Brooklyn Officiants + Premarital Counseling

Jillian Buckley Wedding Officiant

Best of Weddings (2x)

Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, NY

About this vendor

I'm new to the Knot, so as I set up my site, please see WeddingWire for more photos and reviews! https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/jillian-buckley-wedding-officiant-brooklyn/db4982eb2a24b65b.html Before becoming ordained in the Universal Life Church in 2012, I worked as a writer/editor, teacher, and labor support doula. My experience as a doula immediately informed my new life as a marriage celebrant, and I strive to bring the same calm and good-humored presence to the planning of your wedding ceremony that I brought into the labor and delivery room. I'm here to help you take a deep breath about all the logistics, and stay centered in the love and committment that brought you, not just to this monumental day, but also to your ongoing and future life together. My experience as a writer and editor allows me to bring together your reflections on your relationship with those of your loved ones to craft a personalized wedding ceremony that gets at the heart of what you mean to one another and what marriage means to the two of you. I also recently completed a Master's in Social Work and and am working towards becoming a licensed couples therapist. I'll soon begin offering premarital counseling sessions, so stay tuned for that and let me know if you'd be interested in a discounted pilot premarital counseling rate. Services Offered I write personalized ceremony scripts, working with you to identify ceremony elements and rituals that have meaning for you. There is also the option of having me interview family and friends, whom I send a series of questions, and then have a bit of back and forth to tease out the anecdotes and details that capture the heart of your relationship: the light & sweet, the deeply felt, and the comical. I love to work with couples to capture a tone that matches their personalities, bringing forward the honesty, humor, and sincerity that goes into not just a wedding, but a relationship and marriage. I primarily perform non-denominational ceremonies, but am more than happy to include religious rituals, passages, and songs to make your wedding deeply meaningful to you and your loved ones. Love in the Time of COVID: I live right near Prospect Park so contact me for pay-what-you-can pre-scripted elopements in Prospect Park. Last minute inquiries welcome! Let's still celebrate love in dark times!

Details

Business Attributes

LGBTQ+-owned Business
Woman-owned Business

Ceremony Types

Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding

Wedding Activities

Premarital Counseling
Wedding
Ceremony

Awards and Affiliations

5

out of 5.0

28 reviews

Search reviews

10/06/2023 • Rachel R

We originally were just going to have a friend be our officiant. We didn't need anything fancy, nothing too personalized, just generic, no religion, in and out in 15 minutes kind of ceremony. Then, our friend had to back out for a personal reason. We found Jillian and we were so glad things turned out the way that they did! Jillian is so professional, we didnt even need to hop on a call we just communicated via email, she discussed options and she presented us with different versions of each section of the ceremony speech. It was amazing and so eloquently said! She is also very kind, and a sweet person. She handles the mailing of the license as well, so it's totally hands off for you. She's the best!

8/01/2023 • Christina L

We had such a wonderful time working with Jillian to create our ceremony. We are not religious and did not want a family member to officiate so we searched the knot for officiants, and from the very first few minutes speaking with Jillian, we knew she was going to be great. She was so easy to work with, communicative and gave such great advice. She knows her stuff! We were pretty anxious about the ceremony - trying to figure out what we wanted and be able to accurately portray that through our ceremony - and Jillian gave us great content to work with. We selected Option B with her, and so she helped us craft and edit our ceremony, but also allowed us to really dive in and edit to our hearts content. What we came up with together truly portrayed what this marriage means to us. On the day, Jillian was super flexible to start about 10 mins early because a very stray thunderstorm was threatening our outdoor ceremony. She executed the ceremony flawlessly and helped us with the cues. We highly recommend Jillian to anyone who wants a beautiful, flawlessly executed ceremony!

3/19/2023 • Jeanette S

I am beyond happy that we found and hired Jillian!! From the very beginning working with Jillian was so effortless, she was upfront with all options on how to go about creating vows for our wedding and so helpful with picking what fit us best. Everything from creating vows to the day of event felt easy, and became everything I could have asked for. She is so sweet calming and her delivery on the speech was just so perfect. I can not thank her enough for making the day & the ceremony so perfect!!!!!!

10/30/2022 • Darla D

We were really nervous choosing an officiant and were having trouble finding someone that we trusted, until we met Jillian. From the first phone call we knew she Was the right person to make our wedding official! She was sweet, easy to talk to and an absolute pleasure to work with. She offered a few different options of ceremonies and we opted for the most personalized version where she would send our family and friends questions to get a better idea of who we were, and I cannot recommend that option enough! Our ceremony was super personalized, beautifully written, and made us feel so special. She spoke with so much affection towards us that our friends and family could not believe we met only a few months earlier!

6/26/2022 • Iain H

I cannot recommend Jillian enough. From the first time we met, her warmth, kindness and passion for what she does was abundantly clear. Throughout the process she was professional, thoughtful and authentic - she genuinely cares and invests in your wedding and what you want to achieve. Thank you Jillian for being a special part of our celebration!

5/20/2022 • Kristin M

I really can't say enough good things about Jillian as a wedding officiant. She was absolutely excellent about every part of the planning process and made our ceremony so beautiful and touching, I still have guests telling me how amazing it was. From beginning to end, Jillian helped us through the process, taking the time to meet with us in a coffee shop as we told her our full story. She laid out several different ways we could have our ceremony, and workshopped with us closely each part to make sure it was absolutely perfect. She was completely open to suggestions, and because she took the extra time to get to know us, she absolutely nailed who we are as a couple, what was important to us, and what we wanted our union to be about. Because I come from a religious family but didn't quite want a religious ceremony, Jillian was incredibly understanding and adaptive, and found ways to integrate my religion and my family into the ceremony so everyone was included. I couldn't have asked for a better overall turnout, and I couldn't recommend Jillian more highly!

4/13/2022 • James N

We shopped around a bit for all vendors, officiant included. Jillian was flexible with how we wanted to do the ceremony and had helpful suggestions as well, which was great since my fiance and I had very little knowledge of the details of a wedding ceremony. We liked our first convo with her, and when we asked about a reference Jillian was quick to put us in contact with another couple who had previously worked with her (not that these wedding website references aren't trustworthy, but talking to people was nice). Overall we had a perfect experience with Jillian and would highly recommend her!

3/18/2022 • Dana B

Not even sure where to start. My husband and I feel so incredibly lucky to have found this beautiful soul and to have had her officiate our wedding. From the first time we spoke to Jillian, she made us feel so understood, relaxed, comfortable, and confident. Over the months that we worked together, she gave us amazing suggestions that made our ceremony uniquely ours and wonderfully intimate. Every day leading up to the wedding she was there with words of support and love, and on our day she made us feel like we were the only people in the room even with 200 people sitting watching us. We love Jillian and can't recommend her enough!

12/17/2021 • Shannon H

My husband and I wanted a low-key ceremony. We were originally planning to get married at City Hall, but it was impossible to get an appointment due to COVID restrictions. We ended up finding Jillian and it could not have worked out better. Jillian helped us put together the simple ceremony we wanted. We exchanged vows in our hotel suite with a few friends and family present, and everyone complimented the beautiful ceremony Jillian put together.

10/27/2021 • Daniel D

We feel so lucky to have had Jillian officiate our wedding. We weren't sure exactly what we wanted, and Jillian really took the time to understand us and guide us through the process in a way that made it feel approachable. She spent a lot of time learning about our relationship and wrote this beautiful, personal story that tied the ceremony together. My family was overseas and unfortunately had to watch the ceremony on Zoom due to COVID. Jillian found ways to bring them into the ceremony and made them feel a part of what was happening, which was incredibly touching and meant the world to them. After the ceremony, several people asked us how we knew Jillian. They had assumed she was a close friend given how warm, personal, and meaningful the ceremony was. It's something we'll never forget. I can't recommend Jillian enough.

10/08/2021 • Alina L

I would definitely recommend Jillian to anyone getting married and who is looking for an intimate experience. She took the time out to listen to our background and how we met to try and help incorporate our story into our vows. Thank you so much, Jillian!!

9/24/2021 • Maggie W

Jillian was amazing from the beginning to end and we can't recommend her enough! We decided to legally get married before our wedding celebration due to the pandemic and was so lucky to find Jillian. She was warm and patient and worked with us through every step of the way. She is a truly a professional that exhibits passion in all that she does as a celebrant. Thank you again!!! -Maggie & Sam

9/18/2021 • Kat Y

Jillian was fantastic to work with! She is very easy going and genuinely cares about making your ceremony special. Jillian was kind enough to take the time to speak with me over the phone in addition to meeting up with us in-person to make sure it was a good fit for everyone. She then walked us through the process of obtaining the marriage license and sent several options for each section of the ceremony script, to pick and choose from and customize. The day of the wedding was chaotic and we were running late (to be expected), but Jillian was very calm and was able to go with the flow, which put us at ease. We couldn't have asked for a better officiant and highly recommend her!

9/13/2021 • Elizabeth S

So wonderful - Jillian was such a sweet presence at our wedding ceremony and she was super helpful with questions and suggestions about the ceremony flow!

6/29/2021 • JIA L

Working with Jillian was a breeze. She was prompt and knowledgable when i asked her questions. She made our virtual zoom wedding experience easy and I highly recommend her if you’re looking for an officiant!

6/22/2021 • Portia S

Jillian is the best. I cannot imagine a better officiant for our tiny ceremony. We were so lucky to find her. She is so thoughtful and skillful in crafting the perfect ceremony based on your specific needs. She also did a beautiful job crafting a personal story for us, taking input from our friends. We loved everything about what she did. HIRE HER NOW!

6/08/2021 • Richard S

My partner and I have been together for 12 years and had decided we would get married at city hall, but couldn't because of the Pandemic. A friend of a friend recommended Jillian. She took us from a bare bones civil ceremony to a succinct and meaningful expression of our feelings about and commitment to each other through a beautifully composed ceremony.

6/08/2021 • Kelen J

Jillian was responsive and easy to work with for our virtual zoom wedding! You could tell she finds joy in this job and truly cared about learning about us so she could customize things for us, even over zoom

6/07/2021 • Leiry J

Jillian is wonder and pleasing individual. It was a pleasure and honor to have her as my wedding officiant. She's very professional, kind and she guides you through the processes. I would definitely recommend Jillian for wedding officiant.

2/24/2021 • Karissa L

After a year of COVID postponements and cancelations, my fiancé and I decided to do an intimate outdoor ceremony in Brooklyn. Jillian was everything we could have hoped for in an officiant. She was incredibly professional, kind, and helpful. She took her time to get to know us and provided us with many wonderful ideas to tailor our ceremony into something that was unique and meaningful. We really appreciated that she brought her own ideas to the table but was also open to our own. The day of the ceremony Jillian was equally as brilliant. She was professional in every sense, yet also warm and engaging, something we really valued with having such a small group. She provided not only a critical services for our wedding but was a significant part of making it memorable and special.

2/08/2021 • Haley M

Jillian was the best officiant we could’ve asked for. We got her last minute and everything worked out perfect. She was very very responsive and answered all my questions up to right before the ceremony. She made the day perfect!

1/17/2021 • Jenna W

We chose Jillian when planning our October 2020 wedding, before COVID arrived. Jillian was so easy to work with, very responsive, and helped us create the ceremony we wanted. She was incredibly flexible as the uncertainty of COVID and easily adapted to the change of plans. Jillian really thoughtfully wrote our entire ceremony, tailoring it to both of our interests and weaving in elements from our family, friends, and cultural traditions. She guided us through the process gently and skillfully. We are so glad we chose Jillian and highly recommend!

1/14/2021 • Niamh F

Jillian was brilliant! Jillian was so onboard with our 2 week notice mini wedding on the Brooklyn Bridge! Jillian was very professional from start to finish and made us feel at ease. Jillian was also a pro at filling out our marriage certificate, which is surprisingly hard to complete. Jillian made the day so personable and even cried with us as we shared our vows. We had a magical day with Jillian. Thank you Jillian again!

1/11/2021 • Eric M

Jillian was an essential part of our wedding ceremony. We met with her weeks before the date to discuss logistics and so that she could learn a bit more about what type of ceremony we wanted. She asked us really thought provoking questions about our relationship which for us cemented that we were making the right decision. She paid close attention to every detail and was very responsive throughout the entire process of co creating our ceremony. She gave us suggestions and was open to us finding various pieces of the ceremony on our own. On the actual date she was a wonderful officiant. It's hard to describe in words but she made it so that my only focus was on my Husband and our commitment to one another. It was actually perfect.

1/06/2021 • N&K D

Jillian is simply a pleasure. We were very last minute in getting our marriage done. With the constraint of COVID, plus being new parents, you can only imagine the chaos we were faced with! Jillian certainly made the process easy. She was quick with answering any questions we had! If we had a question that she didn't have the answer to, she was sure to get her research done and get back to us in a timely fashion! We knew we had to use her when she was willing to take a late evening phone call with us! She was as sweet on the phone as she was in person! My hubby and I will definitely be using her again when we decide to have our BIG wedding! Jillian is reasonably priced too!!! You can't go wrong with having her officiate your wedding! Thanks again, Jillian!

1/06/2021 • Emma G

Jillian truly went above and beyond when it came to our wedding ceremony. Due to COVID, we decided to move our celebration to a later date, but still wanted to get married in a small, intimate ceremony. After reaching out to Jillian and speaking to her for the first time, we knew she was the perfect officiant. She is incredibly personable and we were touched by how she took the time to get to know us and our story. Her ability to write and build out our ceremony exactly how we envisioned it was superb. She is responsive, flexible and her kindness and positive energy made our experience with her excellent. I highly recommend working with Jillian to any couple looking to tie the knot!

1/05/2021 • Pooja S

When we decided to have Jillian officiate our elopement, we shared with her some themes we wanted to include in our ceremony. She prepared the most beautiful passage, which captured these themes and our personalities in an effortless, yet surprising way. In addition to her eloquent words, Jillian was just a joy to have around on our wedding day. She is adventurous and easy-going, and had a way of putting us at ease even though we were wound tight from the excitement of the occasion. She loves love, and it is evident when you meet her. We are so glad she officiated our ceremony and recommend her wholeheartedly!