Roots of Change Ceremonies

When we were planning our wedding, my husband and I really wanted to find an officiant who we connected with and who would write a personalized ceremony that would exemplify how much we loved each other. From the first time we spoke with Leigh Ann on facetime (because of Covid) we both realized what a talented and unique writer/celebrate/officiant she is. We talked about our dreams for the day and what parts of the ceremony where most important to us, and Leigh Ann listened to everything we had to say. She made us both feel so confident and excited that she could create a ceremony that was special to us and our closest family and friends. Once we officially started working with Leigh Ann she was incredible! I loved how she got to know both of us on a very deep level. She learned about our relationship, our families, and our best friends so that she could incorporate that into the ceremony. Even during Covid when all of our plans were changing, Leigh Ann was our rock, She helped us stay grounded and focused on what mattered most to us on our wedding day! ( Her calming presence was one of the main reasons we both loved her and it was even more impressive during a pandemic.) We both can't thank her enough for all of her work, flexibility, and support. All of our guests told us it was the most beautiful and personal ceremony they had ever heard. Our guests also said it was "The most positive and joyous event they had been to this year." We loved the way that she included special family recognition for our grandparents and moms. There wasn't a dry eye in the crowd. We can't say enough wonderful things about Leigh Ann and her work. She truly made our ceremony a highlight during the best day of our lives.

My husband and I were glad to have found Leigh Ann. She is an amazing officiant and made sure that our wedding was memorable in every way. Our ceremony had a lot of our friends and family join in through zoom due to COVID and Leigh Ann made sure that everyone online and in-person felt included. We also felt very safe in Leigh Ann’s presence as everyone in the ceremony including her wore masks and even though we could not meet Leigh Ann in-person before the ceremony, she made sure we had enough phone conversations to feel prepared for our big day. Leigh Ann is extremely warm, patient, creative and thoughtful and we couldn’t have asked for a more meaningful ceremony. I highly recommend Roots of Change to add a personal and warm touch to the most important day of your life.

Leigh Ann was a phenomenal partner helping us craft our perfect wedding. Her ideation process helped us create intimate readings, moments and vows for our ceremony. Her introspective process also allowed us to also reflect the emotional theme of the ceremony in our decorations and overall event plan. Ultimately, it was a tearful but emotional journey that both us and our close family enjoyed immensely! Amazing work - and highly recommend.

There are just no words that could describe the magic that Leigh Ann brought to our wedding day and the months leading up to it. We feel so incredibly fortunate to have met her. My husband and I had contemplated pre-marital coaching, and the moment we met Leigh Ann we felt so comfortable and inspired- we knew we had to work with her! She is one of the warmest, kindest people we have ever met and her wisdom on relationships is invaluable. Her research on creating and maintaining joy-filled, loving relationships is something we carry with us each day and has made our relationship even stronger! Leading up to the ceremony, Leigh Ann was unfailingly encouraging and helpful. Her thoughtful questions helped to ground us as individuals and our love for one another even more deeply (especially powerful during a time when it can be easy to get swept up in the details of wedding planning). We really wanted our ceremony to feel personal to us, and the ceremony that Leigh Ann crafted was special in every way! Leigh Ann was able to weave together our story in such a way that everyone was able to feel our love and re-live the journey of our relationship. Her creativity with the ceremony was incredible! We were able to incorporate a Ritual of Appreciation for our friends and family to express our gratitude for them in our lives. We felt so much love and communion with everyone that day. All night we received compliments from our guests that it was the most amazing ceremony they had ever been to! Everything we could have hoped for was beyond our imagination and we feel so honored that Leigh Ann was able to create that for us. She is one of our absolute favorite people we have ever met and her knowledge on marriage and relationships has helped us in so many ways! Leigh Ann’s extraordinary ceremony and work set the tone for our special day and our journey together as a married couple!!

Leigh Ann is the absolute best, and she made our ceremony so special and personal! From the very beginning at our meet and greet to the day of the wedding and after, she was there for us giving support and love, and we continue to stay connected today. It was a busy year for us with the wedding, a new job, and relocation, and she was there to provide guidance and keep us centered on what is most important in life. Leigh Ann worked so hard to make our ceremony custom to us and incorporate everyone involved, and we are so grateful to have her in our lives.

My wedding was a complete success. This was one of the most important days of my life and everything went accordingly. The best part of this whole experience was feeling confident about the outcome and having one less thing to worry about. The guests have all expressed their admiration for how the ceremony was uniquely displayed. Our officiant was very warming and made us feel comfortable through the entire process. She communicated with us about conflicts and issues promptly. I would recommend Leigh Ann to anyone planning a wedding.

Leigh Ann took the time to really get to know us and make the ceremony about us! The ceremony was perfect. It was serious , funny, heartwarming and loving. Everyone said it was one of the best they have been to ! Thank you !

Having Leigh Ann as our officiant was the first choice we made after selecting our venue. It was so important to me and my wife that we found someone who could create a ceremony that was unique to us, our relationship, and our idea of marriage. Leigh Ann was able to do that for us! After our ceremony (and still to this day, over a year later) our guests comment on how they enjoyed learning more about us as a couple and our love for each other. The best part was working with Leigh Ann to share from my heart with my bride and our guests what my wife means to me. Her ceremony planning questionnaire really helped me to reflect on our relationship in a way I hadn’t done before. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect or meaningful ceremony!

Leigh Ann was the best choice that we could have made for an officiant for our wedding. She not only managed to make our ceremony very personal and "us" but she also incorporated our families, friends, and anyone who helped make us who we are today. It was such a wonderful way to share appreciation to the people in our lives. Even though I don't like to be the center of attention and am not great at expressing myself, she helped me put what I wanted to say in (my own) words. My husband and I highly recommend her!

Our wedding was amazing and Leigh Ann was a huge part of it. Our ceremony was very us...personal and engaging, with humor and warmth. It was perfect. So many of our friends and family asked how long we had known Leigh Ann and really we met only a couple of times. She knows how to ask the right questions that allow her to make your wedding yours and not like all the others. I can’t say enough wonderful thinks and highly recommend Roots of Change and Leigh Ann

Leigh Ann was wonderful to work with, from start to finish! We spoke to a number of potential officiants before deciding to work with Leigh Ann and as soon as we spoke with her, it was clear that she was our best choice. She guided us through a clear process to make sure we could share our love story with her in a way that would make our ceremony truly tailored to us. So many of our guests complimented the personal nature of our ceremony and commented on how different it was from others they had seen. They felt like they got a window into what led us to that moment! We really appreciated Leigh Ann's warmth, care, and calming energy throughout the whole process.

In the beginning of the wedding planning process, my husband and I decided immediately that the ceremony was the most important part of the wedding day. We did not want a religious ceremony nor a short ceremony with only enough time to say “I Do”. We were having a larger wedding and knew that most people would not know us well. So we decided we wanted a longer, highly personal wedding ceremony so that all guests felt like they got to know us a little better. Meeting with Leigh Ann for the first time had both my husband and I feeling at ease. She was able to immediately connect with us and we ended up talking for over a hour just sharing personal stories and talking about how we feel in love. My husband and I knew that she would be the person that would marry us after that first meeting. I remember getting the first proof of our ceremony and reading it with my husband on Valentine’s Day; it was so emotional for both of us to read how we both felt about each other and we ended up crying tears of joy. Every step of the ceremony planning was amazing with Leigh Ann and my husband and I both felt so connected through the entire process of building a highly personal wedding ceremony. On our wedding day, Leigh Ann really went above and beyond our expectations. On my wedding day, it was HOT. Instead of our guests focusing on the heat during our ceremony, Leigh Ann was able to pull their attention onto us through her beautiful words. Everyone that we spoke with talked about how they have never been to a ceremony like that and how they felt they were brought into our love through our words and our love story. My husband and I have watched our wedding video 3 times already, and just rehearing/watching the ceremony Leigh Ann created reminds us how lucky we were to have her on our wedding day. It was great to see how our guests reacted towards the ceremony, and it made me happy to see their emotional, happy responses.

My husband and I knew we wanted a ceremony that emphasized the value of community and was a bit non-traditional while still retaining the meaning and understanding conveyed by ritual. Leigh Ann Phillips-Knope with Roots of Change did an incredible job of meeting our wishes. Months ahead of the wedding she sent us a questionnaire, which the ceremony was based on. We worked in concert with Leigh Ann to finalize the ceremony until my husband and I reached a place that we felt reflected our relationship. A number of our guests told us afterwards that it was the best ceremony they had ever experienced. I would recommend Leigh Ann for anyone seeking a guide to support them in crafting and officiating a unique and personal ceremony that will leave guests feeling even more connected as you continue on your journey.

Leigh-Ann was the perfect officiant for our wedding in Ann Arbor. Her bubbly personality and easy-going nature took so much stress away from our wedding planning. She really dives in deep to discover exactly what makes your relationship special, so she can share that with everyone at your wedding. She's great at suggesting ideas to put into your ceremony, and is also excellent at incorporating any unique rituals you would like. Quite simply, she is the best officiant you could ask for.

Leigh Ann was simply amazing to work with. We began our Officiant search about a year out from the wedding and it was instantly apparent that she was going to be our selection. She showed up early to our initial meeting with her, extremely well-prepared (she had a binder started with our information, take-home flyers, etc), and professional. This was extremely encouraging because a few of the other officiants we met with didn't have simple details such as the Wedding Date written down when we met... In terms of process, Leigh Ann was extremely helpful the entire way. She has a questionnaire that both sides fill out and she creates your custom ceremony from there based on the responses. We went through quite a few revisions - mostly nit-picky stuff - but we were convinced the ceremony would be perfect as-is from the moment we saw the first draft. Also, Leigh Ann was extremely accommodating along the way. She allowed us to change our rehearsal date very late in the game and was always available to text or talk along the way. Friendly, cheerful, organized, professional - these are just a start. We highly recommend Roots of Change for your custom ceremony.

Leigh Ann crafted the most incredible wedding ceremony!! I can't tell you how many compliments we got about how beautiful and unique our ceremony was. So many people said they'd never experienced a wedding like ours or heard something so heartfelt. One of our friends told us we made him believe in true love! We want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making our ceremony the best it could ever possibly be and for helping us share our story, journey, and love for each other with our family and friends. You are AMAZING!

Leigh Ann was the first wedding officiant we met with in person, and it was immediately clear to us that she was The One. Not only is Leigh Ann herself a lovely person full of warmth and caring who was a joy to work with, but her methods for crafting the perfect wedding ceremony are uniquely inspiring. To get started, Leigh Ann gave us a comprehensive questionnaire with a section for us to fill out together as well as sections for us to fill out solo (and to keep secret from each other as a nice surprise during the ceremony). It asked insightful questions and was so much fun to do! Leigh Ann was also very open to the unusual ideas we wanted to incorporate in our wedding (handfasting and ringwarming) and guided us toward including some readings (which I hadn't planned to do originally but now love!). The entire experience with her was smooth, fun, and surprising in the best ways. The ceremony she created for us was touching, funny, meaningful and novel. We received many compliments about how the ceremony was so unique and very "us." Cannot thank her enough, and cannot recommend her highly enough. Thank you, Leigh Ann!

Leigh Ann was a wonderful officiant ! The ceremony ran the gamut of emotions from laughter to tears, something for everyone. There seemed to be a real connection between Leigh Ann, Pedro and Ellie, and one would have thought she had known the them for years. We really appreciated how the officiant made sure the wedding couple were the stars of the day. The incorporation of Pedro and Ellie's touching statements to their families was a beautiful surprise to all of us and became a wonderful memory of the ceremony. I would highly recommend Leigh Ann for anyone's special day.

Leigh Ann was a joy to work with! She worked tirelessly to create a ceremony that was exactly what we wanted and knew how to put all of our thoughts and ideas into reality. We wanted our ceremony to reflect both of us and to be very personalized, and Leigh Ann worked with us to do exactly that. We thought our ceremony would be complicated because we wanted it to be bilingual and very personalized, but Leigh Ann is so talented that she made all of our requests work perfectly. She is always full of joy and excitement, and makes you feel like your ceremony is just as special to her as it is to you. My husband and I learned about each other and grew to love each other even more during the process of working on the ceremony with Leigh Ann. Leigh Ann was able to seamlessly incorporate Spanish translations (read by one of the groomsmen) throughout the ceremony while also maintaining the natural flow. We wanted to somehow make our ceremony accessible to everyone in the audience because we had a large number of family members who came all the way from Chile, but we weren’t exactly sure how or where in the ceremony to incorporate elements of Spanish. After discussing with Leigh Ann, she constructed a ceremony with a “thread” of Spanish translations throughout each ceremony element. It was absolutely perfect; the translations were enough to help guide those who didn’t speak much English and were also a really special way to appreciate my husband’s family and culture. It worked absolutely beautifully and it was such a special addition to our ceremony. We also incorporated a family member remembrance and appreciation at the beginning of the ceremony, which was absolutely beautiful! It brought such a feeling of love and thankfulness into our ceremony space and was such a nice way of thanking our families. If you know exactly what you want your ceremony to look like or if you only have a vague idea of the tone that you want to convey, Leigh Ann will make it happen! I lost count of how many people told me that ours was the best wedding ceremony they had witnessed, and it’s truly all thanks to Leigh Ann!

We give Leigh Ann 6 out of 5 stars! We met her about a month before our wedding. This was a tumultuous time for us because due to complex family issues, our planned officiant could no longer carry out our ceremony. Two newlyweds from our school recommended Leigh Ann very highly, and we emailed her right away. We could tell by a quick glance at her website that she would be perfect. We could not believe it when she told us she had our date still available (which was entirely fortuitous since she typically books out months in advance!). In preparation for the ceremony, she had us fill out separate and joint questionnaires about our relationship. This activity in itself was very meaningful and helped us appreciate the sanctity of the journey we were about to embark on. Importantly, it also led to a deeply personal, intimate wedding ceremony. We got SO many compliments on our ceremony with multiple family members and friends telling us it was the best they had ever experienced, which we attribute to Leigh Ann's work. What is even more remarkable is that she made it happen in a small fraction of the time she normally takes, all the while remaining calm and encouraging as can be. We could not be happier with how our ceremony turned out. Her ability to connect with not only the couple but with all their guests through thoughtful infusion of personal touches throughout the ceremony is truly remarkable. We give the highest recommendation to Leigh Ann and Roots of Change. -Brian and Regina Royan Stamm

I cannot say enough wonderful things about the experience we had with Leigh Ann! She shared our love story with our guests so beautifully. She made us laugh, awe, and ugly cry :) The way she told our love story made me fall in love with my husband all over again. I feel like people at a wedding rarely talk about the ceremony, yet we received so many comments about how beautiful and real the ceremony was. It truly set the tone for a fun filled and happy night. I would HIGHLY recommend her if you are looking for a ceremony that is unique, customized, and full of love.

Working with Leigh Ann to create our perfect, authentic, and individualized ceremony was beyond an amazing experience. From the moment we met with her to discuss our vision we could tell she was a special woman and would be the perfect person to execute our wedding ceremony. My husband and I wanted a ceremony that wasn’t “cookie-cutter”. We wanted something that we could ground our marriage in and look back on for all our years to come as our foundation when times get tough. We wanted something authentic to our relationship & that spoke to us as individuals. Leigh Ann gave us all of that and more! She was so kind and supportive throughout our experience working with her. She helped us to reflect on our selves and our relationship to give her the information she needed to create our ceremony. When we got the first draft we were blown away with emotion and in shock that Leigh Ann had been able to capture our love in such a beautiful way and write a ceremony like we’ve never heard before. We then had the opertunity to edit it with her. Leigh Ann did such an amazing job so we didn’t have many edits to make but she was so helpful and worked with it until every little word was perfect! After we had finalized our ceremony, just weeks before our wedding, my grandpa passed unexpectedly. Leigh Ann was so loving and understanding when I asked her to please write something extra and edit our ceremony to include a remeberance for him. Leigh Ann gladly worked with me after our ceremony had already been finalized to make sure that I could include my grandpa in our special day. Leigh Ann was there for our rehearsal to make sure everything was in place and she did an amazing job on our wedding day! I got endless complements on the uniqueness of our ceremony. Many of our guests expressed that it was the best ceremony they had ever witnessed and that it was so wonderful to actually hear so much about me and my husband and our relationship. And that’s the most amazing thing about Leigh Ann. I can tell you how amazing my wedding ceremony was and I can promise if you go with her yours will be just as amazing because it will be so uniquely yours! She will work with you to make you and your partner’s ideal ceremony become a reality! I cannot say enough good thing about Leigh Ann and I wouldn’t have had my ceremony any other way! If you want something different, if you want a personal connection and someone who will listen to everything that’s important to you & your partner, and you want an authentic and unique ceremony then Leigh Ann is your officiant! Thank you Leigh Ann! We have so much gratitude for you!

Leigh Ann was absolutely amazing. Our ceremony was our favorite part of our wedding day thanks to her! I loved the process she had us go through to create the ceremony. It gave us a chance to reflect on what's most important - our love and all the chapters of our relationship - at a time when our minds were so consumed with all the tiny details of planning a wedding. I remember one of our guests asking who Leigh Ann was. She had assumed we'd known Leigh Ann for years after hearing our ceremony! Thank you so much, Leigh Ann! We'll be re-reading our ceremony guides this Sunday on our one year anniversary:)

Having Leigh Ann officiate our ceremony, with her charisma and artistry, helped make our wedding day absolutely magical! She was a joy to work with, with her calming and bright presence. We had guests approach us later and laughingly say they wanted a do-over for their own weddings they enjoyed our ceremony so much. It was exactly what we wanted: an elated, intoxicating moment to publicly declare our love for and commitment to each other in front of our dearest family and friends, and Leigh Ann enfolded our vows in her delightful storytelling, sharing the experiences from our relationship that have crafted us into the couple we are. While our ceremony was very personal, a collection of stories, the gravity of tradition was still very present. The ceremony was about us, but it still had reflections on love as we see it, and having those themes intertwined together made it powerful. Leigh Ann worked with us to ensure the tone of the ceremony was exactly what we hoped for (in our case, that meant warm and light-hearted, full of love and gratitude, joyful, intimate, and honest). We absolutely loved the process of filling out the planning guides, answering questions about each other and about us. Exploring our memories and reflecting on our time as a couple, first separately, then together, was such an important part of our process as we planned and prepared for our marriage. So happy Leigh Ann was part of our beautiful day. Thanks to her, our ceremony felt peaceful, joyful, resonant. My mom says it was the best wedding ever! ;)

I would highly recommend creating your personalized marriage ceremony with Leigh Ann and Roots of Change. My partner and I got married this summer, and our celebration was greatly uplifted by Roots of Change. I learned so much about wedding ceremonies from Leigh Ann. One of the reasons I chose Roots of Change was my celebrant is because Leigh Ann challenged me to create my own version of my wedding. The time and effort I spent reflecting on my relationship and writing about my life drastically improved the quality of the ceremony. I was so proud of the ceremony we created! Working with Leigh Ann was wonderful, she is upbeat, but challenging. She is very organized, timely, and makes the process exiting and enjoyable. My friends and family were awestruck by our marriage ceremony. The expressions on our guests' faces indicated to me how intrigued they were by the ceremony. The emotions that were present during our wedding made the celebration one-of-a-kind: we were all crying, laughing, and everything in between. I think that working with Leigh Ann assisted me to mentally transition into my current role as a husband. I would hire this vendor again in a heartbeat. The process that I went through aided me to transition through one of life's ceremonial moments successfully.

We had the most amazing experience working with Roots of Change for our wedding ceremony! I could tell instantly upon meeting Leigh Ann that she was the person we wanted to work with; her warmth, compassion, and passion for the work she does was truly evident in how she greeted us and pieced through our vision and ideas during our first meeting. She supported me, an anxious bride, in following my heart and planning the wedding of my dreams, and she even suggested a location that fit our vision to a tee! And, she was willing to travel quite a distance to be part of our special day-I couldn’t have imagined anyone else joining our souls. Everyone raved about how unique and special our ceremony was. It was meaningful to us, our families, and our friends. Leigh Ann was an amazing support both in planning and theoughout our special day!

Leigh Ann was the perfect choice for our wedding! She made our ceremony very personal and very us! All of our guests loved her and raved about our ceremony. She was also a joy to work with, I felt confident that she was trying to truly understand who we are and how to make our ceremony perfect for us. I can really tell she loves what she does. I highly recommend you meet with Leigh Ann and let her help you design the perfect day for you!

There is no price tag for what Roots of Change provided to us! Our ceremony was the best experience of my life! Through working with Leigh Ann, we're walking away feeling better as individuals and stronger as a married couple! I first met Leigh Ann 8 years ago, when my friends got married: the bride being Muslim and the groom Italian Catholic! I thought to myself, how could it be possible to bring these two very different cultures together? When I witnessed the gifts Leigh Ann offered my friends, I was truly amazed and touched. I wondered how she was able to create such an extraordinary experience--how did I get to know my own friends better through their wedding, both as individuals and a couple? How did she take us all on a journey together? I told myself that day, that if I ever got engaged, I wanted to share that kind of experience with my husband and our families! Fast forward 8 years later. I found the man of my dreams, and getting married was becoming reality! I knew Leigh Ann had to guide us through! I wanted the same experience for us that she had given my friends, not realizing how they had gotten there. Working with Leigh Ann in the year leading up the wedding was incredible, as she took my future husband and I on a journey that was spiritual, thought-provoking and soul-searching in ways we didn't expect! Walking us through every step with patience and grace, Leigh Ann interviewed us, had us consider inspiring questions about the ceremony and our lives, getting to know us so well. She did all of this behind the scenes work with us, together and separately, which laid the ground work for the most exceptional ceremony experience--not just for us, but for everyone who attended! Through this enriching process, Leigh Ann identified the most compelling parts of our history, and wrote our very own story. When she shared that love story with our families and friends on our wedding day, it was life-changing! Not only did we get to share an amazing journey with Leigh Ann before the wedding, but then all of our guests were brought along on that amazing journey, knitting our community even closer together, because of the very special skills that Leigh Ann brings! There are not words to express the power of the experience Leigh Ann offered us all that day! We feel incredibly blessed to have had her at our sides!

My husband and I are extremely happy that we chose Leigh Ann as our officiant. She was always available when we needed her and she made us feel at ease from the first conversation. She created a lovely and intimate wedding ceremony that was tailored to our love story and unlike anything that I've heard before. If you want a ceremony that is unique and celebrates you as a couple... choose Leigh Ann!

I'm honored to have the chance to write a review about the Celebrant at my best friend's wedding. Her name is Leigh Ann Phillips-Knope, and she was nothing short of spectacular! Throughout the years, I've had the pleasure of being in 14 weddings, from flower girl to bride, so I've met and witnessed several different styles from Catholic Priest to an Officiant at the gazebo in the park. I would best describe Leigh Ann as the favorite Aunt that all the kiddos can't wait to see at EVERY family occasion, or the teacher who believed in you and said you could be anything you set your mind to, or the labor/delivery nurse that stayed past her 12 hour shift just to witness your little miracle coming into the world--she was incredible to say the least Leigh Ann was so thorough, she had every base covered, and made you feel so comfortable with her ability. My best friend David and his husband Bobby had paid very close attention to every wedding detail, with a breathtaking venue and a delicious meal, and an evening that will be forever etched in my memory as one of the best nights ever. Leigh Ann was the icing on the cake--she made the wedding so personal as she told the story of their love, as if she had been with them from day one. It was captivating to listen to her words and her genuine love for this couple. I was asked to do a reading and of course was honored to do so but knowing I would have to get up in front of their family and friends made me a nervous wreck. At the rehearsal I spoke to Leigh Ann about my concerns, and she immediately put my mind at ease by saying that they chose me for a reason because I was the girl for the job. She even met me the day of the wedding and let me practice my reading a handful of times until I felt totally confident that I could do it without concern. Leigh Ann was truly amazing and went way beyond the call of duty to make sure my best friend had the most memorable wedding possible. I know everyone in attendance that night thought she was wonderful and felt so lucky to have been a part of their day. Thanks LeighAnn~ You're truly the best! Amme Knight

Within minutes of meeting Leigh Ann, I knew that she was the one to marry us. The warmth, sincerity, and joy she exuded on that first day were palpable in every subsequent interaction we had with her. As we answered the vast array of questions she had for us about how we met, important milestones in our lives, what we hoped our wedding would include, etc., Bianka and I spent time reflecting on our lives together which really shaped exactly what our ceremony would be. Leigh Ann is a tremendous listener, gifted writer, and talented celebrant. The wedding ceremony she wrote and led for us was beyond anything I could have imagined. She embraced our family and friends, remembered our loved ones, incorporated our traditions, and laughed with us. It was a day filled with love, connection, and pure happiness. Thank you, Leigh Ann.

Upon our first meeting, Leigh Ann had a seamless way of being present, honoring our journey, and organizing things into doable tasks.  Her "homework" for us was fun to do and when my wife and I were finally able to share our answers with each other, it was memorable in and of itself.   Flash forward to the wedding.  Much of the evening is a blissful blur. As we spend time with people who attended the wedding, a frequent question we have been receiving is, "How long have you two known Leigh Ann?"  You see, within the relatively short time that she spent with us, and by reading our "homework," Leigh Ann was able to verbalize some of the very things that we were wanting to share with our loved ones.  She was able to capture both of our wildly different personalities and illustrate our shared values, our dreams, our history, and the story of our love.   Thank you, Leigh Ann, for the magic that you weave.

Working with Leigh Ann at Roots of Change was the best decision we made through the wedding planning process. I cannot express in words how grateful we are for her help in sculpting the best ceremony we could possibly have had. From our initial meeting with Leigh Ann, all the way through the planning, until our wedding day and beyond she kept in contact with us offering support and an ear if we needed it. By listening to us and understanding who we are as individuals and as a couple she created a heartfelt and touching ceremony and many of our guests stopped us and told us it was one of the most touching beautiful ceremony’s they had ever witnessed. Leigh Ann’s kind spirit and calming nature speaks to her character and I would without and hesitation recommend her to anyone. Thank you Leigh Ann for all you did for us!

We are so happy that we found Leigh Ann to officiate our wedding! When we imagined what we wanted for our ceremony we knew it had to be something heartfelt, warm, and enjoyable for everyone there. Leigh Ann put together a beautiful ceremony for us that incorporated all of the elements of our love story and tributes to our loved ones. Working with Leigh Ann was calming and easy; her friendliness and genuine desire to get to know you to truly tell your story is obvious. We've gotten so much positive feedback from our ceremony!!

I had the privilege of working with Roots of Change in my professional life, and was pleased to recommend Leigh Ann to my son & his fiancee. They met with her, and immediately felt that she could preside over their wedding ceremony with humor and grace. The ceremony was simply beautiful! Personal, poignant, and inclusive are words that best describe it. Family members who could not be there were remembered with loving tributes. The bride & groom shared vows that were heartfelt. Leigh Ann's guidance and preparation helped them create a ceremony that was tailored exactly for them and our families. We wouldn't have changed a thing.

Working with Leigh Ann was wonderful! She has a calm and welcoming presence. As soon as we met her, my husband and I knew we wanted her to marry us. I appreciated her attention to every detail of our ceremony and our day overall. She took so much time with us to create and edit a ceremony specifically for us. I would recommend her highly for any ceremonial needs :)

Leigh Ann did a wonderful job officiating my daughters wedding Her ceremony was so personal, it felt as if she had known my daughter and now husband for years, recapping their dating years and special things about their relationship The ceremony including placing letters they had written to each other in a special keepsake envelope to be opened on their anniversary and a special tribute to their parents and grandparents I received many compliments from family and friends who truly enjoyed the ceremony and echoed my same thoughts

When we initially started planning our wedding, we weren't sure what direction to go with in terms of officiating, and after some searching around my wife came upon Roots of Change and Leigh Ann and we went ahead. We are very glad we did! From the beginning of the process, Leigh Ann took a very hands-on approach to crafting a very personal ceremony for us, was receptive to our opinions and needs and worked with us to write something deeply meaningful. She was understanding of our hectic schedule and was always patient with us as we moved slowly through the process. When it came time to the ceremony itself, disaster almost struck as our outdoor ceremony was now being rained on! She quickly pivoted things around and helped to take charge of adapting to a now-indoor ceremony and everything went great! So all in all, working with Leigh Ann was wonderful and everything turned out as well as we could ever have hoped. Leigh Ann was kind and professional through the entire process, and as mentioned before took a lot of time to make sure everything was fitting with our needs and beliefs. We highly recommend her services!

Leigh-Ann was the absolute perfect officiant to complete our ceremony.! To be honest, this was the detail I almost overlooked but after researching and reviewing countless officiants I knew we had to meet her. We met at a cafe in Ann Arbor where she brought a tomato from her organic garden to give to us because her son insisted :).... She has a calm and peaceful presence that is easily recognized. Almost immediately we realized that she would turn our "wedding" into a ceremony that would not only engage our 6 active boys but make our commitment to each other and celebration of love and family unforgettable. She took the time to understand our vision and get to know us as a couple and as a family. This being our second marriage and having children to blend, Leigh-Ann gave us great suggestions and opportunities to include our boys in the ceremony. She turned our small, second wedding into an intimate celebration of love and forever commitment to one another and our boys. We feel so lucky to have found her❤️

I had the distinct honor of attending the wedding of Cierra and Erica, and what a celebration it was! Leigh Ann's facilitation of the event was a sweet balance of fun and playful, as well as heartfelt and deeply moving. It's not easy to find someone who understands the complexities of two women coming together in marriage, and can hold the space for their courage while also reflecting back the beauty of their love. Leigh Ann did this seamlessly and authentically. Her telling of their love story and the rituals of their special day were touching...I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the house!...and the ceremony was true to this gorgeous couple. I have no doubt that the same care she took in crafting their ceremony to match Cierra and Erica's dream for the day would be experienced by anyone Leigh Ann worked with. She's a truly gifted celebrant!

In a word: AMAZING! Generally speaking, not too many people remember the officiant at your wedding because they typically all say the same things about love and marriage. Well not Leigh-Ann. She didn't talk about marriage and its principles in general, she spoke about us. She told our love story in such a captivating way that everyone in attendance felt more connected to my wife and I once it was all said and done. So many people came up to us afterwards saying they learned something new about us or that they were inspired by our story. Overall, everyone was connected to us and it is because of how Leigh-Ann arranged the ceremony. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND HER!!

We were planning to have Leigh Ann both write and officiate our wedding but due to a prior engagement she was unavailable on our wedding weekend. The next best thing was to have her write our ceremony and we were lucky enough to have a family member do the officiating. Leigh Ann's process was simple; fill out a questionnaire that had 2 parts; one part that the partners do together and another done separately . From that interview process Leigh Ann crafted a wonderful ceremony that was inclusive of family members, included readings, and told the love story of me and Lorie. Our friends and family learned a lot about how we've come together and the story was told so that everyone felt a special connection to some aspect of our history together. We highly, highly recommend Leigh Ann for making your special day, even more so.

We truly cannot say enough wonderful things about the experience we had with Leigh Ann! From the beginning, we were certain of the vision we had for our ceremony, and when we came across Leigh Ann, we were just as certain about including her to assist us in achieving our perfect day. Our wedding took place in a breathtaking backyard garden, but Leigh Ann stole the show with the beautiful way she crafted our ceremony. She was able to share our story with all of our guests, and really shine a light on who we were as individuals. It was personal and intimate, yet down to earth, making everyone feel very connected in sharing the experience. Afterwards, I got so many comments about how loving and real the ceremony had been. We even heard from one guest how it was the most beautiful and loving thing she had ever witnessed. During the entire process, Leigh Ann was very in tune, loving and genuinely supportive of what we wanted. She obviously has lots of experience, and is great at suggesting fun or unique ideas to incorporate. She meets with you (we face-timed because we live out of state) and then the couple fills out fun questionnaires. Once she has a solid grasp of what you envision, she makes a draft and asks for feedback. We wanted to have our ceremony very simplistic and centered on our love and life together. We got exactly that! It was so great to have Leigh Ann so excited about our day. It really added to the whole experience. Not only is Leigh Ann one of the sweetest people I have ever met, but she is hands down the best celebrant I have ever seen or heard. I would recommend her to anyone looking to add a little love and zest to their special day!

Leigh Ann was the perfect officiant for our back-to-nature wedding ceremony in Ann Arbor this summer. She customized the ceremony to reflect our relationship and allowed us to be a part of the creation of it, as well as helping craft a thankful message for our guests. I highly, highly recommend her if you're looking for a personalized, perfect day.

Leigh-Ann is amazing. She was so pleasant to work with throughout the process. She took the time to get to know us and our story and took great effort to craft a ceremony just for us. In addition to her ceremony work, she was a very calming part of our wedding ceremony and the preparation. We would highly recommend her to any couple.

We knew what we wanted for our wedding, but then we didn't. A few elements were solid: we'd have the ceremony in the house that Rachel grew up in; we'd have close relatives only. The rest was pretty murky. But we knew we wanted Leigh Ann! She has been our Yoga teacher for many years, and consistently encourages us to bring the best in ourselves. We appreciate her groundedness, sense of humor, and patience. In planning the wedding, Leigh Ann listened so carefully to us. She understood what we were looking for but we didn't know how to create. Somehow she designed exactly the wedding we wanted! It was light, whimsical, funny, and heartfelt. We chose Leigh Ann because we had seen her Officiate the wedding of friends, and loved her style. What's interesting is how completely different these two weddings were, and how Leigh Ann was perfect in both of them. We strongly encourage you to speak with Leigh Ann and Roots of Change for a personalized, calm, assured and fun ceremony!

Leigh Ann conducted our marriage at the botanical gardens in Ann Arbor. She was everything I wanted her to be and made our day so personal and special. Leigh Ann was like a ray of sunshine. She made us all feel special and unique. Her way was natural and reassuring. I really can not praise her highly enough.

Leigh Ann performed the most astonishing wedding ceremony that was beyond our craziest expectations! First, she sat with us, to really get to know us and find out what mattered in our lives. We knew she was really listening and really caring!!! Perhaps, because she’s ‘so much in love’ herself and so passionate about life. After our wedding, our friends said they wished they had a chance to have such an incredibly unique ceremony. Because, after all, isn’t that what it’s all about..the words you share with each other on that glorious ‘coming together’ day?! It’s not about the flowers or meal that follows. It’s about your love and values. It's about where you've been and the dreams for your life together. And I guarantee your story will be understood and shared from the heart by Leigh Ann! We respected Leigh Ann so much, that she later performed the Celebration of Life memorial for my Father. During such a difficult time, she surrounded us with strength, love and compassion. She interviewed my whole entire family, worked tirelessly, and designed a ceremony beyond what anyone imagined possible. She wrote the most beautiful legacy of my Dad's life. She built closeness with everyone in the room through amazing rituals, and letting us tell our stories. She held us in a net of safety and love. People said they had never experienced such a genuine, uplifting and healing Celebration of Life--one which will treasured by my family always. Thank you Leigh Ann! You have rocked our world!

We interviewed several officiants before we decided on Roots of Change. Leigh Ann was very personable over the phone and I knew immediately that we had to chose her! With her journalism background she promised us a very personalized ceremony, which is exactly what she delivered. Once we finalized everything with her, she sent us each a questionnaire to fill out which required us to go very in depth about our relationship. She drafted an amazing first draft which we got to review and make a few minor changes. The best part about her services up to the wedding is that she does not provide a cookie cutter approach and what you get is unlike any wedding you have every been to before. At the wedding, she created a very moving presentation of our love and shared some memorable quotes from each of us of why we truly love each other. We decided that we did not want a religious ceremony and that is exactly what we got. However, if you do want a religious ceremony, she can do that for you as well. After the ceremony, guests came up to us and expressed how impressed they were by the ceremony and how it was so personalized and special. It was amazingly crafted from the story of how we met, to our remembrance section for past family members and friends, to our vows. Her words came across as ones spoken from a dear friend. We truly feel like we've known her forever! We feel that using Roots of Change helped to make our wedding one that our guests will remember. It fully expressed our love for each other and all of our unique qualities.

It is difficult for me to review Leigh Ann, because I have never worked with another officiant, and have never worked with an officiant I did not like, so I lack a basis for comparison. But I’ll try since that’s the point of a review. At the first level, Leigh Ann passes with an A grade because, while a lot of the details of the actual ceremony are lost on me. I was lost in a deep fog of happiness, whatever the exact inverse of miasma would be, in which Leigh Ann said some things, my (now) wife said some things, I said some things, and my sister and brother in law read some things, and then I was married. I also remember my weepy mother, (more on that). (Going back to the text we wrote, it was a beautiful ceremony if I do say so myself.) To say the least, Leigh Ann was a fantastic part of our ceremony. But that’s the just the cherry on top. Leigh Ann was wonderful not just as our actual officiant, but as the person who helped us build and refine a ceremony we would love. We had some tall orders; Suzy and I both come from church-going upbringings, but we wanted a secular ceremony that wouldn’t leave either our religious or non-religious friends and relatives feeling excluded. Suzy’s family is also Japanese by way of Hawaii, and so we incorporated a lei exchange as well, (leading to the aforementioned weepy mom). We also brought some important readings, recognized and remembered loved ones and family that have passed away. Along with these components, which my wife and I brought, Leigh Ann put together a wonderful history of Suzy and I’s relationship (almost 7 years at that point). Through some insightful questionnaires, some email conversations, and one or two face-to-face meetings (I don’t live in Michigan so it was hard), Leigh Ann was able to, I think, get a good grasp of who we are and represent that in the ceremony, not only through what she said (or didn’t say) but through general logistics. We were able to get two readings, a lei exchange (between Suzy and I and to our parents), a thank-you to our parents, self-written vows, the actual “do you?” bit, the procession, and our story/history and some awesome additional words spoken by Leigh Ann in about 35min. And that was truthfully Leigh Ann’s doing; Suzy and I gave her the parts we wanted, and she worked and worked with us to make it a real and wonderful thing. Along the way, Leigh Ann made it a stress free (or as stress-free as wedding planning goes). I think we started about 8mo. before our wedding, and Leigh Ann gave us enough emails to keep us up to date on the progress being made without making us feel like we had to micromanage the progress. So for a recap (or TL:DR), Leigh Ann took the time and had the experience to learn about Suzy and I and about what we wanted and didn’t want and used that to construct a beautiful, memorable and meaningful ceremony which was short enough to stay interesting and long enough to have it all. Don’t let my humor at the beginning fool you, I remember everything down the exact green of the leaves in my lei, and every brown in my wife’s eyes. I wouldn’t have anyone else stand in Leigh Ann’s place in those memories.

As a facilitator of educational programs at the state and national level, I think a great deal about what it takes to create a meaningful and lasting experience for a community. It is within this context that I offer my review--as a guest at Stephanie and Lisa's wedding, which Leigh Ann so skillfully led at a cozy art studio in Lansing. If I were getting married that day, I would have felt totally supported and nurtured by Leigh Ann's leadership, authenticity and care. It was clear that each element of the ceremony and even each word, had been carefully chosen to reflect this couple's relationship, and their very way of being in the world. I've never been to a wedding that was so thoughtful, intentional and highly personalized. The experience was moving, uplifting and emotional--giving me a chance to get to know this couple better (as Leigh Ann shared their love story, their history and life dreams) on their wedding day. Perhaps most importantly, Leigh Ann facilitated their wedding with pure love and joy. I could sense that she was truly present for this couple, and someone they could turn to in the future for the ceremonial needs that unfold throughout their lifetime. I wholeheartedly recommend Roots of Change!

My wife and I were looking for an officiant and we got in contact with Leigh Ann. From the first moment that we spoke on the phone we knew she would do a great job, and she didn't dissapoint! She made us feel so comfortable with such a big day coming up for us. Even on the day of there were a few changes with the location (due to weather) and she took everything very calmly and gave a sense of comfort to us. Not only did we fully appreciate the ceremony, but family and friends were coming up long after it had concluded stating that it was the best they have ever heard and it was so personalized for us! She worked to incorporate our family and friends into the ceremony because we wanted to share this day with them as they have been such a great part of our relationship. We would recommend Leigh Ann to anybody looking for a personalized service and a professional in every aspect.

I had the pleasure of attending the wedding of our dear friends, José and César, officiated by Leigh Ann. The ceremony could not have been more fitting for this couple and was a beautiful expression of their love for each other, their families and their friends. Leigh Ann was able to capture this through thoughtful and inspired officiating. It was clear that great care had been taken in planning the ceremony and that Leigh Ann listened to what the couple wanted and how they wanted to express themselves and their love for each other. I am confident that any couple working with Leigh Ann would have a similar experience. I recommend Roots of Change highly.

We were very happy with Leigh Ann and the celebration she put together. Leigh Ann was very easy to work with - from our first meeting to a number of e-mails while working through our plan. She was also very flexible and extremely receptive to our wishes for the celebration. We were looking for a celebration which told our story and made our guests feel special, and Leigh Ann did a great job delivering this. Highly recommended.

Working with Leigh Ann was a wonderful experience! We knew that we wanted a heartfelt, special ceremony and were looking for an officiant to help make that happen, but she completely surpassed our expectations. Throughout the process of putting the ceremony together she remained focused on what made us special as a couple and how we could share that with our families and friends. Some of our guests asked us how we knew her—they assumed she was an old friend because our ceremony seemed so personal and so “us”. Beyond that, Leigh Ann was a pleasure to work with: she was very professional, deliberate and grounded in all our interactions, easy to get in touch with and never needed multiple calls/emails.