We interviewed several officiants for our wedding but when we found Gerald Fierst we knew we had our star! He came to visit us in person immediately to chat and made us feel very comfortable. Then COVID hit and we had to postpone our wedding. Gerald met with us on FaceTime several times during the quarantine, and listened to our stories. Gerald was very flexible with our changes and went out of his way to make our small intimate gathering a perfect ceremony and wedding. Gerald crafted a beautiful story based on our meetings and incorporated various traditions into one seamless ceremony. Our guests had nothing but praise for Gerald and the beautiful ceremony. Thank you Gerald for helping to give us a day we will never forget, especially during this crazy time the world is going through!
Sent on 06/14/2020
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
So wonderful to help make the day happen amidst all the turmoil and uncertainty of this Covid era. Love conquers all
Katie Diekhaus
· Married on 01/10/2020
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
The Perfect Wedding Ceremony
Gerry did an amazing job, customizing our ceremony to have perfect traditions for both of us and our families. Everyone has given us compliments on how lovely the ceremony was, and we loved the process of planning that part of the evening together, with his guidance and experience helping us structure a beautiful opening to a beautiful night.
Sent on 01/21/2020
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
I love the process too. It is always such a delight to sit and learn how one becomes two- everyone is always different and always filled with laughter and heart. Thank you for including me in your story.
Beverly Allen
· Married on 11/03/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gerry made our ceremony unforgettable!
If you're looking for a fully customized ceremony, Gerry is your guy! He's a civil celebrant, professional story-teller, and author who really knows how to let the couple and their story shine. Some couples aren't looking to spend too much money on the officiant since the ceremony does not typically go beyond 30 mins (for non-religious), but Gerry is worth every cent, and you won't be disappointed! He was equally professional as well as super fun to work with. He is open-minded and creative. To be honest, looking for our wedding officiant was the most challenging out of all of our vendors to find. We weren't looking to have a religious ceremony, but we still wanted an inclusive, serious, but lighthearted atmosphere. We found Gerry online, and after seeing a few of his other clients' wedding ceremony videos, we knew he was someone we had to interview. We had 1 initial 1-hour meeting to get to know each other, and after such a great meeting, we decided we wanted Gerry to officiate our marriage. We scheduled another 2 hour ceremony-crafting session a couple of months before the wedding, where Gerry took answers to some homework (a questionnaire you and your future spouse complete separately) he had given us beforehand, to formulate our unique ceremony. The meeting was more of a brainstorming, ideas-sharing session for Gerry to offer up some creativity, as well as for the couple to describe more in detail what the vision of the ceremony was to be. A few days later, Gerry emailed us the proposed script for our ceremony, which we reviewed and edited. On the day of the wedding, Gerry arrived early to take in the venue's atmosphere, as well as handled gathering signatures of our witnesses for the marriage certificate. We wanted emotional responses (laughter and tears of joy) out of our ceremony, and Gerry helped us acheive exactly that!
Sent on 11/19/2019
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Thanks so much for a wonderful and detailed review Working together was a pleasure for me too. Have a great holiday
Emer Major
· Married on 10/13/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Our dream ceremony!
If you are looking for someone to create and perform a beautiful, personal, heartfelt (and funny!) ceremony, look no further! Working with Gerry was a dream—he is such a pro that he took all the stress out of the process and his suggestions were spot on. He really took the time to learn our story and craft a ceremony that felt just like us, incorporating our adjustments and notes so that in the end we had the most perfect ceremony. So many of our guests commented on how personal and special our ceremony was—and how happy we looked throughout! It’s all a testament to Gerry. He is thoughtful, serene, intelligent and a born storyteller, not to mention his disposition makes you feel as though you’ve been friends for years. We cannot recommend him more highly!
Sent on 11/16/2019
Lauren Stockli
· Married on 10/05/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Everything We Could Have Asked For.. And More!!
When it came time for finding and officiant my husband and I wanted someone who captured our story and connected with us and our guests. Our wedding had 200+ guests, and we wanted it to feel intimate especially during the ceremony. We searched for a while, and when we came across Gerald we knew that we found the perfect person to officiate our special day. We truly said to each other so many times throughout planning and after our wedding how lucky we feel to have found the perfect officiant!
Everything about working with Gerald was enjoyable and stress-free because he is so good at what he does. Gerald's process was comprehensive and he is so approachable we felt extremely comfortable throughout. While we knew we wanted the ceremony to be personalized we appreciated the guidance that Gerald provided in terms of sending a questionnaire to both of us and then helping us talk through the flow of the ceremony when planning the details. We also loved that he sent us his script prior to the wedding in case we wanted to make any edits.
Having Gerald officiate our wedding is something we and the guests will never forget. We had several guests tell us that our wedding was one of the most special weddings they have ever been to because our officiant really captured our story. He was so engaging with his delivery and we had many guests afterwards tell us they hope to use him for upcoming weddings. He made our ceremony exactly what we wanted.
With wedding planning comes so many decisions, but trust me if you have stumbled upon Gerald look no more for your officiant! He will personalize your wedding to be exactly what you and your significant other want and he is truly the BEST!
Sent on 10/22/2019
Susan Golden
· Married on 07/31/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Best Officiant!
Jerry officiated my daughter's wedding this past Sunday. The service was extraordinary, and with Gerry as our celebrant, it exceeded our highest expectations. Gerry brings a special mix of joy, beauty, and serenity to the ceremony. I received so many compliments from friends and family about the service; many said it was the best service they ever witnessed. I highly recommend Gerry to anyone looking for an officiant for their wedding.
Sent on 07/31/2019
Emily Dillon
· Married on 03/30/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Kind & Professional
Gerald was absolutely amazing to work with. We met with him to create our ceremony and he had so many options for us depending on the vibe we wanted. He was also absolutely willing to use any readings we brought in and figured out how to work them into the ceremony. We got exactly what we wanted from him. He showed up early the day of the wedding to go over everything with our bridal party and family involved in the ceremony. Incredibly nice and professional and we highly recommend him!! We received so many compliments on our ceremony and we couldn't be happier.
Sent on 04/01/2019
Samantha
· Married on 03/23/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Unique, heartfelt, & personal ceremony that we (and guests) loved!
The ceremony Gerry created with us was one of a kind and unique to us, and our guests were both moved and impressed by the ceremony. To me, a writer and a romantic, the content of the ceremony was one of my top priorities as a bride and Gerry was instrumental in making the ceremony a beautiful focal point of the wedding-- what the wedding is truly about! We wanted a secular wedding with Jewish cultural elements, and Gerry made that happen! He has a wealth of knowledge on many backgrounds of weddings and many texts to refer to to find the right passages. He made our ceremony truly interactive with "Modern 7 Blessings" where friends popped up at the end to read a blessing to us. This was not only a lovely way to honor friends and family- they were so moved to do it- but also created a fun element of surprise and joy. As the bride and groom, seeing and hearing our friends like that was so meaningful. The process of working with Gerry was great- he sends a questionnaire to each person in the couple and you fill it out separately, and then he uses your exact words with some editing to tell your story in a way that will get to the heart of you as a couple as well as entertain guests. Once he writes the first draft he sends it to you and you are free to work on it and edit it together to get to what you're dreaming of, and Gerry is totally open and flexible to make changes.
On the day of, Gerry has a background in acting and it shows! He knows how to stage the ceremony for the guests to see best and for photos, and his pacing was fantastic. He has a delightful speaking voice. He also officiates the legal aspects before and after the public ceremony and that was done well and with no problems.
Our wedding ceremony was spoken of as so unique and everyone wanted to know where we found him and who he was! Our photographers even added him to their preferred vendors list after the wedding.
If you are looking for a truly heartfelt and full civil ceremony that will be true to you and unique to you as a couple, I cannot recommend Gerry more!
Sent on 07/04/2019
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Thank you so much for your lovely and detailed review- I loved working with you. You capture why I call my work The Heart of the Wedding
Michelle
· Married on 01/20/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Exactly what we were looking for in a ceremony
Gerry made our wedding day ceremony touching, personal, and beautiful. By sending us a few questions to get an understanding of what we want in a ceremony, Gerry was able to work with us to craft the entire it together. He took the time to rehearse with our family and just made us feel relaxed about the whole process. During the ceremony, Gerry spoke meaningfully and with a warm tone. The entire experience was so exactly what we were looking for and I am so happy we chose him for our very special day.
Sent on 01/23/2019
Julie
· Married on 12/15/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
A Great Personalized Ceremony from Gerald
Working with Gerald was effortless. He partnered with us and created a ceremony that felt unique and personalized to our story and taste. He also helped with our logistical questions about filing the marriage license, this can otherwise be overwhelming.
Gerald is a great writer and speaker. He has a comforting presence and his delivery is perfect for an intimate and meaningful ceremony. Many of our wedding guests complemented on how great our ceremony and officiant was.
Sent on 01/16/2019
Jessica Weiss
· Married on 11/03/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Exceptional!
When we first met Gerald we immediately knew he was the officiant for us. His process is very smooth and straightforward, we never worried about how the ceremony would go. When he learned more about us and had a longer session with us, he drafted the most beautiful ceremony, which was light-hearted and very personal to us. Many of our guests commented how beautiful our ceremony was and how much they loved the officiant and his words. We would recommend Gerald, a perfect 10 out of 10.
Sent on 11/13/2018
Christine
· Married on 10/23/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Reliable, warm hearted and absolutely professional
Gerald was very helpful in recommending a great location for us. Also, he as a person was reliable, very uncomplicated and warm-hearted.
We absolutely recommend Gerald´s services and am sure that he will be a valuable part of every wedding ceremony!
Thanks Gerald!
Sent on 10/28/2018
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Thanks so much for the kind words A memorable day! New York is a great place to celebrate. Lovely to help you find the perfect location
Jennifer
· Married on 10/20/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Everything and more.....
Gerald made our wedding ceremony a highlight of the day and had our guests talking about it all night! He created a ceremony that reflected our personalities and it was heartfelt, humorous, uplifting and had our guests actively participating. We met with Gerald twice in the months leading up to the wedding so it was really a collaborative effort and he really took the time to get to know us and write a ceremony that conveyed our love and commitment to each other. He executed it perfectly – just flawless. We were in great hands from start to finish!
Sent on 10/31/2018
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
I love when I hear that guests talk about the ceremony all night That is the point The ceremony, bot the fish, will be remembered!
Hamed
· Married on 08/25/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gerald is amazing. Professional, thoughtful, and organized. He did an amazing job at our wedding. Highly recommend him.
Sent on 09/29/2018
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
It was such a pleasure to share this special weekend with you and Tracey. I wish you all the treasures offered on the sofreh and hope your lives together are showered with sweetness like the sugar that fell upon your canopied heads. I love the Persian images. May they all come to you.
Shuang
· Married on 06/16/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Having Gerald as our officiant is definitely one of the best decisions we made during wedding planning. He is very professional, nice and very important, open minded and creative. We have Harry Potter as our wedding theme and I like the idea of making an Unbreakable Vow. Gerry accepted the idea immediately and even brought out more good ideas such as casting a Patronus Charm with my wand. He finished the draft in a very short time and it came to be very beautiful and exactly what I want. During the last month before wedding, I send him a couple of emails to adjust the details and Gerry always replied in time and was always patient. The ceremony turned out to be very successful, everyone keeps telling me how special and touching it is. Trust me, Gerry can realize whatever you want without a single doubt.
Sent on 06/20/2018
Emily
· Married on 06/03/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gerry was amazing!! It was exactly the ceremony that we wanted- full of love and down to earth. Gerry was open, flexible, and genuine. Our guests said it was the best wedding ceremony they’ve ever been to. One person even told us that it made them believe in love again!
Gerry’s the best!
Sent on 06/25/2018
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
I will quote this- It made them believe in love again- how wonderful!
Joelle
· Married on 06/02/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gerry was great - professional, timely and a good sense of humor
Sent on 06/20/2018
Anna
· Married on 05/20/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gerry went above and beyond to make our day perfect. We met a few weeks before to come up with a personalized and very unique Ceremony. I must say he has a very vast knowledge of different cultures and traditions, which definitely helped in merging our families and the different backgrounds. The day of the wedding we had a quick rehearsal, which made everyone very comfortable with the proceedings. Most of all, however, I believe it was Gerry's personality and way of speaking that just put us all at ease and made the day go by smoothly. Would not hesitate to recommend Gerry to my family and friends in the future.
Sent on 05/28/2018
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Beautiful!
Alice
· Married on 05/18/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
We are so lucky that we found Gerald to be our officiant! We interviewed 10 officiants until we met him, and from that first meet-up, we knew he would be perfect. His demeanor is genuine and enthusiastic, and he commands presence in a subtle and sweet way. Some of our favorite things about working with him were:
1) He is a pro at weaving together a ceremony that is meaningful for each couple. We weren't sure exactly which elements of a ceremony we wanted, but his suggestions captured exactly the feel and vibe we were going for. For example, we wanted to honor my Bulgarian roots by using Orthodox crowns, but in a subtle and not weird way. We were leaning towards nixing it all together until we saw his suggested phrasing and timing, which we loved. I'm so glad that we were able to have this ode to my heritage as part of the ceremony, all thanks to Gerald!
2) He is reliable. Gerald always replied promptly to any emails, he showed up on time for the rehearsal, and he kept our rowdy crowd of bridesmaids and groomsmen in check during the rehearsal.
3) He has a background in the performing arts but doesn't make the ceremony theatrical. He approached the ceremony a bit like a play - e.g., he knew where to stand so as not to block the photos - but kept it down-to-earth and more about us than him.
Sent on 05/24/2018
Jordan
· Married on 05/11/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gerald was an amazing officiant and made our wedding ceremony very very special. From the planning stages by using his expertise on probably every religious and cultural norm, he had fantastic ideas on how to incorporate my brides customs (Persian) with my customs (Catholic) and together we created a wedding plan that tributed and complimented both sides in special ways. After learning about us as a couple (and our chihuahuas) Gerald, being the best storyteller I’ve ever heard, created a story of us. It was light hearted but also deep, funny but also serious, and most importantly it was a true reflection of who we are.
The day of, Gerald was very professional and our guiding light for all things related to the ceremony. On a nyc rooftop where there can be lots of noises, wind, etc Gerald was perfect from his voice projection to his gestures and manorisms, he kept the audience on the edges of their seats and focused that attention onto us. He spoke with eloquence and heart, and touched our family and friends whom are still talking about it months after.
Gerald was an integral part of our special day, and words can’t describe the gratitude we feel. At least not our words, Gerald’s words probably could. Thanks Gerald!
Sent on 06/30/2018
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Thanks for the lovely words and for sharing such a special moment with me.
Michael
· Married on 04/28/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
We hired Gerald to officiate our recent wedding in NYC. He was fantastic from the very beginning! He first chatted with us via Skype for about an hour to get to know us as a couple and to find out what our vision was for our wedding. He was extremely easy to talk to, and it was clear that he had a lot of previous experience. After the initial Skype call, he sent us each a document with questions to fill out in order to find out more about our background as a couple and our preferences for the wedding. With this information he went to work to find pieces to use during the ceremony that fit our personal story. We talked once again via Skype so that he could explain the entire wedding ceremony he had drafted specifically for us. We could not have been any happier with the pieces he found to include in our ceremony. Each one that he reviewed with us was a perfect fit for our relationship. He then sent a word document with the entire ceremony outlined so that we could review and make any changes.
Gerald also came to meet us at the venue the day before the wedding to participate in a walk through. He once again went through the entire ceremony, but this time we were able to practice under his guidance so that we were totally comfortable during the wedding ceremony. We really appreciated him taking the time to come do this with us.
Working with Gerald was an incredibly easy experience. We are so happy that we decided to go with Gerald and could not be happier with the overall process or outcome. We very highly recommend Gerald!
Sent on 05/17/2018
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Thanks for the great review These are the words I want to hear!
J
· Married on 03/24/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gerald was absolutely amazing!
We would like to thank Gerald so much for making our wedding so memorable! My husband and I were already married, but we wanted to have a wedding to share with our family and friends. We wanted to have something fun, meaningful and interactive. Gerald captured just that and more.
Gerald is very responsive and kept in touch via email. He made the whole process seamless. We had our first meeting and he took the time to get to know us as individuals and as a couple. We then had another meeting, where we all collaborated and shared ideas. It was a very open and fun process. I have to say it again, but Gerald takes the time to get to know you, to create a ceremony that is perfect for you.
On the day of, Gerald arrived early and had a quick run down with us and everyone involved on timing and where to stand, etc. He was not just a wedding officiant, but he was like a friend. Things were going off track and I started to feel the stress, until Gerald came in the Bridal Suite. We talked and he helped take my mind off of everything that was going on.
The ceremony was beautiful. He created a ceremony that captured the essence of who my husband and I were. He used our actual words into the ceremony, which made it so much more intimate. All of our guests complimented and talked about how unique and moving our ceremony was throughout the night and days later. They told us that they have never seen a ceremony like ours before. It was a beautiful balance of light hearted laughs, tears and emotions. More importantly, he created a ceremony that had our guests involved and interacting. Our loved ones weren’t just there to watch, but to really be a part of our special day.
We absolutely loved working with Gerald and we highly recommend him! He was friendly, warm, thoughtful, punctual and very open to ideas and collaboration. We are so thankful that he was a part of our big day and cannot thank him enough!
Sent on 04/01/2018
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
You summed up the whole evening as I always try to make it happen. Of course, it all happens because it reflects who you are, what you need and want. Such a pleasure to be a part of your celebration.
Jessica
· Married on 03/17/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gerry was such a pleasure to work with! He was super professional and we got so many compliments on our ceremony. A lot of our friends and family told us that it was literally the best ceremony they’ve seen and they thought Gerry was great. At our initial meetings with him, we got to talk through and create the entire ceremony from beginning to end - we were able to incorporate some unique things such as a statement of love and a wine box. Gerry also incorporated some personal experiences from my and my husbands love story, and our guests especially liked those parts. We would definitely recommend this vendor if you want a unique and personalized ceremony! Our expectations were definitely exceeded on our wedding day! Thanks for being such an important part of our special day =)
Sent on 03/22/2018
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Thank you for including me in your wonderful love story
Jill
· Married on 03/10/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gerald was a perfect fit for our wedding ceremony! He was very flexible about the ceremony script and allowed us to contribute a lot of our personal beliefs and preferences into it. We had a perfect balance of tradition and our own modern twist. Our meetings with him always went very smoothly and he accommodated our busy schedules. He always responded to emails or phone calls promptly. He also made sure he was available for a rehearsal the night before the wedding, which was so helpful for us. We got a lot of positive compliments from our guests about the ceremony and how moving it was. There wasn't a dry eye in the house!
Sent on 03/21/2018
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Thanks for the review It was a pleasure to work with you and share this wonderful time together
Valerie
· Married on 11/11/2017
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Gerry, you provided us with the most touching, sweetest ceremony that was fitting to our personalities!!! You made the process so easy and seamless, and we are so happy with everything!!! Thanks so much for everything!!!
Sent on 12/28/2017
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Sharing the day with you was special for me too. Have a Happy New Year I'm lucky to be a part of such happy stories.
