Joyful wedding ceremonies
New York Metro, Tri-State Area, and Destinations
Service area
Cantor Leslie Friedlander
OWNER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (7X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Hi, I'm Cantor Leslie Friedlander. Your personalized wedding ceremony will be as unique as your story, informed by tradition and infused with music. We’ll get to know each other and I’ll work with you to craft a spiritual, inclusive ceremony. I’m also certified in pre-marital counseling and my relationships with couples have often continued with baby namings and other life events. I work with same-sex couples and interfaith couples and will co-officiate with clergy of other faiths. I’ll guide you through this journey with warmth and a sense of humor, and together we’ll build the ceremony that will be the foundation for your promises to one another.
Woman-owned Business
Prices & packages
No pricing details yet
Reach out to get a customized quote from this vendor.
Details
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Religious Affiliations
Interfaith
Jewish
Reform
Secular
Spiritual
Wedding Activities
After The Wedding
Premarital Counseling
Wedding
Ceremony
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Meet the team
Cantor Leslie Friedlander
Owner
Officiating weddings is as much a joy for me as it is a loving, lifetime experience for you. I was ordained from the Academy for Jewish Religion in New York, certified as a cantor from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and hold a Masters in Voice from the New England Conservatory of Music. I have served Reform congregations in New York City and Long Island for the past 25 years and feel blessed to have the opportunity to use my music and my seminary training to work with families and to be welcomed into their lives. I believe I have the absolute best job in the world!
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.076 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Cantor Leslie Friedlander received overwhelmingly positive reviews as an officiant for interfaith weddings, blending Christian and Jewish traditions seamlessly with grace and respect. Reviewers highlighted her thoroughness, personal touch, professionalism, and dedication to crafting deeply personal, reflective, and meaningful ceremonies. Cantor Friedlander's attention to detail, willingness to accommodate diverse backgrounds, and ability to make ceremonies unique and inclusive were highly praised, making her highly recommended for interfaith couples seeking a memorable and heartfelt wedding experience.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
- Top reviews
- Newest first
- Oldest first
- Highest rated
- Lowest rated
Sort by
Jonathan G
Highlighted review.
5.0
11/20/2023
Cantor Leslie gave us such an incredible wedding ceremony and pre-wedding experience. She dedicated a lot of time with zoom meetings to really get to know us and learn about our relationship.
We found Cantor Leslie went the extra mile for us, learning about both of our families, our religions, and our cultures in order to blend both Jewish and Hindu aspects into our ceremony. This was very special for both of us and our friends and families. We would highly recommend working with Cantor Leslie as she is not only a complete professional but a genuinely good person
Evelyn G
5.0
12/26/2024
My husband and I loved working with Cantor Leslie! We are an interfaith couple and Cantor Leslie spent months working with us to understand who we are and help us learn more about each other. It was a fantastic experience that I would recommend to anyone. Cantor Leslie is excellent to work with and worked incredibly hard to make our wedding personal and special.
Any questions?
Randie A
5.0
12/13/2024
Cantor Leslie is the best! Though my husband I ultimately decided not to have a religious wedding ceremony, she spent countless hours doing interfaith pre-marital counseling with us. From the first Zoom meeting, she was professional, friendly and generous with her time. When we were still considering having a religious officiant, she even introduced us to an Imam she's officiated with before (I am Jewish and my husband is Muslim) and spent a ton of time learning about us so she could make our ceremony as personalized as possible. She also made sure to highlight the similarities in our faith and cultures. It's clear she truly cares about those she works with and I couldn't recommend her enough.
Dana S
5.0
11/20/2024
We are so grateful to have had Cantor Leslie Friedlander as our officiant for our wedding ceremony. From the very first meeting, it was clear that she genuinely cared about getting to know us as a couple. She took the time to understand our backgrounds, personalities, and what was most important to us for our special day, which made the ceremony feel deeply personal and reflective of who we are.
Cantor Friedlander did an exceptional job in officiating our interfaith ceremony, blending our Christian and Jewish traditions with such grace and respect. Working seamlessly with our pastor, they together made sure that both of our religions were beautifully represented, creating a ceremony that honored both faiths in a meaningful way. Her thoughtful approach allowed us to celebrate our unique connection while also staying true to our individual beliefs.
In addition to her warmth and personal touch, Cantor Friedlander was incredibly professional and resourceful throughout the planning process. She offered us great guidance and was always available to answer any questions or provide assistance when needed. Her attention to detail and clear communication made everything go smoothly on our wedding day.
We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect officiant. Cantor Friedlander helped make our ceremony unforgettable, and we highly recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding officiant who brings both professionalism and heartfelt personal touches to the table.
Elyssa S
5.0
9/17/2024
My husband is Jewish and I am Catholic, so it was difficult for us to find an officiant who was willing to incorporate both of our backgrounds into our wedding ceremony. We were so thrilled to be able to work with Cantor Leslie – she took her time getting to know both of us as people, and that made our ceremony feel special. We appreciated her organization and transparency when it came to putting together the ceremony. She even found a priest for us (Rev. Rick Lorino, highly recommend him as well!) who had co-officiated with her in the past, so we were able to have both our faiths represented. Our wedding guests thought the ceremony was unique and personal.
Throughout the entire process, Cantor Leslie was responsive, thoughtful, and dependable. We absolutely recommend her, especially for interfaith couples!
Rachel S
5.0
9/11/2024
Working with Leslie was an absolute pleasure from our initial Zoom meeting in December 2023 to our wedding in September 2024, when we finally met her in person. She was incredibly thoughtful, attentive, and truly listened to our vision for the ceremony. Leslie helped us craft a ceremony that authentically reflected who we are as a couple, incorporating meaningful Jewish traditions and rituals, while also allowing room for creativity.
My partner and their family built a chuppah to be used as a backup in case of rain, as there was already a permanent structure for the outdoor ceremony. However, Leslie went out of her way to ensure the chuppah was included in a meaningful way, even helping us brainstorm how to incorporate it into our first look. She was generous with her time, often staying beyond our scheduled sessions to discuss ceremony logistics in detail.
I also really enjoyed the Prepare-Enrich sessions, which prompted us to reflect on various aspects of our life together. I would highly recommend Leslie—10/10! We truly hope to stay in touch with her.
Brad R
5.0
7/26/2024
Cantor Friedlander was amazing. From the first time we spoke on the phone, she made my wife & I feel like family. The pre-wedding process and zoom calls helped us learn more about each other as individuals as well as a couple was priceless. She prepared us for everything for our special day with every detail possible. During our wedding at the Park Chateau in New Jersey, almost every guest spoke to us about Cantor Friedlander and how she explained the entire ceremony to give everyone a better understanding of a Jewish wedding. We rate her a 15 out of a perfect 10. We recommend her at the highest level.
Shanna G
5.0
1/12/2024
We had the absolute pleasure of working with Cantor Leslie for our wedding at the Swan Club, and it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. From our initial meeting, Cantor Leslie greeted us with warmth and genuine interest in getting to know us as a couple.
Cantor Leslie's approach was incredibly personable, always working around our schedules to ensure we had regular meetings—at least once a month—to truly understand our story, values, and what we envisioned for our ceremony.
She took the time to grasp our unique backgrounds and crafted a ceremony that felt deeply personal and meaningful. Cantor Leslie's attention to detail was impeccable, seamlessly incorporating our beliefs and preferences into the ceremony, making it a true reflection of us as a couple.
The ceremony itself was a beautiful culmination of her efforts. Cantor Leslie's eloquence, warmth, and grace added a special touch, making it a moment we will cherish forever.
We are immensely grateful to Cantor Leslie for her dedication, sincerity, and for making our wedding ceremony at the Swan Club an unforgettable and heartfelt experience
Stewart L
5.0
11/20/2023
My wife and I used the knot to source our wedding officiant. Cantor Leslie responded within a day, and we set up a phone call to discuss and meet. From the first phone call, our experience was beyond our dreams and expectations. Leslie is the most personable and caring human being; she welcomed our religious differences, embraced our small wedding, and made it truly meaningful and memorable. We look back to 8/19/2023 as the best day, and Leslie added so much to our experience!
Tanya J
5.0
11/20/2023
Working with Cantor Leslie and having her lead our ceremony was nothing short of an incredible experience! Even though we had no prior relationship, it was clear from the first phone call that she wanted to get to know us. And by the time our ceremony came, we truly felt like she has been a part of our lives for a while! She is someone who truly takes the time to get to know you and talk through whatever you need, no matter the day or time. She was flexible with meeting with us and we decided to proceed with the Prepare/Enrich program which was such a wonderful addition to the wedding preparation. Everything from understanding the jewish wedding traditions, to logistics, to making sure we felt calm and supported all the way through the wedding day - she exceeded our expectations and we heard so many compliments from our guests! Her personalized words to describe our love and who we are as people were so touching, as it gave our wedding such a unique feel. We are so grateful to have her on our wedding day!
Lauren G
5.0
11/17/2023
Cantor Leslie has been such a wonderful part of our wedding experience. She was the first person my husband and I met with and didn't feel the need to look any further. Leslie took the time to get to know us and make our ceremony unique and meaningful to who we are. We didn't have an exact idea how to implement Judaism in our wedding as an interfaith couple, but she made this process easy and insightful. Leslie took exactly what we said we were looking for in a ceremony and helped make it happen in such a beautiful way, while incorporating humor as well, which was super important to us. During our ceremony, she made us incredibly comfortable and made our guests feel welcome and comfortable as well. Her singing was beautiful and she ensured that each part of our ceremony had meaning that was felt by everyone there. Overall, we loved and appreciated our experience with Cantor Leslie greatly and would highly recommend her to officiate your wedding!
Gayle F
5.0
9/05/2023
Working with Cantor Leslie was the highlight of our wedding planning process. We struggled to find a Jewish officiant in our area and came across Leslie on The Knot. From our first meeting with her we knew we found the perfect person to marry us. She was very attentive, really interested in getting to know us and our unique situation (2nd marriage, large extended family) and listened and respected our ceremony needs. The bonus was working with her on the pre-marital partner assesment and weekly discussion about the results. The ceremony itself was beautiful, touching and exactly what we wanted. Also, as an event and wedding planner myself, Leslie understood how important it was to me to stay on schedule and all the details of the day. We plan to keep in touch with Leslie and are very grateful for her support throughout the wedding planning process and the beautiful ceremony. We highly recommend Leslie for your Jewish ceremony.
Lila K
5.0
7/16/2023
I'm truly grateful that our paths crossed with Cantor Leslie. From our initial phone call, I knew she would be the best option to marry my husband and me. We enjoyed getting to work with Cantor Leslie on a pre-marriage framework that delves into different areas of one's relationship. She was always friendly, prompt, and professional. The whole experience, from start to finish, was nothing short of a wonderful experience. I highly recommend Cantor Leslie to any interfaith couple getting married - she gets it!
Ashley K
5.0
7/09/2023
If we could give more than 5 stars, we would! Our family and friends were so impressed with our ceremony and its authenticity - which is perhaps one of the biggest compliments you can get - and everybody should hire Cantor Leslie. Here's more on why.
I found Cantor Leslie on 18Doors looking for an officiant who would conduct a Jewish ceremony for an interfaith couple, and she was by far the most down to earth, warm and personable officiant we met with. And - she offered pre-marital counseling sessions, which was a huge selling point for me. After meeting with her, it was clearly a no brainer and my husband completely agreed.
Over more than 6 months, Cantor Leslie worked with us on both our ceremony and our Prepare and Enrich sessions - it was the best experience that prepared us for the commitment we were making (even after 6 years of being together), taught us more about ourselves as individuals and as a couple, provided us tips and guidance to carry into our future together, set us up successfully to have tough conversations/address conflict, and generally gave my husband and I a lot of laughs while we practiced our daily compliments and deciding on weekly dates. In short - it certainly did prepare and enrich us.
Throughout these sessions, we worked on our ceremony - Cantor Leslie's patience during this process is unmatched. She explained the run through no less than 50 times, and really taught me (the bride and non-Jewish partner) so much about the meanings and tradition behind every minute of the ceremony and all the options we could add to personalize it. From sharing Ketubah artists and helping us with filling it out correctly, to having 1:1 session with me about my vows, to making suggestions for honoring loved ones who passed, and even guiding us on what music should be playing for the instrumental band we hired, she just goes above and beyond.
On the day of the wedding, she even calmed down the whole wedding party/family (ourselves included) when a storm hit and we had to ask the venue to move the seats last minute, with guests starting to arrive. She took that situation and smoothed it over, suggested a solution for how to make ceremony work in the cocktail reception area that we hadn't previously thought of, and basically saved the day. It resulted in all of us being very loose and laid back for the ceremony, which can be nerve wracking in and of itself, and while it feels like it went by so quickly, it was the most special part of our day.
Cindy L
5.0
7/09/2023
Leslie is wonderful. Working with her was as smooth of a process as we could've asked for. She made the logistics of preparing for the ceremony easy to understand and accomplish- outlining the steps to obtain the marriage license, providing resources for the ketubah, and making sure we had all materials needed for the ceremony.
Our meetings with her were informative, kind, and provided a space where it felt like we were being heard and where we received thoughtful responses. She took time to explain aspects of a ceremony we were unfamiliar with and respected our choices on what to include. She was a supportive presence in the overall wedding planning process that can feel hectic and overwhelming.
It was important to us that the ceremony was representative of both of us, one being Jewish and the other not. Leslie did a masterful job at incorporating the traditions that were important without it feeling archaic or inauthentic to us and also holding space for not religiously specific sentiments that resonated regardless of faith. She composed all our preferences and what she learned about us through our meetings into a heartfelt ceremony. Highly, highly, highly recommend Cantor Leslie!
Jeremy R
5.0
7/05/2023
Cantor Friedlander was amazing!! The wedding service was beautiful (with personal details and thoughtful remarks), and all of the support in the pre-marriage counseling made the experience an absolute pleasure.
My wife is not Jewish, and the Cantor made her and her family feel comfortable and included.
We cannot recommend her highly enough - she’s the best!!
- Montse and Jeremy
Amanda S
5.0
2/28/2023
We had such a wonderful experience with Cantor Friedlander! Getting to know Cantor Friedlander was very easy and natural. She took her time throughout each session to get to know us, asking us thoughtful questions and getting us ready for the wedding. We had a Jewish ceremony with elements of my husband’s catholic up bringing. Cantor Friedlander was able to provide so many suggestions on how to make everyone feel included. Her goal with a ceremony of different faiths is to ensure people aren’t just there as spectators but are learning, understanding, and participating in the ceremony and sharing in the special occasion. We laughed a lot with Cantor Friedlander and are looking forward to continuing our relationship with her for years to come!
Rachel F
5.0
2/04/2023
Cantor Friedlander was an amazing officiant. She brought a ton of knowledge, passion, thoughtfulness and flexibility to the entire planning process, which we really appreciated each step of the way. We had an interfaith wedding and worked with Cantor Friedlander to plan a ceremony that felt inclusive, personal and meaningful. Cantor Friedlander even helped us to find an Episcopal Deacon who could co-officiate. The Prepare/Enrich premarital course and Facetime sessions we did with Cantor Friedlander allowed us all to get to know each other and this was reflected in everything Cantor Friedlander put into the ceremony. So many guests told us how intentional our ceremony was and that they loved Cantor Friedlander. We could not have asked for a better wedding ceremony and are very appreciative to have been able to work with Cantor Friedlander.
Jamie K
5.0
1/31/2023
Cantor Leslie was amazing to work with and she led the most perfect wedding ceremony (we had many guests comment on how moving our ceremony was). Cantor Leslie was very friendly and welcoming from the start. She was easy to communicate with, always responding quickly to messages and never had a problem accommodating our schedules. We especially appreciated that Cantor Leslie really got to know us as a couple and individuals as well (we loved that she offered pre-marital counseling & we are so happy we did it). We very much appreciated her support of our different Jewish backgrounds and with her help we were able to create a very meaningful ceremony. I cannot speak higher of Cantor Leslie, her professionalism and overall kindness!
Jake R
5.0
1/30/2023
Our experience with Cantor Friedlander could not have been better! She was incredible to work with through the Prepare and Enrich process, providing my wife and myself with key lessons that have shaped our marriage. She spent the time to really get to know us and was able to make our wedding ceremony special and personable. She even went the extra mile and wore a custom Yarmulke with a symbol that resonated with my late father, which was truly something special. Cantor Leslie Friedlander was everything we looked for and more! We would recommend her to anyone!
Caroline C
5.0
12/11/2022
In hiring Cantor Leslie Friedlander as your wedding officiant, you are not simply getting a wedding officiant, but you are also getting an advisor, a marriage counselor, and a spiritual leader. My husband and I hired her for our interfaith wedding, and leading up to our wedding we had multiple sessions with her discussing several topics on marriage - from children to religion to conflict resolution. In each session, she showed how much she cared about her job and offered extremely thoughtful and realistic advice about navigating marriage. On our wedding day, she showed up early, performed the ceremony in the way that we had planned, and even navigated technical hiccups that happened during our ceremony with grace. We thank you Cantor Leslie for everything!!! Would highly recommend.
Michelle R
5.0
11/17/2022
Cantor Leslie exceeded our expectations! We were nervous trying to find the perfect officiant. My husband and I were looking for an officiant who would be able to get to know us as a couple, genuinely. We wanted the ceremony to feel really personal and authentic. Leslie succeeded. Not only were our sessions helpful for creating the relationship with Leslie but they were also helpful in getting me and my husband in the perfect mindset. In the midst of wedding planning stress, we would meet once a month with Leslie to talk about us as a couple. It would help put everything back into perspective. Leslie does a great job at creating a warm space and feels like she's really invested in your love story. Very grateful to have found her and can't thank her enough.
Daisy D
5.0
11/08/2022
Leslie was incredible to work with. She really took the time to understand us, our values and our interfaith backgrounds. She ended up making the ceremony beautiful and a true reflection of us as a couple. We received many compliments from our guests on it. I couldn’t recommend Leslie enough!
Margo B
5.0
10/30/2022
Cantor Leslie has become both a friend and a mentor to my husband and I. Picking an officiant who could speak from the heart and really capture who we are as a couple was super important to us. We decided to chose Cantor Leslie because she is warm, funny, understanding and was willing to customize our ceremony from start to finish. The process was seamless and my husband and I benefited greatly from working with her on her prep and enrich course. We look forward to our continued relationship with her because just having her marry us isn’t enough :)
Amanda R
5.0
10/14/2022
Cantor Leslie was amazingly nice and helpful throughout the entire process leading up to our wedding and on the day itself. She spent a lot of time getting to know us on a personal level so she could lead the wedding ceremony in a way that was meaningful to us and our families. We very much appreciate everything she has done for us and highly recommend her!
Susan D
5.0
9/22/2022
I think its all about the warmth and sincerity of Cantor Leslie that made our wedding ceremony so glorious. It was the gift of a lifetime. I convinced my fiance/now husband to do the pre-marital class and he kept saying how much he enjoyed it, how much he was learning and having a good time. Yes! She was a caring and knowledgeable guide through every emotional bridge we crossed. Our congregation said she explained everything so well and enjoyed her singing. Her appreciation and warm vibration made our journey meaningful and happy. Many thanks for our wonderful wedding journey. XO
Amanda B
5.0
9/18/2022
Amanda: Just, wow. Worked together on premarital counseling for months, then deep customization of ceremony, sang together, catered to our specific needs and tastes. So sad it's over, and miss meetings with Leslie already. Grew from them, helped me through tough times and was a true partner in the lead up to the big day. Totally recommend.
Carlos: As a non Jew, the Cantor did a great job introducing me into the Jewish traditions regardless of my religion background, from a perspective of history, understanding and respect.
Courtney W
5.0
9/07/2022
Cantor Leslie was a pleasure to work with. She genuinely cared about our relationship, and wanted to get to truly know us. We shared many laughs, felt comfortable to speak openly, and had a great time working with her. She made our ceremony personal and heartfelt, and we are grateful. Would highly recommend hiring Cantor!
deborah s
5.0
9/02/2022
We had a fantastic experience with Cantor Leslie officiating at our wedding!
Because we met with her for premarital sessions leading up to the wedding, Leslie really got to know us well as a couple, ensuring that our ceremony was extremely personalized and meaningful for us. She found ways to incorporate so many special elements into our ceremony, incorporating a baby blanket from my late grandmother into our parents' blessing, and finding the perfect words to encapsulate our relationship as she spoke about us.
Leslie is extremely gifted at personalizing your ceremony to you. Since we chose to incorporate many Jewish traditions into our ceremony, she did a great job 'translating' those traditions for our diverse audience of guests, ensuring that everyone could follow along and really understand the meaning and symbolism behind them. She also did a great job modernizing some traditions in a way that felt authentic to us, and explaining to our audience how and why we made those choices.
Leslie also lead a beautiful, intimate bedecken ceremony for us prior to our actual ceremony, including our immediate families and giving our parents a moment to privately speak to us with blessings and words of wisdom before we walked down the aisle.
Leslie is a true professional, an artist on the bimah, and will create a ceremony for you which is entirely personal and beautiful.
Every person we spoke to after the wedding (including us) cited our ceremony as their favorite part of the day- and we had a LOT of dessert so that's really saying something! It was meaningful, special, comfortable, and perfectly us.
Cantor Leslie- THANK YOU! I can't recommend her enough.
Scott C
5.0
7/24/2022
Leslie was the most wonderful cantor we could ask for :) Firstly was the great prepare enrich program we went through leading up to our wedding which brought me and my fiancé closer together and helped us work on our strength and weaknesses. I was looking forward to the meetings each week because Leslie made it fun and was really relatable. Then she took everything she learned from us and wrote a beautiful ceremony for us with many details we forgot we even told her! Overall is was a great experience and would highly recommend. Thanks Leslie!
Maureen M
5.0
7/24/2022
Cantor Leslie was fantastic to work with and we couldn't be happier that we chose her to co-officiate our wedding ceremony. My partner and I worked with Cantor Leslie to coordinate our interfaith ceremony with my Lutheran Pastor, and Leslie worked with the pastor to string together the most beautiful ceremony honoring both families traditions and religions. Leslie took the time to get to know us as people, and helped us manage the stress and preparation leading up to our wedding day. We really enjoyed Prepare Enrich -- it taught us many new things about ourselves, our relationship, and it gave us many helpful and applicable tips to incorporate into our daily lives in marriage. The ceremony was better than we could have imagined, and Leslie was highly reliable, engaged, and thoughtful throughout the entire process. Thank you Cantor Leslie!
Eva W
5.0
7/14/2022
It was so nice getting to know Cantor Leslie over the course of the year. She sits down with you and really tries to find the inner strengths and beauties within your relationship and why as a couple you should get married. When you first sit down with the Cantor, she provides you with an option of taking a test about yourself as well as your spouse. This is how she gets to know you both as individuals and as a couple. After about 6 counseled meetings, Cantor Leslie was able to tell us that we were destined to get married. From her professionalism to her expertise, when it was time for our wedding day, the ceremony, customized for our interfaith wedding, was truly beautiful. We would highly recommend her to anyone.
Nicole C
5.0
7/11/2022
Cantor Leslie Friedlander is phenomenal. From our first call, it was apparent that she wanted to listen to our story to get to know us personally. Most impressive was her ability to work with my husband and I to compose a traditional Jewish ceremony with a modern twist, which was very unique to our values. Our guests absolutely loved the ceremony, especially her explanations behind the meaning of each component of the wedding (and her beautiful voice!). It was unforgettable, individualized, and filled with beautiful life lessons. She was easy to work with, and each call was filled with laughs and humor. Cantor Friedlander, thank you again for helping to make our wedding day perfect, and we cannot recommend you enough!
Adam M
5.0
7/10/2022
We highly recommend Cantor Leslie if you are looking for a wedding officiant! Her warm and genuine personality was only outdone by her desire to make sure our ceremony was perfect. From our pre-marital meetings all the way up to our wedding day, she got to know us intimately and incorporated everything into our service like she’s known us for years. All that plus a beautiful voice to add to your ceremony!
Jake A
5.0
5/14/2022
Cantor Leslie was wonderful. From our first call with her, where she made it clear that she was looking to really get to know us rather than just provide a service, to the beautiful, moving, and witty ceremony that she led, she brought warmth and insight into our wedding. She worked with us as she explained Jewish wedding customs and helped us find a balance of tradition and modernity that was unique to our values. She wove what she’d learned about us into the service, making it feel truly fitting for us. Our guests were unanimously impressed.
Though we weren’t originally looking to do premarital work, her skillful use of the Prepare/Enrich program helped my wife and I feel even more comfortable and close and prepared for the realities of wedded life. Even for those couples who (like us) feel like they’ve already had all the hard conversations and know each other completely, I encourage going through with Prepare/Enrich to gain an additional perspective.
Jeffrey D
5.0
3/06/2022
Leslie was an amazing cantor for our wedding. She was able speak to my wife and I from a personal place thanks to her premarital counseling services. We learned a lot about ourselves as individuals, a couple, and technics to help us prepare for a long and happy marriage. She was also helpful in the orchestration of the ceremony by giving us ideas of rituals and explaining their meanings in different cultures.
Marisa S
5.0
3/03/2022
Cantor Leslie officiated our wedding a few weeks ago and was an absolute pleasure to work with! She offers (unofficial) couples counseling services that are based on a questionnaire that each partner fills out and helped to guide our meetings, which we found extremely helpful and allowed us to be in a safe space while we talked about our forever future together. If this isn't for you, that's still okay, because our wedding ceremony was also wonderful! Leslie made it very personal, was very flexible on the religious piece, and she has a beautiful voice! Both of our families (Jewish and non-Jewish) told us how much they loved the ceremony and enjoyed the way she explained the Jewish faith and rituals. We loved Leslie and highly recommend her services!
Victoria G
5.0
1/17/2022
Cantor Leslie was a true gift to or special day. From our get togethers before the wedding to the actual day of ceremony Cantor Leslie was a wonderful mentor. She took the time to get to know us as a couple and that translated throughout the ceremony that she prepared. In our private counseling sessions leading up to our wedding Cantor Leslie provided us with incredible tools and advice that we will continue to use throughout our marriage. As an interfaith couple, she helped us navigate a more complex religious situation, and blended both of our traditions into a beautiful ceremony.
Amanda S
5.0
12/18/2021
All of the gushing reviews couldn't be more true. We can't say enough good things about working with Cantor Leslie! Her ceremony was humorous, heartfelt, and truly reflected us as a couple. We're an interfaith couple, and she gave us many unique ideas on how to tailor old traditions to make them feel like our own, and reflective of both our backgrounds. Many of our guests said it was one of the best ceremonies they'd ever been to!
We also highly recommend doing the prepare-enrich course with her. No matter what you take from it, it made the ceremony feel even more meaningful to spend some time thoughtfully reflecting on our relationship leading up to the wedding, and gave us some time to really get to know Cantor Leslie (who was a joy to spend time with!). By the day of, it felt like being officiated by a member of the family :)
Thank you again Cantor Leslie for everything you put into the ceremony!
Ali V
5.0
12/02/2021
Cantor Leslie Friedlander is absolutely incredible!!! She really cared about us as people and as a couple. She truly took the time to get to know us and hear about our love story and our life together. She not only helped us and guided us in creating a truly meaningful and beautiful ceremony (her voice is so beautiful!) but she also gave us such incredible lessons on life love and partnership that is invaluable. The genuine care and love she puts into her job is truly remarkable. I recommend anyone looking for an officiant to work with Cantor Leslie Friedlander - she's the BEST!!
Daphne L
5.0
11/15/2021
Cantor Leslie Friedlander was extraordinary! She partnered with us to craft a meaningful ceremony, customized to reflect our personalities and values. She genuinely invested in us as a couple and was generous with her time - we had multiple meetings prior to the wedding date. She is the consummate professional – organized, responsive, detail-oriented, experienced - but also engaging, down-to-earth, and collaborative. Her stunning operatic cantorial voice was a special highlight of our wedding ceremony. Cantor Friedlander exceeded all expectations, and we highly recommend her to officiate your wedding ceremony!
Jessica W
5.0
11/03/2021
Cantor Leslie was extremely helpful and supportive throughout our wedding planning process. We are so glad that we used her for our interfaith wedding! She brought humor, knowledge, and care to working with us. We had several meetings with her throughout our planning journey and she helped us create a powerful and beautiful ceremony that blended feminism, tradition, and jewish tradition to our Jew-ISH wedding --- this is exactly what we wanted! Her suggestion to have selected guests share blessings was one of many highlights of our ceremony. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND working with her.
Dana Z
5.0
10/15/2021
It is difficult for me to describe how grateful I am that we found Cantor Leslie Friedlander. She took the time to get to know my fiance and I individually and as a couple. Our ceremony was exactly what we wanted and many guests commented on how she made the ceremony fun and interesting! We are so thankful!! Cannot recommend highly enough.
Eden E
5.0
10/05/2021
Cantor Leslie Friedlander was fantastic! We engaged her before our wedding to guide us through the Prepare-Enrich curriculum. She was very engaged, non judgmental, and easy to relate with. We always looked forward to our sessions and felt she was focusing us on the most important material/questions - without burdening us with unnecessary homework or tasks. Would 100% recommend to family or friends.
Sarah W
5.0
9/09/2021
Cantor Leslie Friedlander is truly a dream to work with. She helped us customize our ceremony to fit us perfectly and all night everyone commented what a truly beautiful ceremony it was! She has an extraordinary singing voice! We also both really enjoyed working with Leslie leading up to the ceremony. A lot of the different exercises we did with her really helped in areas of our relationship that created a lot of sweetness between us leading up to the big day. We are both really happy to have met Cantor Leslie and recommend her to everyone!
Judy C
5.0
8/28/2021
Cantor Leslie Friedlander performed our daughter and son-in-law's interfaith wedding at the Whitby Castle. The blending of the two family’s traditions was worded beautifully and was so meaningful to all of us. Her voice is beautiful as well! With the pre-marital counseling, she got to know the couple well and incorporated what she learned about them and our families. I highly recommend Cantor Friedlander!
Melissa F
5.0
8/21/2021
Cantor Leslie Friedlander is an absolute angel (just wait until you hear her sing). When we started our wedding journey, my fiancé and I agreed that one of the most important parts of our day was our ceremony. We wanted something personal to us, sentimental, romantic, while also incorporating both of our beliefs (this was no easy task) Not only did Cantor Leslie execute this flawlessly, but she also became a friend throughout the process. Meeting with the Cantor was so enjoyable and absolutely priceless. We are still getting compliments about her weeks after our day. She is a gem, book her right away if she is available.
Lauren F
5.0
8/21/2021
We had a great experience working with Cantor Friedlander. She has a very calm and pleasant aura and we shared quite a few laughs getting to know each other over the months leading up to our wedding. Our guests loved the ceremony - we kept it traditional but Cantor Friedlander explained everything thoughtfully for our non-Jewish attendees. She was a pleasure to work with and we would 100% recommend her!!
Rebekah S
5.0
8/20/2021
The cantor did an amazing job officiating our wedding! She spent a lot of time getting to know us as a couple before the wedding and this was reflected in how personal and thoughtful the ceremony was. I couldn't recommend her more!
Sara S
5.0
8/01/2021
Leslie performed the most perfect ceremony for our summer wedding. We met with Leslie many times before our wedding and really formed a relationship with her. This allowed her to make our wedding ceremony personal, meaningful, and even a bit humorous (which defines us)! Our family and friends continue to talk about how amazing Leslie was and how much they enjoyed her ceremony. She also has a wonderful voice! We have continued to keep in touch with Leslie after our wedding and know we will continue to do so for years to come.
Andrew K
5.0
7/27/2021
Leslie was truly a wonderful addition to our special day. She took lots of time to get to know us and we enjoyed our conversations aa she got to know us. She crafted a personal and lovely ceremony. She is a warm and delightful individual to get to know. Would highly recommend her to perform your wedding ceremony!
Jordan L
5.0
7/26/2021
We could not recommend Cantor Leslie more! Each session was an opportunity not only for Cantor Leslie to learn about us, but for us to learn about ourselves as a couple. Her approach is unique, interesting and fun and we genuinely looked forward to each and every session. Cantor Leslie performed a beautiful ceremony but getting to know and work with her was truly the best part.
Kieran G
5.0
7/13/2021
Cantor Leslie was able to accommodate us in lovely backyard for a very special and intimate wedding during the height of Covid. She went out of her way to make us feel safe and did everything she could to help with our quite unusual arrangement due to the pandemic (zoom in the backyard!). We would recommend Cantor Leslie to anyone, she'll do a fantastic job.
Suzanne C
5.0
7/05/2021
We had Cantor Friedlander officiate our interfaith ceremony in September 2020 and she was incredible! She met with us several times prior to the wedding to educate us on important traditions in a Jewish service and was very open to all ideas we had to make our special day feel unique and reflective of our respective, differing religious faiths. She was very responsive in her communication with us throughout the process and had great recommendations for additional resources to help broaden our understanding of a Jewish wedding. My husband and I are so happy she was part of our wedding day and we would highly recommend her to any prospective couples looking for a Jewish or interfaith ceremony.
Philip C
5.0
7/04/2021
I would highly recommend Cantor Friedlander for any Jewish or interfaith ceremony. I come from an Episcopal background, and Leslie was an excellent guide through a Jewish wedding. She took the time to explain all of the traditional components of a Jewish wedding and their symbolic meaning. She truly works with each couple to create their ideal ceremony. I feel that my wife and I were able to create our perfect interfaith ceremony with her help. She is also very organized and easy to communicate/work with. She is invested in each couple and gets to know them very well. I would highly recommend her to any perspective couple and wish her the best!
C Z
5.0
7/03/2021
The cantor did an outstanding job officiating our wedding. We thought so, as did many of our guests.
I very much appreciated that she was quite flexible at tailoring the religious elements of our ceremony to our requests. At the same time, she did a great job explaining those parts to the guests.
Generally, I find clergy insert themselves too much into ceremonies, and was quite happy Leslie did not do so. Similarly, sometime they speak like they know the couple better than they do. Again, was pleased Leslie did not do this.
That said, she did get a good read on us from some meetings to prepare for the wedding, and eve those observations into the ceremony very well. Accordingly, we got everything we wanted and more out of the wedding, without anything we didn’t want.
Finally she was generous with her time in preparing for the wedding. Ask, her cost was very reasonable.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Patricia D
5.0
5/09/2021
Leslie stepped in to officiate our wedding after our original cantor dropped out last minute. She was so great with getting to know
Is over a short period of time abs creating a beautiful ceremony that truly represented us as a couple. She guided us through the process, helped us understand the traditions, craft the ceremony ,and was absolutely wonderful. We were very fortunate and lucky to have Cantor Leslie Friedlander as our officiant and create such a special and memorable wedding ceremony for us.
Kaylin C
5.0
11/10/2020
In short: Leslie was simply perfect. If you are looking for a calm, friendly, respectful, and loving person to officiate your wedding - do yourself a favor and look no further. Our previous Justice of the Peace bailed a month before our wedding, and it turned out to be 100% for the best. We found Leslie very quickly and she jumped in without skipping a beat, putting us completely at ease. We met with her multiple times so she could customize a ceremony based on our relationship. She was so dedicated to portraying us well and making sure our ceremony was perfect. On the day of our wedding, she was everything we could have asked for - she even comforted my mother when she started crying during her reading! She 100% respects social distancing and wore a mask for the whole time she was at our wedding, which we appreciated. Honestly, Leslie is simply the best one could hope for.
Bill L
5.0
9/14/2020
Cantor Friedlander was amazing, from our Prepare and Enrich sessions to our Wedding ceremony on July 3rd, 2020. She was thoughtful, attentive, caring, inclusive, and made sure to adapt to our needs and preferences (being a mixed religion couple) as well at the circumstances of current events. My wife and I cannot thank Cantor Friedlander enough for everything she has done for us.
Rachel B
5.0
7/28/2020
Where do I start with our experience with Cantor Friedlander? From the beginning Cantor Friedlander has been a beacon of knowledge and understanding. When my childhood Rabbi couldn't perform our ceremony, I came across Cantor Friedlander, who after our first phone conversation I found her to be so knowledgable and experienced that my fiancé (not Jewish) and I felt strongly that we were in good hands with her. Our instincts were right.
Cantor Friedlander took the time to work with us and got to know us as a couple; not just what we want out of our wedding day, but what we want out of life. She gently and tactfully guided us towards the next chapter of our relationship.
Cantor Friedlander has been so generous in sharing her vast knowledge of tradition, history, anecdotes, and most importantly her TIME.
When covid-19 hit, our July 4th 2020 wedding became a July 3rd 2021 wedding, but we decided we didn't want to wait to get married so we had a small ceremony with just immediate family on July 3rd 2020, we asked Cantor Friedlander to officiate our "mini-mony" this summer in addition to the big wedding we booked her for next year.
Because we're a mixed faith couple and were doing something with just immediate family, we decided that if we couldn't accommodate both religions we wouldn't include religion in our small ceremony, so Cantor Friedlander took the time to discuss with us what else we could include to lengthen the ceremony in the absence of religion and still make it meaningful.
We were so grateful that in the wake of the chaos of postponing our wedding, we were able to be married by someone who knew us and prioritized our day being special. Cantor Friedlander is so generous with her time, knowledge, expertise, and flexibility - she really was a huge contributing factor in our day being so special.
As an interfaith couple, I found working with Cantor Friedlander to be quite wonderful about finding similarities between our two religions, explaining the history behind Jewish traditions, finding ways to be inclusive about making everyone feel like they can access the traditions, and flexible when we decided to include Catholic clergy for the wedding next year.
We are still working with her as our big wedding was postponed, and still feel very confident that we are in good hands.
Rebekkah V
5.0
7/27/2020
Cantor Friedlander co-officiated our wedding with a good friend of ours in October of 2019. She worked directly with our friend to make the service as perfect and seamless as possible between the two of them. In the meantime, Cantor Friedlander also took a lot of time to meet with us via FaceTime since we were out of state. We enjoyed completing the Prepare/Enrich program and it helped tremendously during the crunch time of wedding planning! We would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an officiant!
Daniel T
5.0
7/26/2020
Cantor Friedlander co-officiated our wedding this past March, and we're SO glad we had her as part of our special day. My wife and I were married right before the pandemic started and things were... a little stressful. Cantor Friedlander helped to make the day easy and seamless (for example, I'd forgotten to bring a ketubah signing pen on the day, but Cantor Friedlander had brought her own with her... crisis averted!!). In preparation for the ceremony, Cantor Friedlander took a lot of time to meet with us on multiple occasions, which gave us an ample amount of time to explore the different facets of an interfaith ceremony, choose our ceremony order, and complete the Prepare/Enrich program that Cantor Friedlander led us through (this was a particular highlight for us, and we likely never would have done it without Cantor Friedlander!).
David R
5.0
7/25/2020
Leslie is a wonderful, wise, and flexible presence, and did a fabulous job at our wedding. She took time with us over a several meetings to get to know us and our story. By the time we stood under the canopy together, she was a welcome and trusted presence with us. She understood what we needed and wanted. In our case that meant, an accessible Jewish ceremony that our guests, including non-Jewish guests and Jews from different backgrounds, could join in the celebration of. She gave clear guideposts as the ceremony unfolded so everyone could join, and spoke about us with familiarity and with a strong sense of tradition. At the same time, she kept the ceremony short and focused. It was just lovely to have her with us.
Dana G
5.0
10/07/2019
Cantor Friedlander just married us this past weekend and we are so glad we chose her to perform our ceremony. We are an interfaith couple but take a humanistic approach to religion and she was so willing and eager to create a ceremony that worked for us. On the wedding day she was a calming presence and her singing voice is so beautiful.
Susan F
5.0
10/07/2019
Canter Friedlander was incredible. Even though I reached out to her last minute (and she came from two hours away!) she spent the time helping us personalize our intimate ceremony. We spoke a few times via FaceTime and right from the beginning I knew she was the one I wanted to marry us.
I’m Jewish and my wife is not, and she worked with us both together and individually to find the perfect words that spoke to both of us.
There are many things that are stressful with planning a wedding. Working with Leslie was one area that had zero stress involved.
We are so grateful and honored that she officiated our wedding.
Audrey S
5.0
10/06/2019
I cannot say enough good things about Leslie! My partner spoke to her on the phone first, and I could tell by hearing just her end of the conversation, we had found our officiant. Our ceremony was perfect, from beginning to end. She FaceTimed with us a few times to get to know us, our story, and what we wanted for the ceremony. I am not Jewish but my partner is, and Leslie made sure that I both understood and was very comfortable with each part of the ceremony. She was able to create a ceremony that fit us exactly, I feel truly blessed to have had Cantor Friedlander officiate for us.
Dominique Z
5.0
9/27/2019
Leslie was a pleasure to work with. My husband and I are a mixed religion couple (Catholic and Jewish) and after struggling to find someone willing to work with us and a priest to do a mixed service we found Leslie. She was warm and welcoming and more than happy to work with us. She was generous with her time leading up to the wedding and made sure to spend several meetings with us via Skype in order to get to know us better and explain the meaning and history of different rituals. She used the info about us to form and personalize her remarks at our service. She helped us and worked with our priest to build a personalized service that incorporated aspects of both of our religions' wedding rituals. We could not be happier with the outcome and our guests told us it was the best mixed service they had ever attended and they're still telling us! We would never have been able to do it without Leslie. We strongly recommend using her for your wedding service! And she has an exceptional singing voice!
Raina J
5.0
9/17/2019
We had Cantor Leslie perform our wedding ceremony on Long Island, and it was nothing short of magical. Right from our first conversation with her, we knew she was the perfect officiant for us. We had an interfaith ceremony, and she took special care to honor our request to make the ceremony clear and relatable for both our Jewish and non-Jewish guests. Not to mention, she has an incredible singing voice!
We also did some premarital counseling with Cantor Leslie. She graciously invited us into her home, where we discussed common pain points in marriages (financial management, conflict resolution, etc.). We learned and practiced methods for overcoming these obstacles. Cantor Leslie did an excellent job of mediating these discussions, and we came away with some valuable skills that we will carry for the rest of our lives.
Cantor Leslie genuinely cares about the couples she works with, and that's part of what made her the perfect officiant for us. We will be calling her again for future family weddings!
Jason R
5.0
9/10/2019
Cantor Friedlander was everything we could’ve asked for and more. She FaceTimed with us a couple times before the wedding to get to know us and be able to speak to our friends and family with true passion and understanding of who we are.
Most important, she customized the length of the ceremony and the “level of religious depth” of the ceremony to match our wishes.
Thanks and we definitely recommend!
Rebecca S