DeArruda Weddings + Marriage

ever.

rther personalize the ceremony to you as a couple.

ach other working with Michael. I highly recommend purchasing the marriage classes along with having Michael provide a beautiful ceremony. He is beyond thorough, organized and really gives you the opportunity to build the ceremony of your dreams. On our wedding day, he had everything ready to go and communicated ahead of time with our other vendors. Our ceremony was beyond my wildest dreams! You could feel the love surrounding us. He made people laugh, cry and rejoice! I could not recommend Michael enough!!!

couldn't have been happier with ours! We had nothing but compliments from our guests on how much they loved the ceremony (wedding was 10.18.19). Everything was executed beautifully! I can't brag on this guy enough. Michael is an example of someone who truly enjoys what he does, and his work shows it. We will definitely be scheduling a follow up session once the time gets closer. He does offer webcam conference sessions if someone is too far, but I promise you won't regret it if you go meet him in person for them (which is what we did). Finding him on The Knot/Wedding Wire (can't remember where we found him, he's on both I think!) was the best decision we ever made. Recommend 100%!

o exactly what you want. He's easy to talk to and made the entire process painless. He communicates with your other vendors in order to ensure everyone is on the same page. He is extremely detailed and never at any point did we ever doubt his ability to perform the ceremony.

even helpful getting everyone to the right place at the ceremony location. The day of the wedding he was such a comfort to me! He assured me everything would go smoothly, which it did. He is also very funny! He made us laugh and be at ease. I can’t say enough about how wonderful he is!

as with rehearsal times, and was willing to travel to our area to do so. He not only made us feel confident that everything relating to the ceremony was taken care of, but he also coordinated with our other vendors to ensure everyone worked together seamlessly, which took all of the pressure off of us. He worked together with us to craft a ceremony that fit both of our personalities and beliefs. He also truly took the time to get to know us and our story, and has such a warm and kind demeanor, it was like he'd known us for years. He was extremely responsive and was such a pleasure to work with! We are so grateful to have had Rev. Michael with us on our special day, and I would recommend him to anyone! He is a beautiful speaker and a truly lovely man!

g was very good and added in some personal touches that he learned about us through the coaching session. If you want absolute control over what is said, make sure to discuss it before hand!

effort we needed to prepare for our marriage journey. My now husband and I opted in to the relationship counseling which not only helped us feel more at ease with hiring Michael, but enabled us to learn more about him and his work, as well as ourselves as a couple. Even though my husband and I have been together for over 10 years, the counseling was an amazing experience to embrace, and one I would recommend to any “new” couple that considers Rev. Michael as their officiant. Rev. Michael was wonderful in helping us sculpt our wedding ceremony. He provided examples and helped us craft a ceremony unique to our life experience(s). It was a pleasure to finally meet Rev. Michael in person; all of our exchanges had been over the Internet. Michael was willing to travel to our wedding location (Sanibel Island) and help us with final timeline and details to ensure our ceremony would be perfect. The actual ceremony was AMAZING. He was personable, friendly, warm and welcoming, and my family loved him. Even when our sand ceremony hit a minor hiccup, Rev. Michael improvised and made the service even better. We are so happy to have found Rev. Michael, and would, beyond a doubt, recommend to any couple wishing to tie the knot. THANK YOU!

personal background. On the day of the ceremony he came early and ensured both my wife and I were comfortable and ready for the wedding. During the actual ceremony Michael’s delivery of the nuptials and humorous comments were perfect which made it evident that he has been doing this for a very long time. We wouldn’t have wanted anyone else!

because of all the planning he does long before the big day. He got to know us well and was able to really make the ceremony personal. He talked about how we met and how really tailored the whole ceremony to who we are as people and as a couple. It is important to mention that I am an "all in" non-denominational Christian who has Jesus as the center of my life but my husband is a former atheist who now believes there is a God but isn't sure about much else. Michael created a ceremony that somehow celebrated my faith while not overpowering or in any way "talking down" to my husband's agnosticism or diminishing his feelings on it in any way. We were both nervous about how to make that happen but Michael was on it right away and really figured out how to make it work. It was truly perfect.

ay through your wedding. We cannot recommend him enough. We had guest come up to us saying he was the best officiant they've ever heard, we agree!!

ks before our big day and had the wonderful fortune of working with Michael. He asked exactly the right questions to get to know us and, ultimately, help us decide how we wanted to structure our ceremony to make it our own. He helped us write personal statements that we will cherish forever and, in the end, he officiated a ceremony that was by far the most magical part of the evening. So many of our guests assumed we'd known Michael for years the way he so accurately described our relationship. He's a true professional and a true master of ceremonies. Highly recommend DeArruda Weddings!

, he offered my fiancé and I the option for pre-marital coaching. My family members who worked with Michael didn’t opt for these sessions, but we figured it could be fun and gave it a try. We started the sessions a strong couple, but we finished them even stronger and felt more connected than ever before. Michael helped us remove outside distractions and really be vulnerable with each other. We enjoyed the experience so much that we requested to have quarterly check-in sessions with him after we say our vows. We feel so lucky to have Michael stand with us and marry us on our big day!

nt! I am SOOO happy he was on the list because we instantly connected with him! Michael is so easy going and personable. He took the time to get to know us and he used what he learned to draft a ceremony that fit us perfectly! He spoke so clearly and had our guests all laughing! Since our wedding my family and friends haven't stopped talking about how great the ceremony was and how wonderful Michael did! I definitely recommend using Michael as your officiant - you will not be disappointed!!!

We thoroughly enjoyed the wedding prep course and the ceremony was beyond our expectations even though we had the opportunity to customize the readings and music. Our family and friends commented it was the best ceremony attended because of Michael and his beautiful and inspiration words.

roughout the process he was very responsive to emails, polite, and offered us lots of advice. We received so many comments about how fantastic he was and what a beautiful ceremony he performed for us. Everyone seemed to like him! And we absolutely loved the way he put in a few words in the ceremony about our cat, who couldn't attend the ceremony for obvious reasons! The only "negative" comment I can make is that we have now received our official copies of our marriage license only to find out that the date of our wedding has been recorded wrong! It isn't a huge deal because obviously we know when we were married but it's something we'll always have to remember for the future and it is a little sad that all the official records have a date that isn't OUR date. However, upon finding this out, Michael very graciously and generously offered to fix the error for us and you really can't ask for more than that. All in all, we loved the beautiful and bespoke ceremony Michael performed for us and would certainly recommend him to anyone wanting a smooth, stress free, unique ceremony with memories you can cherish for years to come.

rned from each other through the coaching sessions- and this is after 8 years of dating! At the wedding, numerous guests commented on how personalized and thought-out our ceremony was. Michael was everything we asked for and more. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping make our wedding day truly perfect. -Rachel and Mitchell VanSumeren

ed at a Catholic church. I had no idea where to turn or how to set up our wedding vows! Michael met us in person and asked about our relationship and what we wanted from our vows and our marriage. We were instantly put at ease and even decided to sign up for coaching sessions with him to make sure we prioritized our marriage, not just our wedding. Our ceremony was absolutely perfect, and we received so many compliments for how heartfelt and real our vows were. I would give 10 stars if I could!

f bride and groom, that we went through many articles, searches and phone calls and almost got to the wrong answer a few times. However, something prevented me from making the commitment every time until we found Michael. It was clear from the first Skype call that there is no other option for us - he is thoughtful, well-spoken, extremely genuine and so many other things that made him the star of the show during our ceremony (that is of course, until the bride showed up :)). In all seriousness, if I could post a video of my entire ceremony to spread the word about Michael's gift to engage people and make your already special day simply unforgettable, I would. But then I'd be worried he would be overbooked. If you found this review, and Michael has your date available, don't waste time and book him pronto, that is my bridezilla advice to you all! :)

at there was something I really liked about him! He made us feel very comfortable and you could tell that he loves what he does. We did pre-marital counseling which was a great experience to learn even more about each other. Michael would always respond to my emails promptly, which was very appreciated. Not only was Michael there for us every step of the way through this journey, he was there for us personally. Unfortunately, a month before our wedding my father passed away and Michael attended his funeral. That really meant a lot to us and made us feel like he truly cared. We had our rehearsal two days before the wedding and he explained everything very precisely. Our family loved that he cracked some jokes during the process, but was still so professional which made it a fun experience. The wedding day came and he did a WONDERFUL job, it went so smoothly and was just perfect. I would absolutely recommend DeArruda weddings to family and friends. Thank you, Michael!

h Rev. Michaels website and reviews. His website offered more details about what to expect than any other officiants site and I really did love that. I felt the sense of knowing and trusting his work just by reading about him and reading the reviews of him. Rev. Michael fit our personality perfectly and our wedding was beyond spectacular! Our dreams came to life that day and I will always remember the impact that Rev. Michael had on our wedding day.

more about each other. Although the sessions were remote since we are not based in Florida, Michael was caring, comforting, and so wise! The preparation for the ceremony was extremely well-organized and Michael sent out the ceremony draft well in advance. We had a rehearsal with our bridal party and families and Michael made the experience fun and informative for everyone! The actual ceremony was beautiful and Michael conveyed all of the prayers, readings, and words of wisdom with so much care, love, and wisdom (and some humor!). We ourselves were so touched throughout the ceremony and our family and friends were, too. I cannot say enough about what a wonderful, calming, caring, spiritual presence Michael has and how happy we are that he officiated our ceremony!

felt he was the perfect match for us. We did our counseling with Reverend DeArruda which consisted of 4 sessions. We were able to take a test to see what areas my husband and I were strong in and others we may have needed to work on. He also gave us some exercises to complete before each session which were fun and exciting to see that we often wrote down the same things! We felt so comfortable during these sessions and loved all the advice we received. Reverend DeArruda did such an amazing job with our rehearsal and had everyone laughing and excited about the big day! Our ceremony was beautiful and couldn't have been more perfect. He has so many options for the layout of the ceremony and will work with you to make your day the best day ever. So many of our guests said it was the best ceremony they've ever seen! I highly recommend Reverend Michael DeArruda and also recommend doing the counseling sessions!

s! We had multiple family members tell us that it was the most beautiful ceremony they had ever seen. Rev. DeArruda made planning and designing our ceremony easy. He is kind, genuine and made our day so special. We would HIGHLY recommend him!

h families faiths for our ceremony and still keep it modern and personalized (and BEAUTIFUL!) He also offers marriage coaching, which I too recommend, as it offers an outsiders approach to working out the kinks in your relationship.

choice! He has a fantastic personality and took the time to get to know us and always had a genuine smile on his face. It was obvious he loves what he does! Michael already had a commitment scheduled for the day of our wedding so we changed the time of our ceremony by an hour and it was actually better for us for the sunset photos. We cannot thank Michael enough.

. Several guest talked about how wonderful he did the cermony and we couldn't agree more! If you are looking for someone, look no further! PS- I never write reviews but for him I felt the need to :)

rruda was flexible throughout the transition, which helped a lot! Finding the right officiant was very important to my husband and I, since we're from different religious background (Jewish and Catholic), and we wanted to make sure both sides were included in the ceremony. Rev. DeArruda was very responsive through the entire process, and chatted with us via Skype calls and emails to help us plan everything. The rehearsal was also very organized, and our bridal party and guests had nothing but great things to say as well. We highly recommend!

uch a genuine and kind person. My wife and I knew he was the right fit for us, soon after we began to chat during our first meeting over Skype. I urge anyone who is planning to get married in South Florida, even traveling there to do so, to send Michael a message. We look forward to staying in contact with him as the years pass and, hopefully, see him again when we travel back to South Florida!

big day, and he helped organize things during the final minutes before the music started, when emotions were running highest. We recommend him highly.

as well as some kind of pre-marital counseling course that would help us to examine issues and develop the skills and tools we needed to ensure our relationship would thrive – what a stroke of luck (divine intervention?) that we found both in Michael DeArruda. Through the counseling course we learned so much about how to communicate with each other more productively and navigate life’s ups and downs, which has come in handy: we aren’t actually married yet, as we have weathered two disasters (one man-made and one natural – thanks a lot, Hurricane Irma), each one causing our wedding to be postponed. Michael has been right with us through everything – his patience, support and sage advice has made all the difference. We are so blessed to know Michael and call him a friend, there is no one else in the world that we could imagine marrying us when we finally get there this December.

! They were so helpful and enlightening for us as a couple), to the rehearsal where he took complete control and made us feel at ease, to the actual wedding day, he was amazing. Our ceremony on 3/25/17 was the most beautiful and memorable part of the whole experience and I owe that to Michael DeArruda :) He helped us prepare for and set up the perfect ceremony to suit us, and he also through his own experience and genuine charisma said the perfect words to make us feel blessed. When I couldn't get my vows out (through abundant emotion!) he was so calming and patient which is exactly what I needed. I had forgotten to ask him to bless the food before we ate at the reception and when my dj sprung this on him, he didn't hesitate and it was beautiful. He has a way with words and emotion and I lost track of how many people commented on how incredible our officiant was! He is a wonderful, warm and extremely genuine man. This was his calling in life- his intelligence and knowledge is immense and we (myself, my husband, our parents, and all of our guests) are so thankful and blessed that he performed our wedding ceremony! Book him NOW, you will not regret it for a second. Thank you Reverend!!

mony special and we would highly recommend him to anyone. He made our day even more special.

-felt and filled with emotion because he truly believes in the sanctity of marriage. We took part in his 4 "pre-marital coaching" sessions and they were amazing! He took the time to know us on a personal level individually and as a couple. He truly cared about making our marriage work even after the wedding day. For the ceremony itself he set the tone of respect and reverence; even though we were on the beach he was able to capture and focus the audience's attention on the bride and groom as we made our sacred vows. Several guests commented to us that it was the most beautiful wedding ceremony they had ever seen. He joined us for our reception after the ceremony and we had a great time celebrating with him! He is a very kind-hearted man who truly cares about the bride and groom and making their wedding day special. He helps the day run smoothly and handles himself with grace and poise. Most importantly, he gives very sound advice and helped us to start our marriage on a solid foundation. I recommend Rev. DeArruda 100%! I would definitely choose him as my officiant again, and hope to stay in touch with him through the years.

ng" just involves internet modules and workbooks to get a discount on your FL marriage license.) From the moment I spoke to Rev. Dearruda on the phone for the first time, I knew that he was going to be the perfect fit! We had multiple counseling sessions with him that were enjoyable, helpful, and meaningful before our special day. He was in constant communication with us and even the other vendors to ensure the wedding planning process and day went as smooth as possible. He even proofread our vows and dealt with all of our ceremony component changes professionally and with ease :) We have received many compliments on our ceremony, and I personally really appreciate how personalized he made it for us and our relationship. He also will provide you with a free counseling session in your first year of marriage, which we will probably take him up on just because he's a cool guy to spend time with ;) But in all seriousness, I'm so thankful for the time and effort Rev. Dearruda put into our ceremony and pre-marital counseling. This really is the most important part of the wedding, and he will make sure it is unforgettable and meaningful! We are so grateful for him!

tive. I'd like to offer a change of scenery by providing my thoughts, as a man, on Reverend DeArruda. First and foremost, Michael is a consummate professional. He is respectful, timely, and organized in his dealings. My wedding ceremony proceeded seamlessly and was perfectly tailored to the wishes of my wife and I, while remaining dynamic and emotionally stirring. But I don't want to dwell on Mr. DeArruda's business acumen or oratory ability, because what places him many steps beyond the average officiant, is that he possesses a set of intangibles that are more easily felt than described. In short, he listens, he is engaged, and he gives poignant advice that conveys a deep, spiritual profundity that very few possess. There is genuine wisdom to be found here. Perhaps the best advice I have for couples considering Michael as their prospective officiant, is that you, as a couple, should absolutely consider his relationship coaching. It is only through thoughtful conversation and interacting that you will legitimately get to know each other; only then will the words spoken at your ceremony ring true with authenticity. Like the marriage you will shortly be entering into, you will get out of these meetings what you put into them. You will doubtlessly be challenged, and may even be compelled to reconsider longstanding beliefs you've held. As a person who participated in this coaching, I am here to tell you that it is worth it. I have the utmost respect for Reverend DeArruda. He is the simply the best.

fficiant. On our rehearsal day, Michael rallied the troops and made sure everybody knew what needed to happen on the big day. On our wedding day, 4/8/17, Michael absolutely rocked it! He kept it light and romantic, and the guests loved our ceremony! 5/5, Michael is the best!!!! We will recommend him to anyone again and again!!! Kate & Sean

compassion. When we contacted Michael, he referred us to his dear friend since he had a prior obligation during our wedding weekend. We had planned on his dear friend officiating our ceremony. Michael still ensured that all appropriate measures were being taken in a very professional form. Unexpectedly, the week before our wedding, our officiant had an emergency, and could not attend our ceremony. Michael, with no hesitation, made it clear that we were not to panic. He found a way to come to our wedding last minute, and shared the majority of the weekend with us, engaging with all of our friends and family. He still found a way to meet his prior obligation also. In the short amount of time we had with Michael, he took every effort to get to know us. We had many unique connections with him. He is so personable and open. Michael is kind, loving, funny, and understanding. We felt exceptionally at ease. He is very organized, and quick to get back to you about any questions or concerns. He orchestrated the rehearsal seamlessly. Michael made our wedding so special, and so tailored to us. His enthusiasm is one of a kind. We highly recommend Michael to anyone and everyone! He truly cares about the people he marries! He becomes more than an officiant, but a dear friend too.

t much more special!

han the one who will be marrying us!? It made the ceremony feel a lot more personal. I definitely recommend the coaching sessions- he is easy to talk with and brings to light any situations/ decision making you may have in the future that you most likely are not thinking about/discussing now. The ceremony was wonderful, everyone raved about how beautiful it was. He makes it very easy to put together, and works with you every step of the way to ensure you are getting everything you want out of it. I would recommend his services to anyone. Great guy who will give you the ceremony of your dreams!

hiccup quickly became a thing of the past as Mr. DeArruda remedied the issue with lightning precision. He contacted a good friend of his, Daniel Francis, to step in to save the day. Daniel and his wife, Alice, were simply a dream come true. We spoke on the phone initially to break the ice and I felt that I was understood and my opinion well respected right away. We met in person and they blew our minds at how incredibly organized they were and how well dressed and personable as well. There were some minor changes we wanted before the wedding and these were addressed extremely promptly. Each voicemail and e-mail always had a personal touch with our wedding day countdown or some other personal touch that really made the messages that much more special. On our big day, Daniel and his wife were so magnificent. They were dressed well and were so friendly to everyone in attendance. Alice came to see me before I walked down the aisle to make sure I didn't need any last minute assistance with anything. I remember walking down the aisle with my dad and the moment I saw Daniel's face I felt peaceful. His prayers, his words, his story and snippets about us, especially touches of inside jokes, were so personal and heartfelt we both felt as if he had known us for our entire relationship. I was very apprehensive as to the extent of the religious involvement that my husband wanted in the overall ceremony as I did not want to have any guests feel excluded in any way. However, Daniel's words had to have come from above as there is no other way to understand how they were so perfectly matched to us both and to our big day. Thank you to Michael DeArruda for getting us in contact with such an incredible couple. Thank you to Daniel Francis and his wife, Alice, for making our wedding day one to remember and treasure forever. Con mucho carino y amor siempre!

us about finding a great officiant. We wanted a Christ-focused wedding ceremony. But since we were not involved in a church in the St. Pete/Tampa area, we were concerned that it would be difficult to find the right person to marry us. Our wedding planner suggested Michael DeArruda as a potential officiant. So, we set up a Skype call to see if he would be a good fit. I could not believe how much time Michael spent getting to know us before we had even hired him. He wanted to learn all about us – how we met, our first date, the proposed, etc. After our video conference ended, we knew that Michael was the man to orchestrate the most important ceremony of our lives. We did a pre-marital coaching session with Michael prior to the wedding. For a man that we had only virtually met, we were completely comfortable with Michael. He has an incredibly warm spirit and a smile that puts you completely at ease. We found the coaching session to be enlightening and encouraging. I would definitely recommend that couples do something like this. Michael helped us create a ceremony that was true to who we are and what we wanted. He went over all the parts of the ceremony to make sure it was what we envisioned leading up to the wedding. We did a rehearsal with Michael and all the people in the wedding the evening before the wedding. He made the rehearsal joyful and light-hearted. He was so detailed in helping us (and our wedding party) prepare for the ceremony the next day – where we should look, how to hold our hands, how to put the ring on each other’s fingers, etc. These were all simple things, but things I had never really thought about before. This made the actual wedding ceremony flow effortlessly. My husband is Filipino. So, it was important for us to incorporate some Filipino traditions into our ceremony. We did a cord, veil, and coin ceremony. Michael did such a wonderful job weaving this into our ceremony and explaining the symbolism of each element. My in-laws were so incredibly impressed with how Michael conducted this part of the ceremony. In fact, they said that they had never heard the elements described so beautifully. The entire ceremony was absolutely perfect! The ceremony was exactly as we dreamed and hoped for. It was an honor to have Michael DeArruda be our officiant. Your wedding ceremony is the most important part of your journey to become a married couple. I would absolutely recommend you entrust that to Michael DeArruda of DeArruda Weddings. You will not be disappointed! Thank you Michael!!