A CEREMONY of the HEART

My review for Mary Jean Valente is simple. if you are In search of a truly unique, loving, dependable and personable officiant search no further. Mary Jean is your girl! Mary Jean shines in dependability and professionalism. She's gracious, kind and extremely loving.
I Included her at our rehearsal dinner as well as our wedding reception because Mary Jean is so special. Many of my guests approached me after my ceremony with loving words when they spoke of Mary Jean. There are no words that adequately express my gratitude to this truly remarkable woman.
Mary Jean is a One-of-a-kind Gem.

Sincerely, Pamela A

Mary Jean made our ceremony personalized and allowed us to merge both our religions, Mario being Christian, myself being Jewish. She also told us exactly what we needed to know when filing for our marriage license and also went down to the courthouse after our wedding and filed the official documents for us. She helped make our special day memorable.

Mary Jean Valente with 'A Ceremony of the Heart' 323 650-3020

I had a wedding at the andaz penthouse rooftop off sunset and Mary Jean did such an amazing job! Her presence, voice, grace, and energy really made the day special. She was hands on, delivered and help create my dream ceremony; I'm not trying to sound corny but M J really is such an amazing sweetheart with great ideas and guidance for any wedding occasion, she made my life so much easier around my wedding lol. Everyone at the wedding loved M J, but probably not as much as my partner and I.

We were truly blessed to have found such amazing soul to tie our hearts together in front of our family and friends! What a day! We love you M J !!!! Can we relive the day, again?

PS: We also miss you :)

MJ was great! She help me feel less nervous and was very helpful though out the whole process. Thank MJ you are awesome!

We LOVED Mary Jean from the start and our happiness with her just continued to grow. From the very beginning she took the time to really get to know us and we just instantly felt a good connection with her. As she even pointed out, the officiant is the person that is standing up there with you during one of the most important moments of your life - closer to you than any of your family and friends. We were very at ease with her and her passion for what she does and the part she plays in that moment made us enjoy and appreciate our ceremony even more.

In addition, Mary Jean really helps you create a custom ceremony. We had no clue what we wanted other than that we knew we didn't want a basic cookie cutter and traditional ceremony. She provided us with so many ideas and examples on things we could do (like integrating our mothers into the ceremony) and then worked with us line by line to customize a script that was personalized and special to us. During the ceremony, her calming demeanor and warm personality set the perfect tone for what we wanted our wedding to be - intimate, heartfelt and joyous!

I can't thank her enough for making that moment so memorable for us! And to top it all off, Mary Jean creates these little printed out booklets of your entire ceremony so that you can have as a keepsake and re-read over and over again!

Mary Jean is the epitome of someone who has found their calling. She cares about the details and the success of your wedding almost more than you do and her skill and attention to detail allow her to absolutely nail it. My fiance and I were completely stumped in our search for someone to marry us and were skeptical about working with a total stranger. When we first met Mary Jean we had the immediate feeling that we were re-connecting with a mentor and friend from our past. She understood us, respected all of our choices and encouraged us to try to include real truths about ourselves in the ceremony and vows. She has great taste, great insight and a genuine passion that is incredibly endearing. She also knows EVERYTHING about the legal and logistical components of getting married, filing paperwork etc. Several times she answered questions that we didn't even know that we should be asking...sometimes at 1am when we called in a panic.

Bottom line, she's...

Mary Jean was absolutely perfect! My husband and I met a few different officiants close to where we lived and we just weren't "feeling" them. We took a drive out to L.A. and met with Mary Jean. She was so sweet and caring, we both felt like we knew her forever. She wanted to get to know us and learn all about us. She went over everything to make sure the whole marriage license process made sense. She showed us all of her work and made sure to let us know she was open to design a personalized ceremony for us, anything we wanted. Of course we picked her and it was the best decision! She arrived to our wedding early, met with us before the ceremony to calm our nerves, and met with our family and friends. I was very nervous for the ceremony but once it started all that went away, Mary Jean gives off such a calming energy and everyone noticed. After the ceremony all of our family and friends came up to us to tell us how much they loved our ceremony and what a wonderful job Mary Jean did. Both my husband and I were extremely happy with the entire ceremony and we can't thank Mary Jean enough!

Mary Jean is AMAZING. Mary Jean was everything my fiancée and I could have hoped for and more. On our first meeting, she greeted us with a hug and a smile. Her warm embrace with professionalism and patience was exactly what we needed. She guided us through the process from writing our vows to obtaining our marriage license; she truly cared in personalizing our ceremony like no one else. Her beautiful voice and ease made us feel comfortable. Our friends and families rave about our ceremony and how much they loved Mary Jean!

Mary Jean is an amazing person. She is an officiant, but is also like having a wedding coordinator! She gave us a template to create our own personalized ceremony & examples to help inspire us. She also provided an extensive list of readings for us to choose from, or the option to choose our own. I was able to create a ceremony that was exclusively ours. She was EXTREMELY flexible - as we moved the up by 2 months - & we were married on the beach & it was cold & VERY windy. She was ever positive & supportive from the first time we spoke. My husband is very shy and Mary Jean made him feel relaxed and comfortable enough to be himself during the ceremony - we laughed, cried, and had a GREAT time!

A Ceremony of the Heart provided my wife and I with a beautifully customized private renewal ceremony on a gorgeous Malibu beach. It was a very smooth process from beginning to end, which made the day even more enjoyable. Through countless phone and email conversations, for no additional cost, I was able to plan out exactly what I wanted our ceremony to entail. We fully intend to use A Ceremony of the Heart again and will recommend this officiant to everyone!

Mary Jean was absolutely amazing! Beyond her fantastic energy and attention to detail, she went above and beyond on our wedding day to minimize our stress and make it a wonderful experience. If you want to be sure that you will be well taken care of and get what you ask for on your special day - this is your lady. She is fantastic and you will not be sorry!

Well, don't let anybody tell you what you should or shouldn't do with your bride, follow your heart,this is your day. Always relax even @ the most stressful times and last but not least you will be fine. As long as Mary Jane Valente and Michelle are around (smile)

Mary Jean is a wonderful person to consider as you wedding officiant. She takes time to get to know you as a couple. She creates a special moment for the couple without excluding your guests. She takes her work seriously without being overly serious. She was a blessing to our wedding and I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to make their wedding special and personalized to them.

Mary Jean was an amazing person to work with! She has such a warm heart and really has an interest in her couples. She helped my husband and I tailor a unique ceremony that was truly one of a kind. Our ceremony was beautiful and I still receive so many compliments from guests saying that it was the best ceremony they have seen. She also went above and beyond...helping to fix an issue with our marriage license that she had never encountered before. She took care of everything so I didn't need to worry about a thing :) She is professional, organized and just plain fantastic and I would recommend her to anyone!

Mary Jean provided us with wonderful guidance and thoughtful care for our wedding ceremony. She helped us to find the right words when we couldn't put our feelings onto paper. She is a beautiful woman inside and out. Any couple looking for an officiant, be it weddings, funerals, house blessing etc., she is the woman for you.

We had a beautiful wedding ceremony thanks to Mary Jean! Mary Jean walked us through the entire wedding process - from filing paperwork to saying I do. She is very helpful, flexible and easy to work with. Mary Jean gave us tons of ideas as to how to make our ceremony personal and our own and was also a great source of support.

I don't even know where to begin with praising Mary Jean. We found her originally through a search online, and scheduled a meeting with her about a year before our wedding. We knew right away that she was the right one for us. Her voice, her demeanor, the way she made us both feel comfortable, and was open to any type of ceremony we wanted. We worked with her throughout our 15 month engagement, but really had most of our interaction the last few months. These months, as most brides know is the most stressful time of your wedding planning. It's easy to lose focus and concentrate on things that aren't as important in the overall picture. Mary Jean helped me stay focused and had a few heart to heart conversations with me to remind me once again, what the day was really all about. We worked together for days, and over multiple emails to perfect our ceremony. Up until the last week I was making small changes, and she was totally open to any idea that came up. Our wedding guests could not stop praising our officiant after the ceremony. Even our DJ who has done countless ceremonies said that was one of the best he had ever seen. It's funny how on your wedding day, you really miss a lot. You are floating on clouds, and sometimes spinning from the excitement and nerves. Mary Jean was a constant voice of calm, and someone I could look at during the ceremony to stay focused. My fiance and I shed a few tears, and she was so thoughtful to have tissue ready for us. She lead us through the ceremony like a true professional, but with so much passion, I was really blown away. I was sad that the wedding was over, because we loved working with MJ so much. I know after we have our children, she will be a part of any blessing ceremonies that we plan for them.

Awesome officiant - she wrote a specially designed ceremony just for us and was absolutely delightful! I would definitely recommend Mary Jean!

Wow!!! Mary Jean is a gem. She was a more than our officiant and our
"day of" coordinator. She is my therapist and still remains my friend. I don't even know where to begin...

We were lucky enough to find her on wedding wire. Upon our first meeting I could tell that she was truly interested in getting to know us as a couple and individually. Then I read her sample ceremonies and noticed how unique and compelling each of her ceremonies are. We choose her because she her focus is celebrating couples love through their own words and hand picked readings. There is nothing "cookie cutter" about Mary Jean's ceremonies or her services. Our ceremony was amazing! We received high compliments on Mary Jean's delivery, content, and personal touches. Her soothing voice, demeanor and all around professionalism made such a difference to us.

During the process of planning the wedding, Mary Jean became a dear friend. I don't know what I would have done without her. Every time I speak with her, she is never in a rush. She went over the details of my wedding as if it was her own, no stone went unturned with Mary Jean. Her 20+ years of experience in the wedding industry is very apparent. She also has great tips on how to save money guided us on how to be most effective with our budget. On the day of the wedding, she executed everything perfectly. She went up to bat for me when a particular vendor completely failed at everything assigned to him. Due to the size of our wedding, she had 2 other assistants come on board for the day of. Cheryl and Anna were highly professional and effective. I was so touched an pleasantly surprised with how in tune they were with everything. I met them on the day of my wedding, but they handled everything as if they were with me since day 1. Kudos to all 3 of them!

This review cannot justify the importance of the relationship that we built with the person that had the power to make us man and wife. Mary Jean made me feel like I was only bride in the world. I truly don't know what I would have done without her. I would highly suggest her to any bride that desires a ceremony with a personal flair. My only suggestion to brides that do not want others to wear white on the wedding day, Mary Jean wore this beautiful white outfit on our wedding day. It looked very professional and above all, pure. I appreciated the symbolism, however, I didn't like the way it looked in pictures because it clashed with my dress in some angles. It would be too harsh to say this was my only complaint, but it is my only suggestion to brides that would assume that no one else would be wearing white. As you can see form Mary Jean's top ratings, nothing can take away from the quality she brings to any element of the wedding that you choose her to be involved with. I hope you choose her!

Mary Jean Valente not only was my wedding officiant but she was my strength through out the wedding process. Beyond the knowledge she had and gave us she was a calm energy. Mary Jean made me calm, focussed and informed about everything that had to do with the wedding.
My husband and I were so nervous about the ceremony and that all eyes would be on us during this intimate and personal ceremony but, Mary Jean made us feel like we were the only ones there. Even at the wedding reception she became like family and everyone just adored her and felt the comfort we did.
Weddings are so emotional and from the heart that you would want a officiant that will take all your worries and stresses away as Mary Jean did for us.
Thank You Mary Jean we are so happy to have met.
Sofie and Marc Crawford

Mary Jean and Michelle are simply the best. They are heart warming and make every couple feel unique. The ceremony is the most crucial part of planning a wedding because it sets the tone of what you want people to know about the couple. Mary Jean beautifully customizes every ceremony and is always available to discuss any concerns. Initially we thought that Ceremony of the Heart was a little pricey for us but after our ceremony we knew that it was worth every penny! We loved Mary Jean and Michelle who officiated for us. We highly recommend Ceremony of the Heart!

Mary Jean is a very sweet lady. She takes care in preparing a ceremony that is truly special. She gave our family a beautiful ceremony that we will never forget.

Mary Jean was a fantastic officiant! She was supportive, encouraging, enthusiastic, professional and personable. We were very busy with everything else going on with the wedding but Mary Jean made sure that the ceremony itself went off without a hitch. She gave us lots of feedback and she definitely helped make sure that our wedding was memorable not just for us but for everyone who attended.

Mary Jean is like no one we have ever met before! She is the most warm and delightful women and we could not have chosen a more wonderful person to marry us! She was so helpful throughout the entire process and helped us to truly create the ceremony that fit us exactly. We received so many compliments about our ceremony and how much it felt like "us" which was all thanks to Mary Jean's guidance and knowledge! I would highly recommend her to any and everyone because she will make your wedding perfect for you! We love you Mary Jean!! Love, Jason and Kellen Traina (and our sweet little puppy, Stella!)

We absolutely loved Mary Jean! She was warm, caring, and really listened to what we wanted for our ceremony. She has a great sense of humor and a big heart. She was more than we could have asked for! It was wonderful and something we will never forget. She helped us merge several different ceremonies and customs for a unique wedding ceremony. I would recommend her for anyone who is thinking of getting married. Thank you MJ! xoxo

Ambar & Sasha

Our wedding this past April was phenomenal due to Mary Jean's services. She assisted us with creating a beautiful and heartfelt ceremony. Mary Jean has a grounded yet very spiritual presence. She brought such a warmth and confidence to our day. My husband, myself, and our guests were at ease because of Mary Jean's strength and her calming nature. We laughed, we cried, and we felt the magic! Mary Jean has a way of creating a sacred space where everyone feels welcomed. I would definitely recommend Mary Jean to anyone planning to get married! She is also very resourceful and knowledgeable. She was able to suggest beautiful poems to implement into our ceremony. This was very helpful because we were completely lost as to how to proceed, but Mary Jean did not miss a beat. After our first consultation, we knew that the ceremony would proceed with grace and ease, and it did! Our eternal thanks to Mary Jean Valente!

Sincerely, Keith and Deirdre

We had a very challenging environment with our outdoor ceremony. Leora impressed us with how she calmed everyone down, put everyone in their places and created such beautiful moments for us all to enjoy!She guided us through our big day with care, while subtly addressing details we hadn't otherwise known to consider. Her professional demeanor, attentive nature, and sincerity are a true blessing for such a special occasion. She will always be a part of our memories.

With less than one week until our wedding, we were looking everywhere for an officiant. Mary Jean came highly recommended for personalized weddings with limited time frames. Let me just say that having Mary Jean say our ceremony was an absolute treat and an pleasure. Regardless of the short time frame, she met us that night for a consultation and we began customizing our ceremony. She made the whole process painless, guiding us along the way when we needed inspiration, but knowing when to let us be creative. We had two more consultations and the ceremony was finalized. She is an amazing officiant, and I would highly recommend Mary Jean if you want profession customization for your wedding day ceremony.

With Mary Jean as your officiant, you feel as though a friend is performing your ceremony. She takes the time to get to know you as a couple, and then works with you to create a ceremony that reflects your values and tastes. For us, she was an invaluable resource, a wellspring of knowledge. From the first meeting, my now husband and I were thoroughly impressed by her warmth, professionalism, and extensive knowledge. It was evident that she really wanted to create a memorable, customized ceremony. In fact, she checked in with us multiple times before the wedding to address our concerns and she even spoke a bit of Spanish for us! If my husband and I were to get married again, we would look no further than A Ceremony of the Heart.

Last January my boyfriend received orders that he was to be deployed to Afghanistan this summer. We had planned to marry in a year or so, but after hearing of his orders, decided to get married before he left. With time against us, we still wanted a beautiful wedding and had no idea where to start. After calling Ceremony of the Heart, our dream wedding began. They made our experience stress free, organized our plans, and made absolutely perfect suggestions. Our ceremony was tailored sepecifically to us and there wasn't a dry eye in site! Our wedding was planned in 2 weeks and we wouldn't change a thing. Mary Jean became our Angel and made our our day just so special and perfect, we can't thank her enough... xoxo

Much love to her,
Jaime & Paul
2/13/10

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 was absolutely the best! She is wonderful, personal, giving and interested in you as a couple. Her ceremony will always be unique and attentive. We couldn't have been luckier than to have Mary Jean. Her experience yet openness is a fabulous combination. She'll make you feel comfortable and confident. She is a lifetime friend now.
xoxo
Kelly and Eddie

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!

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

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-
Anna & Nick the newlyweds 10.4.09 xxx

Mary Jean was very helpful and gave us a lot of useful information. However, on the day of she was a bit overwhelming. I felt she needed way too much attention at the wrong time.

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!

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

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!!!

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!!

Mary jean was a great addition to our special day, she knew how to get our true feelings out of our minds and into words for our ceremony. She was very professional, flexible and knowlegable in her field. She also helped us turn a painfull death into a beautifull tribute on our special day. We are eternally greatfull for her services. Lisa and Aldo Perez July 18 2009

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

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

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

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

Following is the actual letter I sent to Mary Jean Valente after having the pleasure of meeting her and experiencing her unique, personal, loving approach to 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

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 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!!

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 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!!!!

We had such a hard time finding someone to marry us, and with relatively short notice, and at a distance...but then we found Mary Jean. She was fabulous at taking our vision and shining it up into the perfect ceremony for us. Our guests told us that she really made them feel like they were a part of our wedding, instead of just an audience. We couldn't have asked for better communication and insight into planning the day.

Our officient was great! She offered more than just 'day of' service...she really helped us craft our vows and walked us through the process. I would highly recommend her to anyone that is looking for a more hands on, personal approach.

To put it simply, Mary Jane was the sole factor that made our wedding a success. We were planning a destination wedding with only a couple of friends, but after several family members decided to come, we suddenly had to do something more formal. Mary Jane's unique combination of professionalism and warmth turned our little beach wedding into something unforgettable for all of us. We can't thank her enough!

Mary Jean was the best choice we could have made. She made our wedding even more special than it was. Thanks again Mary Jean.

Mary Jean is a warm and honest person who's a pleasure to talk to and be around! She was very attentive to our needs from our first meeting, and her experience guided us through those parts of wedding-planning we were unfamiliar with (beyond providing officiant services). She's personable, quick to respond to emails and phone calls, and makes you feel as though you're her top priority. We forgot to bring our check for an official copy of our marraige certificate to the ceremony, and Mary Jean graciously offered to mail off the forms for us so that we'd have one less thing to worry about on our wedding day. The service Mary Jean provides is peace of mind and a great time! Thanks, Mary Jean!

Hello to all of you beautiful brides-to-be out there! I'm Terri...a new wife of 2 months as my husband - Reid and I were just married by the amazing Mary Jean on 4/5/08. If the next thing on your checklist is to find an officiant to marry you....look no further...please read my review and the others that came before it and believe what you read! I tend to write a lot..so please bare with me! In the 9 solid months I invested planning all the details of my wedding day as well as researching and booking each of my vendors...I saved finding an officiant for last. It is my belief that this one person holds the biggest responsibility of all the vendors on a wedding day...they help you and your fiance exchange your vows and cross that bridge to become husband and wife. That's a BIG deal in my eyes! And so even though Reid and I didn't have any clear ideas on what kind of ceremony we wanted in the beginning...we knew we had to find not just any officiant, but THE officiant to help us create it. Six months out from my wedding day...I began the search for THE officiant. It didn't take long for me to come across Mary Jean's website at A CEREMONY OF THE HEART. She came highly recommended by Calamigos Ranch where we were married. The words on her website jumped out at me...I got goosebumps..my eyes watered and I thought to myself...this is exactly what I want to experience while I'm standing before the man I love marrying him. Please take a moment to visit her website and read those words and see if they don't do the same thing for you! From beginning to end, Mary Jean was a sincere pleasure to collaborate with on creating a ceremony experience of a lifetime. She went above and beyond anything we could have imagined an officiant contributing before and during the wedding ceremony. She really treated us like we were her first, last and only clients. She pays incredible attention to the ideas, thoughts, wishes, dreams and details that you have or come up with along the way...which is sooo important when your mind is scattered over all the seemingly million-and-one things that you've got to get accomplished while organizing your wedding! Through her guidance, creative suggestions, gracious, warm and loving personality, Reid and I were able to create an incredible ceremony and Mary Jean fine-tuned it to perfection! It was beautiful, unique, full of meaning and of deep love and respect for each other and our families. Mary Jean's voice truly is a soothing and mesmerizing gift and she gave 110% of herself before and on our wedding day. Not only were Reid and I swept away in a moment of time listening to her, but our families, friends and guests were as well. We too were told...'this was the BEST wedding ceremony we've ever seen!'. Mary Jean likes to refer to herself as the conductor of a harmony that already exists between two people in love and her job is to conduct that beautiful music to those who come to enjoy the concert! And she truly is! Please believe me when I say that you will NOT be disappointed if you choose Mary Jean as your officiant. It's true...5 stars are not enough praise to give her. She is that one person who can make all the difference between delivering an 'ok' ceremony and one that allows you to experience that 'invisible magic' that you two deserve to be showered in on your once-in-a-lifetime day! Reid and I had that magical feeling come over us during our wedding. We were calm and ready...not nervous at all. We felt like we were in our own time bubble. We were able to enjoy every moment as we looked into each others eyes, held each others hands and smiled the biggest smiles ever and have that moment of excitement and realization that this is it...it's happening and it's amazing! We couldn't have done it without Mary Jean. She helped us bring out the best in ourselves so that it could be shared through our ceremony...recited with the utmost care and respect by her warm, captivating and beautiful tone of voice. We feel priviledged to have found Mary Jean and honored to call her our officiant and more importantly a friend. She holds a special place in our hearts and those of our families and always will. Good luck in your planning and may you have a beautiful wedding day!

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

Can I give her an extra star? 5 does not seem to be enough. Not only is Mary-Jean a joy to work with, but she helped create a very personal ceremony for me and my husband. We came to her with no idea of how we wanted to arrange the ceremony. Mary-Jean took the time and made the effort to get to know us individually and as a couple. This helped her create a beautiful ceremony that all of our guests commented about. What I heard the most from our guests is " That was the BEST ceremony I have ever seen at a wedding!" Mary-Jean has a special talent and has found her calling. She is a person that my family loves and admires and it was a great honor to have her officiate at or wedding. I would recommend her services to ANYONE looking for an officiant. She is phenominal!

Mary Jean was an absolute joy to work with! From the minute we met her we knew she was the "one." She became an instant friend, a part of our family, and she still is today! We love this warm soul, her positive energy is contagious, and her spirit was definitely felt at our wedding and in our lives.

Mary Jean was a true pleasure to work with --- she was open to all of our ideas and constructive in sharing many of her own. She was free to meet with us as needed and always available by phone or email as our ceremony was developed. I would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone seeking a caring, warm and supportive officiant.

Mary Jean is the most incredibly professional, warm, genuine, thoughtful, loving, and caring officiant to hire for your wedding officiant hands down.
She knowledgeably walked us through our unique vows, location needs, and ceremony from the very first ideas for our planning to our fantastic and very magical wedding day. She has a very deep love for what she does and it shows in every aspect of her work. I will always hold Mary Jean with very high regard as she made my wedding day complete, spiritual, and meaningful. I very highly recommend www.ceremonyoftheheart.com.

We used A Ceremony of the Heart to renew our wedding vows. We were so happy with the way it turned out. Not only did it turn out as special as the day we got married, but we were able to update our vows. The time and effort spent to make sure we were provided with the perfect ceremony just for us was amazing. It was relaxed and personal and more then what we could have expected. If you want your vows to be something more then the vows you hear at every other wedding then use A Ceremony of the Heart....you won't be dissapointed...and you will recommending the wonderful service to others. Good luck on your journey in life and love!

Mary Jean feels like a member of our extended family now. She is, first and foremost, a lovely human being. She took the time to meet us, connect with us, ask smart questions and guide us through writing our vows. She took charge in a very subtle way (which we were grateful for!), and preformed the ceremony with genuine care. We were so fortunate to have had her.

Mary Jean was FANTASTIC. She went over everything with us step by step and helped us put together a really beautiful and personal ceremony. She's so calm and sure that on the big day (in spite of a few hiccups on our part) it wasn't nearly as scary as we thought it might be.

Mary Jean Valente at A Ceremony of the Heart is the Best!!! As our Officiant, she did so much more than we ever expected. From the very first time we spoke on the phone, I felt like she cared about us and I could tell she really loves what she does. When we met, I liked her immediately. She is warm and caring and so very professional. We knew right away she would be perfect for us. Mary Jean is so easy to work with. She helped us create a very special ceremony that incorporated everything we wanted and this wasn't so easy as come from different backgrounds. She let us choose everything in the ceremony and at the same time expertly guided us and offered suggestions and new ideas until we found our perfect ceremony. She did this with such grace and kindness. On the day of our ceremony, she called us in the morning to wish us a Happy Day and reminded us to have something to eat before the ceremony. She arrived well in advance, came to visit with us and then told us that whenever we were ready we would begin. This was one of the things I liked so much about Mary Jean..She never rushed us or made us feel like we needed to hurry, rather her speaking voice and her very presence helped us feel calm and relaxed. At the beginning of our ceremony, Mary Jean took a couple minutes to speak with us privately before we began and even invited us to take a couple deep breaths. We both then totally relaxed and enjoyed the ceremony. Another very unique thing about Mary Jean is that she will say a few words in another language if you have family that does'nt speak English. She had us give her the phoenetic pronounciation and she learned it perfectly...so during the ceremony she welcomed our parents and grandparents personally in their native tongue........this was so sweet and special, it brought tears to the eyes of our family and guests!! Oh yes, and Mary Jean also provided an absolutely beautiful copy of our ceremony.....I was surprised and delighted at how very beautiful it is and we will treasure it always. In conclusion, if you want a personal ceremony, conducted by someone who is not only excellent at what she does, but also cares deeply about you and your wedding, Mary Jean Valente is the one for you! Ellen and Buddy

MaryJean was a wondeful officiant. My then-fiancee and I felt immediately comfortable with her. She was extremely open and responsive to any of our requests. She worked with us very closely to write the ceremony and managed it beautifully. She was also very helpful in calming down my nerves before and during the wedding. My family and friends still mention our wedding as the best they've ever seen, mostly because of our unique and deeply spiritual ceremony. I would highly recommend MaryJean.

We adore Mary Jean! We first met her when we attended a friend's wedding. The moment she began to speak, I knew I wanted her as our officiant. She made our wedding ceremony so special and personal. She was always available to meet with us and her input was invaluable. She made us feel at ease with her expert handling of all the details.
Our wedding was nearly 10 years ago and we are still in contact!

We got married right after 9/11. That made it very difficult to get people to want to fly out from the east and pinning down a date was hard. We finally picked Thanksgiving weekend because people would have some time off to attend - hopefully - even though many had family events scheduled over that holiday weekend. I was trouble finding place to have the wedding, but finally chose the Los Angeles Assistance League near to Western and Sunset Boulevard. It is in an area that no one would ever think to go! The Assistance League building is in a rather run down neighborhood that most people would not go to at night. But, once inside the grounds it is an beautiful oasis in a ghetto! Fantastic catering service that owns and runs the restaurant. There is also a huge private parking lot for all guests! There is a lovely interior garden with a large tree in the center beside the restaurant. Inside the lobby is a beautiful circular staircase around a foyer that is also circular which was perfect for our intimate reception. We had the catering service do everything from food to music to flowers to cake plus setting up the chairs and the tables, working the bar and providing all of the clean up. The 5:30 p. m. ceremony was in the garden with twinkle lights in the tree and all around with a string quartet playing soft classical music. The reception in the foyer area - a perfect size. We gave out throw away cameras to all of the guests to take photos during the entire evening. Those were our wedding photos! I highly recommend the Assistance League to anyone who wants an intimate and beautiful sunset wedding.

The woman who performed the ceremony was Mary Jean Valente who owns A CEREMONY of the HEART. I found her on the internet. When we met with her we knew immediately that she was absolutely perfect. The ceremony she wrote for us was beautiful. Our wedding was not your typical white gown and brides maids wedding, but she knew exactly what to say. We were both in our 50s - so we had a very eclectic, non traditional wedding. Ms. Valente knew just what to do and worked very well with the staff of the catering company. She made sure the wedding ran without a hitch. I highly recommend her to perform the wedding of your dreams . . just as ours was - a day to remember. People told us that it was the best wedding they had ever been to! We still hear those same comments today!

Mr. and Mrs. William T. Powers aka Wendy and Tom Powers

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

As a planner working with quality and trustworthy professionals is key. Working with Mary Jean from A Ceremony of the Heart was not just a pleasure, but an honor. Not only was she one of the best wedding professionals I recommended for this destination wedding, but the ceremony she officiated was SPECTACULAR. Thank you for all your assistance, prompt responses, caring heart, and for being such the wonderful person that you are. My clients were pleased with their beach ceremony, and the guests who were overjoyed with the circle of love you created for them. Thank you and I defnitely recommend you and look forward to working with you.

Jacqueline Vazquez ~ Lifetime Events by Jacqueline

It was such an honor to work alongside Mary of A Ceremony of Heart. It's not often that I work with an officient who goes beyond the call of duty. Her love and attentiveness to each individual couple's wants and personality for their ceremony is completely genuine and thoughtful. She creates personal touches and even thinks beyond the wedding day to add a special touch for each couple. I was blown away with the professionalism as well as love she has for each of her clients. She was a joy to watch and I even overheard many guests commenting on how sweet and special the ceremony was! You will not disappointed in having A Ceremony of the Heart on your wedding team!

A wonderful wedding vendor to work with!

A Ceremony of the Heart is truly "of the heart". Mary Jean Valente is not only professional, but she is sincerely dedicated to crafting each of her ceremonies to suit her couples personality and individual love story. She graces each of her unions with beautifully worded sentiment, smiles and the joyful heart of someone who feels incredibly honored to be a part of such a profound moment. I refer all my couples to her!

Hazelwood Photo

Most couples I meet with planning their wedding all have one thing in common...they want their wedding to be DISTINCTIVE! For this reason, I strongly recommend Mary Jean to anyone desiring a highly personalized wedding. Her services are genuine and her style as an Officiant is especially noteworthy. It is always a pleasure to watch her work, listen to her words and experience her amazing energy!

Mary Jean, of A Ceremony of the Heart, is an amazing wedding officiant! Mary Jean creates breathtaking ceremonies for couples world wide and delivers them with grace and beauty. There is never a dry eye from couples or wedding guests! I have worked with Mary Jean on many weddings and she is a true professional. She works closely with couples, capturing their true identity and uses this information to craft very personal and meaningful celebrations. If you are looking for the best of the best, call Mary Jean today . . . your wedding will be unforgettable!

Maryjean does an awesome job!....I would recommend her to anyone wanting a warm and friendly person to officiate their ceremony

Mary Jean is a gift to the wedding industry. She takes each ceremony and treats it as if it were her own. Her ceremonies are carefully customized to each client giving the ceremony a very unique touch. Her warm and caring personality make her such a pleasure to work with. She would be a wonderful addition to anyone's wedding day!

Mary Jean of A Ceremony of the Heart is a beautiful person and the utmost professional. She captures an intimacy, facilitates the flow of a wedding with subtle ease while attending to details and the overall effect, and exudes a continually positive and supportive spirit. You will love her!

You can trust Mary Jean to supply a ceremony with grace, love and the right dose of spirituality. A true lady and someone you will feel comfortable with is Mary Jean Valente.

We are so lucky to have been able to work with Mary Jean for the past 10 years and expect that she will be a part of many of our events in the future! Mary Jean has a thorough knowledge of all aspects involved in planning a wedding ceremony & reception, but her true gift is creating cusomized and memorable ceremonies for our clients. Wheter you want a traditional or a completely customized ceremony, Mary Jean will make it amazing! Erin @ Calamigos Ranch in Malibu.

Mary Jean is hands-down the best wedding officiant in the country! You will be thrilled with the personal ceremony she creates for you. Your guests will walk away saying yours was the best wedding they have ever attended. Make Mary Jean your number one call! - Stephanie Lairson, Wedding Consultant

I have worked with A CEREMONY of the HEART on several weddings and they gave me free range in order to get the must have shots that a bride and groom expect at their wedding which are the kiss, the ring exchange and their reactions. They are extremely easy to work with and I would highly recommend them to assist you in writing your vows and officiating your wedding.

The great thing about Mary Jean is that she is so warm and loving the ceremony seems like it is being done by an old friend. There is a connection to the couple and a level of caring that cannot be contracted for. That generous spirit sings in my photos and for that I am eternally grateful. I love working with Mary Jean!

Mary Jean is the perfect officiant for your wedding. I have known Mary Jean for over 13 years and she has always been a woman of integrity, light, love and inspiration. Her pure spirit really shines through from her melodious voice. It has a soothing, purposeful, healing intent and tonality. When my time comes to wed, I will fly this gorgeous soul to officiant my wedding wherever it might take place on this globe!

Hire this woman to truly connect your and your mate's souls.