Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley Reviews
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![Elina]()
Elina Sent on 02/21/2024Amazing officiant and speaker
Chris officiated our 1/20/24 wedding. He did a fantastic job, people laughed, people cried, and everyone asked about him afterwards. He came highly recommended on just about every website we found him on, and for good reason! His process is great, he's asks the right questions and wants feedback along the way. He wanted to make sure our ceremony had the vibe we wanted. He was punctual and was flexible with the plan, making sure everyone knew what they were doing. Would highly recommend his services.Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Thank you Elina! It was a blast working with you and Robert. I'm so glad you embraced the process and were so forthcoming with me about your story. Thank you for trusting me. -
![Jack]()
Jack Sent on 01/02/2025Incredibly Personal Ceremony
We were overjoyed to have Chris as our officiant! He did a phenomenal job at creating a personalized ceremony that centered around our story while still ensuring that . We loved the result and received multiple compliments about the ceremony from our friends and family.
My wife and I enjoyed the process of working with Chris almost as much as the result. If you are looking for a ceremony that tells your love story, has the right amount of levity, but also has the professionalism and structure behind the scenes to make it seem "effortless" then he's perfect. We are among the last of our friends to get married, but would recommend him to anyone looking for an officiant!
Thanks Chris!
Jack -
![JC Calingo]()
Jc Calingo Sent on 11/27/2024Unforgettable Officiant: Chris Made Our Wedding Perfect!
We had the absolute pleasure of having Chris as our wedding officiant, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. From the moment we started preparing, he was professional, thoughtful, and incredibly easy to work with. On the big day, Chris truly stole the show with his humor and storytelling—our guests, including my family, couldn’t stop raving about how engaging and heartfelt he was. He made our ceremony feel unique and special, and his delivery was flawless. Chris absolutely crushed it, and we’re so grateful for the role he played in making our day unforgettable!Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Thank you so much JC!!! It was such a pleasure to be part of your wedding. Best of luck to you both!
Chris -
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![Ryan]()
Ryan Sent on 11/19/2024A top notch professional. I can't recommend him enough.
Not only was he extremely flexible and understanding, we could tell how much time he spent preparing for our special day.
He tailored our ceremony to highlight our unique circumstances and story, and perfectly executed it to set the exact mood we wanted.
During the reception, half of our guests were talking about him instead of us!
All in all, an absolute joy to work with. -
![Allison]()
Allison Sent on 11/01/2024don't use your uncle tony, use a professional like chris!
we are SO lucky to have found chris and to have used him for our wedding on october 11, 2024! my husband and i had so much fun filling out his questionnaire which really helps him to understand the couple and their love story on a deeper level. he then takes the questionnaire to create a cohesive, beautiful script which you can edit to your liking, and then you can offer feedback and he will execute any adjustments you'd like. we also met chris for coffee one morning which helped him to get to know us even better! our love story is incredibly special to us and chris absolutely NAILED it on our wedding day. we had multiple people approach us throughout the night saying it was the best ceremony they had ever been to, and let me tell you, it really WAS!! hiring a professional officiant truly makes such a difference. he helps with rehearsal and the flow of the ceremony, and handles everything with your marriage license too! the ceremony was such a highlight of our wedding day. THANK YOU CHRIS :)Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Wow Allison, thank you so much! I really appreciate your words about hiring a pro. The process I have really makes it possible for couples to have someone who knows them well who is also able to run a ceremony. You can have it all!
Thanks again for letting me be a part of your wedding.
Chris -
![Juliana]()
Juliana Sent on 09/11/2024The Absolute Best!
If you're looking for an officiant who will make your wedding ceremony truly special and tailored to your unique story, look no further than Chris Shelly. From start to finish, working with Chris was an absolute delight. He is not only incredibly kind and personable, but also exceptionally skilled at what he does. Our ceremony was a huge hit with our guests, and we cherished every moment. Chris's ability to craft a ceremony that felt deeply personal and meaningful was nothing short of remarkable. We cannot recommend him highly enough—he truly made our day unforgettable.Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Thank you Juliana!!! You know I loved being part of your wedding. And to see one of my former couples there as guests made it extra special. You and Vinny are going to have a great life!
Chris -
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![Shelby]()
Shelby Sent on 07/02/2024The Best Ceremony Ever!
If Chris is available on your big day, look no further and just book him. We were so unsure of where to turn as we are not religious so we didn't have a preacher but also didn't have any family or friends we could visualize to do our ceremony, which so many people do now (Hire the pro!). I'm so so glad we found him! Chris is great because he does a great non-religious ceremony, under 30 minutes (what we wanted), and is so engaging, funny and easy to work with. Our guests loved our ceremony so much and wondered how we knew him (spoiler alert: we didn't know each other before we booked him for our wedding) because he made our ceremony so personal and told our beautiful love story so masterfully. After speaking with Chris my now husband and I both immediately wanted to move forward with him. After booking we got a somewhat long questionnaire, parts were for both of us to fill out together and we each had other parts that we filled out individually telling our version of our love story in our own words which made for a quite fun ceremony. While the questionnaire was long it was necessary to have the personalized ceremony we both wanted. We were able to meet with him in person when he was in Cincinnati, he also works in NYC, for another wedding and he is such a joy to be around. Once he was done with our ceremony he sent us a draft and we made a few small adjustments but it was PERFECT. Chris also ran our rehearsal and he did amazing organizing everyone and making sure that people knew what they needed to do. The ceremony couldn't have been more perfect on our wedding day, he has great timing, he is funny, engaging and had about 75% of our guests crying by the end. The video of our ceremony gets me misty every time. Thank you again Chris!Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Thank you Shelby! What a wonderful review. I appreciate that the hard work gets noticed, and I should mention that your entire vendor team was top-notch and a joy to work with. I am working on making my questionnaire a wee bit shorter! Thank you and best wishes. -
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![Dean]()
Dean Sent on 05/12/2024Choose a Magical Ceremony, Choose Chris
Selecting Chris as our wedding officiant was one of the most significant decisions we made for our special day. From the moment we completed his insightful questionnaire, we knew we were in exceptional hands. Chris took the time to understand our unique love story, weaving it into a ceremony that was both deeply personal and wonderfully engaging. He masterfully balanced humor with sentiment, while thoughtfully incorporating our cultural traditions. Our guests were captivated, with many asking us afterward how long Chris had known us, as he so perfectly captured the essence of our relationship. His script was beautifully written, and his delivery was simply outstanding. For a ceremony that is touching, unforgettable, and truly reflective of your love, Chris is the officiant who will make your wedding dreams a reality. We highly recommend Chris, it will be one of the best decisions you make for your wedding day!Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Dean, I'm almost crying reading this review. Thank you. I put so much work into these ceremonies and I'm so glad the work is paying off. You were both wonderful to work with, true gems of collaborators, and this is an exceptionally collaborative process. Thank you so much for choosing me and letting me be a part of your big day. You both have a wonderful life ahead of you. -
![Ameena]()
Ameena Sent on 04/24/2024Very impressed!
Chris was our officiant for our March 2024 wedding, and we were very impressed with him! From the start, he was prompt and professional in his email responses. The couples questionnaire he sends you to get to know the couple was very thorough and the script is very detailed. On the day of, he arrived promptly and coordinated with the other vendors. During our ceremony, he rolled with unexpected wind and red fireworks, making the ceremony seamless. Several of our guests told us they were impressed with Chris. Could not have asked for a better officiant.Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Thank you Ameena! It was a pleasure to be a part of your wedding. Yes, the fireworks from the Reds game nearby (I think somebody hit a home run) was a little shocking, but it's weird stuff like that that makes for the best stories. Best of luck to both of you! -
![Natalie]()
Natalie Sent on 12/29/20235 Stars is Not Enough!
Five stars doesn't begin to reflect how wonderful Chris was to work with. We are not a conventional couple; mature in years and young at heart, so we wanted an officiate that would help us plan a ceremony that reflects our personalities. From the very beginning we knew we had found the perfect match with Chris. The communication from our first meeting to our last was amazing. The detailed questionnaire helped Chris to get to know us on a deeper level and was key to the ceremony that Chris wrote. It was OUR story, full of laughter, poignant moments, and pure joy. Chris listens to the bride and groom's ideas and gently guides them to create the perfect ceremony. We were able to review the script and tweak it until it was perfect. His idea to engage the guests and make them part of the ceremony was incredible and so memorable, from our flower "dude" to the one minute of selfies at the beginning of the ceremony, our guest knew this wasn’t going to be a traditional wedding. We heard over and over from our guests, how did you find him? He was amazing. Even other vendors said that this was the best wedding they had ever been to. What a wonderful compliment. I know it is a day WE will always remember and thanks to Chris our guests will too. Thank you, Chris, from the bottom of our hearts! -
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![Tara]()
Tara Sent on 11/01/2023100% The Best Officiant
I am SO thankful we had Chris as our wedding officiant. He was incredibly kind, professional, and effectively communicated with us during the entire process. Even our guests were telling us how incredible our ceremony was and it was all thanks to Chris for making it perfect. Everything ran smoothly and I highly recommend him. If you want the best for your day, hire him!Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Tara, thank you so much for the kind words! It was a pleasure to work with you and to be part of such a beautiful event. -
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![Alison]()
Alison Sent on 08/15/2023We love Chris!
Chris was exactly what we wanted for our wedding and he executed it perfectly. He took the time to get to know us, asked all the right questions, and our ceremony was nothing short of amazing. He has the ideal mix of humor and sentimentality which was exactly what we wanted. When it came time for our ceremony, I had read Chris’ speech a few times before but I still thoroughly enjoyed being up there while he said the words out loud. He puts his own spin on things but still really captured us and our story. After the ceremony, so many of our guests came up to us specifically to say how much they enjoyed it and how great Chris was. I think if more of our friends weren’t already married they would hire him for their weddings, too! He puts so much life into what he does and you can tell that he genuinely loves doing it. Chris was ultimately the perfect choice for us and I can’t recommend him enough.Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Thank you Alison!!! Your wedding was a blast, and I'll never forget those beautiful surroundings next to the lake. Your guests were very kind to me and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of your wedding. Thank you so much!!! -
![NICHOLAS]()
Nicholas Sent on 01/08/2023Stop the search you’ve found your officiant!
EVERY guest talked about how much they loved Chris and how they’ve never been to a wedding with such a good officiant. Even employees from our venue and our photographer said that Chris is the best in the business. Without upstaging us, he was the star of the show. Chris was great to work with both professionally and personally as he guided us through the ceremony development process. His speech was a good combination of heartfelt and serious with some tasteful comedy. The ceremony was so personalized to us that people thought Chris was our friend. We couldn’t recommend him enough. -
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![Klara]()
Klara Sent on 10/20/2022Chris was like family!
Asking Chris to officiant our wedding was one of the best wedding decisions we made! More than just being organized, well-spoken, and reliable, he was like family! He was excited to learn and participate in our Slovakian traditions and even learned to say a couple of lines in Slovak for the ceremony. He knew how to draw people in, how to make people laugh and cry, and truly celebrate us. Everyone raved about him and wanted to book him for their event! -
![Lauren]()
Lauren Sent on 06/24/2022Amazing Human + Wedding Officiant
Hiring Chris to be our wedding officiant was the easiest and overall best decision Harry and I made during our wedding process. From our first conversation to gauge what an officiant even does to post-wedding check-ins, Chris has been an absolute joy to work with and just know as a person.
In hindsight, I have learned that a wedding is essentially a big show that you put on for your loved ones. And our ceremony was the first act of our show. Chris wrote a beautiful ceremony that encapsulated Harry and I's story. He made the ceremony funny, sentimental, serious, and romantic. Family members came up to me after and shared that our ceremony was the best they have been to because of Chris' bright personality and charm and just the way that he "got" us. There were teary moments, and slap-your-thigh moments, and it was just perfect.
I really had no idea how our ceremony would go walking into the wedding planning process and Chris helped our not-vision become a vision and become one of the greatest moments of our lives, so far. We highly recommend having Chris be part of your wedding day and bring smiles and tears to your faces as he did for us.Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Lauren! This is amazing, thank you so much, you made my day. (Is the title a Brooklyn 99 reference?) Your wedding was fun, but the best part was working with you both on the ceremony in the months leading up to the wedding. I am so happy for you both!!! -
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![Hayley]()
Hayley Sent on 08/22/2021A special, intimate ceremony
We were married by Chris in Central Park as a small wedding ahead of our originally scheduled one. Chris made our ceremony feel special and personal - going above and beyond what we expected. Our guests really enjoyed Chris and he kept everyone laughing despite the 90+ degree heat. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a meaningful ceremony, big or small.Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Hayley, thank you so much! I think I finally cooled down from your wedding just this morning! It was really fun despite the heat and I'm so impressed that your friends and family were there for you. Thank you for letting me be a part of your wedding, and I hope your big Italian wedding is multi bene!!! (I don't speak Italian. Yet.) -
![Erin]()
Erin Sent on 11/11/2019A Perfect Storyteller
The entire process of working with Chris was PERFECT and seamless. You have to take the time to fill out your couple questionnaire so he can make your ceremony that much more perfect. We aren't a religious couple, so we wanted a wonderful storyteller. And that's what Chris is: wonderful. He's thoughtful and engaging. He helped a stressed, control freak bride seamlessly coordinate with the venue and the DJ without lifting a finger.
I had SO many people comment to us afterwards how great the ceremony was and how great Chris was. I even had one guest say, "At a wedding ceremony, you usually want it to end quickly. But I didn't want him to stop talking!" If you're thinking about using Chris: pull the trigger and just do it. You will NOT regret it.
Photography by Sherri Barber -
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![erin]()
Erin Sent on 06/07/201910/10 Would Get Married Again Just to Have Chris Officiate It
Chris was absolutely fantastic. He worked with us through several drafts of the ceremony and offered quite a few suggestions to really make it pop. During the actual ceremony we had some weather difficulties, but Chris was able to improv on the fly and delivered a wonderful show. He’s witty, funny, and easy to work with. We are still receiving comments from our wedding guests about how much they loved him. Could not recommend him enough. -
![Cristina]()
Cristina Sent on 03/02/2019Hire him - don't look anywhere else!
Where to begin?! My husband and I are so thrilled that we went with Christopher. We did the option where we gave him information and he wrote a unique ceremony for us. It was a wonderful experience. We answered several questions separately and then some together that Chris sent along (it was actually really fun to look back on memories & reminisce), and then Chris went on to formulate a wonderful speech and ceremony like a play. There were some unique things we wanted to do during the ceremony as well and he was very open to it. We told him we wanted it to be slightly funny/entertaining but heartfelt at the same time (while not being too long) and that's EXACTLY WHAT HE DID. HE HIT IT RIGHT ON THE HEAD. We pretty much told him what we wanted and he delivered extremely well. It couldn't have been more perfect. All of our guests kept telling us how much they enjoyed the ceremony, it was crazy.
There was a point in time I was worried about it and he was willing to meet us in the city a few days before the ceremony to make sure all was in order, make us feel comfortable, and he gave us helpful advice and suggestions. It was just a wonderful magical ceremony and experience all around. Wouldn't change one thing.
Piece of advice to brides + grooms - do the ceremony that YOU want, not what your family wants. -
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![Juztina]()
Juztina Sent on 01/24/2019Best ceremony ever
First, we want to say HUGE thank you to Chris because honestly our wedding wouldn’t have been as perfect if he wasn’t there to officiate, so THANK YOU CHRIS!
Honestly, we are endlessly grateful for how amazing before and during the wedding Chris was. When we met him, it was like meeting up with an old friend. We hit it off, were making jokes and just knew he was perfect for our wedding. Chris’ questionnaire was fun and interesting to fill out, and even more fun to go over together as a couple after we each individually filled it out. We also appreciated Chris for helping us out with our vows, he was able to seemingly help us make sure both of our vows were both perfection. And even though we read our ceremony through together before, Chris presented it in such a throughout, fun manner that we still laughed and cried like we heard it for the first time. We knew from the beginning how amazing Chris was, but seriously BEST CEREMONY EVER! Not only do we think that, but all of our guests thought so as well. People even came up and said if they could do their wedding over again, they would do like ours...aka having Chris. We would recommend Chris ten times over. Trust us if you want the best ceremony ever look no further.
Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Thank you Juztina! You know I love you both. I had so much fun getting to know you. I love that we were able to meet up more than once - even though we really didn't have any pressing business to attend to - we just felt like meeting up! Love it. You guys are the best. Be good to each other. -
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![Annie]()
Annie Sent on 01/03/2019Hire him now - perfect ceremony
I have nothing but good things to say about Chris and his work. I was so hesitant to book a stranger off the internet to perform in such an intimate part of our lives. However, after meeting Chris and seeing the first draft of our ceremony all my worries went away! He knocked it out of the park! I first found Chris here on the Knot and then did a youtube search of him -where there is a whole ceremony he performed - I fell in love! It's like he knew that couple! Our ceremony was so personable and so us. We opted to write our own vows and Chris helped edit them- he didn't change anything we wanted to say but instead helped with grammar. At the rehearsal I even told Chris I wasn't quite sure my vows were complete and he emailed me later that day willing to help and even found me before I walked down the aisle to make sure I was happy with my vows (I was - those dang nerves got the best of me)! At the reception, our guests kept coming up to us telling us it was the best ceremony they have ever been to. At the end of the night I looked at my husband and said, uh we totally forgot to give Chris the marriage license to sign- when we went to our day of coordinator she told us Chris signed it and took it with him to send out so we didn't have to worry about it. The very next day he even text us to let us know he sent it. I cannot say enough good things about Chris and his work! THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR WEDDING ONE TO REMEMBER.Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Thank you Annie! I loved working with you and Alec. It's always an honor when a couple makes a point of prioritizing the ceremony to the point that they hire the officiant over a year before the wedding. That means it is as important to you as it is to me! Thank you for letting me be a part of your big day. It was my pleasure. Happy New Year! -
![Amanda]()
Amanda Sent on 10/25/2018Best Ceremony Ever is true!
From our very first conversation I knew Chris was my guy. He was thoughtful and funny about the answers we gave to his questionnaire, changed things around when I asked for a few changes, and worked to combine the traditional elements my husband wanted with the non traditional elements I hoped for, including the priest's marriage speech from The Princess Bride, complete with lisp and everything! He took the time to make me laugh and ease my nerves when I was freaking out. He was patient when I was late getting updates to him. He was just all around exactly what I needed from an officiant. I never worried about how the ceremony would turn out because I knew it was in the right hands. I wanted a funny, heartwarming, and personal ceremony and that's exactly what Chris gave me. Every single person at my wedding commented about how funny Chris was, how awesome it was for everything to be so specific to me and my husband's personalities and quirks, and how much they genuinely enjoyed the whole experience. I 100% understand why Chris' book is called Best Ceremony Ever because that's exactly what he delivered for me and my husband, the very best ceremony ever. 12/10, without hesitation I recommend Chris as an officiant and all around good guy! -
![foodmanandwife]()
Claire Sent on 03/17/2018Christopher is extraordinary! We didn't really know what we wanted in an officiant but from our first phone call we knew he would set the perfect tone for our wedding day...and he did not disappoint! His questionnaire allowed us to tell our story in our own voices and really take some time to reflect on how special the wedding experience really is. The ease of the whole process was a treat in an otherwise pretty stressful period leading up to the wedding.
Christopher has an amazing ability to connect with everyone in the room. Countless guests told me how much they loved our ceremony: "Best ceremony ever!" "He was so funny and so thoughtful!" "Really special and personal".
We would absolutely recommend Christopher!
Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Claire, thank you so much for this amazing review!!! I loved officiating your wedding. How did you find so many great people to all be in the same room? Thank you for hiring me! -
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![Kayla]()
Kayla Sent on 10/17/2017I was left without an officiant after ours backed out at the very last minute (12 days until our wedding)... and they went above and beyond to help us find someone else, and also to arrange their schedule to try to themselves.
What amazing people! -
![Katie]()
Katie Sent on 07/13/2017We first had an hour phone conversation with Chris, and then decided it was best to meet him in person. After meeting with with Chris, we knew he was the one we wanted to marry us. Chris was very personal, professional and extremely easy to work with. He asked us to fill out a questionnaire about a month or so before our wedding. He then gave us a draft of our ceremony- which was so perfect and fitting we barely had to make any changes. Our guests were truly floored by Chris- they loved our ceremony, and really loved Chris. Thank you for making our wedding ceremony so perfectly about us. Do yourself the favor, stop looking and hire him now for your wedding! :)Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley's reply:
Thank you Katie!!! I really appreciate it. You were both a dream to work with.
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