The Heart of the Wedding Reviews
Reviews
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Awards
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Featured
![Saba]()
Saba Sent on 07/14/2025Gerald is amazing!
Gerald officiated our wedding ceremony on July 13, 2025 at the Madison Hotel in New Jersey. He handled everything starting from getting witnesses to sign the certificate to filling it out and mailing it. He also immediately sent us the copies and made sure to instruct us on how to obtain certified copies of the certificate. Not only did Gerald help us make our ceremony hassle-free but he went above and beyond in making sure we were happy and comfortable. Pre-ceremony I was feeling bit anxious but Gerald gave me a little pep talk and made sure that my confidence was back. We had a cultural wedding and had requested Gerald to memorize a sentence in our native language, not only did he memorize it but he absolutely killed it. This all paired with his amazing ceremony script and beautifully said kind words and poems made our ceremony five star. Everyone including us loved it. We recommend Gerald to all our family and friends and to you as well!The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
“იყავით ბედნიერები, დღეს და ყოველთვის”
“Be happy, today and always.” Just as I said at the end of the ceremony!
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![Namma]()
Namma Sent on 01/19/2025Wonderful experience with Gerry!
We are so grateful that Gerry officiated our wedding in Montclair, NJ. He wrote a beautiful speech and braved 30 degree weather in a suit to deliver an incredible experience for us. He was kind, warm, incredibly responsive, and helpful for us. We couldn't recommend him more! -
![Cecily]()
Cecily Sent on 10/29/2024Gerald is the Best !
We couldn’t have asked for a better officiant than Gerald. From the very start, he was responsive, organized, and ensured every detail was handled with care. On our wedding day, he arrived on time and brought such warmth and charisma that our guests were completely charmed. Gerald is a natural storyteller, weaving our love story together in a way that was both moving and memorable. Our ceremony felt incredibly personal and special, thanks to his dedication and thoughtfulness. We highly recommend Gerald for any couple looking for an officiant who genuinely cares and creates an unforgettable experience.The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Thank you so much for the lovely words. Sharing the day with you and Vaughan and your family and friends was special -
![Michael]()
Michael Sent on 10/22/2024Simply the best!
We can not say enough about how awesome it was to work with Gerald and the quality of ceremony. Everyone had rave reviews about how great the ceremony was. His demeanor, professionalism, personal touches, and stories made our ceremony and our wedding days spectacular. Thank you!!!The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Thank you for the review. Sharing with you and Irem
was a delight and the begging of many years of happiness
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![Samantha]()
Samantha Sent on 07/01/2024Thank you, Gerald!!!
Gerald officiating our marriage made the ceremony so special. We loved working with him from first meeting over zoom to the big day. Gerald is so knowledgeable in customs and traditions and was so creative in crafting our ceremony. Hes an excellent story teller, made the process a breeze, and gave us a professional, heartfelt, and unique ceremony that we’ll always cherish. Our guests were raving about it and we couldn’t have been happier. Highly recommend!The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
THnak you for your wonderful praise. It iwas also a special time for me too- to share your wedding celebration with you -
![Reagan]()
Reagan Sent on 05/08/2024BEST officiant!!
To say Gerry was an incredible officiant is an understatement. Choosing him to officiate our wedding was one of the best decisions we made when planning our wedding. From our first conversation, Gerry made us feel comfortable and walked us through the ceremony planning process. He got to know us, listened to our wants and needs and prepared a beautiful ceremony that our friends and family and still raving about. Gerry is a true professional and is a great communicator. Highly recommend him! -
![Melissa]()
Melissa Sent on 11/08/2023Personal and Unique Ceremony
Gerald was an absolute gem! He was patient with my husband and I as we went through this process - my husband having little experience with "western" ceremonies. He helped us built a ceremony that was unique to us and balanced our humour with our love.The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Your words are such a delight for me knowing that your ceremony was a celebration of patience, humor and love! -
![Patrick]()
Patrick Sent on 09/28/2021Outstanding ceremony
Just wanted to reach out to tell you how much our guests loved the ceremony you wrote. We received SO many compliments, and were told repeatedly that our wedding ceremony was the best ceremony many guests had ever seen. And, of course, we absolutely loved our ceremony as well! It was beautiful, authentic, and heartfelt. Thank you so much for working with us. It was just wonderful and will be an incredible memory we will cherish for a lifetime.The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Thank you for your lovely words Always such a special delight to share these wonderful moments and discover the remarkable and unique stories that become the inspiration for a wedding ceremony -
![Vianna]()
Vianna Sent on 08/18/2021A delight!
We were looking for a unique, low-key, personal ceremony, and Gerry gave us exactly that! From our first meeting with him we knew he was the best person to officiate our wedding; he was so easy to talk to, understood exactly what we were looking for, and made the process so simple. We told him we wanted everyone to laugh AND cry, and I think that ended up being true for every one of our guests haha. He wrote a beautiful script based on our initial discussion, and accepted our revisions no questions asked so that our entire ceremony was exactly the way we wanted it. As a bonus, he was really complimentary about the way we had set up our ceremony space and took pictures for his own records--maybe he says that to all the brides, but it sure made me feel good the day of the wedding after all the work that went into it! Many of our guests said it was their favorite wedding ceremony they'd ever attended. Thank you, Gerry!! -
![Dayna]()
Dayna Sent on 11/25/2020Gerry made our rainy Central Park ceremony so magical!
When my husband and I first spoke to Gerry over the phone, we knew this was the person we wanted to officiate our Central Park ceremony! Gerry was personable, charismatic and kind, throughout the entire process, which he ensured was incredibly easy and straight-forward. He wrote a beautiful ceremony and helped us to truly envision our big moment. On our wedding day, it rained A LOT and Gerry was there, early, ready to officiate with a big smile on his face. He handled all of the paperwork so professionally and confirmed with us later that same day when he mailed our marriage license to the court. Gerry really made our ceremony so very special and we are so grateful that we chose him to marry us!The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Rain is good luck on a wedding. It was beautiful, and I will always remember the good cheer of all your friend and family who gathered on the rainy hilltop in Central Park. -
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![Brian]()
Brian Sent on 07/14/2020Great Service Broadcast World Wide
Given the current situation it was touch and go as to whether we would be able to keep our wedding date, but Gerald was with us every step of the way.
Gerald put together a beautiful service after our conversations and meeting with him but when we had to completely change our arrangements, he gave us a new, abbreviated service which was perfect for the day.
We only had 6 people in physical attendance, but another 50 friends and family who joined remotely via Zoom from England, France and around the USA - Everyone commented on what a great job Gerald did and how the service was one of the nicest that they had seen.
We will be having another celebration when some sense of normality returns, and we will be asking Gerald to return and perform the full original ceremony (hopefully with a lot more people physically in attendance)
Gerald helped give us a wonderful day.The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Thanks Bri- I was so happy to be a part of the day. Came home telling everyone what a joy it was to celebrate with you. It will be a memorable day for me too
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![Katie]()
Katie Sent on 01/21/2020The 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.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]()
Beverly Sent on 11/19/2019Gerry 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!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 -
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![Emer]()
Emer Sent on 11/16/2019Our 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! -
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![Susan]()
Susan Sent on 07/31/2019Best 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. -
![Samantha]()
Samantha Sent on 07/04/2019Unique, 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!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 -
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![review_0618wedding]()
E.m. Sent on 06/27/2019Review - Officiant Summer Wedding
We were celebrating our wedding anniversary several days ago and it reminded me to write reviews for my wedding vendors. We were looking for an officiant for our non-religious ceremony for our garden wedding and it was great that we found Gerald. My husband saw this book "The Heart Of The Wedding" and coincidentally he recognized that an image of one of his friends' wedding were on the book. We decided to schedule a meeting with Gerald, and from the first meeting, I know in my gut feel it was the right one. What he prepared and written for officiating our wedding, is something I still reread again and again and always looked back on with fondness. An officiant is not just there to officiate the wedding,.. rather you would want to hire someone who will make the words deeply felt, and memorable, not just for you as bride and groom, but for all the families and friends surrounding you. That was Gerald. He is truly gifted and dedicated in this vocation.The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
So fulfilling to see your review and know that my words last and last and last. I often have friends and family get in touch with me months and even years after someone's wedding to see if I ma available for them. Its the best when you realize the power of words is what the ceremony and the evening is all about. Thanks for thinking of me and for your lovely words. -
![Michelle]()
Michelle Sent on 01/23/2019Exactly 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. -
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![JT2016]()
Toyin Sent on 09/24/2016Gerald did an outstanding job at our wedding ceremony. Many guests came up to us after and told us how beautiful and personable the ceremony was. Gerald was kind, professional and provided us with great ideas. He worked with us to create a great program and gave us an outline and script well in advance of the wedding date. I would definitely recommend Gerald as an officiant. He will make sure your ceremony is memorable and enjoyable for you and your guests. -
![David]()
David Sent on 05/24/2016We are at a loss for words when it comes to Gerald Fierst. It is ironic, because words are his specialty and it is difficult to deal in the currency with which he is an expert. We approached him for our wedding fairly late in the game. Our unique circumstance was that a Jew and an Orthodox Christian were going to be married and we didn’t want to show any favoritism for one side or the other. The previous candidates were too enamored with self-promotion. They missed the essence of our vision. Gerald, however, seemed to understand where we were coming from and even though it was difficult to vocalize what we had in mind, he drew it out of us.
In our first meeting, we sat down with him at his home office and he walked us through the process, got to know us and gave us some ideas to think about. Then, he provided us with a detailed questionnaire to complete, which gave him a better understanding of our past, present and future plans together. We met with him a second time and he proposed a plan for the ceremony. With nearly lightning speed he wrote our entire wedding and we took our time going over it and made some minor modifications to suit our specific needs. The night before the wedding, Gerald attended our rehearsal dinner and walked us, some buzzed and clumsy, through the ceremony.
What really stood out about Gerald was the degree of patience he had at every turn. Despite the fact that we only gave him a six week lead time for the wedding, he never rushed us and he never imposed his vision on us. He simply suggested a variety of ideas from disparate cultures, while explaining their significance and origin. Another really important fact about Gerald that we are compelled to disclose is his voice. He is a professional story teller. At our wedding, he told our story in a way that could only be told by someone with his level of experience and training.
The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
What a wonderful review You tracked every bit of the process, but from my part, I have to add what a pleasure it was to be a part of your wedding and how much fun it was to solve all your problems and make everyone feel included. Can't wait to see the photos -
![Tiffaney]()
Tiffaney Sent on 12/21/2015Gerry was wonderful. Everyone complimented our ceremony and with his help he made it a wonderful transition of both of our religions. I highly recommend him to other brides & grooms! :)The Heart of the Wedding's reply:
Thanks Tiffany- Its was great to be a part of your celebration and to share the love which all your family and friends have for you. -
![Kate]()
Kate Sent on 10/24/2012Gerald made our day so special. The way he took our words and stories and wrote the most beautiful ceremony was amazing. Our guests couldn't stop commenting on how he did such a wonderful job. He had me crying when I first read the ceremony months ago...and he had me crying during the ceremony as well! I would recommend him to ANYONE looking to get married...he made our day amazing :)
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