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About

Illuminating Ceremonies is my company name: I am a professional wedding officiant based in New York City. I'd like to be the most accessible vendor for you to work with. For every wedding I'm lucky enough to officiate, I create more personal, enjoyable, funny, meaningful, and celebratory ceremonies than most guests have ever seen.

I'm a Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant. I can legalize marriages all around the country. I'm the author of Best. Ceremony. Ever (The Countryman Press/WW Norton). I'm a member of the NY chapter of the National Speakers Association. I have spoken at industry conferences, including Wedding MBA in Las Vegas, WedProCon in Cincinnati, and Midwest DJs Live in Milwaukee.

For four years in a row, I appeared on 'The Rachael Ray Show' on Valentine's Day, officiating ceremonies in front of a massive national audience. In April 2014, I appeared on Joan Rivers' reality show, Joan Knows Best, attending a memorial service for her dog Max. Not many people can say that and have it be true.

Please note: if you reach out to me (and I am asking this on behalf of ALL wedding vendors), PLEASE let me know where and at what time your wedding will take place; thank you!!!

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Frequently asked questions

What is the typical price for your wedding services?

$900

What is the starting price for your wedding services?

$800

Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?

No

What is the starting price for ceremony rehearsals?

$200

What is the starting price for pre-marital counseling (per session)?

$500

What types of weddings and events do you provide services for?

Non-religious
Interfaith
Ceremony Rehearsal
Vow Renewal
Civil Union

What services do you provide?

Premarital Counseling

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Agnostic
Buddhist
Catholic
No Denomination
Pagan
Taoist

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

Less than 30 mins.

In which states are you licensed?

AZ
CO
DC
KY
NJ
NY
OH

What languages do you speak?

French

Reviews of Illuminating Ceremonies/Christopher Shelley

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
5.0 out of 5 rating
5.0 out of 5 rating
110 Reviews
100% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
Juliana
Juliana H. Sent on 09/11/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The 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.
L
Lily L. Sent on 07/03/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Don’t think twice about hiring Chris!!

I cannot say enough amazing things about Chris!! He came super highly recommended by our planner so we felt lucky to be able to book him for our date. From the first meeting, Chris was engaging and fun, yet professional and had a clear process that he explained to us. That process, included questions that dove deep into our relationship and love story and was extremely fun for us to complete. As I look back, his process feels like a super special part of the planning process. Then came wedding day…. Chris was phenomenal!!! The ceremony was so fun and exactly our vibe. He involved our guests the perfect amount and the ceremony felt so special and exactly what we wanted. Multiple guests raved about him, but beyond that, told me they got a chance to talk with him afterwards which I thought was so special that he stayed and engaged with guests. I would rate him more than five stars if I could, book Chris Shelley!!!
Shelby
Shelby S. Sent on 07/02/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The 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!

Professional Network & Endorsements

8 Endorsements
Valerie Coleman, Wedding Officiant and Celebrant Valerie Coleman, Wedding Officiant and Celebrant Wedding Officiants

Christopher is an excellent officiant! He brings his charming, joyful personality to his work and it's evident he gives 100% to every client. There is no such thing as a boring or dry wedding when Christopher is the Officiant!

Colleen Good Ceremonies Colleen Good Ceremonies Wedding Officiants

Christopher is a suburb choice as an officiant for your wedding. I guarantee that you will have a unique and fun wedding ceremony with his creative and lively touch.

Weddings by Larissa Weddings by Larissa Wedding Officiants

Christopher really is illuminating! He is by far the funniest person I know and there won't be a face in the crowd without a smile on their face when Chris performs a ceremony. He is charming, polite and the best listener I know. He will deliver a ceremony that would surely put a smile on even "Aunty Betty that disapproves of this union" face.... Highly recommend.

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