Words That Begin the Rest of Your Life
$350 starting price
serving greater NYC/NJ/CT/PA area- work nationally
Service area
Gerald Fierst
OWNER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (8X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Operating out of Montclair, NJ, Gerald Fierst is in the Knot’s Wedding Hall of Fame, honored for his remarkable ceremonies, which are customized to the stories, traditions, and needs of wedding couples throughout the NYC metro area. Celebrating the dreams, hopes, and love of the diverse couples he works with – Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Persian, South Asian, Chinese, Gay, or Straight – he creates a unique moment of magic when two become one. Review after review tells the same story- “Wow. We couldn’t ask for anything more.” He is one of America’s first civil celebrants, certified by the International College of Celebrancy, Melbourne. Australia and the Celebrant Institute, Montclair, NJ. His book The Heart of the Wedding has been acclaimed as a “celebration of our families and ourselves with care, precision, and artistry.” As an actor and storyteller, he has won the Parents Choice Awards for his recordings and has been featured throughout the world at theaters, festivals, museums, and schools. Cherish the vision you have for your ceremony; let Gerald Fierst bring your stories and traditions to life in a moment that is reflective of the future you imagine together. This seasoned celebrant has the skill to make your “I do” a moment your guests will recall for years and you and your families will cherish for the rest of your lives.
Prices & packages
Couples usually spend $850
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Details
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Interfaith Ceremony
Religious Affiliations
Interfaith
Jewish
Secular
Wedding Activities
Wedding
Ceremony
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Meet the team
Gerald Fierst
Owner
Gerald Fierst, named to the Knots Hall of Fame. will create a unique ceremony that combines your traditions, needs, and stories into vows that will be the heart of the wedding. Certified by the International College of Celebrance, Melbourne, Australia, as well as the Celebrant Foundation, he is one of America’s best known civil celebrants. His book The Heart of the Wedding has been praised as “a new road map in the landscape of love,” and he has been called an “American Master of Ceremony.” He is an award winning storyteller, actor, and writer and can reached at www.geraldfierst.com or www.theheartofthewedding.com.
Availability
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.0133 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.
Gerald Fierst received glowing reviews for his officiating services at various weddings, with repeated praise for his personalized and meaningful ceremonies that beautifully incorporated couples' unique stories and traditions. He was commended for his warmth, professionalism, and exceptional storytelling ability, creating ceremonies that guests found touching and unforgettable. Gerald's attention to detail, flexibility in planning, and accommodating nature stood out positively, earning him high recommendations from couples for his outstanding work on their special day.Review photos
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Matthew P
5.0
4/14/2025
We had the pleasure of having Gerald as our officiant, and he was absolutely wonderful. The ceremony was intimate and meaningful, with close family joining us in person and many more tuning in via Zoom. Everyone - near and far - commented on how special Gerald made the moment feel. His warmth, professionalism, and personal touch brought everything together perfectly. We’re so grateful!
Cayla C
5.0
4/04/2025
We had a great time preparing our ceremony with Gerald, and he did an amazing job on our wedding day! We received so many compliments and would recommend him for anyone looking to enhance their wedding day!
Any questions?
5.0
3/17/2025
Gerald was recommended to us by some close friends as a storyteller and officient for our wedding. We really wanted a personalized, meaningful ceremony, and Gerald took the time to get to know us and put together such a wonderful ceremony. Somehow he was able to artfully orchestrate a ceremony that included my husband's love of Yoda and my love of ee cummings while still including the traditional ceremony components. My husband and I were a little nervous at the ceremony and were worried about flubbing our words, and Gerald was just so warm and kind and kept us on track. So many of our wedding guests said that it was the best ceremony they had ever been to, and my husband and I agree. We would highly recommend Gerald.
Brit B
5.0
1/19/2025
We are so grateful that Gerry officiated our wedding in Montclair, NJ. He wrote a beautiful speech and braved 30 degree weather in a suit to deliver an incredible experience for us. He was kind, warm, incredibly responsive, and helpful for us. We couldn't recommend him more!
Sydney S
5.0
8/11/2024
We couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful officiant than Gerald Fierst. From our initial meetings to the final vows, Gerald was exceptional. He brought a perfect blend of warmth, professionalism, and insight as we collaborated on creating a ceremony that beautifully honored both our Jewish and Catholic traditions.
Our dinner in New York City with Gerald was a delightful experience, and it only deepened our appreciation for his genuine approach and thoughtful guidance. He made the process enjoyable and stress-free, and his personalized touch made our ceremony truly special.
Thank you, Gerry, for making our wedding day unforgettable. Your presence and expertise were a cherished part of our celebration!
response 08/11/2024
Thank you for such a wonderful review. I'm putting it at the top of the list!
Joanna B
5.0
8/07/2024
Gerald put together a perfect love story during for our wedding ceremony. He also helped us add in details, such as including our daughter in the ceremony by lighting a unity candle together as a family and having a memorial candle lit for my mom who had passed away. We felt very comfortable with Gerald since the very first day we met him. He truly played an important part in making our wedding day very special.
response 08/07/2024
Thank you for including me The picture of you three together as a family was so special
Carmen S
5.0
7/30/2024
Communication was excellent! We also enjoyed completing the couples questionnaire which was perfect for Gerald to personalize our ceremony. His demeanor put us at ease throughout the wedding and love his style. Highly recommend Gerald if you can book him! Don't wait!
response 07/30/2024
Thanks so much. It was such a pleasure to share this moment with you and David
Kausalya U
5.0
6/04/2024
Gerald was the perfect officiant for our wedding! From our first meeting, his warmth and professionalism made us feel confident that we were in great hands. He took the time to get to know us and tailored the ceremony to reflect our personalities and love story beautifully.
On the big day, Gerald's presence was calming and reassuring. His eloquent delivery and heartfelt words made the ceremony incredibly special and memorable. Many of our guests commented on how touching and personal the ceremony was, thanks to Gerald.
If you're looking for an officiant who is caring, thoughtful, and truly dedicated to making your ceremony perfect, look no further than Gerald. We couldn't have asked for a better person to marry us!
response 06/04/2024
Thanks for your lovely review. It was wonderful be a part of your celebration
Reagan L
5.0
5/09/2024
To say Gerry was an incredible officiant is an understatement. Choosing him to officiate our wedding was one of the best decisions we made when planning our wedding. From our first conversation, Gerry made us feel comfortable and walked us through the ceremony planning process. He got to know us, listened to our wants and needs and prepared a beautiful ceremony that our friends and family and still raving about. Gerry is a true professional and is a great communicator. Highly recommend him!
response 05/09/2024
Thank you Reagan. Always wonderful to know how people remember the ceremonies
Lauren I
5.0
3/24/2024
Gerry did an absolutely amazing job with our ceremony this March. I found Gerry on The Knot and immediately loved his style, his story telling ability, and how beautiful his ceremonies were. His process is very personal and relaxing for any nervous soon to be weds! Gerry went above and beyond our expectations, he even came to our rehearsal and directed everything with our wedding planner. The day of Gerry arrived ready to go! He has a nice calm presence, and handled all the marriage details for us. We loved our ceremony, and thought Gerry did an amazing job. He captured our essence, and had us both laughing and tearing it. It was beautiful. Every guest told us that they thought it was beautiful too. He engaged our audience and created the perfect loving atmosphere. Thank you so much Gerry! You're the best.
Saumya R
5.0
12/13/2023
Working with Gerald as our officiant was smooth and easy! He provided a great outline as a starting point and weadded on or removed as we saw fit...even up until the last moment. Due to our work schedules we had all virtual meetings prior to the wedding. On the day of we got so many compliments about the service!!!
Mary S
5.0
9/19/2023
Gerry was honestly the perfect officiant for our wedding! He is very well spoken and a true professional. The details of our ceremony were tailored to us and the whole thing very much captured me and my now husbands journey together. The readings were lovely and matched us perfectly. We were honored he could be a part of our day!
response 09/19/2023
Thank you It is always so meaningful to me be be included in this moment of your lives
anonymous u
5.0
8/28/2023
Gerry was an absolute pleasure to work with for our wedding! he listened to what my husband and I wanted for our ceremony, worked with us along the way, and crafted a beautiful and eloquent script that matched our expectations and personalities. If you want an officiant who will listen to you and tell you and your partner's story, then Gerry is the person for you! I would highly recommend!
response 08/28/2023
What a lovely review. Thank you
Laura C
5.0
8/07/2023
From the moment we spoke with Gerald, we knew he was the one to officiate our wedding! We spoke with him over the phone prior to meeting with him in person. He sat with us and really got to know us. Our ceremony was extremely personalized and matched our personalities and told the story of us. All night guests spoke about the ceremony and what a nice job he did.
response 08/07/2023
Wonderful to share this happiness with you!
Brandi and Devin B
5.0
6/30/2023
We had the privilege of working with Gerald to plan our intimate ceremony and it was absolutely perfect! Gerald was able to work with us on our short timeframe, recommended the perfect location, and proceeded over a very sweet and sentimental ceremony. Gerald took the time to understand our values and specific needs for our ceremony and his attention to detail made the entire experience seamless. We couldn't have asked for a better officiant to officiate our special day, and we wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone seeking a memorable and meaningful wedding ceremony.
response 07/01/2023
It was special to share this time with you and your family. Thanks for including me and ...
for your lovely review.
Jeremy M
5.0
5/25/2023
Gerry was AMAZING! Our ceremony was so personal and Gerry was so kind and inviting. Would definitely recommend him! He got lots of compliments from our guests as well!
response 05/25/2023
Thanks for the kind words. I was so happy to share the moment with you.
Vivian C
5.0
4/14/2023
American Express helped me find Gerald Fierst, and I am so grateful that AmEx found him for me. Gerald is the kindest person and so incredibly knowledgeable about wedding traditions and basically everything else. I had to postpone my wedding for an unfortunate reason, and Gerald was more than understanding. The script he wrote for our wedding was so beautiful and touching as well. He was also very understanding and accommodating about any changes that we wanted to make. I highly recommend Gerald. There is truly no one else better.
Caitlin M
5.0
11/14/2022
Gerry was fantastic. He was very flexible in doing video calls and changing locations for meetings at the last minute to accommodate us. He is a fantastic writer and used information from our interviews to make the ceremony so personal and special. He was familiar with all different cultural wedding traditions and was able to seamlessly include them in our ceremony. There is something about Gerry’s voice and delivery that sounds so warm and heartfelt. There was not a dry eye in the house during our ceremony, even among our more tough and stoic friends and family members. It really was very special and unique.
response 11/14/2022
Thank you so much for these lovely compliments. It was a pleasure to be a part of your wed...
ding celebration
Joanna S
5.0
9/10/2022
Gerald is literally the officiant you have been waiting for. He is a PHENOMENAL speaker and the BEST story teller. I got compliments all night on how beautiful the story he told was, and how amazing our ceremony was. It would never of been the same without Gerry. I recommend him to ANYONE who is looking for a ceremony that people will be talking about forever.
response 09/10/2022
Wow. Can't do better than that. So happy to have made it special Thanks
Bridgette T
5.0
10/24/2021
Gerry was so friendly and sweet! He took the time to get to know us and tailored the most perfect ceremony. Our guests were so impressed about how beautiful the ceremony was and its something we will never forget. He truly tells the story of your love. 10/10 recommend!
response 10/24/2021
Thank you for including me in your celebration. and for your wonderful words. Make me ha...
ppy to know
Margo H
5.0
9/29/2021
Just wanted to reach out to tell you how much our guests loved the ceremony you wrote. We received SO many compliments, and were told repeatedly that our wedding ceremony was the best ceremony many guests had ever seen. And, of course, we absolutely loved our ceremony as well! It was beautiful, authentic, and heartfelt. Thank you so much for working with us. It was just wonderful and will be an incredible memory we will cherish for a lifetime.
response 09/29/2021
Thank you The words are the heart fo the wedding.
Jacqueline M
5.0
8/13/2021
Gerry is so personable, friendly, and fun! My husband and I had such a nice time getting to know Gerry and work with him on our wedding ceremony. It was truly an easy and stress free experience knowing that such a professional was in control of how our ceremony would run. Everything about it was perfect and the whole ceremony ran smoothly. Gerry really set the tone for the rest of the night by creating such an intimate and personal ceremony. It brought tears to the eyes of a lot of our guests and everyone complimented us on how much they loved the ceremony. It was such a special moment and I am so glad Gerry was a part of the biggest day of our lives.
response 08/13/2021
Thanks for the lovely review and for including me in your celebration.
Mika X
5.0
6/23/2021
Perfect experience with Gerald. He is so professional. We had a beautiful and sweet wedding. He also gave us some advise for the ceremony. I will definitely recommend him!
Arlene L
5.0
5/02/2021
It was a pleasure working with Gerald. Getting married is a very stressful process, and Gerald made everything as seamless as possible. He was meticulous, well-organized, and most of all, generous with his time. He made sure we were comfortable with the ceremony and worked with us to finetune it to our perfection, even meeting with us virtually a few times to make sure we were completely comfortable. The man is a true artist—he really takes the time to develop a personalized ceremony that reflects our values as a couple. The end product was truly spectacular, and we are just grateful for how well everything materialized.
If you’re considering an officiant, Gerry is simply the best.
Thank you for everything Gerry,
We will recommend you whenever we get the chance!
Beverly A
5.0
11/19/2019
If you're looking for a fully customized ceremony, Gerry is your guy! He's a civil celebrant, professional story-teller, and author who really knows how to let the couple and their story shine. Some couples aren't looking to spend too much money on the officiant since the ceremony does not typically go beyond 30 mins (for non-religious), but Gerry is worth every cent, and you won't be disappointed! He was equally professional as well as super fun to work with. He is open-minded and creative. To be honest, looking for our wedding officiant was the most challenging out of all of our vendors to find. We weren't looking to have a religious ceremony, but we still wanted an inclusive, serious, but lighthearted atmosphere. We found Gerry online, and after seeing a few of his other clients' wedding ceremony videos, we knew he was someone we had to interview. We had 1 initial 1-hour meeting to get to know each other, and after such a great meeting, we decided we wanted Gerry to officiate our marriage. We scheduled another 2 hour ceremony-crafting session a couple of months before the wedding, where Gerry took answers to some homework (a questionnaire you and your future spouse complete separately) he had given us beforehand, to formulate our unique ceremony. The meeting was more of a brainstorming, ideas-sharing session for Gerry to offer up some creativity, as well as for the couple to describe more in detail what the vision of the ceremony was to be. A few days later, Gerry emailed us the proposed script for our ceremony, which we reviewed and edited. On the day of the wedding, Gerry arrived early to take in the venue's atmosphere, as well as handled gathering signatures of our witnesses for the marriage certificate. We wanted emotional responses (laughter and tears of joy) out of our ceremony, and Gerry helped us acheive exactly that!
response 11/19/2019
Thanks for this wonderful and detailed review. Working together was a pleasure. Have a gr...
eat holiday
Emer M
5.0
11/16/2019
If you are looking for someone to create and perform a beautiful, personal, heartfelt (and funny!) ceremony, look no further! Working with Gerry was a dream—he is such a pro that he took all the stress out of the process and his suggestions were spot on. He really took the time to learn our story and craft a ceremony that felt just like us, incorporating our adjustments and notes so that in the end we had the most perfect ceremony. So many of our guests commented on how personal and special our ceremony was—and how happy we looked throughout! It’s all a testament to Gerry. He is thoughtful, serene, intelligent and a born storyteller, not to mention his disposition makes you feel as though you’ve been friends for years. We cannot recommend him more highly!
response 05/03/2021
Thank you for the wonderful enthusiasm and support I love the honor of sharing words tha...
t you will remember for the rest of your lives.
Gladi S
5.0
8/20/2019
Let me just start by saying, Gerald is the best! Hire him! Very professional, gifted and truly talented. He was the officiant for our Persian / Indian wedding at the Pierre Hotel.. it was magnificent, heartfelt, genuine and a tear jerker. Do not even hesitate- just hire him!
response 08/21/2019
And a memorable time for me too- Loved sharing this moment with you
Andrew L
5.0
8/19/2019
Gerald is a true professional. We consulted with him in person twice and knew we selected the right officiate for our wedding. Gerald makes it a point to get to know the individuals he is working with and makes sure he incorporates these properties into the ceremony. He was willing to work with us in utilizing different elements of our individual cultures into the ceremony to create a unique ceremony that brings everybody together. Gerald involves the audience and creates and ideal ceremony that is the perfect amount of time; not too long nor too short, maintaining the importance of the event without being super-serious either. His perfect blend of humor, storytelling and flexibility as an officiant makes him a great choice to oversee your wedding!
response 08/19/2019
Thanks for the nice words. I always feel so special to be able to share this special mome...
nt
Jenna H
5.0
8/02/2019
Gerald is honestly amazing! I was lucky enough to see him officiate a close family friends wedding and was so happy with everything I saw. Gerald is so sweet and really takes a lot of time to get to know you and think of a perfect script for your ceremony. He created such a loving and caring ceremony for us and I would recommend him to everyone!
response 08/03/2019
What a pleasure to share your celebration Many other happy occasions !
Susan G
5.0
7/31/2019
Gerry was the officiant at my daughter's wedding this past Sunday. It was a beautiful ceremony and we couldn't be happier with Gerry and his beautiful service. He brings a special sense of joy, happiness and beauty to the ceremony. We had so many comments from friends and family that it was the best ceremony they ever witnessed. Thank you Gerry for making a very special day that more special.
response 07/31/2019
And thank you for your lovely words
Samantha C
5.0
7/04/2019
The ceremony Gerry created with us was one of a kind and unique to us, and our guests were both moved and impressed by the ceremony. To me, a romantic, the content of the ceremony was one of my top priorities as a bride and Gerry was instrumental in making the ceremony a beautiful focal point of the wedding-- what the wedding is truly about! We wanted a secular wedding with Jewish cultural elements, and Gerry made that happen! He has a wealth of knowledge on many backgrounds of weddings and many texts to refer to to find the right passages. He made our ceremony truly interactive with "Modern 7 Blessings" where friends popped up at the end to read a blessing to us. This was not only a lovely way to honor friends and family- they were so moved to do it- but also created a fun element of surprise and joy. As the bride and groom, seeing and hearing our friends like that was so meaningful. The process of working with Gerry was great- he sends a questionnaire to each person in the couple and you fill it out separately, and then he uses your exact words with some editing to tell your story in a way that will get to the heart of you as a couple as well as entertain guests. Once he writes the first draft he sends it to you and you are free to work on it and edit it together to get to what you're dreaming of, and Gerry is totally open and flexible to make changes.
On the day of, Gerry has a background in acting and it shows! He knows how to stage the ceremony for the guests to see best and for photos, and his pacing was fantastic. He has a delightful speaking voice. He also officiates the legal aspects before and after the public ceremony and that was done well and with no problems.
Our wedding ceremony was spoken of as so unique and everyone wanted to know where we found him and who he was! Our photographers even added him to their preferred vendors list after the wedding.
If you are looking for a truly heartfelt and full civil ceremony that will be true to you and unique to you as a couple, I cannot recommend Gerry more!
Daniela A
5.0
7/02/2019
We couldn't have found a better officiant for our wedding if we tried. Gerald made everything seamless and stress free and he wrote a beautiful ceremony. All our guest were so impressed by what a lovely and unique ceremony we had. I would highly recommend if you are looking for a unique and beautiful ceremony that you or your guest won't forget!
response 07/02/2019
Thanks for the lovely review. It was a pleasure to share this important moment with you
E. M
5.0
6/27/2019
We were celebrating our wedding anniversary several days ago and it reminded me to write reviews for my wedding vendors.
We were looking for an officiant for our non-religious ceremony for our garden wedding and it was great that we found Gerald. My husband saw this book "The Heart Of The Wedding" and coincidentally he recognized that an image of one of his friends' wedding were on the book. We decided to schedule a meeting with Gerald, and from the first meeting, I know in my gut feel it was the right one.
What he prepared and written for officiating our wedding, is something I still reread again and again and always looked back on with fondness. An officiant is not just there to officiate the wedding,.. rather you would want to hire someone who will make the words deeply felt, and memorable, not just for you as bride and groom, but for all the families and friends surrounding you. That was Gerald. He is truly gifted and dedicated in this vocation.
Dominique D
5.0
3/02/2019
Selecting Gerald to be the officiant for our wedding ceremony was easily one of the best decisions we made for our special day. Gerald is a true professional and master of his craft. He created a beautiful ceremony for us that was the perfect combination of unique traditionalism and personal touch that we were looking for. Gerald was open to all of our ideas and was an incredible collaborator. He also provided us with many wonderful and creative suggestions that wowed our guests and truly gave us the ceremony of our dreams! Gerald calmed our nerves leading up to and on the big day, and coordinated seamlessly with our other vendors; we really didn’t have to worry about a thing! Ultimately, Gerald delivered an incredible ceremony that our guests are still talking about. We absolutely adore Gerald and highly recommend him to all couples looking for an unforgettable ceremony, tailored and personalized to your vision on the most important day of your life!
Michelle H
5.0
1/23/2019
Gerry made our wedding day ceremony touching, personal, and beautiful. By sending us a few questions to get an understanding of what we want in a ceremony, Gerry was able to work with us to craft the entire it together. He took the time to rehearse with our family and just made us feel relaxed about the whole process. During the ceremony, Gerry spoke meaningfully and with a warm tone. The entire experience was so exactly what we were looking for and I am so happy we chose him for our very special day.
Alex P
5.0
12/22/2018
Gerald was very informative in helping us build our wedding ceremony. He is very knowledgeable in various wedding ceremony traditions and provided us examples of how each component would be handled. The script he created for the wedding was very heartfelt and built based upon feedback we provided to his surveys. Gerald was very easy to work with and was helpful in answering questions leading up to the ceremony. Our rehearsal was held two hours before the ceremony took place and Gerald helped calm any nerves as he guided us through the script. I would highly recommend working with Gerald as an officiant as he is a master story teller who will help everyone engage in the ceremony.
response 12/22/2018
Thanks for the lovey review Have a wonderful holiday and new year
Marty P
5.0
11/13/2018
When we first met Gerald we immediately knew he was the officiant for us. His process is very smooth and straightforward, we never worried about how the ceremony would go. When he learned more about us and had a longer session with us, he drafted the most beautiful ceremony, which was light-hearted and very personal to us. Many of our guests commented how beautiful our ceremony was and how much they loved the officiant and his words. We would recommend Gerald, a perfect 10 out of 10.
response 11/13/2018
Every time I hear how the guests respond I know I have done my job well and that the cerem...
ony is what they will remember Thank for the review.
Jennifer L
5.0
10/31/2018
Gerald made our wedding ceremony a highlight of the day and had our guests talking about it all night! He created a ceremony that reflected our personalities and it was heartfelt, humorous, uplifting and had our guests actively participating. We met with Gerald twice in the months leading up to the wedding so it was really a collaborative effort and he really took the time to get to know us and write a ceremony that conveyed our love and commitment to each other. He executed it perfectly – just flawless. We were in great hands from start to finish!
response 10/31/2018
I love that the guests talk about the ceremony all night. That is what is the heart of th...
e wedding and will be remembered and remembered
Chritine S
5.0
10/28/2018
Gerald was very helpful in finding the perfect location for us. Also he was really warm-hearted and reliable - and very flexible as we changed location one day before the ceremony.
We absolutely recommend Geralds services!
response 10/28/2018
Such a pleasure to help you discover the perfect the place and to celebrate with you and s...
hare your happiness for the day!
Susan I
5.0
10/03/2018
Gerry wrote a book called "The Heart of the Wedding" and I can't think of anyone better suited to do so. Gerry had our guests in tears (in a good way). His soothing voice and demeanor coupled with the heartfelt sentiments he expressed created the perfect ceremony. We will take Gerry's words to heart in the years to come and will look back fondly on our special day. Gerry was everything we hoped for and more.
response 10/03/2018
And I can't think of a more beautiful couple
Jodi L
5.0
8/16/2018
Gery is amazing to work with - he is detail oriented and dedicated to making his ceremonies personal and special - we couldn’t be happier!
response 08/16/2018
Great to work with you too.
Samantha K
5.0
7/04/2018
Gerald was fantastic in so many ways. He listened to our stories, untied everyone in the room during our ceremony, and very charming. He also made us feel like family. You were extremely professional and courteous with the upmost respect for both of us and our families.
Illy S
5.0
6/30/2018
Gerald was an amazing officiant and made our wedding ceremony very very special. From the planning stages by using his expertise on probably every religious and cultural norm, he had fantastic ideas on how to incorporate my brides customs (Persian) with my customs (Catholic) and together we created a wedding plan that tributed and complimented both sides in special ways. After learning about us as a couple (and our chihuahuas) Gerald, being the best storyteller I’ve ever heard, created a story of us. It was light hearted but also deep, funny but also serious, and most importantly it was a true reflection of who we are.
The day of, Gerald was very professional and our guiding light for all things related to the ceremony. On a nyc rooftop where there can be lots of noises, wind, etc Gerald was perfect from his voice projection to his gestures and manorisms, he kept the audience on the edges of their seats and focused that attention onto us. He spoke with eloquence and heart, and touched our family and friends whom are still talking about it months after.
Gerald was an integral part of our special day, and words can’t describe the gratitude we feel. At least not our words, Gerald’s words probably could. Thanks Gerald!
response 03/02/2019
Wow, can't get better than this- thanks for all the praise. I am so happy to be able to d...
o this for so many happy couples.
Shuang S
5.0
6/20/2018
Having Gerald as our officiant is definitely one of the best decisions we made during wedding planning. He is very professional, nice and very important, open minded and creative. We have Harry Potter as our wedding theme and I like the idea of making an Unbreakable Vow. Gerry accepted the idea immediately and even brought out more good ideas such as casting a Patronus Charm with my wand. He finished the draft in a very short time and it came to be very beautiful and exactly what I want. During the last month before wedding, I send him a couple of emails to adjust the details and Gerry always replied in time and was always patient. The ceremony turned out to be very successful, everyone keeps telling me how special and touching it is. Trust me, Gerry can realize whatever you want without a single doubt.
Sandy B
5.0
6/14/2018
Gerry was great. He also came the night before for the rehearsal dinner. He was punctual, patient, did a great job and has a sense of humor. Gerry would be a great choice as an officiant for your wedding.
Samantha R
5.0
5/29/2018
We were beyond grateful to work with Gerald for our wedding ceremony. He tailored his ceremony speech incorporating poetry and lyrics which spoke volumes as us as a couple. Our guests raved about how elegant our ceremony as written and how they were touched by Gerald's words. We would recommend Gerald to anyone who is looking for a great officiant who can appreciate the art of love and story telling. We cannot say enough about how great his energy was on our special day!
-Samantha & Timothy Goodrich
response 05/29/2018
A reflection of who you are Thanks for the lovely review Elegance and are my goals.
5.0
5/24/2018
We are so lucky that we found Gerald to be our officiant! We interviewed 10 officiants until we met him, and from that first meet-up, we knew he would be perfect. His demeanor is genuine and enthusiastic, and he commands presence in a subtle and sweet way. Some of our favorite things about working with him were:
1) He is a pro at weaving together a ceremony that is meaningful for each couple. We weren't sure exactly which elements of a ceremony we wanted, but his suggestions captured exactly the feel and vibe we were going for. For example, we wanted to honor my Bulgarian roots by using Orthodox crowns, but in a subtle and not weird way. We were leaning towards nixing it all together until we saw his suggested phrasing and timing, which we loved. I'm so glad that we were able to have this ode to my heritage as part of the ceremony, all thanks to Gerald!
2) He is reliable. Gerald always replied promptly to any emails, he showed up on time for the rehearsal, and he kept our rowdy crowd of bridesmaids and groomsmen in check during the rehearsal.
3) He has a background in the performing arts but doesn't make the ceremony theatrical. He approached the ceremony a bit like a play - e.g., he knew where to stand so as not to block the photos - but kept it down-to-earth and more about us than him.
response 05/24/2018
Thanks for the lovely review It was a memorable day
Michael B
5.0
5/16/2018
We hired Gerald to officiate our recent wedding in NYC. He was fantastic from the very beginning! He first chatted with us via Skype for about an hour to get to know us as a couple and to find out what our vision was for our wedding. He was extremely easy to talk to, and it was clear that he had a lot of previous experience. After the initial Skype call, he sent us each a document with questions to fill out in order to find out more about our background as a couple and our preferences for the wedding. With this information he went to work to find pieces to use during the ceremony that fit our personal story. We talked once again via Skype so that he could explain the entire wedding ceremony he had drafted specifically for us. We could not have been any happier with the pieces he found to include in our ceremony. Each one that he reviewed with us was a perfect fit for our relationship. He then sent a word document with the entire ceremony outlined so that we could review and make any changes.
Gerald also came to meet us at the venue the day before the wedding to participate in a walk through. He once again went through the entire ceremony, but this time we were able to practice under his guidance so that we would be totally comfortable during the wedding ceremony. We really appreciated him taking the time to come do this with us.
Working with Gerald was an incredibly easy experience. We are so happy that we decided to go with Gerald and could not be happier with the overall process or outcome. We very highly recommend Gerald!
response 05/16/2018
Loved working with you too- I am always thrilled to become such a memorable part of your l...
ives.
J K
5.0
4/01/2018
Gerald was absolutely amazing!
First off, we would like to thank Gerald so much for making our wedding so memorable! My husband and I were already married, but we wanted to have a wedding to share with our family and friends. It was important to us that our loved ones were a part of our ceremony one way or another. We didn’t want the “typical” ceremony. We wanted to have something fun, meaningful and interactive. Gerald captured just that and more.
Gerald is very responsive and kept in touch via email. He made the whole process seamless. We had our first meeting and he took the time to get to know us as individuals and as a couple. He then emailed over a couples questionnaire that we filled out individually. From there, Gerald created an initial draft and idea of what the ceremony would be. Using that as a starting off point, we then had another meeting, where we all collaborated and shared ideas. It was a very open and fun process. I have to say it again, but Gerald takes the time to get to know you, to create a ceremony that is perfect for you.
On the day of, Gerald arrived early and quickly had a run down with us and everyone involved on timing and where you will be standing, etc. He was not just a wedding officiant, but he was like a friend. Scheduling was running late and things were going off track. I was starting feel the stress when Gerald came in the Bridal Suite, and started talking and taking my mind off of everything that was going on.
The ceremony was beautiful. He created a ceremony that captured the essence of who my husband and I were. He used our actual words from the questionnaire into the ceremony, which made it so much more intimate. All of our guests complimented and talked about how unique, beautiful and moving our ceremony was throughout the night and even days later. They told us that they have never seen a ceremony like ours before. It was a beautiful balance of light hearted laughs, tears and emotions. More importantly, he created a ceremony that had our guests involved and interacting. Our loved ones weren’t just there to watch, but to really be a part of our special day.
We absolutely loved working with Gerald and we highly recommend him! He was friendly, warm, thoughtful, punctual and very open to ideas and collaboration. We are so thankful that he was a part of our big day and cannot thank him enough!
Jessica G
5.0
3/22/2018
Gerry was such a pleasure to work with! He was super professional and we got so many compliments on our ceremony. A lot of our friends and family told us that it was literally the best ceremony they’ve seen and they thought Gerry was great. At our initial meetings with him, we got to talk through and create the entire ceremony from beginning to end - we were able to incorporate some unique things such as a statement of love and a wine box. Gerry also incorporated some personal experiences from my and my husbands love story, and our guests especially liked those parts. We would definitely recommend this vendor if you want a unique and personalized ceremony! Our expectations were definitely exceeded on our wedding day! Thanks for being such an important part of our special day =)
Colleen M
5.0
2/20/2018
Gerald was a wonderful officiant at our wedding. We heard him perform our friend's wedding and thought he did a lovely job there, too. For us, he made everything feel personal and helped create a very meaningful ceremony for us on our special day!
Crystal g
5.0
1/05/2018
Gerald was fantastic from the moment we met him, up to our wedding day. I found Gerald off of the knot.com, went to meet with him at his home in Montclair and immediately knew he was the officiant for us. Both me and my husband were really comfortable with him and liked the energy and excitement that he brought to planning the ceremony. He gave tons of great suggestions on what we could include in our ceremony and responded quickly with a rough draft for us to review. On the day of, Gerry wanted to do a quick rehearsal to make sure everything was perfect and im so glad we did. When it came time for the main event everything went smoothly and i couldnt be happier!
response 01/05/2018
Your sweet words made my day!
Megan G
5.0
12/19/2017
Gerald recently officiated our wedding in October. We chose Gerald because of his unique format and delivery of wedding ceremonies, and the day of the wedding he gave us exactly what we wanted. It was so personalized and it truly felt like he was invested not only in that day but also in our relationship as much as our friends and family that were present for the ceremony. Gerald was by far the easiest of all of our vendors to work with, and exceeded our expectations at every step. He includes you in each major step of the process including the planning and revisions of what he prepares to say that day and the overall script of the ceremony. We highly recommend Gerald for anyone who is looking for a one of a kind and personalized wedding ceremony.
Dana S
5.0
11/30/2017
Gerald Fierst made our wedding the most special, meaningful day of our entire life!! Gerry took the time to meet with us, multiple times, get to know us on a personal level and understand what we wanted for our perfect wedding ceremony. I'm Jewish and my husband isn't and Gerry was able to marry us in a non-denominational ceremony, yet still incorporate certain traditions that were important to me. (I mean my husband really looked forward to breaking the glass so I highly suggest it if you're in a similar situation) Gerald has a natural way with his words and we received TONS of compliments about the originality of the ceremony and the length of the ceremony was perfect! I HIGHLY recommend Gerry because our wedding was the most amazing time of our life and we thank Gerry for making it official!!
Andrea J
5.0
11/13/2017
We could not recommend Gerry more – he was absolutely fantastic when he officiated our wedding ceremony on Sept 30, 2017. Not only did he meet with us on two separate occasions to get to know us and learn about our story, but Gerry also met us at our wedding venue for the rehearsal. His creativity and personalization made our ceremony special, heartfelt, and meaningful. At the ceremony, the microphone malfunctioned but he didn’t miss a beat and projected loud and clear for everyone to hear. Afterwards, countless guests told us that our wedding ceremony was the best wedding ceremony that they had ever seen. The wedding ceremony is the most important part of the wedding and we are so happy that Gerry was there with us!
response 11/14/2017
Thanks so much for this review- it says everything I try to accomplish!
Natalie L
5.0
11/08/2017
We recently got married on October 21st 2017. Gerald was absolutely amazing! He made our ceremony personal and unique with a bit of humor tied into it. My guest were laughing and crying and are still saying how it was one of the best parts of the wedding. He gave us exactly what we wanted. It was absolutely beautiful!
response 11/08/2017
Thanks for the lovely words Laughing and crying is just what I always want - the fullness...
of the celebration
Natalie C
5.0
11/06/2017
We where so appreciative to have Gerald officiate our ceremony. We went into our search like most ppl ok who's highly rated how legit are these reviews. When I came across Gerald on this site and went on his website there was a sense that here is someone who gets it. That we can bring friends and family together in a way that is far from typical. Gather round grab a hand and help us start this journey together. We all search for ways to express our inner self in a way that is true without getting lost in the moment. Gerald was our conduit to the world that day with his ability to tell our story with careful attention to our incite of each other. All of our guests felt engaged in the ceremony and not too many dry eyes among then. Thank you sir for making the entire process easy, fun and most of all special.
Stacy Z
5.0
11/02/2017
Gerald was amazing, from beginning to end! We met with a couple other officiants and he was the only one who really took the time to get to know us and make sure that the ceremony was personal and meaningful. Some others just have a Mad-Libs-esque template but Gerald's ceremony was obviously written with thought and care, and we've gotten nothing but compliments over how beautiful it was. He even managed to wrangle everyone at the rehearsal and make sure that everyone involved knew their roles for the next day. It was truly a pleasure to work with him - we cannot recommend him enough!
response 03/22/2018
Thank you for including me in your wonderful love story
Lauren A
5.0
10/30/2017
Gerald was a pleasure to work with! He helped us create a beautiful ceremony and executed it perfectly! Something that we loved about our ceremony was the fact that Gerald helped tell our story and really personalized it for us! Our ceremony was loved by all!
response 10/30/2017
Thanks for the review. I'm lucky to tell love stories.
Maria H
5.0
10/09/2017
Working with Gerald was an absolute pleasure! Everyone loved him and our ceremony. He made the whole process simple and is very informative when it comes to what steps you need to take to get your actual marriage license. When we were working on our ceremony outline he was very open to any suggestions but also gave much needed input. You really get a unique experience since he involves you every step of the way. I’ll admit we were a little worried at first when we were trying to come up with ideas for the ceremony but once we met with Gerry he was so helpful and reassuring. He is really there for you from start to finish. On the day of the wedding he was there early making sure everything was in place. I would recommend him to anyone who is looking for a beautiful ceremony and experience.
response 10/09/2017
And being a part of your day was a pleasure for me- thanks for the review and for includin...
g me.
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Gerald Fierst
Gerald Fierst
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