Rev. Stephen Stahley Reviews
Reviews
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![Cari]()
Cari Sent on 11/19/2025Rev. Steve Stahley Review
My wedding was such a special day filled with love and unforgettable moments. However, the ceremony was absolutely the very best part. The biggest reason for this, is how well Rev. Steve embodied the moment for my husband and I. He had a way of calming our nerves before, and during, the ceremony. It was very apparent he was comfortable and confident in his work, and he put personal touches in the ceremony that meant so much to us. Definitely recommend working with him. -
![Angela]()
Angela Sent on 10/23/202510/10 Officiant
Steve officiated my husband and I's wedding on June 7, 2025 and he was phenomenal to work with. From the very beginning, he walked through everything with us and made sure we had a clear understanding of all the details. Additionally, he has a very warm and friendly personality, making it an absolute blast to work with him. During and after the wedding, we received many compliments from our guests about Steve as our officiant. I would recommend him to anyone who is looking for a wedding officiant. -
Kim Sent on 05/12/2025
Highly Recommend Rev. Stephen Stahley!
Rev. Stephen Stahley was absolutely wonderful! He made our wedding ceremony at Stone Tower Winery so special and meaningful. His guidance during the preparation process was very helpful, and his delivery of the ceremony was incredible. We especially appreciated his personal touches to the ceremony. He attended our Rehearsal Dinner and introduced himself to everyone prior to our wedding day. We highly recommend Rev. Stephen Stahley to any couple looking for a truly memorable wedding ceremony. -
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![Marley]()
Marley Sent on 12/30/2024Christmas Day in Baltimore
Steve is the absolute BEST. We decided about 20 days prior that we wanted to do a small elopement ceremony in our Baltimore Row home on Christmas Day. Within a week, Steve scheduled a facetime appointment with us to discuss our desires for the ceremony. We are not religious (though Steve is) and for every section of the ceremony, he went over the changes he would make in terminology, asked us if we were comfortable with the wording, and allowed us to make changes. When our wedding day finally arrived, Steve got there an hour and a half early with some food to share (we did an appetizer potluck) and he went over the flow of everything again. Everything started on time and the ceremony was beautiful (we did a unity candle ceremony)! It all took about 25min and then he stayed to explain the paperwork process to us and had some food before leaving for his own Christmas dinner. We couldn't have asked for a better experience and we are so grateful that he took the time out of his holiday to be a part of our big day 🖤 -
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![Teresa]()
Teresa Sent on 11/23/2024Couldn’t have asked for a better ceremony!
Thank you to Rev. Stephen for creating the most perfect ceremony. It was the most special day all thanks to him. He is so easy to get along with, very thoughtful and we truly felt connected with god on our special day. We knew from our first meeting that he had to be our officiant and it was the best choice possible. Everyone at the wedding couldn’t stop complimenting how wonderful Rev. Stephen was and how beautiful the ceremony was. Thank you Rev. Stephen! -
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![Hannah]()
Hannah Sent on 08/05/2024Rev. Stephen Stahley
My husband and I got married back in June 2024. We had heard about Rev. Stephen Stahley through a friend who had him officiate her wedding in 2022. She had nothing but positive things to say. We decided to reach out/book with him and we are so happy we did! One of the best things about working with Rev. Stahley was the communication. We would email back and forth every month leading up to the wedding. We met with Rev. Stahley in-person a few months before the wedding to get to know each other and build rapport. Rev. Stahley has a great personality and makes you feel so comfortable.
Our wedding ceremony was absolutely beautiful! Rev. Stahley gave us the freedom to add any readings/rituals we wanted. He allowed us to really make the ceremony our own.
Rev. Stahley attended our wedding reception and enjoyed having many meaningful conversations with our family members.
We got so many compliments from our guests about him.
Book him now!! You won't regret it! :) -
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Meaghan Sent on 07/18/2024
A Perfect Fit
Stephen was the perfect fit to officiate our wedding and we are so glad to be connected to him. We were feeling like we were at a spiritual crossroads. My husband was previously divorced and we were both raised in the Catholic faith. Stephen brought all of the spirit of the sacrament in a way that felt both inclusive and familiar.
Upon meeting, he took a genuine interest in both of us and wanted to learn about our story and our lives. He has been very supportive and frequently went out of his way to check on us as we led up to the big day. He took care of every detail in certifying our certificate and letting us know what will come next as he walked us through the ceremony. Not only did he make it to our rehearsal in D.C. in person, but he joined us at the rehearsal dinner and wedding reception, speaking with many of our loved ones and getting to know us on a new level. While the ceremony was in the traditional style of a Catholic ceremony, he was very flexible with our preferred readings. He was even such a pro that he knew just when to seamlessly step aside so that we could nail the best photo!
Because he took the time to get to know us, he was able to deliver a more personalized ceremony that didn’t feel forced or unfamiliar, even though we had only met in the months leading up to our wedding.
In the months since the wedding, we have looked back happily on our day and are in adamant agreement that Stephen was such a big part of what made it feel extra special. -
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Adrienne Sent on 10/23/2023
Highly Recommend!!
My husband and I got married in August of 2023. We reached out to Stephen and couldn't be happier with our decision! Stephen was kind, understanding, flexible and helped us through every step of our ceremony. He was helpful and answered any questions we had and was really invested in our story and made our ceremony very personal. We could not recommend him more to those searching for an officiant for your big day! -
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![Lauren]()
Lauren Sent on 10/23/2023Highly Recommend!
We greatly enjoyed working with Rev. Stephen Stahley to officiate our wedding. He was very personable, easy to work with, and attentive - even emailing us each month to check in. We were provided a helpful guide to assist us in choosing our readings and planning out the ceremony but were assured that we could customize it as we wished. We initially were hesitant to write our own vows, but Stephen encouraged us to consider this, as these statements add a personal touch and are moving to the guests. We were so glad that we heeded his advice, as the vows truly added to our ceremony. We received many compliments on Stephen and the ceremony overall. The day of our wedding, Stephen was so warm and comforting, continually reminding us to relax and take deep breaths. His ceremony and prayers were thoughtful and personal. If you didn't know better, you would have thought we've known Stephen for years! Stephen was such a pleasure to work with. Highly recommend! -
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![Jenna]()
Jenna Sent on 09/24/202310000/10 Recommendation
Stephen did an amazing job as our officiant. We had several meetings and he was very amenable to our wants. We got so many compliments from guests about him. Book him now! -
Melissa Sent on 04/24/2023
Highly recommend
We used Stephen as our officiant and I couldn't have been more pleased with our choice. He was accommodating, responsive, and flexible. He worked with us to create our desired ceremony tailored to what we wanted. He was a great presence to have on the date of and it was great getting to know him leading up to the ceremony. I highly recommend Stephen as an officiant! -
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Meghan Sent on 04/21/2023
Highly Recommend !
Reverend Stahley was everything we could have hoped for in a wedding officiant and more. Both my husband and I have a catholic background and he was able to incorporate some of our traditions in our outdoor ceremony. Rev. Stephen was extremely responsive throughout our wedding planning process and we were able to meet with him over zoom and an in person lunch to be able to plan our wedding day. He attended our rehearsal and was able to ease our nerves and answer our questions. His warming presence, professionalism, and demeanor helped to make our wedding ceremony exactly what we dreamed of. Couldn’t recommend Reverend Stephen enough! -
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Jason Sent on 04/13/2023
A professional who cares
Stephen was everything we could have hoped for in an officiant. He was incredibly responsive, understood our needs, and was willing to go the extra mile when it came to being flexible. Most importantly, he clearly understood the importance of the moment and cared about our happiness. He knew our day was about us and he did everything he could to ensure it was executed flawlessly. -
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![Megan]()
Megan Sent on 01/16/2023Amazing All Around!
Rev. Stahley was amazing to work with, from the beginning of the booking process through wedding day. He took the time to meet with us and really get to know us. He helped make our ceremony the perfect mix between traditional and personal, which was exactly what we wanted. We can't recommend him enough! -
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Adrienne Sent on 10/16/2022
Choose Stephen!
We highly recommend Stephen. He met with us prior to the wedding to hear our thoughts, walk us through what a typical ceremony might be and get to know us a bit. Not only did he listen to our ideas but he was happy to accommodate (even when we asked him to help us create a wedding in a different language)!
Stephen also walked us and our parents/bridal party through the ceremony at the rehearsal and answered all questions so that everyone felt comfortable. On the wedding day, his calming presence helped us enjoy the ceremony and we had so many compliments on Stephen’s prayers. We highly recommend! -
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![Thomas]()
Thomas Sent on 10/02/2022Fr. Steve is warm and kind - and LGBT friendly
Fr. Steve is such a kind and friendly person, and was an integral part in making our wedding day perfect. As an LGBT couple, we were looking for someone that is compassionate, open minded, and also willing to perform the sacrament of matrimony during our wedding, and we found all of that with Fr. Steve. He also made the planning process very easy. We received a large Word file with different options for each part of the ceremony, so that we could easily tailor it to our preferences. Also, I should add that we had to plan this wedding in just 1 month, and Fr. Steve was very accommodating to our quick planning process. After the preplanning, all we had to do was show up on our wedding day and he led us through everything. We were so delighted with his ceremony; it is a special moment that I will never forget. I recommend him very highly!! -
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Alexa Sent on 09/18/2022
Stephen was great!
We highly recommend Stephen and so glad we have him as our officiant. He went through questions and met with us before the wedding to make sure we are comfortable with everything. At the wedding day, he helped us rehearse and calmed our mind on the big day and everything went very well. We highly recommend . -
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Shelby Sent on 09/17/2022
Truly can not say enough how much he made our wedding, ours
Rev. Stephen Stahley is one of the kindest, most down to earth man who will make your wedding day exactly what it is meant to be. My husband and I were excited and overjoyed to be planning the final parts of our wedding, but had no idea how to go about the most important part and Rev Stephen Stahley was there for us from the very beginning. He incorporated our daughter, he incorporated my stepfather in a way that I wanted him to know I viewed him as my dad when he gave me away at the alter. He was right there with my husband and I making us feel comfortable and excited for the commitment that we were making to one another. When looking back at our pictures you can see how much care and thought he puts into prayers over us. Ill attach my favorite picture from kur entire wedding album and it was him prayer over us and our marriage. We could not have been more blessed to have had him as our officiant. -
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![Jacqueline]()
Jacqueline Sent on 01/14/2022Perfect in Every Way
Stephan made our ceremony perfect. The moment we met him, we felt cared for and that all our ceremony desires would be made true under his lead. He listened to our ideas and lead us in the best directions when we asked him to do so. He was the perfect blend of leadership and helping to make our vision a reality. He can be as focused on gods word as you want. He felt like family and our families certainly agree. Please look no further for your officiant. Book Stephan now! -
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Ron W. Sent on 11/22/2021
October 2021 wedding in Glenwood, MD
Stephen was a pleasure to work with. He made a point to meet with us early to get to know us and explain the process. He was very flexible in scheduling and followed up frequently by email. Stephen guided us through the rehearsal and ceremony, making us feel very at ease. We highly recommend working with Stephen. -
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![Brendan]()
Brendan Sent on 10/26/2021Sept 2021 - Amazing Officiant
Choosing Stephen to be our officiant at the wedding was one of the best decisions we made! We had some less than stellar communication from other vendors, but Stephen was always in close contact with us, from the Zoom meetings beforehand to guiding us through the rehearsal. We always felt a sense of calm and compassion, he was so genuinely interested in getting to know us as a couple and how we wanted our ceremony to be. We invited him to join us at the rehearsal dinner and wedding reception, everyone there (including us!) said how nice it was getting to know him and having him there as the officiant. 10/10!!! -
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![Joey M.]()
Joey Sent on 09/20/2021We Could Not Have Asked for a Better Officiant
Reverend Stahley met with us multiple times via Zoom before our big day and stayed in touch leading up to the wedding. When it came time for the rehearsal and ceremony, we were already comfortable with him. He provided a sense of calm for my wife and me during a time that can feel overwhelming. He did an amazing job during the ceremony. Our families could not stop raving about him. I highly recommend Reverend Stahley. -
Makenzie Sent on 09/16/2021
April 2021 Wedding
Stephen officiated our April 2021 wedding in Berryville, VA and I would definitely recommend him! He was a very calming presence on the day of and helped make our planning process very smooth. He is responsive and kept in touch throughout the year. He gave us ceremony options and was flexible with our plans. He even sent us a Bible after the ceremony to keep in our new home that we really appreciated. -
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![Kathryn]()
Kathryn Sent on 06/11/2021May 2021 Wedding
Perfect choice of officiant for not only us but our guests! We had multiple people say they loved our officiant! Very easy to work with and definitely one of the stress free parts of our wedding planning :)
Don't plan on getting married again - but if I did, Stephen would be a choice I wouldn't change! -
Hannah Sent on 12/28/2020
Stephen deserves 1,000,000 stars!
Stephen made our wedding and the year plus leading up to the wedding absolutely amazing. He was recommended to us by a friend who said he made their wedding special and they enjoyed getting to know him. That is exactly how we felt. Over the year plus leading up to our wedding we met with Stephen multiple times in person (pre covid) and over zoom multiple times. He was ALWAYS very responsive and reliable. He was flexible, totally ready to travel to central PA for our wedding and always willing to meet us in DC to catch up over coffee. Stephen facilitated conversations that my husband and I didn't realize at the time would help us get to know one another better and grow as a couple. He was even more flexible when we had to completely change our wedding two times within 3 months. He helped us learn more about the scriptures/readings/poems we wanted to incorporate into our ceremony. Stephen guided us through the ceremony itself, ensuring we felt comfortable and it was exactly the way we wanted it. We chose to not have a rehearsal because of covid, but that didn't phase Stephen. He was so adaptable, professional, compassionate and loving that he facilitated an absolutely beautiful ceremony from start to finish.
We clearly cannot say enough great things about Stephen. He made our wedding so special and we couldn't recommend him more!!!! -
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Gussie Sent on 12/20/2020
October 2020 wedding
We are so happy that we found Steve to officiate our October 2020 wedding on the eastern shore of Maryland. He was a comforting presence to have at the wedding and truly made an effort to get to know us and our families prior to officiating our ceremony. He even took time out of his vacation to have lunch with us so that he could get to know us better - he really went above and beyond. I would highly recommend him to anyone. -
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Shawna Sent on 12/16/2020
Perfect Officiant!!
Thank you Stephen Stahley from the bottom of our hearts for being the most amazing officiant. From being so responsive to my first Wedding Wire inquiry in January 2020 (we were looking for a semi-catholic wedding and someone blended family friendly), to getting through a pandemic, to dealing with a large bridal party with all different suggestions, to finding a new venue, to the zoom meeting instead of in person, to the wonderfully lead rehearsal dinner and lastly, the most amazing big day- THANK YOU! I looked forward to the emails received on holidays checking in. I knew you were just as excited about our wedding as we were. Thank you for sticking with us through the stressful times of COVID. We are so grateful that we had a videographer that recorded the entire beautiful ceremony, and have watched it over and over. You remembered all 6 of our children’s names off the top of your head and that was the most impressive. The zoom meeting just before the big day helped us feel as ready as we could be! Thank you for being such a perfect fit for our family. We hope to stay in touch for years to come. -
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![Bee]()
Bee R. Sent on 12/15/2020Amazing !!
Stephen Stahley was incredible! My husband and I were able to have an in person meeting a few months before our wedding and we really appreciated that. Not only did he perform such a beautiful service he was willing to work with us through the crazy Covid Pandemic. He was so understand about our date change. Our guests loved him and the service he performed!! -
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Adrienne Sent on 11/21/2019
Amazing Officiant
Choosing Rev. Stephen Stahley was one of the best vendor choices my husband and I made! Rev. Steve was personable and made sure he got to know us and our story. Our service was perfect in every way. Through out the ceremony Steve would tell my husband and I to breath and relax so that we could enjoy every moment. During the reception, Steve gave a lovely prayer before dinner and he got to know both of our families. I highly recommend Rev. Steve if you want an officiant who will listen to you and give you the ceremony that you have dreamed of! -
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Katie Sent on 11/12/2019
Absolutely perfect!
Rev. Stahley was wonderful to work with. He took the time to keep us at ease during the ceremony as well as helping us prepare for the big day. I can't imagine any way the ceremony any other way! He kept it light with some humor to ease the nerves and everyone was loved the way he made it all feel effortless. Thank-you for everything!
Photo credit: Roman Grinev Photography http://www.romangrinev.com/ -
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![Renea]()
Renea Sent on 11/01/2019Amazing experience
When I found Stephen on weddingwire, I knew I made the right decision of picking him to officiate our wedding. He was such an amazing person. Our wedding was perfect because of him. I would love to recommend him to all my friends. He's the best. -
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![Shannon]()
Shannon Sent on 10/15/2019One of the best decisions we made for our wedding
My family is very Catholic and as most Catholics know you can't get married outside and have it be viewed as legitimate in the Catholic church. I knew I wanted to get married outside but still have elements of a Catholic wedding / a priest do it. I also wanted it to be about 30 minutes instead of a full 60 minute mass :) Father Stephen Stahley became my answer to all of the above - but little did I know he would be SO much more. We had phone calls with a few priests and I knew immediately that Father Stephen was the one for us. He sent me an entire packet in the mail full of example ceremony structures, readings, etc. before we even decided to work with him! It was so extremely thorough and thoughtful and so symbolic of the way he continued to work with us. He is a part of CITI ministries and truly loves officiating weddings and getting to know couples. He is such a kind, warm soul and is so extremely thoughtful. Father Stephen met with my fiance and I multiple times before our wedding to get to know us. We had multiple coffee hangouts and light lunch chats. We even got to see him perform mass for Dignity (Washington DC's LGBTQA community) and at the mass they awarded him with an honor because of how much they love him. It was so truly moving. By the time our wedding came around - he knew so much about my fiance and I that it was like having a true friend marry us. He sent us so many sweet emails the year leading up to our wedding just checking-in, wishing us the best, praying for us, saying hello, etc. He also sent us a modern day Bible that translates the word into modern day meaning as a gift before our big day. He listened to all of our requests for our ceremony and included them all. My family LOVED him. I was pretty nervous about the idea of walking down the aisle and saying our vows in front of hundreds of people but one thing I will always remember is when I got up to the top of the aisle Father Stephen looked at me and he smiled and whispered "breathe". It allowed me to take a breath and really be present in the moment. He made our ceremony the perfect mixture of modern day elements and Catholicism. It was also done in 30 minutes flat which my guests were pumped about since it was so humid outside :) Father Stephen also said a beautiful blessing before our reception as well. If you want someone who truly cares about you as a couple - I can't recommend Father Stephen enough. I know that he is someone who will continue to be in my husband and my lives/hearts for the rest of our marriage. Thank you again for everything, Father Stephen :) -
Margaret Sent on 10/13/2019
A wonderful man!
It was such a privilege to have Stephen officiate our marriage ceremony. This was a second marriage for us and he made our wedding service PERFECT! He was always there for us throughout the entire process - from the first time we met with him as a couple to share our story until the actual wedding. We couldn’t have asked for a better person to marry us!
I met Stephen a little over 5 years ago as he performed my daughter and son in law’s ceremony which was absolutely perfect also. It couldn’t have meant more or been so special to have him again be a part of such an important time in our life! -
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Robbie Sent on 09/06/2019
I would highly recommend Father/Rev Stephen Stahley
I would highly recommend Father/Rev. Stephen Stahley to any bride and groom looking for a very personable, kind, caring, supportive, and professional officiant. We are very happy with the decision we made with having Father/Rev. Stahley officiate our wedding ceremony because he created a very meaningful and special experience for my husband and I. He gave special and gracious remarks to our parents, family, and friends during the ceremony, he was very kind and uplifting to my son/ringbearer, Ryan, and he was very flexible with us adding our personal touch of a sand ceremony. He was very flexible during the prepping processes as we were able to met in person months prior to our ceremony to go over the details of our ceremony, the rehearsal, and he was very accessible/responsive to my emails through out. We are very happy we found an officiant who fulfilled our needs to officiate a ceremony that was religious yet in a waterfront/outdoor setting because we had many guest who attended our wedding that are religious. He was also flexible with doing non-spiritual weddings too. He was very thoughtful as he gave us a book that helped him through the years of his marriage with his wife. He also reached out to us after our wedding with special remarks. Our wedding ceremony was perfect and I would highly recommend Stephen to any bride or groom looking for a special wedding ceremony. -
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Haley Sent on 05/07/2019
Steve is the best!
We are so happy that we met Steve and he was able to officiate our wedding! He was so helpful leading up to our wedding and full of great advise. He was very professional and helped make us feel as calm as possible leading up to the big day. Steve did a great job at officiating the perfect ceremony, exactly how we wanted it. We both highly recommend Steve! -
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Kara Sent on 04/25/2019Such an amazing wedding day!
Father Stahley was so amazing to work with! About 2 1/2 weeks before the wedding we found out we did not get approval for our priest to marry us and we needed to find an officiant fast. We wanted someone who would still be able to perform a modern religious ceremony for us and Father Stahley was perfect. He rearranged his Sunday church service to marry us. We met with him about a week before the wedding to go over everything. He was so easy to talk to and we felt great about our decision and the way everything had fallen into place. He arrived at the venue early on wedding day. He spoke with our older flower girl on where and when to come up for the blessing of the rings. The ceremony was so beautiful and we will remember March 24 for the rest of our lives.
We cannot thank Father Stahley enough for everything he did for us!
Our wedding video with Father Stahley featured during the ceremony
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1096987790484224 -
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Lauren Sent on 02/17/2019
Highest recommendation
Rev. Stephen was incredible! My husband and I are both Catholic and were excited about Stephen's background in Catholicism; especially since we had our wedding outdoors at an old historic mansion. From the first meeting, all leading up to touchbases, and day of communication- Stephen was so great! He made us feel so comfortable and truly connection to the real meaning of our vow exchange. He graciously joined us for dinner during the reception and said a very meaningful grace prior to eating. We couldn't recommend Stephen more to any couple but especially those that are Catholic or would like Catholic elements into their ceremony. Thank you for making our day so special, Rev. Stephen! -
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![Victoria]()
Victoria Sent on 01/28/2019Excellent job. No stress!
Having Stephen as our officiant was the easiest and least stressful part of wedding planning. We had one reading we wanted a family member to read, but otherwise, we said "I don't know traditional, and not overly religious," and he took it from there. He did a great job, and we couldn't have asked for anything better. -
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Summer Sent on 01/10/2019
Comforting, kind, wise
We were so lucky to find Father Steven. My husband being Catholic, it was important to our family that we were married by a priest. However, we were not being married in a church. We found Steven on a website that listed former catholic priests who were now officiating non-denominational weddings. We met several months before the wedding to talk about our relationship, family, faith and our expectations for the ceremony. We felt comfortable with Steven immediately. We left our visit with him without a doubt in our mind that he was the one for us. I could email him whenever I needed to, he was prompt and professional. Day of wedding so many of my family members commented on how much they loved him. He emanates kindness and warmth. He is very experienced and was light and at ease during the entire ceremony. We’re very glad that he was a part of the most important day of our lives, we will never forget him! -
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Kelley Sent on 12/18/2018
REv. Stephen Stahley: A++++
We are so happy that Rev. Stephen Stahley officiated our wedding! We chose to make him a part of our wedding ceremony in 2008, and we have stayed in touch with him with our annual Christmas card which includes updates of our growing family.
Rev. Stephen Stahley guided us through the ceremony planning and was very helpful in making suggestions when we asked. He was also very open to our wishes, so our special day would be unique and memorable. Our ceremony was warm, intimate, and personal--just like we wanted it.
He made our wedding day very special, and I am confident he will make yours perfect as well!
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Rachel Sent on 12/16/2018
Wonderful officiant! Couldn't be happier!
We had a wonderful experience meeting and having Reverend Stahley officiate our wedding. He is kind, compassionate, and incredibly easy to work with. He made time to talk over the phone, meet us in person, and correspond over email to get to know us and personalize the ceremony to us. He's someone that makes you feel like you've known him for your entire life even after only one meeting. His experience made the process easy, and he took care of submitting the paperwork to get our marriage license after the wedding. I strongly recommend having Reverend Stahley officiate your wedding! -
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![Meaghan]()
Meaghan Sent on 11/03/2018Stephen is the perfect officiant for any couple! We can't recommend him highly enough.
We had an absolutely outstanding experience with Stephen as our officiant. He took the time to get to know each of us and at every step of our wedding ceremony planning, he was available and responsive to all of our questions and requests. Our wedding ceremony was so beautiful, heartfelt and deeply spiritual and with Stephen's capacity for creating a sacred and uplifting ceremony, our expectations were exceeded in every way. We highly recommend Stephen as an officiant for any couple of any denomination or faith. He is skilled in tailoring a wedding ceremony to meet your individual needs and requests and brings insight and informed suggestions for those interested in creating their own wedding. We are deeply grateful for his willingness and commitment in supporting our choices and helping carry them out with such compassion and authentic sincerity. -
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Megan Sent on 09/24/2018We are so glad that our paths crossed with Stephen. We wanted to have prayer involved in our ceremony, but didn’t want a traditional church wedding. We met with Stephen a few times prior to the big day and he worked with us to customize the ceremony exactly the way we imagined it. He is a great speaker and our ceremony was a beautiful reflection of us as a couple. His experience made the planning process very easy and we were confident everything would run smoothly. Stephen is very kind and thoughtful, even after the wedding is over. It is clear that he truly loves what he does and gets to know each couple before the big day. We'd highly recommend him.
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Jessica Sent on 09/14/2018Steve Stahley was a fabulous officiant. We didn't know how to prepare for the service, but Steve guided us through our options very carefully. We wanted our ceremony to reflect our personalities, but also to be respectful of my Jewish side of the family and my soon-to-be husband's Catholic side of the family. He helped us bridge the two and guided us through with options so we weren't overwhelmed.
During the actual day of the wedding Steve helped to calm our nerves. He knew just how to lower the tension of the wedding day jitters amongst all the family members. My husband and I have been married for nearly 7 years and our friends and family still talk about how great he was at our wedding. -
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Marc Sent on 08/25/2018We felt so lucky and blessed to find Rev. Stephen. From our first meeting it was apparent that he was interested in our story , and very caring and engaging. My bride planned an outdoor wedding and left it up to me to find an officiant. I was raised Catholic and she Buddhist, so having Rev. Stephen help develop a mostly Catholic type ceremony to please my family and relatives and also a Buddhist blessing delivered by him in English and then in Mongolian by a bridesmaid for her family really came together beautifully. Thank you so much Rev. Stephen.
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Jennifer Sent on 08/22/2018Rev. Stephen Stahley was the perfect officiant for my 2012 beach wedding in Ocean City, NJ. He took the time to get to know my husband and I, to listen to what we wanted our ceremony to be and to offer ideas for adding personal touches to the ceremony. My husband and I were both raised Catholic but are no longer actively religious, though we wanted our ceremony to be more spiritual than religious. Because Stephen has experience as a priest and as a family man, he knew where we were coming from and struck the perfect balance in our ceremony, even pleasing my husband's churchgoing grandmother. Stephen also helped us incorporate my husband's three children from his first marriage (who were 13, 11 and 5 at the time of our wedding) with a special sand ceremony, symbolizing our commitment not only to each other, but to the kids and to being a family, as well. Stephen brought a great deal of warmth and humor to the proceedings, setting the tone for a wonderful day. In fact, when I was having trouble getting my husband's ring on during the ceremony, he said with a laugh, "Well, marriage does take work!" Stephen was a great choice to officiate our wedding, and I highly recommend him to everyone!
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Jill Sent on 08/21/2018Stephen Stahley was amazing and we couldn’t have hoped for a better officiant for our ceremony! As a former priest, he seamlessly balanced the religious elements we were looking for with a progressive ceremony outside of the church. We met about 5-6 months before our ceremony, which provided an opportunity for Steve to learn about us and what we wanted for our ceremony. In the months leading up to the ceremony, he promptly responded to any questions we had and truly listened to what we wanted. By drawing on his prior experiences, he was able to provide input about how to structure the ceremony. In the days leading up to the ceremony, he provided words of comfort and on the day of the ceremony he was there to calm our nerves. He made our families and friends feel welcomed and was the perfect fit for us and the ceremony we envisioned.
We HIGHLY recommend him! -
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Crystal Sent on 08/21/2018I was worried I would find a Catholic priest to officiate my rustic outdoor wedding. Thankfully I found Father Stahley! He is a retired Catholic priest so he was able to grant my wish. I found not only an officiant but a friend in him. From the start I felt comfortable and knew I could go to him with any problems that might arise. Even now, several months after my wedding I know I can reach out to him if need be. Thank you so much Father Stahley for participating in my special day! - Crystal Clark
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Irene Sent on 08/17/2018We highly recommend Stephen Stahley as a wedding officiant. We couldn’t have asked for a better officiant at our wedding. Stephen was easy to talk to and connect with and got to know us after one meeting. He kept the ceremony short but very meaningful and memorable. He made both of our families who traveled a long distance from home feel welcome and included in our ceremony. He even spoke a few words in Spanish, which was a very nice touch. Neither one of us wanted an overly religious ceremony as we were both raised Catholic, but we do not practice. He succeeded in striking the balance we were looking for – spiritual and meaningful but not too religious. Stephen is a really great human being and is really open-minded. We referred him to friends of ours who happened to be a lesbian couple and he officiated their ceremony beautifully as well. We’ve been married for 7 years and Stephen continues to keep in touch with us and wishes us a happy anniversary every year. At this point, we consider him a family friend.
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Kelly Sent on 08/17/2018Perfect is the only word that comes to mind when remembering our officiant, Father Stahley. We were married in my backyard, and I knew I wouldn't be able to have a Catholic priest marry us outside of the church. I was very apprehensive to hire an officiant not affiliated with Catholicism. Coincidentally, my now husband's parents have an old friend who is a former Catholic priest, but left the church to marry a nun! He is part of CITI ministries, which is comprised of a lot of other former Catholic priests who also left the church to pursue marriage, or other reasons. The particular friend of the family was not available on our Wedding date, but he referred us to Father Stahley. Instantly, we were so comfortable with him. We set up a phone call to get to know each other, and we ended up talking for an hour! He checked in with us several times over the months leading up to the wedding, mostly over email since we are located in Vegas. He also shared suggestions on readings, not just only biblical and the normal wedding verses, but passages from books he thought would be more attractive to John and me. He drove an hour up for our rehearsal in Frederick, and sat and talked with my family like we had known him for years. During our rehearsal, he talked us through cues of what he would not only say, but what he would be whispering to us privately to keep us calm during the expected emotions of the following day. I am actually an event planner and formerly did weddings, and non of the officiants I worked with came close to his thoroughness and personal touch. We gave him some free range in the filler parts of the Ceremony, and he just killed it. Some of the things he had to say were so unexpected and just perfect, and again, like he had known us and our families for years. He also gave an impromptu blessing before dinner. We were simply blown away and adore him! You can hear some of his voice over in our video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XwF5xEdGyc.
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Stephanie Sent on 08/14/2018We had a great experience with Rev. Stahley for our June wedding. He was very responsive and made everything much easier for us. We wanted a short but sweet wedding ceremony and he did just that! It was perfect and we highly recommend him!
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Chelsea Sent on 02/06/2015Wow, where do I start? How do I even begin to give this incredible individual the review that he oh so deserves? Reverend Stahley truly made our wedding ceremony, wedding day, and process leading up to the wedding, more special than I could have ever imagined. He is such a warm, engaging individual, and has a way of making everyone around him feel extremely comfortable. His personality and his spirit are impeccable. Reverend Stahley is every great quality that exists. There is no one in this world that I would have rather had as my officiant. I feel so honored and privileged to have met Reverend Stahley. He has a heart of gold! -
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Tony Sent on 09/20/2025Highly Recommend!!!
Steve did a wonderful job of preparing our daughter and son-in-law for their wedding, officiating the ceremony, giving the blessing at the reception, and engaging with all of the guests. Steve’s words and actions truly made the day special for all of us who were part of the wedding. We have received MANY compliments from family and friends about Steve and how wonderful it was having him officiate the wedding. My wife and I have attended many weddings and we can’t recall any other officiant who provided the level of spirituality, consideration, and kindness that Steve did. We highly recommend Steve for anyone who is looking for an officiant who can make their special day even better.
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