Jeddah Vailakis, Elegant & Heartfelt Ceremonies

h helped us accomplish all of this. We found it too much of a burden to ask a friend to marry us and Jeddah was able to step in for the big task. She was thoughtful and really helped ground us before the ceremony by learning about our relationship and during the ceremony by being a steady voice to guide us. We are forever thankful for what she does!

ioned. What a sweet and deeply caring person! Thank you again!

to get to know us and tailored the ceremony to be the exactly "us". I think it was moving, personal, and perfect. Thank you, Jeddah!

ing truly unique!

other and what this marriage would mean to us. With an extraordinary grace and great care she molded our ceremony into a very personal, moving and beautiful experience, the memory of which we shall treasure the rest of our lives. She even aided us in our selection of an appropriate venue. We will be forever grateful to her for creating a magical beginning to our journey together. ❤ Alex & Steve

l our guests commented on how she did an excellent job. She's warm and we couldn't have picked a better person to guide us into marriage.

COVID. Throughout all of this, she has been kind, flexible, and supportive. She even agreed to officiate our legal marriage on our original wedding date, in addition to officiating our larger ceremony and celebration almost a year later. When it came to our larger ceremony and celebration, we were blown away with how special and personalized Jeddah made it feel. We actually received so many compliments about our ceremony and how touching it was. Overall, Jeddah is a calming and supportive presence that feels so comforting during the planning process as well during the more hectic and nerve-wrecking parts of a celebration. If you are looking for an interfaith officiant who can create an intimate and personalized feel for your ceremony, there is no better choice in the NY area than Jeddah.

Having a meaningful ceremony was very important to my husband and I and boy did Jeddah nail it. Jeddah took the time to get to know us (even though we really had only one week to prep together!!!) by the time of the ceremony it felt like she knew us deeply. She has such positive, warm, and loving energy. It would be a mistake not to go with Jeddah because she's that spectacular!

the ceremony held the appropriate level of seriousness but was not at all stuffy or formulaic. She helped us navigate the challenging task of writing our own vows, which made the ceremony even more special for my wife and I. She also flawlessly accommodated all of our requests to handle delicate family situations and adjusted her words to reflect our spirituality vs. sticking to a set playbook. Multiple guests (and my wife and I) felt that the ceremony Jeddah officiated was the highlight of the entire wedding event, which goes to show how fantastic of a job she did. I would highly recommend Jeddah to any couple looking for an officiant to facilitate a spectacular and meaningful ceremony at their wedding.

o wedding ceremony; our guests loved the way Jeddah has captured all the details that even family may not have known about us.

a couple. Would highly recommend hiring Jeddah for your wedding. We heard rave reviews from our guests and the ceremony that Jeddah created was perfectly curated for us.

tails about us as a couple. Thank you Jeddah!

eat ceremony with meaningful readings that we had the opportunity to pick ourselves. She provided the perfect balance between seriousness and humor, which was important to us. Her attention to detail, dedication to her promises, and ability to truly understand what each couple wants in a ceremony easily makes her one of the most wonderful officiants. Finding an officiant was initially an uncertain task for my wife and I, as neither of us were living in New York, though we married in Brooklyn however we planned everything from Texas. We came across Jeddah after spending months online trying to find the right officiant. From our initial conversation on FaceTime we knew that she was “the one” for us. We immediately felt at ease with her preparation, warm demeanor and stellar track record. She explained her process clearly and took the time to connect with us. In the months leading up to our wedding, Jeddah made herself available countless times and was always there to answer any questions or ease any stress. Initially, we did not know what we wanted our ceremony to look like but, we knew we wanted it to be a representation of the both of us. Jeddah was so patient with us. She never rushed us or pushed us to do anything we didn’t feel comfortable with. If we changed our mind about something she was supportive and encouraging. Her advice and words truly helped my wife and I through the entire wedding process not just the ceremony. She guided us so gently and with so much love. Her questionnaire was thoughtful and made creating our ceremony easy. It also allowed for my wife and I to slow down and connect with each other before the wedding. After going through the process with Jeddah, we were both excited about the ceremony itself, and on the day of our wedding, that’s when Jeddah really shines. By getting to know us as a couple and knowing what we were looking for, she delivered a ceremony that was beyond our wildest expectations. It was heartwarming, funny, and it felt like she’d known us for years. Jeddah was heaven sent for us! Honestly, if you’re looking for an officiant, please choose Jeddah. You will not regret it, and your ceremony will be something that you and your spouse can look back on fondly for years to come. We cannot thank her enough for the beautiful moments she created for us. With gratitude -MM

ut the special times over our years together which allowed us to re-visit special moments in our relationship. Meeting her in NYC was a helpful step to really know we were making the right choice - she was so warm and connected with us instantly. She was very thorough & explained her process to us upfront so we knew what to expect throughout the entire planning process. Her follow-up questionnaire was very detailed which helped form our ceremony & allowed us a great timeline to write our vows which meant a lot to us. Jeddah's personality was contagious, she had everyone in the room filled with tears & laughter connecting with our family & friends. Our guests still commented on how beautiful the ceremony was. We are so grateful to have found her and have had her as part of our most special day.

ruly loved what she does. We worked long-distance with Jeddah to create our unique and beautifully personalized wedding ceremony which we will never forget. She helped Andrew and I feel truly special and on such a big day and that was such a blessing. You WANT Jeddah on your team for whatever your big-day looks like, she is a truly inspirational, caring, kind, and beautiful person, inside and out!

ted it to feel meaningful for all of our guests. We found all of this with Jeddah. She has such a beautiful and light spirit and was able to pull out of us all of the detail she needed to build an extremely beautiful ceremony incorporating our words with specific readings and stories we wanted to include but importantly with the setting and landscape of rolling hills and quiet, gentle breezes. We had just enough interaction that didn't feel like "work" and we had fun answering her questionnaire. It was just an absolute delight having her near. Strongly recommend.

t our ceremony. She also gave us excellent advice for other aspects of the event, and helped us stay centered on the day of the wedding. As for the ceremony itself, we were so moved by Jeddah’s words. She used our stories in a way that illuminated our relationship not only to our guests, but to us. We were hoping for a ceremony that expressed the joy and seriousness of the occasion, and Jeddah did just that. She even managed the noise of an interrupting train with humor and grace! We strongly recommend her to those looking for an officiant who will truly get to know you as a couple and craft a ceremony that is beautiful, meaningful, and personal. Thank you, Jeddah!

knew she was the one simply from her demeanor and the calming aura she has around her. She instantaneously makes you feel comfortable and confident in her. She provided a questionnaire to my then fiancé and I and captured all that explained our love our beliefs and totally and truly embodied who we were from our individual thoughts and from the perspective of the relationship. She truly put a spin on our wedding that is unforgettable. On our wedding day things were calm and then started to ramp up and my anxiety was creeping in but when Jeddah walked into our bridal suite and hugged me it was like magic and my jitters disappeared and I knew with her and my husband standing at the alter waiting for me, I was going to be just fine. Our guests loved her just as much as we did. I would love to get married over and over to see what she can deliver next. If looking for an officiant I without a doubt would recommended using Jeddah you will not be disappointed.

knew she was the one simply from her demeanor and the calming aura she has around her. She instantaneously makes you feel comfortable and confident in her. She provided a questionnaire to my then fiancé and I and captured all that explained our love our beliefs and totally and truly embodied who we were from our individual thoughts and from the perspective of the relationship. She truly put a spin on our wedding that is unforgettable. One my wedding day things were calm and then started to ramp up and my anxiety was creeping in but when Jeddah walked into our bridal suite and hugged me it was like magic and my jitters disappeared and I knew with her and my husband standing at the alter waiting for me, I was going to be just fine. Our guests loved her just as much as we did. I would love to get married over and over to see what she can deliver next. If looking for an officiant I without a doubt would recommended using Jeddah you will not be disappointed.

magnetic draw to her, I don’t know how to explain it. We went to a destination wedding a month ago, and at their very own wedding all they kept asking about was our “incredible officiant”. Wherever Jeddah is these days we hope all is well and hope we can cross paths again one day. Steve & Hayley, 6/9/17

zed and personal. She also has a very kind way about her which makes her very endearing in both a one on one conversation and while officiating the ceremony. Our guests all raved about the ceremony and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. Jeddah really made our big day extra special!

rocess so easy for us, and we appreciate everything you worked through with us.

d she made our vision of a simple heartfelt ceremony come to life!

self-uniting, after we found out our original officiant was pregnant and due too close to our wedding to attend. As soon as I met Jeddah, I knew we needed to restrategize and hire her as our celebrant. Jeddah's energy is incredible, and exactly the kind of soothing calm and groundedness I wanted around us on our big day. I was SO delighted when she shared that she was free and willing to work with us. We spent a few Skype and email sessions sharing our story with Jeddah and filling out separate questionnaires that revealed a bit about us as a couple and about our attitudes toward marriage. Although she'd never met Sean and had only met me briefly, Jeddah felt like a natural part of our ceremony and so beautifully incorporated what she'd learned about us to make the ceremony feel deeply personal and true to us. We had so many guests comment on her beautiful ceremony, and how it was one of the most beautiful and authentic that they had ever witnessed. I hope to always know Jeddah and to see our paths cross again and again throughout our lives.

he heart and soul of our wedding. We interviewed several officiants and Jeddah was the obvious choice after our first conversation. For the first time in weeks, we felt as if we were actually getting married and not just planning an event :) During this phone call, we were excited and emotional and felt very lucky. Jeddah gave us homework and we took our time and went over the amazing materials she sent us. During the next call, Jeddah spent a lot of time trying to understand what the wedding means for us and how to tailor a ceremony that would be ours and not just her show. Jeddah arrived at the location and immediately everything went smoothly. Her experience shows! She has a way of making everything move along in the right direction while remaining pleasant and full of humour. And finally, the ceremony itself was magic! Jeddah has a magnetic personality and the final product was absolutely fabulous. She guided us skilfully through the ceremony and by the end there was not a dry eye in the room. We feel we were lucky to "stumble" upon Jeddah randomly through the internet and we hope this review will convince you to take Jeddah as your officiant and make your ceremony beautiful, emotional and most important, something that really tells the story of you.

phone call. My now husband and I were most looking forward to exchanging our own vows. There is something just so special about sharing such an intimate part of yourselves with your most trusted friends and family. As excited as we were, we were terrified! Terrified we would be a puddle of emotions, unable to focus in on the moment, or one spouse's vows would far exceed the other's. Jeddah took care of ALL of that...and then some. Even let us know how to tweak our vows to mimic more of the other one's flow (because we didn't want to hear the other's until the day of!). We had multiple Skype conversations over the 6 or so months leading up to the day. Talked about our concerns, or whatever evolved from there. It's so easy speaking to her. She has this total 'fairy godmother-esque' vibe. We got our 'homework' - an email consisting of a myriad of intimate couple questions to further let her in on your relationship. That's the greatest part about her. She takes the time to get to know you so she can create a ceremony specifically tailored to the two of you. On the day of the wedding I actually got emotional when she greeted us at the venue. During that time it was feeling overwhelmingly chaotic...and when I saw her I immediately knew I could decompress with her one hug. Everyone guest at the reception mentioned how beautiful the ceremony was and that it was their favorite part! We couldn't be more pleased with Jeddah. If you want an unforgettable event...look no further!

o many of our guests mentioned that they wished Jeddah had married them since she crafted such a moving ceremony! Some even thought she was a longtime friend since her words were so touching and personal. And one special moment was when she spoke a few words in Greek to honor my Greek relatives in attendance! We highly recommend Jeddah as a caring and supportive officiant for anyone’s wedding!

s very helpful in guiding us through the process from start to finish, offering helpful advice and council along the way. During our event, Jeddah really helped make it a very special day through carefully chosen words that really helped set the tone and let us soak it all in. We are very grateful to have found Jeddah and to have had the opportunity to work with her. We would recommend her without hesitation. M & S

e were so happy with how it all turned out, and all of our guests could tell how happy we were. As you know, the ceremony was the one part I had nerves about before the big day, and writing my vows in particular, but you made the process so smooth and fun, and helped us remember what it was all about as we went along.. our love and starting our new lives together. I will never forget you asking us to look up into the trees before pronouncing us husband and wife, among many other memorable and special moments that helped us be present. Working with you was truly a gift, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your hard work in making our dream ceremony come true!

autiful, personalized ceremony that made us laugh and cry and begin the happiest celebration of our lives. Many of our guests said it was the most memorable ceremony they had seen. Not only were her words thoughtful and meaningful to us, she also helped us be present on our big day. We can't recommend her enough!

deeply greatful A ten star experience

me and my husband to go through to help us customize our ceremony. She helped us create a wedding that truly captured our personalities and the joy of our relationship. When I told her about how I was nervous standing in front of everyone she really helped to calm my nerves and made sure there were tissues nearby during the ceremony! We had numerous people tell us during the reception that the wedding ceremony was one of the best, if not the best, one they ever attended since it was so heartfelt and personal. Thank you again Jeddah!

to be 15 seconds... you do, I do, we do... let's start cocktail hour. Jeddah was so kind and patient, she said that it's tough being the center of attention but it's your wedding and helped us figure out the ceremony that we always wanted but just didn't know how to express it. We didn't make it easy on her... we want it to be fun but not funny, serious but not too serious, heartfelt but we don't want everybody crying, I think I said we want it "special" (most people can't take direction like "make it special" or "make it perfect" and pull it off... Jeddah did). Jeddah was able to take all of that and turn it into the perfect 20 minute ceremony that everyone at the wedding raved about... I'm so glad she talked us out of the 15 second version.

rsonal and fabulous it was. We couldn't recommend her more!

family and friends are still raving about her and the beautiful ceremony.

e... and she did just that! Our friends and family keep raving about the ceremony... and honestly, how often does that happen?! A few friends even asked us how long we’d known Jeddah as they just assumed she was a friend of the family because of the way she spoke about us. Jeddah is kind, patient and professional- and made the entire ceremony planning process so enjoyable! If you are looking for ceremony that celebrates your love story and you as a couple look no further! I’d recommend Jeddah to anyone!!!!

as intimate and authentic to us and our guests. My husband and I had not put any thought into what we wanted/expected in our ceremony, and this is where Jeddah’s experience shines though. She provided several examples to guide us through the whole process that spanned a variety of religions and several non-religious examples, which we greatly appreciated. Somehow she was able to weave together our perfect combination of love, spirituality and humor!

anning process and makes you feel at ease especially with all the chaos that comes with wedding planning. Reverend Jeddah has an eloquent and calming presence that draws you in and she was able to capture everything that we envisioned for our ceremony. She was dedicated to making our ceremony special and Jeddah delivered. When your family and friends compliment you over and over on your ceremony you know it had to be memorable. Reverend Jeddah personalize our ceremony in a way that was unique, fun and emotional; she beautifully captured our love story. I am forever grateful to Jeddah for her warmth, guidance, thoughtfulness and patience.

venue closed abruptly in, Jeddah was in touch with 3-4 venues with availability on our original date within 24 hours.We were touched and astonished by her support for us throughout the entire planning process. Warm, engaging, and a true wordsmith, Jeddah made sure that our ceremony was a reflection of our own words and emotions. Jeddah did a wonderful job orchestrating the energy of our ceremony - somber moments and memories of loved ones passed were followed by levity and words that brought smiles and laughter to our guests' faces. We would recommend Jeddah as an officiant in a heartbeat. We cannot wait to cross paths with her in the near future.

ah really does. She has a glimmer in her eye when she talks about her clients, and you can tell she finds something to love about all of them. People are still talking about our ceremony. We had a weekend wedding at a kids’ summer camp, and our ceremony was outside by the lake. We told her what our vision was, and she executed it flawlessly. It was fun and serious and romantic and perfect. To me, the most important part of your wedding should be the ceremony itself. The party is a perk, but the ceremony is the reason for the celebration. It really set the tone for the rest of the night, and I wouldn’t have hired anyone else. Jeddah was recommended to me by my cousin, who is a wedding planner. She said that if I wasn’t getting married in a church, that there was only one officiant she would recommend, and that was Jeddah. She said there was never a dry eye in the house, and boy was she right. Some were sad tears, but most were happy tears. She helped guide us, but it was more of a gentle hand than a shove. We owe her so much thanks for making our special day even more special.

ve and commitment.

ve story and helping us through the wedding process. She took the time to meet with my wife and I over multiple phone calls and in person meetings to understand our love - which she did an incredible job of translating to our wedding of 180 guests. I couldn't say more positive things about Jeddah and her process - would highly recommend her as an officiant and look forward to keeping in touch with her over the course of our marriage.