A Ceremony of the Heart .................. custom designed ceremonies performed with Beauty, Grace and Majesty

where to begin?

well for those bride and grooms out there that need some love, personal attention & just an awesome ceremony that is truly genuine and amazing contact mary jean!

my husband and i had only 3 weeks to plan a wedding & were in greece when his whole family rang and said they were coming to the USA for our wedding..so we hopped back home and pulled it off!

that being , to us the officiant/celebrant was more important to us than the reception, flowers, etc itself, this was the person that was uniting us & guiding us & having us say our promises to each other, it was a huge deal and a huge honor that we didnt want to bestow upon anyone.

we interviewed heaps of people and when we met Mary Jean we felt she was it.

Her warm embrace backed with professionalism and patience was exactly what we needed.

We somehow pulled together a Jewish, Catholic, Italian, Greek Orthodox, Spiritual, Inter-faith, Inter-cultural marriage in only a few drafts a few phone calls and lots of laughs.

Our guests felt they saw something new and really EXPERIENCED & ENJOYED our ceremony, She is amazing and for anyone that wants to feel like the person marrying them is a person that actually cares for them and is not just trying to make a wedding buck, please give Mary Jean a call, if anything youll meet one more magical person out there who really cares.

With much praise and appreciation-
the newlyweds Anna & Nick 10.4.09 xxx

We were married mid-week in a very simple ceremony and very last minute yet Mary Jean Valente with A Ceremony of the Heart created the most personal, intimate and heart warming ceremony...it was such a special time for my husband and me. I think the thing that most impressed us is that Mary Jean has such a genuine passion for this and truly gives so much more than we could have expected. She just radiates love and warmth and a true spiritual energy. When we first spoke with her we felt it, when we met her we could see it in her eyes and hear it in her beautiful voice. When we discussed our ideas, we knew she listened not only with her ears and mind but with her heart and that she cared that our ceremony was, as she says, a reflection of our relationship and of what is in our hearts and the love we have for each other. Many people make promises, Mary Jean lives up to everything she promises and then some...we feel so blessed to have found her. So if you want a ceremony you will treasure and remember, you must call Mary Jean. Thank you MJ, we love you and love what you gave us!!!

Mary Jean is amazing. She really cares about you and personalizes a ceremony like no one else. We had a small intimate wedding with only 50 guests and Mary Jean made everyone feel like they were a part of our ceremony. I think the things I appreciated most were the fact that she is so genuine, finds new ways to personalize your ceremony, and then shows up about 45 minutes early to visit with you help you feel calm and relaxed and works so well with your other vendors. To top it off, her beautiful rich voice and ease made us feel so very comfortable. To this day my friends and family still rave about our ceremony and how much they loved Mary Jean. We will hold this memory fondly forever...Thanks Mary Jean..you are without a doubt the very best.
Dorothy and Jim

Mary Jean played such a significant part in our marriage. From day one, she completely devoted her time, love, and positive energy towards making our day amazing. She is an incredible writer and tailors your ceremony to exactly what you want. She is articulate and calm, and delivered the most incredible ceremony. Every one who attended our wedding told us they had never seen such a special ceremony! Thank you Mary Jean!

Finding a wedding officiant was one the last item on my list of things to do for my very last minute wedding/elopement. My future husband's visa had come through faster than expected so we were rushing around trying to make last minute plans. This is my second marriage so I figured it would be easy to find someone to make it official, since I had done this before, I knew what to expect. Well, Mary Jean blew my expectations away. From the first conversation I had with her over the phone I knew she was perfect officiant for us. We needed someone to help us pull the ceremony into something special. I live in Arizona and at the time my husband was still in England. Through phone calls and emails she was able to pull together a very warm, heart felt, touching, romantic ceremony in only a few days. She helped me with travel tips and gave me some great ideas to help make the day less stressful. She even took the extra time to hand deliver our wedding license to the court so we could get our certified copies sooner for the immigration applications we needed to file. We got our copies in under two weeks! She really went above and beyond for us to make our day a very memorable one.

Thank you so much Mary Jean

Barry and Tricia ~ 9/18/09 Santa Monica, CA

We love Mary Jean!!! And Mary Jean loves her work. Which makes a really big difference when putting together one of the most important events of your life. Throughout the process, Mary Jean put my husband and I at such ease and this continued right through to the ceremony. Her hands on service was priceless, from writing the ceremony together to running our rehearsal to checking in on us after the big day had passed.
We consider Mary Jean a friend and were truly blessed to have her with us on this incredible journey. Mary Jean absolutely conducted A Ceremony of the Heart for us and is the only way to go!!

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!!

Mary Jean Valente officiated our wedding ceremony and the process was a breeze from start to finish. She provided us with ideas for the readings, vows and other parts of the ceremony and guided us to create the perfect ceremony for us. On the day of our wedding, her calm, loving energy was exactly what we wanted from the person who would marry us. I would recommend her to anyone.

Lisa Elia Erickson

It was the night before our wedding date, we were counting on the county to conduct our ceremony, but the universe had other plans. We’d been looking for an officiant on-line, and we came across Mary Jean Valente, what a blessing!!! Mary Jean Officiated our wedding ceremony June 2009. With one nights notice Mary Jean provided love, passion, a personal story, and top-notch attention, as if she’d known us all our lives. Mary Jean exceeded our expectation, from the tone in her voice to the message she delivered; this day could not have been possible without her. Our dream wedding was a perfect way to start our marriage. Mary Jean Valente will continue to be a part of our family as we started our union through her.

Thank You Mary Jean Valente
Much love and appreciation
Justin & Pamela OBrien

We went on a family vacation/wedding to Los Angeles and got married on the beach in Malibu. We could not have picked a better, more thoughtful wedding officiant then Mary Jean from Ceremony of the Heart. From the very first phone call to MJ, Staci knew she was the one we wanted! She was very organized and help us plan every detail of the ceremony including a personal time for us after the ceremony on the beach to read some "love thoughts" we wrote to each other. She even helped us get a photographer that took some awesome photos of us and our family. She was very considerate of this being "our" day and helped us plan things that we hadn't thought of. She allowed us many revisions of the ceremony and added some very personal touches of her own. We could not have imagined the day, ceremony, and beach being so perfect for our wedding day. Without MJ it wouldn't have been as perfect, we couldn't have made a better choice. Do yourself a favor and have her do your ceremony too!!

This is the actual letter I sent to Mary Jean Valente after having the pleasure of her company while she conducted my son's wedding. Do yourself a favor - contact this woman and make a special day PERFECT!

Dearest MaryJean,
This is Kelly DeHaes, Logan Laughlin's mother. My apologies for not writing sooner - I was so involved finishing the school year and then trying to help with the wedding reception we just held yesterday. Nicole also said she knows you've tried to contact her and she feels horrible about not getting back with you. Now that the reception is over, I believe she'll have time to breathe!
I am so delighted the photographer included up close shots of you during the ceremony and the dinner that followed so that everyone at the reception could witness the beauty, both inside and out, of the woman who made my children's wedding so unique, personal, and PERFECT!
Darling, you are a treasure! I cannot express enough how impressed I was with your grace, your warmth, your attention to detail, your care, your charm, your ease and finesse, and how eloquently you maintained the focus upon Logan and Nicole. While that was the way it should have been, you directed everything in such a smooth manner that the spotlight remained upon them without it being obvious.
Nicole is just the perfect match for my darling son and I treasure the day she won his heart. She has a remarkable talent for knowing what is right and she certainly hit the mark with selecting you to perform the most memorable wedding I have ever witnessed! I believe Logan will make Nicole's life as wonderful as she would like and MaryJean, you gave them such a remarkable beginning on this journey - I cannot say thank you enough!
When I first saw Logan after the honeymoon and the beginning of his internship in Kansas City, I could tell there was something a bit different about him. I realized it was that he seemed more grounded, more fulfilled, more content, more satisfied. I can only attribute it to the fact that he has what he wants - to be married to Nicole. Everything else is extra because he has what is most important, his life with her, officially, permanently, forever. You made that possible and I cannot imagine anyone else who could have done that for both of them more perfectly than you.
Please contact any of us if you want/need a referral, testimonial, whatever.
Again, my most heartfelt thanks to you for the pleasure of meeting you, the time spent visiting with you, and for touching the hearts of my darling children. You made my son's life perfect, gave me a new daughter, and made her life perfect, as well. I will love you forever!
Hugs,
Kelly DeHaes

Mary Jean Valente the Wedding Officiant with a Heart and Soul that is Warm, Loving and Brilliant!!! A Ceremony of the Heart is the Best without a doubt! When we married, we had no idea that our ceremony could be so beautiful, spiritual and moving. Our guests listened to the entire ceremony because it was more than the same thing you hear at every ceremony...it was so much of us and what was equally important, we enjoyed every moment. She has a speaking voice that is so calming and beautiful. Mary Jean gave us guidance in a very intuitive and sensitive manner. She also did some coaching with us using The State of Grace Document. This really helped us hone in on what was important to us as individuals and as a couple so when we wrote our vows they were so much more than just nice words. She encouraged us to remember that the vows we wrote would be promises we made in front of witnessess and to realize what that meant...it made the whole ceremony so much more profound for us and our guests. We love what Mary Jean gave us as an officant and as a truly caring human being. We LOVE YOU MJ!!! Thank you for everything. When we have our children we certainly will call on you for our Baby Blessing Ceremonies and in the Future for our Renewal of Vows!!!

Mary Jean Valente was fantastic. We got married at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena and Mary Jean was our officiant. My now-husband and I are both writers and when we were planning the wedding, we knew we wanted to write our own vows, but we didn't know where to start exactly. Also, we didn't know what kind of officiant we wanted, but we were particular about what we didn't want. We didn't want an officiant who had a personal agenda to promote or someone who was attention-needy, or someone who wrote a ceremony that we didn't relate to at all. I feared I would never find the right person. I spoke to a couple of officiants who just somehow weren't the right match. Then I called Mary Jean after seeing her profile on the Here Comes the Guide website. I liked her pictures--I thought she looked kind, and she had a certain sincerity about her. We started talking and I was immediately struck by how articulate, intelligent and thoughtful she was. She wasn't ADD/distracted at all, and she seemed completely dedicated to helping couples execute a ceremony that was custom-tailored to their personalities and beliefs (and she seemed completely able to help you figure out what would be right for you, even if you had no idea what you wanted or where to start!). We met with her and were further impressed by her attention to detail and organized approach to designing a ceremony. My husband and I tend not to be big on planning, but Mary Jean gently kept us on task and provided deadlines that were so helpful. Because of her, we ended up with a ceremony that we loved--it was personal, it reflected thoughts that were important to us, and it was uniquely "us". Mary Jean was gracious and our friends and family loved her. All throughout the process, she was a pleasure to work with. I cannot recommend her highly enough!
Courtney

WEDDING PERFECTION!
Mary Jean Valente is a Bride and Groom's Dream come true!!!! She is sincere, warm, genuinly caring and the most patient person I have ever met! When we were looking for someone to perform our ceremony we were concerned because this would be someone we would entrust one of the most special moments of our lives to and, for all intents and purposes, this person would be a complete stranger. A bit daunting to say the least. Like many people, we did not have a personal minister or rabbi (we are also of different cultures)so we wanted someone who would make us feel comfortable and someone who would take the time toget to know us and understand our needs. Mary Jean spent 3 hours with us when we very first met ...... she took time to just talk to us and make a connection which actually was a lot of fun. Then she asked us about what we wanted in a ceremony let us express our thoughts and ideas. Then we got to see a number of different ceremonies that she has already performed...she has such a variety of ceremonies we knew we would have a wonderful ceremony with her as our officiant. Then, througout the process of creating our ceremony, Mary Jean was professional, creative and so easy and fun to work with. She encouraged us and always had new ideas. Our ceremony was so much more than we ever had hoped it would be. As an officiant in front of our guests, Mary Jean was so elegant, eloquent and totally focused on us and helping us have a beautiful wedding. For someone we had only met a short time before, she seemed to all our guests to be an intimate friend. She even agreed to stay for our reception and everyone who sat with her just loved her.. After the wedding our guests told us how very much they enjoyed our ceremony and how impressed they were with Mary Jean as an officiant and for those who had the good fortune to spend time with her at the reception, what a great person she is. Needless to say, we enthusiastically recommend her without reservation!!!!

Mary Jean brings a magical element to the ceremony -- personal caring! Talk about charisma - She brings her heart and soul to every wedding. You feel as if you are with family. You're more than another client -- you're special, and feel special every step of the way. If you have the jitters, her reassuring, soothing demeanor will calm them. A wedding is one of the most important days of your life -- Spend it with a celebrant who shares in your happiness and makes the day really memorable.
Mary Jean is the real thing!

Mary Jean was everything my fiancee and I could have hoped for and more.

I'm not kidding. I'm not making this up. I'm actually that happy with our wedding and everything Mary Jean brought to the table for us.

We got married on May 31 2009 in Pasadena and she was fantastic in every way.

We wanted to write our own vows and make our wedding as personal as possible and she helped us do that in every way. She helped us with quotes, poems, and moreover through her experience with the weddings she has worked in the past, and through her patience and dignity.

To say that we are happy with how everything went is a huge understatement. Mary Jean helped us to make our wedding ceremony OUR ceremony, rather than a by the book repeat of so many other weddings.

I give her a 200% recommendation because that's what she gave us. She is full of love and understanding and she infuses your ceremony with that energy. We knew after meeting and talking with her for a while that she was the right person for us and I'm glad to say that we were more than absolutely right. She was above and beyond what we could have hoped for, and our wedding was fantastic. I wish you and yours all the best on your big day, and I know no other better tip to give to a bride and groom to be, than to get Mary Jean to be your officiant.

Sincerely,

-Douglas McBride (Married to Laurel McBride May 31 2009

Wedding Coordinator Par Excellence!!!!
Wedding Planning and Coordination can be so stressful and we are so glad we chose Mary Jean Valente at A Ceremony of the Heart to Coordinator and Plan our wedding. She is an expert and made our day a fascinating experience for us and our guests. What I liked most, was the fact that she was a guide, and creative contributor but never a dictator. She has wonderful suggestions for everything and great resources. While guiding us through every aspect of planning our wedding, she still let us make all the decisions and then supported us like the best friend you could ever have. Mary Jean is amazingly flexible....always punctual and never thrown by changes or things that might need to be rearranged or altered. In the calmest way, she just does what needs to be done to move forward. She is a lifesaver, and truly a touchstone when you lose sight of what its all about. Her ethics and integrity are tops and She is tops with us. We loved her and because of her we loved everything about our wedding!!!!

The Most Important Choice!
As soon as my fiance and I were engaged, we started worrying about the ceremony. We wanted our ceremony to honor our families beliefs without compromising what was truly important to us; this can be difficult when you come from an extremely religious background. We had no idea where to begin. We met with Mary Jean and, instantly, what was once the biggest issue, was now the least of our worries. Mary Jean assured us that we could easily create a ceremony that we absolutely loved while making our families comfortable and happy at the same time - and she was absolutely right. We had the best time crafting our ceremony with Mary Jean and, on the day of the wedding, it was the most memorable part - every word meant something special to both of us. After the ceremony, our families and friends raved about our personalized vows and, of course, Mary Jean. Mary Jean loves what she does and it shows - our wedding would not have been as special without her help. We love you Mary Jean - thanks a million times!!!

SPIRITUAL , LOVING, DEPENDABLE, A WOMAN OF HER WORD
Mary Jean Valente at A Ceremony of the Heart is everything she says she is and delivers what she promises. From the very first time we spoke over the phone, I felt such a warm loving presence and a spiritual essence that was evident and yet never preachy. Mary Jean told me why she became an officiant and how much she loves what she does. When we met, it became very clear that she would be our officiant...we cancelled other meetings and let her know immediatly that we wanted her to perform our ceremony. Throughout the process of creating our ceremony and at our rehearsal and our wedding, Mary Jean delivered exactly as she promised. She showed up early, helped us to relax and with her beautiful voice and calming presence made our ceremony memorable and extraordinary to us and all our guests. I have attended many weddings and never before have guests unanimously agreed that this time they felt included, and that Mary Jean let them know that their presence was so very important in creating the atmosphere and setting for the day. Mary Jean has a depth of knowlege and understanding from her own pursuit of spiritual studies...and really knows how to embrace and interact with everyone, regardless of their beliefs. She demonstrated this with our guests who included people of different faiths and beliefs. Her manner is elegant and down to earth at the same time and when she delivers a ceremony, she captures everyone with her subtlety..as she speaks you really feel the emotion behind the words and everyone feels part of what is happening. My husband and I are more than pleased and wish every couple could experience the special magic and the beauty Mary Jean brings to the day. So, if you are looking for someone to perform your ceremony, without a doubt Mary Jean Valente is the very very best!
Posted By: Jamie and Steve

Mary Jean Valente is deeply spiritual, devoted to a life of service and giving. She is an example of integrity and hope for humanity. Any marriage blessed by her wisdom is infused with grace. I highly recommend "A Ceremony of the Heart" for a meaningful wedding event.

What a Gem!! MJ gave my husband and I the most beautiful, warm, heartfelt ceremony, it was so much better than I could have dreamed! We're a very spontaneous couple, so we didn't give Mary Jean a whole lot of time to prepare, but you couldn't tell when our day came! She made it so special and intimate. She was so meticulous and made sure everything was just as we wanted it. And her loving, blessed and joyous demeanor calmed me, and made the whole day so serene and special. Thank you just doesn't say enough Mary Jean!

Amazing! Magnificent! Incredible! I could go on with these words forever and not be able to explain to you how great Mary Jean really is. I didn't expect that with all the preparation and work on the reception we did, that our officiant would be one of the highlights. I'm a construction worker and it's been over 2 years since the wedding and some of my work buddies still comment on how beautiful our wedding was, and it's all because of how well Mary Jean coordinated the ceremony and how magical everything feels when Mary Jean is standing up front conducting the show. If you're looking for someone to marry you, find this woman. Thank you Mary Jean!!

My husband and I married 2 years ago by the Lovely a Compassionate Mary Jean! The entire process from beginning to the day of the event was so special. Mary Jean just makes you feel comfortable as if you've known her forever. She really listens to what you want & offers great suggestions to make your day even more special! My guest are still raving of how special our ceremony was, We give allot of credit to The Wonderful Mary Jean. Ask her about "The State of Grace" sessions that she offers. You'll love them!

Mary Jean is an absolute dream to work with. She is very a loving, patient, generous, organized, highly intelligent and spiritually powerful woman who will create your ceremony with you to make it a very magical and beautiful occasion. Mary Jean was the officiant for our absolutely perfect intimate wedding ceremony two years ago at Leo Carillo State Park, and we very highly recommend her services. We will cherish our wedding day and the experience with MJ forever! You will not be disappointed! Love always MJ! Wendy + Matt

Mary Jean is absolutely amazing. On top of being the most positive and friendly vendor we dealt with, she helped us create a ceremony that was unforgettable. Her approach was truly unique, and she went above and beyond to make sure we had a flawless ceremony. Best of all, she made sure our wedding day was about us, and wasn't looking to steal the show like some others we met with. I absolutely and whole-heartedly recommend Mary Jean to anyone looking for a perfect wedding ceremony. She flat-out rocks!

Mary Jean is wonderful, fantastic, stupendous, amazing and every other discriptive adjective you can throw in. She helped make the most wonderful day of our lives that much more wonderful. She has the greatest ability to bring excitement, innovation and a personal intimacy to every ceremony she touches. She took the time to make sure that we were prepared and were satisfied that everything was as we wanted, she was always there with insight and direction when we reached a creativity block. She is articulate, gracious, extremely polite and above all, very, very, very professional. We asked her to join us at our reception and she blended in with family & friends almost as though she had known us for years. I can't recommend her enough. We were thoroughly happy and were pleased beyond any and all expectations. I highly recommend Mary Jean and A Ceremony of the Heart to anyone looking for a special ceremony and one to be cherished and remembered forever and ever. We love you Mary Jean!

Mary Jean is, without question, the BEST officiant - male or female, in the country. She performs the most magnificent ceremonies I have ever seen. Not only will you enjoy creating your personal ceremony with her, your guests will also love seeing and hearing that creation.

What is truly the most important part of every wedding celebration?
The joining together of two hearts through the wedding ceremony.

Mary Jean, of A Ceremony of the Heart, creates the most incredible wedding ceremonies you will ever hear! Mary Jean’s ceremonies are filled with passion and meaning, and delivered with a sweet, gentle, and loving demeanor.

Mary Jean gently guides couples through the creation of their wedding ceremony customizing it to the couple, not using set template as many other officiants do. Mary Jean works closely with each of her clients providing them with professional and creative options to bring their individual celebration alive!

Call Mary Jean, it will be one of the best calls you make in planning for your big day!

Cheryl Jablow
Social Frog Designs
Wedding & Event Consulting
Custom Correspondence Design

Mary Jean Valente has a gift for uniting a couple with the grace, melody and love of an angel. She dedicates her time, energy and focus on creating and delivering the perfect ceremony to honor the harmonious arrangement of each couple with the right words, emotion and tone for eternal blessings.