Say "I Do" Your Way

One of my favorite vendors. Joyce officiated our ceremony and she did a wonderful job. From the beginning she and Bill were professional, attentive, and put me and my husband at ease. Their planning session is great - they build your ceremony step by step with you, allowing you to customize and change everything so it's perfectly tailored to you. They were supportive in our decision to have a minimal "story" and short ceremony, yet still made it feel warm and personal. We've received compliments over and over about how wonderful our ceremony was, and it's all thanks to Joyce! She also ran our rehearsal and it went very smooth. And a fun little bonus: they give you a copy of your ceremony presented like a mini book as a keepsake. I cannot recommend this vendor enough - you will not be disappointed.

When my husband and I began planning our wedding we were nervous that we wouldn't be able to find an officiant that would be able to help us create a ceremony that pleased us and both of our families. Coming from two different religions (Catholic and Muslim) and very different cultures we wanted a completely secular ceremony that focused on our love for each other. From the moment we met Bill we knew he was the one (so cliche, I know). Bill was so easy to work with and was able to incorporate everything we wanted into our ceremony and provided incredible guidance on how to write our vows, choose readings, and so much more. Bill is so good at what he does, he truly made an effort to get to know us and how we got to where we are - all of our guests kept asking if one of us had grown up knowing Bill because he seemed to know us so well!!! Our guests also commented on how personal and heartfelt our ceremony was - there were plenty of laughs and lots of joyful tears! We will forever be grateful to Bill for all he did to make our wedding perfect, especially his willingness to accomodate us when my father became extremely ill just weeks before the wedding. Bill accomodated our every need and provided great advice, he actually came to the hospital a few days before our wedding so that we could have a private (official) wedding ceremony where my dad could give me away. This meant the world to me, Mo, and my parents and we will forever be grateful. I highly recommend Say I Do Your Way to any couple that wants a truly personalized wedding ceremony that they and their guests will remember forever!

Bill was absolutely phenomenal! I found him on Wedding Wire and pretty much knew after reading the reviews that I was going to love him, and I did!

My fiance and I met with Bill twice before the actual wedding - the first meeting was to get acquainted with one another, and the second was the actually planning meeting for the ceremony. Both meetings were a breeze and Bill made everything exceptionally comfortable and easy.

Bill will have both the bride and groom separately fill out several essay style questions that will inform his homily at the wedding. Bill did an absolutely amazing job of using our answers to bring our "story" to life. It was so fun for our friends and family to hear some of the details they did not know about my fiance and I starting to date and getting engaged.

So many different people have approached me after the wedding to tell me that it was one of the nicest wedding ceremonies the've ever been to, including their own! I would 100% recommend Bill if you want your wedding to feel personal and intimate, he really is the best!

The ceremony was exactly what we wanted, intimate, personal, and funny. Bill put together a ceremony that we loved. Many guests complimented the ceremony. Bill offered advice and guidance along the way. He was great!

Reverend Bill is a joy to work with. The ceremony was, as many reviews have said, personal, honest and simply beautiful. We got so many comments from friends and family saying how it was one of the most intimate and touching ceremonies they'd ever witnessed. Thanks for everything Bill and Joyce!

I wanted someone who could provide pre marital counseling as well. From the start of meeting Bill, we loved him. Then we met Lilly and Fraiser and I looked foward to the meetings. We were in a unique situation because we lived in different cities, so our meetings were constrained to when we would be together in Maryland. During the ceremony, Bill was funny, engaging, and walked us through everything. With all my other vendors, there would be lettle tweaks that I would have liked to change. I would not change ANYTHING when it came to working with Bill.

5-Stars across the board for Bill Cochran!!

My wife and I used Bill Cochran to officiate our wedding last Saturday and couldn't have been happier with our decision from our first meeting through the ceremony. Not only do we know other people who have used them and recommended them to us but we had read his great reviews online. He was friendly, professional, kind, caring and very prepared. It's an overwhelming process but Bill was prepared from our very first meeting, kept us updated as to what we needed to do and when and provided us a very thorough outline as well as tons of sample vows, readings etc. We had so many questions and concerns because this process was new to us but Bill was very, very prepared and helpful and walked us carefully through all of it.

If you're looking for a wedding officiant in the DC area, Bill Cochran is the way to go and having just been through this process ourselves, we can promise that you won't be disappointed. We certainly weren't! Thanks Bill!!!!!

We worked with Bill Cochran for our 2/18/2012 wedding ceremony. We originally found Bill by doing internet research, as we knew we wanted a non-denominational officiant in the area to perform our ceremony. Bill was extremely responsive to all of our emails and questions. In our initial meeting at his house, he was very warm and engaging, and made us feel as though he really wanted to get to know us. He asked a lot of questions about our relationship and families and provided a lot of information and suggestions for the ceremony. We knew right away in our initial meeting that we wanted to hire him and so we signed a contract that day. After our initial meeting, Bill sent us a lot of information that we could look at to help us create our ceremony. We also each individually wrote a story about our relationship based on questions that Bill provided us, that he incorporated into our ceremony. Originally when we got engaged, we did not think that we wanted to write our own wedding vows. However, Bill convinced us that it was a great idea and we are so happy we did it. It made our ceremony that much more special and personalized. We also hired Bill to attend our wedding rehearsal the day before the ceremony. He made us feel confident that everything would run smoothly and that everyone knew where they were supposed to go and what they were supposed to do. The actual ceremony was beautiful. Bill wrote his homily based on our individual stories and it was the right touch of sentimental and funny. Our guests really enjoyed the ceremony and told us afterwards how it was one of the nicest ceremonies they had been to in a long time. Bill made it seem like he had known us for a long time, even though we had just met him a few months previously. We would absolutely recommend Bill and Say I Do Your Way to any couple looking for an experienced officiant who will help you make your wedding ceremony exactly what you want it to be.

We had the pleasure of having Rev. Bill Cochran officiate our January 2012 wedding. We have so many nice things to say about Rev. Bill. He was so wonderful to work with, we knew from our first meeting with him that he had all the qualities we were looking for. Rev. Bill was very professional, personable, funny, calming, innovative and he knew the customs involved in a Filipino wedding. Rev. Bill provided us with a workbook with vows and readings that we could customize. He also worked with us to incorporate a streamlined version of Filipino wedding customs into our ceremony. Rev. Bill took time to talk with us and meet with us on a few different occasions. We also had Rev. Bill attend our rehearsal; he lightened the atmosphere with his attitude and humor. He totally put us at ease. On the wedding day, Rev. Bill executed the ceremony flawlessly! Our ceremony flowed beautifully. He was able to personalize our ceremony; you would have thought he had known us for years! We were so comfortable working with Rev. Bill. We received so many compliments from our guests who loved his story telling and the humor he interjected into the ceremony. We would not hesitate recommending Rev. Bill Cochran as your officiant for your wedding.

Joyce and Bill could not have been more pleasant and helpful. Everyone at the ceremony thought Joyce did a fantastic job. She's so sweet and put together a really nice format for our ceremony. They really made it a memorable experience.

Our ceremony was absolutely wonderful! My husband and I were so happy with Bill. He really took the time to listen to us and did a great job incorporing our personalities into the ceremony. It wasn't your run of the mill cookie cutter ceremony, he had many helpful readings, vows, etc. for us to choose from yet still made them unique and tailored for us. We felt so comfortable talking to him. We were somewhat conflicted on how religious we would want the ceremony to be and Bill helped us work through that and find the perfect balance. He even provided his services for us on his birthday!

Bill was an absolute hit at our wedding. Everyone raved about his ability to weave traditional and modern elements together. His interview technique was a great way to bring personal stories into the ceremony.

We cannot say enough good things about Bill. From our first meeting, he was interested in OUR story, what we were about, how we met, etc.

Bill was instrumental in making our ceremony personal and truly beautiful, and keeping God's presence throughout the entire event. So many family and friends commented to us afterwards that they have never seen a more beautiful, genuine ceremony.

It was truly the most special day of our lives and Bill played a very important role in making that happen.

I don't even know where to begin! WE ABSOLUTELY LOVED BILL!! He was so easy to work with and he wrote the most amazing story about us. Both my husband and I were adamant about having a non-religious ceremony. This was not a problem at all for Rev. Bill. He catered our ceremony to us perfectly. We also aren't serious people and we love to laugh and make jokes at each other's expense - he understood that and had our guests laughing quite a bit throughout the ceremony. It was exactly what we wanted. After the ceremony, we had at least 10 people come up to us and say that was hands down the BEST ceremony they had ever been to and that it was a perfect representation of my husband's and my relationship. You will absolutely not regret using Say I Do Your Way!

Bill was absolutely the best! He took the story of how we met, our values, and what we meant to each other and crafted the perfect wedding narrative. In fact, people came up to us after wards and said they hadn't seen anything like it before in terms of intimacy and personal touch. It was perfect and exactly what we wanted. It was a departure from the traditional venue…complete with laughs and tears! Bill made our day so special and I highly recommend him.

Our wedding was last week at Herrington on the Bay and Bill was our officiate. He made our wedding perfect and helped us prepare for the biggest day of our lives. I will recommend him to anyone we know as I know, he will make your wedding just as perfect as our was! A+ Job

Bill- Thank you for all your help along way! It was great to meet you and your great family and I ask you to please have anyone call me if you need a recommendation! Thanks...

Bill truly provided us with the wedding ceremony of our dreams. He was professional and friendly from the start. He worked with us to create a ceremony that we wanted and when it came time for the big day, his execution was perfect. We had several guests tell us it was the best ceremony they had ever attended - and we agree!!

Joyce was such a pleasure to work with! She incorporated all of the little personal details that we requested and created a wonderful ceremony designed and executed especially for us! We received nothing but compliments and praise on what an amazing, thoughtful and personal ceremony we had. I would definitely recommend Joyce to anyone wanting a custom wedding ceremony.

Rev. Bill, was so kind and flexible. He met with us in his home and from that moment my husband and I felt comfortable with him. He provided us with sample readings and information to guide us in the whole process. My husband and I wanted to incorporate some of our cultural background in the ceremony and Rev. Cochran was willing to help us incorporate our lasso unity and our Irish blessing. The ceremony was wonderful he told our story and had our guest smiling and raving about it. We enjoyed every bit of it. Thank you for giving us such a memorable experience.

Joyce was a wonderful officiant for our wedding ceremony! I first met with her about 6 or so months before the wedding and instantly liked her. I decided after meeting with her that I didn't want to "shop" around for other officiants - we hit it off immediately. She was very non-judgemental regarding the type of ceremony we wanted and had some wonderful ideas to help us pull it all together. It ended up pouring rain on our wedding day and Joyce, without a hitch, incorporated it seamlessly into her speech. She took the time to really get to know my husband and I and it showed during the ceremony. I am so glad she was a part of our day, I couldn't have pictured anyone else marrying us!

My then fiance and I reached out to Bill to officiate at our wedding. He was very flexible and met with us in the evenings after to work so that we could discuss the type of service we wanted and so that we could figure if Bill would be a good fit for our wedding. He helped us by providing examples of appropriate readings from the bible and also gave us a framework for the wedding ceremony which we modified to suit our needs. It was a wonderful ceremony and my husband and I were very grateful for the respectful outdoor ceremony.

From the moment we met Bill, we knew he was exactly the officiant we were looking for! We were getting married outside and wanted a light hearted & relaxed kind of ceremony. Bill did just that and more! He is a true professional and guided us along the way with any thoughts/concerns that we had. I know I speak for my husband and I when I say Bill was absolutely perfect! Our guests have not stopped raving about how beautiful of a ceremony it was. Thank you so much for making our wedding day very memorable. We are beyond pleased with Bill - and you will be too!!!!

We weren't sure about how to pick someone to marry us as neither of us are regulars in church, didn't want some long snoozy touchy-feely event, we were doing an outdoor spiritual ceremony, with Christian, Catholic, and Jewish family members and have a blended family of our own with three children that we wanted to be included in our ceremony. Bill was a fabulous find! When we explained this to Bill, he suggested we come over and meet him and see where it goes from there.

We decided to do our pre-marital counseling sessions with him as well as use him for our Officiant. We went to his house and felt immediately relaxed in the environment. After we determined our strengths and weaknesses he skillfully highlighted the good stuff we needed to keep up and the not so good we needed to work on. Surprisingly three sessions with him REALLY helped our relationship and we still use the tools we learned with him today!

Ceremonies are usually long and boring. We have gone to a lot lately and we did not want people falling asleep at our wedding. Bill gave us some fresh ideas about how to keep the ceremony interesting, and gave a perfect mixture of humor, personalization, and romance. He guided us thorugh everything so gracefully.

We received many compliments about the ceremony, everyone said how much fun it was, and how they really enjoyed the personal stories and anticdotes he provided. Some people thought we had known him for years!

He instructed us how and where to get our marriage license, gave us the option of dropping it off early so that he could prepare things ahead of time and then we could have our copy for our honeymoon requirement actually on our wedding day after the ceremony as we were leaving immediately afterwards for the HM, and then got it to the courthouse in no time.

We are so glad that we found Bill and would happily recommend him to any and everyone that wants to have a fun, easygoing, but romantic and personal non-boring ceremony!!

Bill is the absolute best! Everyone was so touched by our ceremony! He makes it so personal and special that everyone felt that they were apart of our story. We have people still calling us telling how much they enjoyed the ceremony and how special it was. During the planning process Bill was always there for us. He is responsive, patient, flexible and understanding. He also has a sense of humor that we all need sometime. Thank you so much Bill, there is no one else I wanted to officiate our wedding. It was a beautiful and memorable ceremony that no one will forget.

My husband is Catholic and I am more spiritual than religious, so needless to say we needed to find a median. After our first meeting with Joyce I knew without a doubt she was the one, we didn't even look into other officiants. She gave us so many options to choose from for readings, invocations, blessings, etc and was so organized that I didn't have to worry about a thing. She asked for a story from each of us of how we met, our first date, and some other things). We didn't read each others and Joyce combined them beautifully and kept it a surprise so during the ceremony I couldn't stop crying. All of our guests told us it was the best ceremony they have ever been to because it gave them a sense of who we were as a couple and how much we loved each other. I can't sing her praises enough.

I want to thank Rev. Bill for officiating at our wedding and am very glad that we chose him. Right from the moment we met him he made us feel very comfortable like we had known him a long time. Since we decided to plan a wedding with only two months to spare, we really had no idea of what we were doing but Rev. Bill helped us keep on track by following up frequently, providing samples of readings, prayers and everything we needed. Since I am an Indian woman who married an American man, I wanted to incorporate something from my own culture to make it unique and I was very impressed that Rev. Bill quickly offered us several Indian options to choose from. He even found readings from my religion for us to choose from that would have made my parents very happy and it did! He even visited both of us right before the ceremony to make sure that we were ready. He made the entire ceremony so easy and wonderful for us. He had all the details with him that we had provided as to how my husband and I met, our first date, everything that we wanted him to share with our guests. My husband and I wanted our ceremony to reflect the relationship that we have with each other, slightly goofy and funny and he made the ceremony exactly like we wanted – solemn enough but with some humor too! I am very proud that he announced us husband and wife for the very first time!

We could not have picked a better officiant for our interfaith wedding. Joyce is kind, understanding, and was extremely helpful in helping us design a one of a kind ceremony. It was just perfect.

Very easy to work with. All the guests commented on what great officiant we had!

We chose Bill as our officiant for our wedding at the DAR Headquarters in Washington, DC. My then-fiance and I first met him at the restaurant where we had our first date and within 10 minutes of meeting him, we knew we had found "our man!" Bill was so engaging and laid back and we really felt at home with him at once. We had a second meeting at his home and met his wife and fellow officiant Joyce, who was lovely.

From there we communicated fairly regularly via email as we put together the ceremony and sent him our "stories" that he would ultimately incorporate. We controlled the entire show--from the length of the ceremony, the order of events, etc. We were able to do this, in part, because he has a wealth of ceremony ideas and language we could choose from, if we desired.

Our wedding had somewhat of a Celtic theme and we incorporated a handfasting when we said our vows, as well as an engagement ring ceremony after the exchanging of wedding bands. Bill was on time to our rehearsal and the wedding, and we were so pleased that he and Joyce chose to stay for the entire reception.

We had a beautiful ceremony and many guests commented on Bill's humor and his success at creating an event that was both very personal for us, but drew our guests in, as well. He was just the perfect person for our wedding.

Rev. Bill definitely contributed in no small amount to making our wedding exactly what we wanted - memorable. From the moment we received the initial email from him, we knew we wanted to hire him. He was very professional and flexible, but also very cordial and fatherly in a way that was most reassuring. He provided help at every stage of the process, such that we had absolutely no reason to fret. He told our story so beautifully that we ourselves were deeply moved by the details we already knew. We would, without a doubt, recommend Rev. Bill and his services. I know a couple of my friends have already expressed an interest in hiring him for their weddings.

Bill was fabulous throughout the entire process of our wedding. He was extremely professional, flexible with our schedules, and was willing to meet with us numerous times prior to the big day to structure the ceremony exactly as we wanted. He also took the time to learn about our history and incorporated kind words about that into the actual ceremony. We would definitely recommend using him to our friends in the future!

My husband and I found Bill on wedding wire. We were looking for an officiant who would work with us to custom tailor our wedding ceremony. We met Bill in February 2011 to discuss our options. He was able to provide us with a lot of options and templates to 'create our own ceremony'. We felt really comfortable in our converstaion with Bill and decided that he would be a great officiant.

We met with him again one month prior to the wedding to organize the ceremony. He made it all really easy and he was great to talk to. He emailed us a document detailing the wedding ceremony based on the options that we decided to include. We reviewed the document and everything looked good.

The day of the wedding, Bill did great. He really put me and my husband at ease. He made the ceremony wonderful, even adding a personal touch with stories about me and my husband (we each provided some background story information to Bill). Bill also provided the blessing just before dinner. He was really great and helped create our 'perfect' wedding.

We greatly enjoyed working with Bill and were delighted with the end result. Overall, we thought our ceremony was wonderful and exactly what we wanted!

Bill was a pleasure to work with from our first meeting. He helped make sure I didn't miss anything when it came to the ceremony.

Everything was perfect including the homily he wrote based on the questions we filled out.

Bill was a wonderful officiant who set up the ceremony the exact way we wanted and provided us with lots of material to help us create exactly what we wanted. He was very responsive e-mailing back with in a day everytime if not that same day. Everyone at our wedding commented on how nice the ceremony was and how great a job Bill did tying in our personal information to keep the ceremony light but very heartfelt. He has a wealth of experience which helped put us at ease as he guided us through setting up the ceremony to the actual ceremony. He makes it so easy, that all you have to do is explain to him what you want and he can give you suggestions and or materials from previous weddings. I can't say enough good things about Bill, but we will always remember the great ceremony that he gave us.

It was an absolute pleasure working with Rev. Bill! He really listened to our ideas and helped us to make our ceremony a complete reflection of us! He beautifully told our story in a way that made our ceremony so special. Our guests commented on how wonderful he was too! Rev. Bill is extremely easy to work with and makes you feel so comfortable both prior to the wedding and on the big day! I HIGHLY recommend Rev. Bill!

Reverend Joyce Cochran officiated our "elopement" ceremony in July, from the first day we contacted her, she was very responsive and seemed genuinely interested in making sure our wedding was not cookie cutter, but tailored to my husband and myself, and our quirks and personalities. We knew from that day, that we wanted Reverend Cochran to be a part of our ceremony. The day we met with her to go over potential readings and our overall ceremony, she provided very useful suggestions and again was genuinely interested in learning about us, as people. The culmination of all of these qualities was evident the day she presided over our wedding, the ceremony was absolutely beautiful and it felt like we had known Reverend Cochran our entire relationship. We were thoroughly impressed with her services, and her care and consideration of us and ensuring we have the most special day!

We consider ourselves very lucky to have Bill Cochran serve as the officiant of our wedding. He was extremely personable and enthusiastic and was everything we had hoped for and much much more.

It has been nearly six months since our wedding and we still get people complimenting how great Bill was at the wedding. We strongly suggest you use Bill for your Officiant needs.

Joyce helped us put together a ceremony that was just what we wanted. Everyone loved the ceremony. During the planning she had plenty of ideas and experience to draw from to help us account for every detail. We are so happy Joyce was our officiant. We highly recommend their services.

Rev. Bill Cochran did a wonderful job officiating our wedding! Everything turned out perfect, just like we had discussed.. I really liked that he added some personal touches into the ceremony; like how I met my husband in 7th grade and how he proposed at the National Zoo.. That was really nice and everyone enjoyed it! He was very professional and responded to my emails/calls right away! I would definately recommend Say I Do Your Way for your wedding officiant!

Bill was fun and friendly. He gave us a wonderful ceremony that was to our liking. We didn't want a long religious wedding because that would cut into our fun time. He made fantastic suggestions and summed up our love in a speech. He was very prompt and professional which kept our wedding on point. Were so glad that we chose him. Meet him and you will see for yourself.

Perhaps I am biased because Joyce is a long time friend but the feedback I received from guests said "Best Ceremony ever". My son and his soon to be new wife couldn't stop beaming as their meeting and engagement story unfolded. Thanks Joyce and Bill for all the love and support.

Bill provided a small, intimate service in our home. Our plans were last minute (and on a holiday) but he was very flexible. He arrived on time and mingled with the few friends in attendance. The ceremony was perfect for us and Bill made sure to include our parents who were attending virtually--one set via "skype" and the others on speaker phones....highly recommend their services!

Mr. Cochran did a wonderful job officiating our wedding. He was very helpful from start to finish, and made sure my wife and I made it through the ceremony successfully. He provided many different options so our ceremony could be exactly what we wanted it to be. Mr. Cochran also attended our rehearsal and did a great job orchestrating the rehearsal and making sure everyone knew exactly what to do. And he's an all around nice guy, too who was a pleasure to work with. Highly recommended.

We were in a difficult situation because the officiant we originally hired became ill and could not perform the ceremony. Bill was responsive to our needs, collected the necessary information, and met with us on short notice. His added suggestions helped make the ceremony more meaningful for my daughter, son-in-law, and the rest of the family and guests. I would recommend him without reservation.

Bill did an amazing job for my husband's and my wedding on May 28, 2011. Everyone loved how well he did our ceremony and how personal it was!

Bill responded immediately to all of our requests and/or questions. He suggested good ideas which help to create a memorable ceremony. He worked with us to personalize our ceremony and it turned out beautifully. We highly recommend his services.

We spoke with a few officiants before my now husband and I chose Joyce. We found her to be very warm and her nurturing spirit came through in all our emails and conversations so we felt very comfortable working with her. Since we don't live locally we scheduled meetings with her when we were in town (meeting for the first time on Xmas Eve) so she was very accommodating to our schedule. We found her guidance and structure of the ceremony to be very helpful since my husband comes from a Catholic background and I am Presbyterian. She helped us to create our own unique ceremony. We would have been lost without her worksheets. Joyce answered all of our questions and treated us with a lot of personal attention which made us feel that we were more than just clients. She genuinely loves weddings and is excited to be a part of them. She helped make our ceremony beautiful and we received lots of compliments.

Joyce was absolutely wonderful to work with. She was very flexible on when and where to meet us, and she did an amazing job during the ceremony. She wrote our story perfectly! We could not have been happier with the service for our wedding ceremony and would recommend Joyce to anyone looking for a laid back, fun and professional officiant!

Bill was a pleasure to work with throughout the process of organizing our wedding ceremony. Importantly, he was understanding of how we wanted to do our wedding and made excellent suggestions. At the wedding, he performed his officiant duties to an extremely high standard, using the story of our relationship to bring both intimacy and levity to the occasion. Many guests had high praise for both Bill and our ceremony. We could not be happier with the job he did. Thanks Bill!

Bill was a great officiant for our wedding. He met with us many times to perfect the ceremony to our liking. He had good suggestions, and his compilation of vows, readings, and other typical ceremony events was great to look at for ideas. He had a very calming nature about him, which is good for us during our wedding. I highly recommend Bill if you want someone efficient, responsive, and humorous.

Bill is a great guy! We really enjoyed meeting with him and he made the entire process incredibly easy. Bill understood that we wanted a fun event that would be comfortable and personable and that is exactly what Bill delivered. We can not thank Bill enough for his ideas and suggestions which helped to take the difficulty out of writing our own vows and involving our guests in our special day.

Joyce did a great job officiating our wedding ceremony. We could not have had anyone better. We appreciated very much the effort that she took prior to the ceremony to plan the order of events and make sure that everything was to our liking. We did not have to worry about anything. There were many comments from our guests afterwards saying how much they enjoyed the ceremony and especially hearing about our story which Joyce incorporated into the ceremony. She also suggested a sand ceremony; it was new to us as well as many of the guests and we thought that it worked out much better than any of the other options.

Bill did an absolutely fantastic job. He has a very personal, light-hearted style that is present from the first meeting with him to the ceremony itself. The bride and groom, the immediate families and all of the wedding guests loved him. We were absolutely thrilled to have him as our officiant.

Look no further than Bill. He'll listen carefully to your wishes about the ceremony, incorporate them into a tailor-made service, keep you calm and confident, and add some good-natured fun and humor. We can't thank him enough.

Thank you so much for officiating our wedding ceremony on such late notice. I really didn't know how to begin developing a wedding program, but you made the whole process easy and stress-free. We especially loved the anecdotes you shared with our guests (how my fiance and I met, our first date, our first kiss, the engagement) which added a personal touch to our wedding ceremony making it extra special for us and our guests!

Sincerely,
Gregg and Rosanne Moore
April 9, 2011
Arlington, VA

Neither my husband nor I attend church, so we were concerned about finding an officiant to perform our wedding ceremony. After meeting Bill for the first time, we knew he would be the perfect addition to our wedding team. He worked with us to put our minds at ease, and he listened to our needs to put together exactly what we wanted for our ceremony. It couldn't have gone any better, and we're extremely grateful for the perfect day!

Joyce was delightful to work with in just about every way. She was highly professional, respectful of our wishes, flexible and really tried to work with us to make our ceremony perfect. She is such a lovely, lovely person - we could not have asked for a better officiant.

From the moment we met with Rev. Bill we knew we wanted him to be a part of our wedding! His warm, friendly, laid back personality was exactly what we wanted and we knew he would make our wedding ceremony special.
He worked with us to make the a unique ceremony for us that truly reflected us as a couple. Our ceremony turned out to be absolutely perfect! It was a such a nice mix of sincerity, humor, and love. So many of our guests have told us that they truly enjoyed the ceremony of our wedding!

Bill provided a perfect ceremony for us. He met with us to learn what we were seeking and made it into a sweet ceremony that we dreamed of. He incorporated our story and classic elements. We had many guests tell us what a great job he did and how they loved hearing the story he told. He kept us cool and made it soo very easy!

Joyce was our wedding officiant and we could not have asked for a better person! My husband and I were very apprehensive when we first took on the planning of the ceremony. I was raised Catholic and my husband was not raised in any religion. We really wanted a wedding that would span all the denominations that were attending and still be uniquely ours. Joyce managed to not only put us at ease but to also help us to create a truly memorable ceremony. The personal touches that she added as well made the ceremony truly magical for us, and we had several guests tell us it was the best ceremony that they have ever been to. I would wholeheartedly recommend Joyce as an officiant to anyone!

Thank you so much for everything. Your style of ceremony really helped to make our wedding not only personable and intimate, but also memorable. We couldn't have asked for a better marriage officiant!

Bill is awesome!! This is the first review we are writing because he was the absolute best decision we made for our wedding. The ceremony was the most memorable part. Bill made it personal. He told our story. Our friends and family have been raving and say it was unlike any other wedding they have been to. We took the wedding prep classes with Bill as well. This really help us prepare for what marriage would bring as well form a relationship with Bill that made the big day even more special. We couldn't have been happier.

Thanks Bill! We will never forget you :).

We can not recommend Rev. Bill highly enough. He was simply great. The ceremony was beautiful and made our day magical. Rev Bill is extremely relaxed, informative, and will give you just the type of marriage ceremony you want. He did a fabulous job making us feel comfortable and calm during the rehearsal and the actual wedding. He makes the ceremony very personal and he takes time to get to know you so by the time of the wedding we felt very comfortable having him marry us. We signed up for the pre-marriage counseling sessions and enjoyed going through the sessions together & learned a lot that will be helpful down the road!

Joyce officiated our wedding in downtown DC. She and her husband were both a pleasure to work with and she really incorporated a lot of personal touches into our ceremony. Many guests afterwards commented on how much they enjoyed Joyce's homily!

Reverend Bill was excellent! We got so MANY compliments on our ceremony. The first time my husband and I met with Bill, we knew immediately that we didn’t have to look any further. He put us right at ease and was very flexible with making sure that our ceremony was a reflection of us. The story he told about us was very thoughtful and made the ceremony much more real and personal.

Reverend Bill provides you with lots of ideas and will spend as much time as you need to get to know you and understand the type of ceremony you are looking for. He was there at the rehearsal the evening before the wedding, which was also a huge help. I can’t say enough great things about Bill and I would HIGHLY recommend him for any type of ceremony!

Bill Cochran was easily one of our best vendors. Everyone and I mean everyone complimented on the amazing job he did for our ceremony. My husband and I really favored his ability to combine our two stories and incorporate it into our ceremony to make it so personal and not just another cookie cutter ceremony. It was extremely heartfelt and I don't believe there was a dry eye in the audience. He was so good that even my photographer who worked with him for the first time, gave him a shout out on his own blog. Wonderful job Bill...you're awesome!!

We were very pleased with Bill Cochran and the way he conducted our service. First off, we utilized his marriage coaching sessions prior to the wedding. We both thought these sessions were extremely helpful, and highly recommend them. It was great that Bill offered up both the coaching and officiant services, as it allowed him to get to know us, making the ceremony more meaningful and personal. He put time and effort into the planning of the ceremony, walking us through many ideas and allowing us to design it as we wanted. We received a lot of comments afterward on how personal the service was, and how they learned something new about us through the service. Bill was easily accessible, and was extremely professional from our first coaching session, to the rehersal, and (finally) on the wedding day. We highly recommend Bill and "Say I Do Your Way".

"I Do" your way was the way to go. We witnessed my sisters wedding with Bill and knew right away we would call him due to the warmth of the ceremony, the humor, and the professionalism to boot.

Bill was great. He met us a few times, to get to know us better which was extremely helpful...My husband and I felt comfortable with him right away. He understood what we wanted in a wedding ceremony and executed our vision perfectly. He was easy going, and didn't force any religion on us. Instead, he allowed us to be creative. He was responsive to emails and made our life easier by leading us on the ceremony planning. Our guests loved him; he received wonderful feedback. We would definitely refer Reverend Bill and are thrilled we chose him as our officiant!!! Thanks Bill!!!

Mary

Reverand Bill was like a dream came true. My husband and I when in the search for an officiant looked to many friends and referrals for how to go about selecting our officiant. We could not have been any happier with his services.

We had a non-denominational ceremony with a slight religious overtone that was spectacular. Every single one of our 130 guests came up to us personally to thank us for the most enjoyable and personable ceremony they have ever witnessed. Bill took our "stories" and molded them into an easy flowing, funny and personal homily that we are still raving about. I know it's often times hard to please some of the "men in the crowd" at a wedding, but even our groomsmen were laughing and enjoying the ceremony. And that is saying a lot.

I may be a little biased, but hands down the BEST ceremony I have ever been a part of and/or a witness to. It was amazing!

Oh I cannot say enough about Rev. Joyce Cochran! She did such wonderful job officiating our wedding that she had myself, my husband and just about all of our guests in tears.

She met with us a few weeks before the wedding to talk about the ceremony. She was very organized and helped us think through the ins and outs of the ceremony so that no detail was missed. We gave her a summary of how we met and how we started dating. She took careful notes and then spoke about our journey during her sermon.

My husband and I have faith and grew up in the church, but we aren't regularly practicing Christians. So we wanted a ceremony that wasn't overly religious, but rather we wanted it to have subtle hints of our faith. We had input about every part of the ceremony as well as every reading, passage, traditions, etc. We had the opportunity to make it very personal to us. Then Joyce took it once step farther by telling our story during her sermon and then reading a note that we wrote to eachother but did not read until that moment of the ceremony.

We received so many compliments on how wonderful the ceremony was...it was just beautiful and really made our day incredibly special. Thank you Joyce!!

Bill was fantastic. We were able to incorporate religious elements into our ceremony without going over the top. He made the ceremony personal by incorportating our "story" about how my husband and I met and added some light humor, which was a nice touch.

I had no idea what I needed to do to plan out the ceremony, but Bill made everything very easy. We met with him several months prior to the ceremony and he provided us with scripture verses, examplese of ceremony traditions, samples of vows and more.

We loved having Rev. Bill as our officiant. He was great to work with in the year we were planning the wedding, meeting with us twice in person and answering a lot of our questions through email. He is very friendly and relaxed and will give you exactly the kind of ceremony you want. All of our guests loved hearing the story of how we met and got together, and they commented that it was the most personal wedding they had ever attended. Bill had everyone laughing throughout the ceremony, and you can see the big smiles on everyone's faces in the ceremony photos.

My wife and I were married 9/26/09. I wanted to wait a bit to comment on Bill's services to allow time to "take in" other weddings as a married man, talk with other newlyweds about their marriage experiences, things like that. Let me tell you, the level of professionalism, care, and poise that Bill demonstrated was unparalleled. To this day, friends and family members CONTINUE to comment on how wonderful our wedding ceremony was. Of course, people love to talk about the flowers or the food or the reception or whatever, however, how often do you hear people revisit the ceremony? The level of enthusiasm for our ceremony was in no small part the result of Bill's efforts. He made it custom, personal, and wonderful. We would HIGHLY recommend him to anyone...the only reason my brother did not use him for his upcoming wedding is because Bill was on vacation. If we would recommend Bill to family, we obviously would recommend him to you.

Bill Cochran was great. We loved working with him. We also paid the extra to have the pre-marriage counseling that he provides, which is absolutely worth it. It was fun, educational, and we learned so much about each other and how to deal with any potential future conflicts and how to prepare for our wedding and a life together. He will do civil ceremonies and is so flexible and will gladly incorporate any family or other religious traditions. (I'm Catholic and my husband is Jewish, so we had a huppah and my hubby broke the glass and we had a Catholic bible reading and I had my rosary wrapped around my bouquet.) Bill was so easy to work with and helped us with our vows and he kept our ceremony very light-hearted, throwing in a few jokes, which was great for me since more than anything, I didn't want to cry. He kept me laughing and having a good time and forgetting about crying! It was great. He and his wife joined us for our reception and our rehearsal dinner the night before and we just had a great time with them. They are both really nice people. We highly recommend Bill, who is very personable and really provides great insight into your lives and the new life you will be building together as a married couple. He officiating service and rehearsal services are very reasonably priced, however, we did the whole package with the counseling which and it was worth it 100%!

Rev. Bill was great. We met with several other officiants before choosing one, and we felt Bill was the best choice, hands down. He did a wonderful job at our rehearsal and our ceremony. Highly recommended.

Bill was amazing! We got so many comliments on our ceremony. He really personalized it and made it all about us. He took the time to get to know us and learn about our story. I will definitely recommend Bill to anyone I know getting married!

My husband and I, our family and all of our friends told us that this was the best wedding they have ever been too. Bill made our day so special and memorable. He has a very special gift for making the ceremony special and unique. He did such an amazing job, I just can not put it into words how much we truly appreciate Bill officiating our wedding.

Pastor Bill did a great job officiating our wedding. From our first meeting we knew that he would be the perfect person to officiate our ceremony. He was very helpful and flexible to work with our schedule. All of our guests loved the portion of the ceremony where he gave a background of our relationship. Thanks again!
Sandra & Ben

Bill was outstanding to work with. We didn't know exactly what we were looking for, but when we met Bill we knew he was the person we wanted to conduct our wedding. He was friendly and funny and so easy to talk to. We signed up for the pre-marriage counseling sessions (which is optional) and enjoyed going through the sessions together... working to be a stronger couple. And the ceremony! Bill helped us prepare in advance to make the ceremony exactly how we wanted it. When it came to the day of the wedding, it was so personal and fun. Many of our guests commented how terrific he was, and what a special ceremony it was. We couldn't have been more pleased!

Bill performed our ceremony and we couldn't be happier! He was great and very flexible to work with. We met with him twice before the rehearsal/ceremony and he had us each write a "story" about how we met and our relationship and from that he shared it in our ceremony. That's the perfect way to make our wedding our way and so special to us and our guest. I would definitely recommend him to any one looking for a great wedding service!

Rev. Bill was great to work with. He did a great job with the ceremony and incorporated personal details in it. We recieved a lot of comment about well people liked the ceremony. We met with him about 2 months before to talk to him about specifics and what reading we wanted to do. I would highly recommend Bill.

Joyce Cochran performed our ceremony and we couldn't be happier! She was a great choice. We met with her twice before the rehearsal/ceremony and found her to be very genuine and likeable. She had us each write a "story" about how we met and our relationship and from that she wrote a beautiful ceremony. She stayed for part of the reception too, which I thought was lovely. We couldn't be happier!

Joyce was an excellent officiant. She made a point to personalize our ceremony. In the weeks leading up to our wedding my husband and I answered a variety of questions about how we met, what the engagement was like and our feelings for each other. She surprised us at the ceremony with bits and pieces of our life together and it made the ceremony even more special. Joyce is very gently, kind and thoughtful.

Bill did an amazing job as our officiant. He was such a pleasure to work with throughout the whole process but he managed to put together a ceremony that was above and beyond our expectations. I'm Jewish and my husband is not and we incorporated some traditions from both sides. One of the things we loved about Bill is that he is completely open to making a ceremony exactly what the couple wants it to be - whether it's religious or not, full of humor, or more sentimental...he made ours the perfect mix of both. The best part of the ceremony was when Bill talked about how my husband and I feel about each other. Before our wedding day, Bill had asked us to each write a few paragraphs about how we feel about each other and our relationship. Bill was able to weave them into a beautiful story that really captured us as a couple. He made the ceremony very personal and warm. We had so many guests tell us how much they loved the ceremony and we can't thank Bill enough for that. I can recommend Bill without any hesitation.

What a beautiful ceremony. Bill helped us have the wedding of our dreams!!

Rev. Bill Cochran is very nice and professional, and he did a fantastic job with our wedding service. We met him at a bridal show, and after talking with him a bit, we really felt a connection and a sense that he was interested in creating the kind of ceremony we were looking for.

When it came to constructing our vows and ceremony, we felt completely without direction as to where to start. Rev. Bill helped us find the words within ourselves that said exactly what we felt and to have a ceremony that was exactly what we wanted. He sat down with us, asked us to discuss how we met, how we feel about each other, and what brought us to want to spend the rest of our lives together. He also asked us about ourselves and our personalities and really guided us into finding the type of ceremony we wanted. Going into the planning process, we were not really interested in a cookie cutter ceremony, but we didn't want anything too wacky. In the end, we went with a sand ceremony, which really turned out beautiful, and it didn't seem cliche or hokie. Rev. Bill also encouraged us to incorporate the music we wanted (which we brought up shyly, afraid we would sound silly), which included a couple of pieces that were very non-traditional but that capture our personalities and were reflective of some of the things about our personalities that brought us together in the first place.

We are not particularly religious, nor are we atheists. Rev. Bill brought just the right amount of religion (he will include as much or as little as you want) and spirituality to the ceremony. We never felt pressured into incorporating religious messages that would seem hypocritical (since we don't attend church), but we did feel encouraged to include some (since we are spiritual.) I was afraid that any religious representative would make us feel guilty or hypcritical (not through anything they did, just because we don't attend church), and Rev. Bill never did that. We felt accepted, understood, and respected. (And frankly, after meeting Rev. Bill, we actually discussed the fact that we would actually consider attending a church run by him, since we seek spirituality that teaches kindness and tolerance and understanding -- something we feel is lacking in a lot of organized religious institutions these days.)

Everyone raved about what a great job he did, and they all said that the ceremony was the perfect length and really seemed to capture and communicate the essence of our relationship and the feelings we had for each other. A lot of people remarked about his ability to create a perfect balance of levity and solemnity. Many people also said that the vows and the introduction were all so touching and really reflected the way we feel about each other and the way we were really just made for each other. He really helped guide us into expressing our story and our feelings for each other to our friends and family in a way we couldn't have done without him.

We recommend him highly to anyone looking for an officiant!

We planned an unusual ceremony. Bill guided us, not only in pre-wedding meetings but also on our wedding day. He was very responsive to our requests, and extremely helpful in designing and officiating our perfect wedding and handfasting ceremony!

Bill was great! He had us write our story separately and then he combined our 2 versions for the ceremony.

We were looking for an officiant with a month left before the wedding. Thank goodness we found Bill! We knew from the start that we wanted him to be a part of our wedding within the first 30 seconds of meeting him. He was so easy going and catered to all of our requests. I wanted more of an Interfaith ceremony and Bill did a great job. He had our family members involved and made our ceremony so unique by weaving in our story throughout the readings. My friends and family kept commenting on how fun the ceremony was and how funny and great Bill's personality was.

If you are looking for an officiant that really cares about making your wedding seamless and memorable, I would highly recommend that you work with Bill.

Choosing Bill Cochran as our officiant was one of the best decisions we made in the planning process. My fiance and I have very different religious backgrounds and it was very clear after speaking with Bill on the phone that he would be able to work with us to create a ceremony that was a reflection of us and our beliefs. We worked with him to design a ceremony that incorporated all of the elements that were important to us - his guidance concerning vows, readings, blessings, etc. was very helpful. On the day of our wedding, we were surprised and excited to hear Bill's homily, assembled from material we provided him about our courtship and feelings for one another. He did a fabulous job making us feel comfortable and calm during the rehearsal and the real deal. Our diverse assortment of guests were all equally thrilled with how genuine and meaningful our ceremony was.

We used Bill for both marriage counseling and a wedding officiant. We believe our marriage counseling really helped us grow stronger as a couple, and Bill was great to work with. We also received many compliments about him on our wedding day. Our ceremony was very special, and it was tailored just for us. It was perfect!

Bill was a wonderful choice for our ceremony. He made the day personal and intimate. I had many complements from guests about where we found him after the ceremony. He is a great listener and tailored the ceremony the way that my husband and I dreamed it would be. We wouldn't have changed a thing.

Reverend Bill was able to give us exactly the type of ceremony we wanted - light and fun and the right mix of secular and religious. He was easy to work with, especially given that we had to do a lot of our contact over phone and email since we were planning a MD wedding from across the country. A lot of our guests commented how much they enjoyed the ceremony - that it read like a story and also that it seemed as if Reverend Bill had really gotten to know us personally. I would definitely recommend his services to other couples.

Our officiant, Bill, did such an amazing job with the ceremony. We went to him for our pre marriage counseling sessions as well. He has a warm and friendly personality that made the whole wedding planning very enjoyable. He guided and helped us plan the perfect ceremony that fit our personality and style. Thank you Bill!

Bill was excellent. He made our ceremony incredibly personal. It was perfect! Everyone at the ceremony loved his delivery and the way he personalized his remarks. My brother and his fiance were so impressed with our service that they have asked Bill to travel to NYC to officiate their wedding. We strongly recommend Say "I Do" Your Way's officiant services and pre-marital coaching.

Bill and Joyce were wonderful to work with. We meet with them several times and they both took their time to get to know my husband and I. We couldn't be happier with how our ceremony turned out.

Rev Bill was extremely easy to work with. He always returned our calls/emails promptly and worked hard to customize our wedding to exactly what we wanted. Whether we needed lots of guidance or knew exactly what we wanted to do, he built the perfect wedding ceremony for us and always double checked to make sure the changes were exactly what we had in mind. I would highly recommend Say "I Do" to anyone at any stage of planning a wedding.

Having Bill Cochran as our officiant was one of the best decisions we made. Ryan and I are so pleased with the way he conducted our service. We wanted a ceremony that focused on our story as a couple -- from past, through the present, and into the future -- and he delivered it beautifully. Bill was very engaged throughout the process, and offered great suggestions -- including flow, readings, prayers, and vows. We highly recommend him!

Rev. Bill and family are the best! Your ceremony is in good hands with the Cochran Officiants. You'll be blessed with the best!

Bill and Joyce are lovely people and make a great team. I have enjoyed working with them and would definitely recommend!

Very nice words and vows for Heather and Greg in the MIX 107.3 Wedding in a Week. I am sure they will remember that day forever.

Very nice words and vows for Heather and Greg in the MIX 107.3 Wedding in a Week. I am sure they will remember that day forever.

We have used Bill and Joyce several times as officiants for several of our clients and are always thrilled when we get to work with them. You will not find more friendly and professional officiants that get to know the couple and add a personal touch to every ceremony.

Joyce & Bill of "Say I Do Your Way" make every ceremony special to each and every client. They take special time getting to know each and every client to transform their ceremony into an intimate and specialized ceremony for the couple. I have worked with them on numerous occassions with my clients and work closely with them in The Association of Wedding Professionals. Joyce & Bill are passionate about their work which is exemplified in their ceremonies. Joyce & Bill are my preferred vendors for officiants in the Washington, DC Metro Area.

Bill and Joyce Cochran are two of the best officiants you will find! They are very attentive to your needs and will perform your ceremony with personality and professionalism!

Bill officited at the My Wedding In A Week event in early February 2010 for the winners -- Bill was a perfect combination of sacred, serious and humorous. He did a great job given the little time/interaction he was able to have with the couple who won the competition (wedding in 7 days!)...yet you would have thought he'd known them for years - amazing.

Say "I Do" is always on time, always a pleasure to work with. I just wish they'd send me more cards!!!
I highly recommend Say "I Do"

I have worked with Bill and his wife on a number of weddings and they are wonderful! I love their unique style of how they present a "love story" between the couple at their ceremony. Very interesting and unique and I recommend them every chance I get!