our wedding day to plan the ceremony that was directly in line with our values and the intentions we want to set for our marriage and lives together. He is easy to work with, responsive, and an amazing listener and guide. He is an excellent teacher—reminding us of the significance of marriage, supporting one another to be the best version of ourselves.
He is clearly experienced — he set our expectations for what a ceremony can look like, and answered questions so that on the day of our wedding, we could be totally focused and present. Loved ones still recall many of Rabbi Ethan’s insights from our ceremony. During our ceremony, Rabbi Ethan highlighted the Jewish values that we connect the most with. We highly recommend Rabbi Ethan. He is such a joy to work with. To this day, we remain connected with him and we are forever grateful to him for the impact that he had on our special day.
Photos taken by AlekseyK Photography, Buffalo, NY - https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tFP1zcsNE3PzShJMzVgtFI1qLCwTDE2SzU3MDK1NDM0TjS0MqhITUy1ME82NDQyMjMxTDNL9BJNzEnNLk6tVMhWKMjIL8lPL0osyKgEADW_FvY&q=aleksey+k+photography&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS902US902&oq=aleksey+K+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j46i175i199i512.3730j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Arielle: thank you, I am so grateful to both of you. Your amazing families really embraced me on the day of the ceremony and made me feel so at home and at ease. I am so moved by your words and feel so fortunate to have been able to share that special time with you both!!! -
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![Erika]()
Erika Sent on 03/22/2023Absolutely Amazing Officiant!!
Ethan Franzel is an absolutely amazing officiant! He is warm, funny, intelligent, and spiritual. He has the ability to make you feel like he's known you forever and that is reflected in the wedding service he prepares. Everything feels custom-tailored to the specific couple. The level of religious content is also geared toward the couple. I have been to multiple weddings at which Ethan has officiated and every one was different! His warmth envelops not just the happy couple, but everyone who is present as well. Highly, highly recommend!!!Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Thank you so much Erika!! I really appreciate your kindness. Your wedding was absolutely a reflection of your personalities, and it had that wonderful family feel. So glad I was able to be a part of it!! -
![Liz]()
Liz Sent on 03/20/2023Perfect fit for a beautiful ceremony!
Finding an officiant for a wedding between partners of two different faiths is not always straightforward. Luckily, Ethan proved to be the ideal choice. He got to know us and our desires for the ceremony, and also provided humor and wisdom that made us feel comfortable during a process that might otherwise feel overwhelming. Ethan really understood what would make our day as special as possible, and then exceeded our expectations with the perfect blend of tradition, heart, and personality. We’re so happy we had Ethan by our side and we can’t recommend him enough!Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Thank you so much Liz! What you described is exactly my goal: to be able to put together and officiate a ceremony with heart that is a reflection of both of you. I'm so glad you reached out to me, it was such a beautiful night! -
![Jay]()
Jay P. Sent on 03/20/2023Officiant Review
Ethan was a great officiant that was incredibly helpful and responsive. He helped guide us through the details the day-of and was a great reference point of assistance throughout the day.Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Thank you Jay! It was really wonderful working with you both on your wedding. I loved the ceremony we put together - it was creative and fun and a reflection of you both! -
![Steve]()
Steve Sent on 03/19/2023Highly recommended!
We contacted Rabbi Ethan about a year before our wedding which took place in December, 2019, and we are so glad we did! The ceremony was beautiful and exceptional. In the months leading up to the wedding date, Rabbi Ethan took the time to really get to know me and my fiancée which helped him construct the perfect ceremony.
He also took the time to suggest and teach us about some special traditional elements of a Jewish wedding ceremony, and ways to modernize it, if we wanted, like Circling and Wrapping in the Tallit, which made the ceremony all the more special.
Rabbi Ethan scheduled several sessions to go over, in detail, all of the elements of the ceremony and to answer our many, many…many questions. He also helped proofread and approve our ketubah and even found a mistake made in the Hebrew writing section.
We could not have asked for a more perfect ceremony. It was both touching and funny, and we would have not wanted it any other way. Many of our guests told us it was one of the best ceremonies they attended. We highly recommend Rabbi Ethan!
-Steve WEthan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Steve: thank you so much for this. You know how meaningful your wedding was to me, and I was so honored to be a part of it. You are both so special, and "touching and funny" seems to fit so well with your lives. I will always remember that night! -
![Ira]()
Ira N. Sent on 03/19/2023A Rabbi For All Reasons
Rabbi Franzel officiated at our wedding over 20 years ago and I still remember the ceremony. He projected a warmth of spirit that seemed to flow over the entire room.
His choice of music, which was well-coordinated with the Cantor, and his words left me with a lasting impression.
Rabbi Franzel made an happy occasion more joyous while the seriousness of the occasion became more meaningful.Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Thank you so much Ira! I love what you said - the wedding ceremony is absolutely both very serious and filled with joy. I'm touched and so glad to have been a part of it. And even after 20 years we can still remember how wonderful that day was, the first of many!! -
![Josh]()
Josh Sent on 03/19/2023Amazing Person!
Ethan was the rabbi and officiant at our wedding back in 2010. Ethan is caring, spiritual, and funny, all of which are key qualities for a rabbi and wedding officiant. I have known Ethan since the early 2000s when I was in high school and he was a rabbinic intern at my temple. I always knew that I wanted him to officiate my wedding due to our deep personal connection. As soon as my wife met Ethan, she also felt a great connection to him. Ethan’s warmth makes him easy to feel an immediate bond to, even if you do not have a long history with him. He was an integral part of our wedding, weaving together storytelling, the more religious aspects of the ceremony, and even some humor. He also did a great job of explaining the various Jewish wedding rituals for those at the wedding who were not as familiar. Ethan is an amazing person and I could not recommend him more as a rabbi, wedding officiant, and spiritual leader.Ethan Franzel, Life Cycle Officiant and Rabbi's reply:
Thank you so much Josh! It's amazing how many years of history we have going waaay back! And it's hard to believe your wedding was 12/13 years ago! I was so honored to be a part of your incredible day. And the two of you are so good together, the ceremony really wrote itself. A great memory for me as well. Thank you again!
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