Ceremonies of the Heart - Rev. Deb Viola

Rev. Deb worked with Rabbi Sara Shonfeld and together they created the most beautiful wedding ceremony and ketubah ceremony for our July 18th wedding! We can't express enough how special the entire day felt. We originally found Rev Deb and Rabbi Sara through my husband's mom. She attended a wedding ceremony that they officiated together and she said it was the best ceremony she had ever been to. In the months leading up to our wedding, they were both understanding, patient and very detail oriented to ensure everything went smoothly. To this day, we are still receiving so many compliments from our friends and family about how wonderfully they worked together and how beautifully they blended both our traditions throughout the day. Some guests even said it was the best wedding ceremony they attended. :) We are so grateful for the care and thoughtfulness they put into making our ceremony feel so personal!

We found Rev Deb through The Knot, and we were so lucky we did! She took so much time to meet with us on zoom and get to know us personally, and was so personable and kind. She was very communicative throughout the whole process up to and including the wedding. Let me tell you- Rev Deb knows her stuff! I didn’t realize how much goes into officiating a wedding. Originally we had wanted a friend to officiate, but thankfully we didn’t go that route lol. Rev Deb knew the whole process, from start to finish, especially with regards to the marriage license. We had a nondenominational ceremony, but still wanted to incorporate a little bit of faith from both sides (Catholicism/Judaism). She managed to be able to do that without making it a religious ceremony, but still honoring both our families. She’s extremely thorough and meticulous, gives you a lot of different options for things you’d want her to say or speak about during the ceremony, and really tailors the whole thing to you. The day-of can be hectic, and you don’t know until that day how important the role of the officiant is and you really need someone experienced to make the process quick and run smoothly before you walk down the aisle. Once she’s up there speaking she is just a beam of light. My guests loved her, and her delivery of certain jokes and sensitive/personal matters was perfect. She made a very awkward couple so comfortable in front of 150 people staring at us lol. Truly it was a pleasure having her officiate our special day, and I would recommend her to any couple any day. Thank you so much, Rev Deb!!