ldesey's reviews

Mary Jean Valente from A Ceremony of the Heart is by Far the Best Officant you will ever find!
From the very first time we spoke on the phone I knew Mary Jean was the one who could create and perform the perfect ceremony for us. Just listening to the sound of her voice and her loving, gentle way of articulating so clearly what a ceremony is about and how very passionate she is about offering a really meaningful, personal ceremony...it gave me Goosebumps!
Mary Jean takes time with you and explains everything so clearly ...She gave us all the information we needed to feel comfortable, confident and secure that our wedding would be exactly what we wanted. She told us we would have complete control of the ceremony content and that we could choose everything. She then explained that by taking control of the ceremony we would feel more relaxed because we would know what was coming next and so we would actually be able to enjoy it and we did. She is so thorough...She even gave us all the information we needed about getting our license and assured us that it wouldn't take hours but that it was pretty easy and it was.
Mary Jean is so professional and has the highest integrity..she means what she says and keeps her promises..always being on time for meetings and always reliable. She takes time with you and listens to you deeply. I spoke with several others and there was no comparison...Mary Jean, hands down, is superior...she cares about you and makes absolutely sure you have a wedding that is, as she says, "an outer reflection of what is going on inwardly in your hearts"...then she delivers exactly what she promises and more.
As part of her service, Mary Jean creates the processional order and her knowledge of how to do this is unsurpassed as she has years of experience planning and coordinating weddings also. So we chose to have Mary Jean conduct our rehearsal and she was easy to be with and made everyone feel so comfortable..she knew how to relate to our diverse group of family and friends and while I already knew she would be perfect for the ceremony, once again she amazed us with her charm and easy manner.
After the ceremony our guests told us they were amazed at how personal and moving our ceremony was and to this day we still get comments about how beautifully she spoke and delivered the ceremony. They were so complimentary especially about how soothing her voice is and how gracious and elegant her manner is. When she read a poem, she gave it so much meaning...it was truly amazing and she captured and held everyone’s attention.
We have all been to weddings and had our attention drift away to something else, but our guests told us they were so focused on the ceremony because it was unlike anything they had ever seen before. Yes it had all the elements, the “I do's”, the vows, the rings, but Mary Jean helped us bring out the expression of love we had for each other in our own words and our guests recognized this and it brought them to tears.
This was accomplished because Mary Jean offers coaching in The State of Grace Document which we decided to do with her and believe me it was the most valuable and rewarding experience we have had as a couple. It brought us closer together because it helped us learn so much more about each other even though we have been together for four years. Using this tool with Mary Jean helped us write our own personal vows in a way we wouldn't have accomplished before. And, we are going to continue sessions with Mary Jean. You must check this out!!!!
We invited Mary Jean to join us for the reception, she felt so much like family to us and we couldn't imagine our celebration without her. Our family and friends loved spending time with her and found her to be just as wonderful and interesting as we did.
My husband and I will always remember with love and fondness this most extraordinary day and this extraordinary woman who helped us have the ceremony of our dreams and the perfect beginning for our life together as husband and wife. If you are fortunate enough to have her as your officiant, you will know what we mean.
We will forever be grateful and hold Mary Jean in the highest regard. She is truly amazing and the best at what she does. Grace, Dignity, Warmth, Knowledge...Mary Jean has it all and more!!