Ceremonies for Sacred Days

ceremony instead of her personalized ceremony, but even so, her care, attention to detail, and presence at our ceremony was above and beyond - I cried nearly the whole way through.

l the time my husband and I first met. She helped us write a very personal and meaningful wedding ceremony, and it will be something we always cherish. She can help you design a brief ceremony, or a more lengthy one. She can include all the things you wish (from pets to children to friends/family) and make the Ceremony very unique and special. She is calm, low-key, and flexible, and didn't let a microphone glitch at the Ceremony faze her in any way. I give her the highest possible rating and am certain you will be delighted with her, both as a warm, caring person and as a Wedding Officiant. Sandy wedding date 10/18/15

he values and approach she expressed in it really resonated with us, and we felt comfortable with her even before we got in touch. We needed plenty of guidance in creating our ceremony and vows, and Shyamala did a great job facilitating the whole process. She really did "ask all the right questions", helping her to understand who we are and where we'd been, but also helping us to get to the essence of what we wanted to express in our ceremony. She had suggestions when they were needed, and plenty of examples to inspire us. On our wedding day, our ceremony was just what we'd wanted, and Shyamala was just the person to officiate. She made everyone feel welcome and comfortable, and set just the right casual yet dignified tone. We got lots of compliments from our guests on the ceremony, and on Shyamala in particular. Thank you, Shyamala! Niels and Belen Michelsen Seattle, WA

get a professional officiant. My wife found Shyamala on Yelp, and after our initial meeting with her, we recognized we were in great hands. She was incredibly easy to deal with, and we appreciated her taking the time to get to know our story so she could deliver a very personal ceremony. She gave us lots of helpful advice as we planned our big day, and did a fantastic job at the actual ceremony-- the aforementioned conservative family members who originally bristled at us not getting married in a church even commented on what a nice ceremony it was! It's funny to think how much work it took to secure various vendors for the ceremony and reception. We blindly stumbled across Shyamala, but we were incredibly fortunate to have done so!

utline (and practical suggestions), and she listened to us to incorporate our wishes. Her presentation at the ceremony was joyful and warm-hearted. Thank you, Shyamala!

emails. Because of my schedule and distance we weren't able to meet in person before the wedding but that didn't concern me because she kept open and clear communication and I always knew what to expect. On the day of our wedding everything went perfectly and guests complimented her to me on her presence and beautifully written and spoken ceremony. I highly recommend Shyamala, she's clearly done this so many times that she has it down to a perfected art and it was so nice to have one less thing to worry about.

ted Shyamala and a few other officiants by email and phone figuring we would talk with a handful and pick whoever most closely met our wants and needs. Shyamala quickly responded and booked a Skype call so we could meet and chat that way. We booked her and cancelled all our other calls after our first conversation. She blew us away and instantly felt like the right match for us. From there on we chatted a few times over skype and email. We were all able to get to know each other and the direction we wanted to go with the ceremony. We were sort of a blank slate as far as what we wanted but she gave tons of suggestions and options without ever being pushy. When the day came we had already gone through a few drafts of the ceremony with her and finalized the pieces we wanted to incorporate. She even kept some personal messages we wrote to each other a secret for us until the ceremony. Shyamala showed up early and was a great calming presence to have around before the ceremony. The ceremony went off without a hitch and we couldn't have been happier! After the ceremony we had a ton of compliments specifically directed at Shyamala and the wonderful job she did with our ceremony. Shyamala really helped make our day less stressful and a wonderful experience We would recommend her services to anyone in need of a wedding officiant regardless of any type of religious affiliations or lack there of.

ld helped us create the perfect script for the ceremony as a whole and hosted the first section of the ceremony. My wife and I were clear about the way we wanted our ceremony to feel for ourselves and the participants. We connected with Shyamala on the advice of a friend. My wife was enthusiastic about Shyamala because she had been to a wedding that Shyamala had officiated. Before speaking with Shyamala my wife and I had drafted an outline of the sequence for the ceremony that we were considering and we sent it to Shyamala prior to our first call. Shyamala recommended that we connect with her via SKYPE which was a great suggestion because it was more intimate than a phone call would have been. During that first SKYPE connection Shyamala really took the time to get to know us as a couple. We could feel her enthusiasm for love and how it brings people together and transforms their lives. We knew that she would help us make our vision a reality. In the months that we worked together refining the script, Shyamala added many beautiful touches that we hadn't even considered; for example a ring warming ceremony, retelling the story of how we met and more. We left each call with her feeling more in love with each other and more inspired to share the ceremony we were creating. The day of the rehearsal she led the run thru and noted points where we needed to refine things. This was another unexpected benefit of working with someone who does this professionally. We felt completely at ease and let her guide us and our wedding party thru the process. The day of our wedding the ceremony flowed smoothly and Shyamala put her heart into delivering the script. Her attention to detail created a beautiful ceremony that moved our friends and family. Shyamala's joy for celebrating love is infectious and inspiring. We love Shyamala and would recommend her by far. If your in love and looking to celebrate your love with someone who is pure love- choose Shyamala!

me an extremely helpful outline for the direction of the ceremony, multiple reading that could be included, suggestions for special events during the service, etc. During all this, she was more than willing to do all the planning over the phone since we were planning from across the country. During our first telephone meeting, she spent time getting to know my husband and I, hearing our love story, and listening to our desires for the ceremony. We then walked through a tentative timeline and what we wanted included. Over the next few months, we communicated about things I wanted added or subtracted from the ceremony. A few weeks prior to the ceremony, she sent us the entire ceremony and what was going to be said. This was perfect because there would be no surprises! On the day of the wedding, I met Shyamala for the first time. She arrived with more than enough time, looked very professional, and went out of her way to introduce herself to my husband and me. The ceremony could not have gone more smoothly. In fact, many of our guests later came up and said what a great officiant we had that day. Thank you to Shyamala for being such a big part of our special day!

omeone who would A. Marry us out doors B. Help us say our vows in a way that would include all of our family vales (including some religion) When we found Shaymala she hit the nail on the head!! Our ceremony was perfect just as we wanted it, families and friends were all included. His parents said a prayer one of our groomsman said a poem about a Tree. It was all together perfect, Shayamala was professional and compassionate at the same time. We strongly recommend Shayamala Littlefield to anyone in need of a Officiant, for the wedding style they want.

a. - CD and Kara

ruck by her calm demeanor, her depth of presence, and her desire to really connect with the two of us and know our story and who we are as a couple. My husband is an aetheist and I'm "spiritual but not religious" and Shyamala did an excellent job finding common ground for us both in the ceremony. We had two meetings with her over tea at her lovely home, where we went over the details of the wedding, the structure, our story, any any other rituals we wanted to add. We had our readers send their material to her (but keep it a secret from us), and she communicated with them directly to keep the wedding day a bit of a surprise. One of the most fantastic things was that she sent us a complete write-up of the ceremony a couple weeks before the wedding, which we went over, gave comments, and then sent back. Almost all of it felt so spot on in the first go--we were really touched and impressed. Finally, the day of she was just fantastic. We got so many compliments on her way of speaking, her warmth, the way she spoke about us during the ceremony...it was so incredibly intimate. We are SO happy we had Shyamala as our officiant and HIGHLY recommend her.

ust got the exact right vibe and energy from her immediately. Searching for a wedding officiant was an odd, uncomfortable thing because all the officiants we "interviewed" asked us important but very personal questions —How did we meet? When did we first fall in love? And it was often an awkward experience sharing that information with someone you just met. But with Shyamala, we simply felt like it was so easy to share that kind of information with her. We wanted to tell her. And she genuinely seemed interested. The process of writing the ceremony material was very straight-forward and simple. Shyamala emailed us a packet containing all sorts of ideas and information such as sample rituals and poems, and descriptions of things to include like "Referencing the location" and "Honoring our parents." From that packet, we sat down on our own time and highlighted what we liked and created an outline of the material with our specific story in it. Then we met with Shyamala once in person where we went over the outline and she asked us more questions and we all brainstormed together over coffee. Then about a month or so later she sent us a written draft of the ceremony, which was pretty much perfect already. We only had to tweak some minor details pertaining to our specific stories. So we gave her those edits and then we saw her again the day of the wedding. And that was that! Shyamala was easy to work with and had such a calming, loving energy about her. She got a number of compliments from our guests, and was willing to work with our budget. We had a non-denominational ceremony and she truly respected that (as opposed to some other officiants we researched who said they would perform a non-denominational ceremony but the sample ceremonies they provided were, in fact, religious). We would definitely recommend her for anyone else's wedding ceremony.

ithout sacrificing tradition. Shyamala went above and beyond in helping us plan our ceremony, and the best part of all is that in the process we ended up with a beautiful and unique wedding that captured the true essence of what it means to become one. We can not recommend Shyamala highly enough. -James &TJ

m our first phone call we knew we had found a special person to marry us. Shyamala is so easy to work with. She wants you to be happy and she wants the ceremony to be "yours". We did all of our planning via phone and email and I was surprised how well it worked out. Shyamala is wonderful, loving person and a true professional. She made our special day a day to remember for always. We felt like we were married by a very close friend.

wn. She was open to our ideas and wanted to do anything she could to make our day extra special, including our request to change the wording of the traditional parts to better suit us, since we were two brides. Closer to the wedding date, Shyamala wanted to get to know us better so she set up a telephone visit. She was genuinely interested in our whole love story, and wanted to use what she learned about us to write up a draft of our ceremony. We had the opportunity to review it and she made us comfortable with making any changes we'd like. On the wedding day, she arrived early, had a calming presence, was very reassuring for us nervous brides, and she did a WONDERFUL job! We had emailed her our vows separately (to keep them a surprise to each other), and she had them printed out on thick cardstock (which helped disguise our shaky hands), and with large font (to be easier to read especially through the tears welling up), and our vows were neatly stowed away for easy access in Shyamala's binder. Bottom line: we had no doubts about Shyamala and her abilities, and she lived up to our high expectations. She was wonderful and I can't say enough good things about her. I would recommend her to ANYONE looking for an officiant.

e the option to meet via a video call. We had an initial great conversation and hired her during that call. Since we had little time to create our ceremony and vows, Shymala provided us with many great examples as a guide. We actually did not meet her in person until that day and really felt confident and trusting that she was the best choice. Shyamala provided a relaxed atmosphere and the end result was a beautiful ceremony with many compliments from family on how fun and warm our wedding was. This is all thanks to Shymala for helping us create it just as we pictured it.

o was articulate and down to earth, and who had had experience officiating gay weddings. We wanted some one who would put us at ease and make us feel comfortable, especially since our families were not 100% accepting of our union. We met Shyamala at her home in the east bay and her extremely warm and friendly demeanor made us feel so calm and in good hands. We hired her on the spot! Shyamala is totally flexible and is able to incorporate any and all sorts of faiths, customs, or rituals that you may want to incorporate in your ceremony. She is really a blank slate and can mold to whatever you want! We wanted something super short and sweet and simple, and Shyamala gave us a big packet of readings and options to consider which was really nice. We then took a couple months to think about and brainstorm what we wanted to say and do. During this time, we developed some pretty intense stage fright,and just couldn't fathom reading these super private vows to each other in front of everyone. This was no big deal, and Shymala was totally happy to do most of the talking! I sent her a Word doc of random quotes, passages,bullet points, and keywords that I liked and I kid you not in return she sent me the PERFECT ceremony!! She took all the fragmented elements we loved and wove them into a beautiful script!! I cried the first time I read it. I seriously only edited two words! To work around our stage fright, Shyamala asked us our vows as questions and we responded together. Our ceremony was all about US, and it was so clear to all the guests that this was not a cookie cutter ceremony but a very personalized celebration all about our relationship, story, values, and future together. We did a rehearsal with Shyamala which I highly recommend. This also quieted our anxieties about where to step and walk etc. Our wedding ceremony was PERFECT and gorgeous and Shyamala didn't make one mistake! She even wore a scarf that coordinated with our colors! We got so many compliments on our ceremony and vows, from all guests, young and old! Some friends even remarked that our ceremony reminded them of the reasons they got married! I am so pleased with how our ceremony turned out and really happy I went with my gut and hired some one that made us feel at ease and had excellent energy. We didn't die of stage fright thanks to Shyamala's flexibility and calm demeanor. Hire Shyamala, you won't be disappointed!

d. She was warm, attentive and we just got a really postive vibe from her. We chose the most basic and shortest ceremony package she offered, but she made our ceremony feel so personalized and it was anything, but basic. I had guests during my reception tell me how good she was. I was so happy that I found her.

ciated our wedding.

Shyamala listened to each critical and special detail of our story, and then crafted the most touching, heart-felt wedding statement which far exceeded our expectations. Shyamala is incredibly articulate, and possesses incredible social intelligence. Every word that was spoken during our ceremony was crystal clear and our guests are still passing compliments on the beauty of her statements two weeks later! Consider yourself lucky to have Shyamala as your officiant, and consider it a blessing to have her as a friend. Thank you again! -Scott & Chanel Ullrich

out and in the end the ceremony was everything we could have hoped for. Shyamala has the authoritative presence and gravitas to make even a non-religious ceremony feel sacred. Highly recommend her. Lovely person!

instantly at ease both when we spoke with her on the phone and in person (she served us tea and cookies in her lovely home in one of our initial "get to know each other" meetings). She did a beautiful and thoughtful job with the ceremony script, and was very responsive and accommodating to the few changes we wanted to make to the initial draft. Her presence at the ceremony itself made the wedding that much more special, because we both felt so comfortable with her and appreciated her true joy for us and enthusiasm for bringing couples together as an officiant.

ming person with a very rich past so she can offer a deep experience to an exciting day.

erfect than Shyamala. She is rooted and spiritual and think worlds of her. Thank you, Shyamala!

taking time to learn about us as a couple and wove what she learned into the ceremony. No cookie cutter ceremony here. Plus, there was not a dry eye in the house and everyone's hearts were bursting with joy. You know it's a good ceremony when guests are STILL talking about it weeks later - comments such as: "where did you find her?", "she has the most soothing voice", "she was so personable". On the day, she was prompt, professional, engaging, polite, endearing, kind - someone you would want to have stay and mingle with your family. Thank you Shyamala! To those of you out there looking for the perfect wedding officiant for the most significant day in your lives: look no further. Shyamala Littlefield is the one.

has in her heart. The ceremony was beautiful and SO perfect. The way she put it all together, the way she delivered and the expression of happiness on her face throughout the ceremony put me at ease and kept us both smiling the whole way through. Everyone loved her and thought she did an amazing job. I would HIGHLY recommend her, you will be so happy to have her at your wedding. Thank you Shyamala, you are amazing!

as so comforting; almost as if we knew each other already! About a week after our initial online contact my partner and I had an appointment to meet Shyamala via Skype and if we weren't 100% certain before we knew we had made the right decision within the first few minutes of our "in person" Skype meeting. We talked for about an hour discussing where my partner and I were from, where we grew up, how we met, what we felt when we met; what drew us together and continued to connect us, etc. Flash forward to July 3rd ... we had our ceremony in the San Francisco City Hall that evening at 6:30 with Shyamala as our officiant. From that initial Skype meeting and throughout some brief email exchanges after that Shyamala magically mined so much information from us that it was crazy (in a good way). She was able to capture our essence ... what brought my partner and I together, what led us to getting married, and what will keep us together down the road. At the ceremony she spoke about my partner's and my first meeting and how that led to the wonderful moment when we were getting married. She made us laugh and brought tears of happiness to our eyes as she deeply moved us as she spoke about us and the importance of the day! In fact, here we are a few months later and every time we reminisce about our beautiful ceremony our eyes still well up with tears of the love and happiness Shyamala was able to effortlessly assimilate into our ceremony that evening.

On the day of wedding, she was on time, fully prepared and was extremely pleasant through the ceremony. She's extremely respectful of different cultures, religions (or lack there of) and does not push anything on couples.

ays took all the stress and pressure out of the decision-making - she had several resources for us to look through for ideas and she made the process more of an easy conversation about what was important to us and how we fell in love. Through this casual process, Shyamala developed a sense for our style and what was important to us in our lives, and she reflected that beautifully in the ceremony. We were looking for someone who would help us craft a wedding that represented both our sense of humor and the importance we placed on our vows, someone who would bring gravitas and a sense of ritual without making us feel pressured or burdened by traditional expectations. Shyamala delivered on all counts.

e pleased. She accommodated our every wish and filled in the things we hadn't even thought about. As my wife, Teresa" said, "It was the happiest day of my life."

was via Skype, even though Skype we could feel how warm and genuine she was! She was also very professional and prompt in responding to e-mails.

asked for better words from our wonderful officiant. I feel truly blessed.

s notice) and went in with only the most nebulous idea of what we wanted. Shyamala asked good, insightful questions that brought us to an understanding of what we wanted. She is very free and creative with suggestions, and many of them were spot on, but she wasn't the least bit pushy about the ones that missed. She was totally open to whatever we wanted to do, while being tactful and respectful with guidance. She was a consummate professional at all times (I don't say this lightly - I think professionals are rare in any industry) , both in manner and performance of duty, while somehow being one of the warmest and sincere people I have ever met. Our wedding would not have been as deep, fun, smart, or sincere without her. I recommend her with no reservations.

ossible, with only one ritual and tribute to our families. Shyamala met us several times to discuss our ceremony at her place and via Skype. She spent a lot of time listening to our story and preparing the service. Initially, we did not have a very good idea of how we wanted the ceremony to be, but with her help, through our conversations and multiple drafts, the service turned out to be wonderful, and we really liked. Throughout, Shyamala listened to our feedback and incorporated our requests. On the day of the wedding, she arrived early with plenty of time to spare, and the ceremony went smoothly without any hiccups. Overall, we were very happy with her services and would gladly recommend her to others.

s and were talking to an old friend! On the day of ceremony, she arrived early and met with family and friends. We now consider her part of our extended family. We are so grateful we had the pleasure of meeting Shyamala. Our wedding was enhanced by Shyamala! Thank you for your attention to detail and your kind words to our family and friends. We highly recommend Shyamala to any couple looking for an officiant.

words and were so sensitive to the feelings of the moment - a masterful job! With gratitude, Nada and Bernie Clyne Woodbourne, NY

g to know you as an individual and as a couple, then weaving that beautifully into the ceremony. She is extremely easy to talk to and is a truly gifted writer/speaker. She asked how we envisioned our ceremony, then provided many great options and suggestions to fit our goals. She was very accomodating to our requests and we ended up with a PERFECT ceremony. Many of our guests, even a year later, comment that it was the best ceremony they had ever been a part of. I would highly recommend Shyamala to any couple that wants a ceremony that is unique and perfectly reflective of their personalities and values. She quickly became part of our wedding-planning "family" and we fell in love with her and her calm, endearing soul. Thank you again Shyamala!

gave us that and so much more. In our initial conversation with Shyamala we immediately felt as though we had known her for years. She asked us many great questions about how we met, our values, and our interests. Out of that, Shyamala put together a ceremony that was so thoughtfully written, heartfelt in its delivery, and most importantly, very reflective of us and our two cultures (I'm Indian, my husband is American)--the ceremony was beautiful and just 15 minutes like we had asked! We absolutely loved the ceremony and were so touched to see many of our guests compliment Shyamala on it as well. -- Priya and Eli

o and is a truly gifted writer/speaker. I would highly recommend Shyamala to any couple that wants a ceremony that is unique and perfectly reflective of their personalities and values. She quickly became part of our wedding-planning "family" and we fell in love with her and her calm, endearing soul. Thank you Shyamala!

ne of our trips to the area.) We wanted a small humble wedding in Northern California although we weren't sure of the format the wedding would take. She knew the right questions to ask and the appropriate level of involvement and helped us get started by providing sample wedding ceremonies, vows and other references we could use. From our conversations with her, she created a beautiful ceremony which included an amazingly intuitive story of how we met. We were both taken away by how well she had got to know us - as if she'd known us for far longer - and how the ceremony reflected this. Thanks to Shyamala, we really couldn't have asked for a more touching and evocative wedding. Shyamala helped bring together a perfect (even stress free) wedding and will always be a part of our special day.

mom especially was very moved. I admit I was a bit anxious about my parent's response as they are very Catholic. So it was especially wonderful to see my mom so emotional over the ceremony. The ceremony was the rock of our love. We are going to frame our vows along side our wedding portrait. We are so happy. The magic has just begun!

out of town, and yet she took the time to work with us remotely to get to know us, and include our individual stories in the ceremony. She offered us choices on how to craft our ceremony and made suggestions, but also accepted our ideas and incorporated them into the service. She was professional and reliable. She provided us with drafts and with a final script of the service, so we knew exactly what to expect. On the day of the wedding, she was on time, calm and reassuring. Her presence was authoritative and kind. She directed the ceremony perfectly. And though I knew what she was going to say, the words sounded even more beautiful when she said them. I highly recommend Shyamala, and would use her again, if ever we renew our vows.

only told her to keep it very simple. That isn't much to go on! And it was as if she read our minds (and hearts) and created a perfect expression of our intention of love and commitment. She said everything we would have wanted to say, with eloquence and grace, and nothing superfluous or 'canned'. We were deeply grateful and touched by our simple but profound ceremony.

os Angeles but our wedding was in the Central Valley (Modesto). All of our meetings were via webcam and she was unbelievably patient, kind and guided us throught the process. We didn't worry once about how the actual ceremony would work out once we spoke to her. I can't say enough great things about her. Don't waste your time contacting others...she is the best! She will not disappoint you. THANK YOU Shyamala for everything!! You made our ceremony the feature that everyone complimented us on the most and we will never forget your kindness and guidance.

ot of research to propose ideas that would make our ceremony uniquely ours, and collaborated with us to make sure it was the experience we wanted to have. Thanks to Shyamala, she helped make our special day truly special.

Our ceremony was dignified, humorous, and unique. Shyamala worked with both my wife and myself to write our vows and created a speech for the ceremony that left people laughing and in tears of happiness.

beyond our expectation. Finding a wedding officiant wasn't too easy, we've met somewhat more religious minister who already had his set ceremony program (no customization) and charged so much more and recommended us to take $100 1hr pre-wedding counseling session (no thank you!) We also met this officiant who charged less but she basically handed us a few choices of paragraphs that looked like some templates that she downloaded online, and all she was going to do for the ceremony is to read the paragraph we chose. So when we finally met Shyamala, we were thrilled and relieved at the same time. She listened to our story thoughtfully and made us feel very special. Because of her personality, we immediately felt connected to her. I even felt my tears coming out when she described what marriage meant to us in her beautiful words. After the initial meeting, we had e-mail back and forth about ceremony details, then we met again a week before the wedding. She gave us lots of helpful advise, and told us that wedding is not performance, it is an experience. By working together, I really understood what she meant. (we enjoyed talking to her so much that we spent over 2hrs..did I mention that the other guy charge $100 for 1hr counseling session?!) On the wedding day, it was magical. So many guests came up to us saying that it was the most personal and touching ceremony they've been. Some of them even thought she was our friend from long ago. She included our stories and thoughts in her readings and crafted them so beautifully by using metaphor and old Japanese proverb. This whole wedding experience was so new to us (especially we don't know anything about American wedding) but meeting such a wonderful and sincere person like Shyamala made this experience so special and unforgettable. Thank you again Shyamala!

iately put us at ease. My fiance and I come from very different backgrounds and Shyamala worked with us to find ceremonies and traditions that were meaningful and represented who we are. Throughout the wedding planning process, she reconnected us to what was important despite all of the logistics- The sacredness and significance of the ceremony. I am pretty sure that every ceremony Shyamala creates is unique and perfect for every couple. Our guests commented that it was the most beautiful ceremony they had ever been apart of. They felt completely welcomed, interested, included. and very moved. Shyamala really is amazing and I highly recommend her.

yamala was so quick to respond, telling me she loved my post and would we like to set up an over the phone meeting with us. Once we spoke, I knew she was the ONE! I felt like she worked with us every step of the way to make our ceremony SO personal and witty. We met in person with her and then had a few follow up one on ones...I read the entire ceremony the week before the wedding and it brought tears to my eyes in just the reading. The actual ceremony was MAGICAL. She spoke eloquently and her personal statements about us as a couple were spot on. Truly AMAZING! Thanks so much Shyamala for making this day one of the BEST in my life. Guests were so moved and said it was one of the most loving, fun and poignant ceremonies they had ever seen. Search no more, if you live in the bay area or are hosting your wedding ceremony in or around wine country, Shyamala Littlefield, is your OFFICIANT!

ks notice) and went in with only the most nebulous idea of what we wanted. Shyamala asked good, insightful questions that brought us to an understanding on how best to express ourselves and our values, while honoring our families and friends. She is very free and creative with suggestions, and many of them were spot on, but she wasn't the least bit pushy about the ones that missed. The ceremony was moving and beautiful, (one of the musicians, who didn't even know us, was crying!) but also had a kind and welcoming lightness to it - it was appropriately sacred and respectful of the occasion, without becoming somber or dry. She was totally open to whatever we wanted to do, while being tactful and respectful with guidance. I should add that our situation had a fair degree of difficulty - our families include Muslims, Hindus, Protestants and Buddhist, while we ourselves worship only nature and reason. Shyamala danced through gracefully, so everyone felt included, but also without compromising our beliefs...pretty miraculous! She was a consummate professional at all times (I don't say this lightly - I think professionals are rare in any industry) , both in manner and performance of duty, while somehow being one of the warmest and sincere people I have ever met. Our wedding would not have been as deep, fun, smart, or sincere without her. I recommend her with no reservations.

esence as an officiant is exactly what anyone would want: professional, nurturing and grounded. So many of our friends (even true wedding addicts) have mentioned how moved they were by the ceremony. It was joyful and fun and we can't thank Shyamala enough.

erson. My fiance (now my husband) and I went to her house. She asked us some questions about our love story and in couple weeks she send us the first draft of the ceremony. We were amazed how she accurately described us and our love story in the first draft. She is very warm, organized, and always on time. We are so thankful she was available on our wedding day. I recommend her to any couple!

more than willing to integrate the theme through words, clothing and spirit. Shyamala helped us in composing several parts of the ceremony and made suggestions that shifted the ceremony from good to wonderful. We have received several great comments on the ceremony, especially the sand ceremony. Great officiant!

20 North-Easterners, and we were the destination. Shyamala felt like a little pieces of home. Originally from Long Island as well, she understood what type of wedding ceremonies we were used to. My husband and I are different religions, and so we decided not to focus on either during the ceremony. Shyamala helped us form the perfect ceremony that included family and tradition. The day was magical.

. We instantly knew that she was "the one" for us. Because my husband and I had conflicting schedules, we met Shyamala initially through Skype to discuss our vision for our wedding. Later on, we met at our home in Oakland. It was lovely to meet her face to face, and I knew then that our ceremony was in good hands. Throughout the process of planning our wedding, Shyamala kept in touch with us. When we came down to the "wire" for our wedding and had to change some details we had previously discussed, she was able to integrate them into our ceremony seamlessly. Our ceremony was beautiful and memorable. We loved it so much and cannot wait to relive it when we see our wedding video. Thank you, Shyamala, for a beautiful ceremony. I would highly recommend her!