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Ceremonies and Celebrations Reviews

Ceremonies and Celebrations

Ceremonies and Celebrations

Oakland, CA
5.0 out of 5 rating, 59 Reviews
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Reviews

5.0 out of 5 rating
59 Reviews
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100% Recommended by couples

Awards

59
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2011 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2010 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2009 Winner
  • Sophie
    Sophie T. Sent on 08/19/2023
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    Thank you, Irene!

    Irene is warm, organized, punctual, enthusiastic, and creative. She was a joy to work with! We had an initial meet-and-greet meeting with her over Zoom so she could learn what we were looking for in a ceremony, then we filled out a detailed questionnaire so she could learn more about us. She weaved our questionnaire answers together to write our love story, which was a significant part of the ceremony. She also gave us advice about writing our own vows, and gave us a few options to choose from for the ring exchange portion. She was wonderful to collaborate with and was always responsive to our questions via email, and she was happy to incorporate some edits after we reviewed the ceremony draft. The final ceremony she crafted was lighthearted, joyful, and deeply meaningful. We also appreciated how she checked in with us right before the ceremony to see how we were doing. Thank you so much, Irene!
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    Anjali K. Sent on 01/14/2024
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    Irene is the best!

    Irene was a wonderful officiant for our May 2023 wedding. She was warm throughout the process and tailored the ceremony to our wishes. We could not recommend Irene enough!

    Ceremonies and Celebrations's reply:

    Thanks so much, Anjali. It was great working with you and Prasheel. I appreciated receiving the photos you sent. Fun reliving memories of your special day.
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    Kimberly C. Sent on 11/06/2019
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    Wonderful officiant!

    We cannot thank Irene enough for her role as officiant at our wedding. She has a gracious, welcoming presence, wrote a beautiful ceremony, and included special requests into our ceremony---from suggested readings (which was a bit challenging as we did not want one that sounded too "Hallmark-like")---to the invitation to hug your neighbor during the ceremony---since this was the first time that our families were meeting. We recommend her highly and feel so lucky she was available to perform our ceremony. Thank you, Irene!

    Ceremonies and Celebrations's reply:

    Hi Kim, What a wonderful day! It was truly a memorable wedding-from the perfect weather, to the delightful venue and of course the love exchanged between you and Steve. I enjoyed getting to know you, writing your ceremony and sharing resources. Wishing you much happiness in the years ahead. Will be sending your keepsake this week. Warmest Regards, Irene
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  • Yuan
    Yuan Sent on 04/15/2019
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    Excellent officiant!

    Irene was a wonderful officiant for our secular wedding. She had a wealth of suggested rituals and readings and got to know us through an extensive survey. She wrote a beautiful ceremony and helped us rehearse all the little details from walking down the aisle to practicing putting rings on. Our guests really enjoyed her balance of grace and humor!

    Ceremonies and Celebrations's reply:

    Hi Yuan and Steve, Thanks so much for your thoughtful words. Your wedding was a joyful celebration of your love. I appreciate being part of your story and lives at this precious time. I had several delightful interchanges with your father, Steve's mother and your long time friend, Praneetha. I'll be sending your keepsake ceremony later this week.
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    Lisa M. Sent on 12/10/2018
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    Everything we could have wanted and more!

    Words can’t express how THANKFUL we were to have Irene and the beyond amazing job she did on our wedding day. Every single little touch and detail made it magical and it was because of the beautiful ceremony. She was always available to answer all our questions, and full of ideas for our ceremony which made it personal to us as a couple. Orlando, Ophelia and I thank her from the bottom of our hearts ❤️❤️.
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    Anthony Sent on 02/07/2018
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    Irene was a complete contribution to our wedding----- Truly blessed to have found her. While she has many options to choose from the type of ceremony one may want, she made it simple, easy and stress-free.
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    Evelyn Sent on 01/03/2018
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    Irene, is by far the best! She performed our wedding ceremony at Hotel Vitale in San Francisco & it was amazing!She is so confidence at what she does & definetly has a passion for it. I'm so glad we found her. Her professionalism is outstanding!I would recommend her services to my friends or family members who would love to get in the future. Thank you Irene your the best!

    Ceremonies and Celebrations's reply:

    Thanks Evelyn. It was a pleasure to share your wedding evening at Hotel Vitale's scenic venue. Wishing you and Michael wonderful adventures and much happiness in your years ahead.
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    Spencer Sent on 01/18/2018
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    Irene was wonderful to work with. She sent a page of questions that we filled out and returned, and was able to craft a lovely ceremony that was about our relationship and our journey to the altar. We met prior to the wedding and she was able to guide our rehearsal practice just with the notes she gave us. She knows what she is doing and does a great job. We both highly recommend Irene. She's a very calming personality during the often chaotic process of arranging a wedding.

    Ceremonies and Celebrations's reply:

    Thanks Spencer and Adriana. I loved crafting your love story and ceremony. You each reflected beautifully on the depth of your relationship. Given that you are a writer, your response was particularly gratifying. I'm grateful to have been a part of your special day.
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    Hilda Sent on 01/01/2018
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    Irene was our favorite vendor during our wedding planning process. She was personal, warm and super efficient. We contacted multiple potential officiants in the beginning, but she was the only one who gave us the comprehensive details of how her approach would be. We knew she would be the one even before speaking to her. During our first phone conversation, we shared how we envisioned our wedding; she was a good listener and took a lot of notes. She sent us a questionnaire to get to know us better following our conversation. Next thing we know she wrote a beautiful personal story of us along with multiple versions of vows for us to choose. We also met her in person to rehearse what we need to do in the wedding. The rehearsal really helped us to get grips of what were the logistics, so we could fully embrace the emotions and joys during our ceremony. We don’t think our ceremony would be so warm, personal and touching without Irene.

    Hilda and Bob

    Ceremonies and Celebrations's reply:

    Thanks so much Hilda and Bob. It was great to learn what was particularly helpful to you in your planning. I have fond memories of your wedding day including your young nephew's dramatic entrance. However, he did not upstage you as you were the shining stars! All the best, Irene
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    Marissa Sent on 06/07/2017
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    Irene was the officiant for our wedding at San Francisco City Hall last month and came recommended by a friend of ours. The whole process was so easy and we enjoyed every step with her. She really took the time to get to know us with her questionnaires as well our in-person meeting. We could not have been happier with our wedding day, and that all started with Irene and the ceremony she put together. She made it feel intimate and special which is exactly what we wanted and we will remember her forever! Everyone asked for a copy of the ceremony afterwards because they wanted to be able to read her beautiful words.
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    Diana Sent on 04/24/2017
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    My husband and I were recently married at the Brazilian Room in Tilden Park. Irene is recommended by the venue, and we decided to contact her. We are sure glad we did! After our first conversation with her, we never contacted anyone else.

    We really appreciated how professional and experienced Irene was throughout the entire process and at the wedding. She had many examples of beautiful ceremonies, and we ended up building our ceremony structure from parts of the different examples. She was glad to accommodate any edits, suggestions, and requests -- she really just wanted us to love our ceremony. She had a detailed questionnaire that we filled out, and she used that to write a beautiful personal introduction story for our ceremony that we and our guests absolutely loved. Irene has an amazing speaking style and delivered the ceremony in such a heartfelt way. Many of the guests confessed to tearing up, and when I started crying happy tears, Irene was prepared with a tissue for me.

    We really cannot imagine any part of the process or ceremony going better -- she was a joy to work with and succeeded in making a wonderful, memorable ceremony.

    Ceremonies and Celebrations's reply:

    Thanks, Diana. It was my pleasure to work with you and Shiru. You are a loyal, committed couple. It was gratifying for me to get to know you and write your love story as the focus of your ceremony. Wishing you a lifetime of joy and happiness together.
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    Susie Sent on 08/02/2016
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    My husband and I received so many compliments about our ceremony, calling it "so sweet and personal," "funny," and "very special." We have Irene to thank. I don't think we anticipated how special the actual ceremony would be until we started talking to her. She provided us with resources that helped us customize our ceremony, making it a true reflection of our relationship and values. Irene did an excellent job at retelling our love story, guiding us through our vows, and her calm demeanor helped everyone feel at ease on the big day. I highly recommend working with her and I hope she exceeds your expectations like she did during our wedding.
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    Kim Sent on 05/03/2016
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    I found Irene when I attended a friend's wedding that was wonderfully personal, touching and humorous. I knew that she would be the perfect person to perform my marriage. I was right. Working with her was very easy. She is quite organized and provides many options and suggestions so that you can create a ceremony that fits your own personality and situation. She also provides questionnaires that the bride and groom fill out. She uses this information to write a personal story about the two of you that she tells during the ceremony. She has a calm and relaxed manner which really helps with nerves when you're standing up in front of everyone, but she is also lighthearted and there was quite a bit of laughter which was wonderful. The guests loved the ceremony and listened to every word. Many people told us afterwards, that our wedding ceremony was the best they had ever attended. We have wonderful memories of our day, and Irene was a very big part of that. I would highly recommend her.
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    Chey Sent on 04/18/2016
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    We received a list of officiants from our venue. After receiving a few responses with different officiants and exchanging a few more with Irene. We decided that Irene was the one for us. With 3 weeks left before the weeding we are very happy that Irene decided to be our officiant. Irene was wonderful to work with. We exchanged a few question and answer emails and two weeks before the wedding we met with Irene in person. It was a pleasure talking to Irene and sharing our stories with her. She was very considerate about our background and any religious practices. We received a transcript of the ceremony shortly after and it included the stories we talked about in our meeting. She made it very personal and touching. All of our guests have told us that they throughly enjoyed the ceremony.

    I would highly recommend Irene.
  • User2518571 Sent on 01/26/2016
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    Irene invited me and my husband to rehearse at her place since we were really busy and could not find time to rehearse everything at the church before. She insist that we at least go through everything one time. Moreover, she wrote personal stories based on the questionnaire she sent us and the story is perfect just as touchy and funny as I expect it to be. I have to say it is because of her sense of responsibility and professionalism that everything went smoothly. If you agree with me that officiant is the most important part of anyone's big day then Irene K is the one you can trust.
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    Beverly Sent on 11/02/2015
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    Irene was the perfect officiant for our wedding this past October. Since my fiance and I were living apart at the time, we first "met" her on Skype and her calm and caring demeanor was exactly what we were looking for in an officiant. She sent us some questionnaires to help understand how we met, what our qualities were, etc. We visited her in her home office in Berkeley one month before our wedding and we went over the processional and some other details, and we had a lovely time meeting her in person for the first time.

    With a few weeks to go, she sent us a draft of the ceremony, which we read and thought was beautiful. She also printed out our vows and kept them with her for the ceremony, which was a nice touch! On the day of the wedding she came up and saw us an hour before the ceremony to touch base, which we appreciated. The ceremony went perfectly; she had a loving, warm, and energetic delivery. The ceremony was very celebratory and had just the right amount of emotion and laughter. We were blessed to have had Irene officiate our wedding and we will remember that day fondly for the rest of our lives. Many of our guests had nothing but praises for the way Irene officiated our ceremony.
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    Tracy Sent on 02/29/2016
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    We are pleased to recommend Irene as a wedding officiant. She was our officiant for our wedding in July 2015. Several people commented on how unique and personal our ceremony was and how impressed with Irene they were. She took time to read answers to questions on a questionnaire she sent us before the wedding; she incorporated these answers into the ceremony to give it that personal touch. She was easy to work with while composing and practicing for the ceremony. On the day of, she made the appropriate announcements regarding cell phones and guest participation. She made us laugh, she made us cry; she really helped make our day special.
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    Mariam Sent on 03/17/2015
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    Beautiful ceremony in Levi's Plaza Park in San Francisco. Irene was extremely helpful, very kind and caring. She made us feel very comfortable and made the day less stressful. My husband and I were very happy we chose Irene for our special day. (: Would definitely recommend her!!!!!!
  • User1852327 Sent on 10/08/2014
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    My husband and I were very happy with our decision to choose Irene as our wedding officiant. She was extremely professional and organized. I absolutely loved the personalized story she put together for our ceremony. I cried the first time I read it (happy tears!) I recommend Irene to couples who are looking for that personal touch!
  • User2000600 Sent on 01/07/2015
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    Working with Irene was one of the highlights of our entire wedding planning experience. My husband and I didn't even know where to begin planning our ceremony. Irene guided us through the entire process and was very accommodating with our busy schedules. Her expertise and warm demeanor put us at ease, and the final product was just perfect. Our friends and family have all said how wonderful and moving the ceremony was, especially the personal details she incorporated. I highly recommend Ceremonies and Celebrations!
  • User1994407 Sent on 01/02/2015
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    Immediately after our introductory call we knew Irene was the officiant we wanted for our special day. Living on the opposite coast made it impossible to meet in person so it was a pleasure dealing with Irene who was always so responsive, prepared, and easy to speak with. It was very refreshing to speak with someone who's flexible and more interested in hearing what we wanted rather than having their own established script. She provided many helpful suggestions in writing our vows and ceremony as well. We heard as many wonderful comments about our ceremony than our other wedding festivities.
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    Lindsey Sent on 01/18/2015
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    Irene was the perfect choice for our elopement to San Francisco City Hall. We had to plan everything from England and without all the help from Irene, it could have been very stressful. We had a lot of contact before the big day and we have had contact since and with every email Irene has been very kind and helpful.

    Irene is very warm, and obviously very caring. Her/our ceremony was perfect and we would not have changed a thing. She allowed us to write our own vows, with some help along the way, and we really could not be happier.

    Thank you, Irene, for such a pleasant experience.

    If you're reading this, you must need an officiant - do not hesitate to book Irene, you will not regret your decision.
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    Holly Sent on 08/08/2014
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    When we first spoke with Irene, we knew we wanted her to be our officiant. Irene is so calm and collective. Since our wedding party weren't close by, "rehearsal" was limited to verbal description. But I felt totally comfortable during the ceremony just because of her demeanor. Her words were very thoughtful and engaging with family and guests. We couldn't be happier!
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    Fraser Sent on 01/18/2015
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    My wife and I were married in the Bay Area on July of 2014. Being from Canada, we needed assistance on how to acquire a Marin County marriage certificate, how to commence a civil union and photography advice. I came across Irene’s website in a Google search of “Bay Area Wedding Officiants”. The layout was exceptional and I was able to answer some questions from her detailed site.

    Irene and I then spoke on the phone after I emailed her to inquire on her availability. She was very professional and her response time to my emails was impeccable. Irene also had a number of templates depending on how we wanted to ceremony to go. We chose to go with a non-denominational Civil Union and Irene gave us questionnaires to fill out beforehand to add into the proceedings. The Skype call closer to the date was very useful. It gave my wife and I a better understanding of who would be officiating our wedding and was undoubtedly helpful for Irene as well.

    Irene’s experience as a photographer also allowed her to point us in the direction of a number of photographers whose work she trusted. I was able to get in touch with Liza Head of Juniper Spring who did an exceptional job capturing the precious moments of the day.

    After the wedding, Irene ensured the process of finalizing our Marin County marriage certificate was complete. We have stayed in touch over email and I would absolutely recommend Irene as an officiant. Without her, our wedding day would not have gone a smoothly as it did.
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    Monika Sent on 07/21/2014
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    Irene Kane was our Angel. I can't express how comfortable she makes you feel and the genuine spirit she has. My fiance and I were so blessed to have been married by Irene. We will never forget our ceremony. Her warmth and caring nature shines through as she performs your union in what you will never ever forget. She will leave a lasting mark on your heart as one of the most endearing people you will ever come to know.

    Thank you, Irene, for making my day so special. My husband and I will never forget you.
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