About this vendor
Ritualisms creates bespoke, custom ceremonies for alternative, modern couples who want their wedding day to resemble them in every way. Unlike traditional ceremonies, each Ritualisms ceremony is designed artistically, with a flair for words, modern creativity, and zero agenda. We think you’re fun, we think you’re funny, and we think everyone should see it.
Since 2011, I have based my approach to ceremony design with upbeat humor, impactful storytelling, and a fresh approach to the dusty and dry rituals of yesteryear. Grandma loved her church ceremony, but that was fifty years ago. Your wedding deserves to be different. It should be different.
I’m not just a minister, and I don't just marry you. I marry you your way, from the bottom up, helping you craft a wedding ceremony that resembles you. So hit me up, and let's get wed.
Details
Business Attributes
- LGBTQ+-owned Business
- Woman-owned Business
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Religious Affiliations
- Buddhist
- Christian
- Interfaith
- Pagan
- Secular
- Spiritual
Wedding Activities
- Wedding
- Ceremony
Awards and Affiliations
2-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2022.2021.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.043 reviews
Where do I even start - Ali is absolutely incredible! She is so kind, accommodating, and helped us create the perfect nondenominational wedding ceremony. Ali is an excellent offici...
ant and collected personal information about my husband and I to make our ceremony truly one of a kind! Our wedding guests were raving about how sweet and personal our ceremony was. Ali, you are truly a gem and we are so grateful you worked with us!
-Gabbi and AJ Raskin
Ali was incredible. Her ceremony was so personal to us that we were asked by multiple people if we knew her; nope, she was just that good at making something that fit us perfectly....
She completely encapsulated our story, putting in all the small things that make us who we are. 10/10, highly recommend.
Ali was an absolute joy to work with. She crafted such a beautiful personalized ceremony for my wife and I. It seemed like each of our guest were complementing the ceremony specifi...
cally that day, and most of them assumed we knew Ali beforehand because of how well she seemed to know us and our story. Apparently, we were her first couple with a trans person, but you couldn't even tell. She did a perfect job.
If you are a high-stress person like me, note that she responds quickly to texts; emails take a little longer. The full script of the ceremony was written and ready for us to see about a week before the day of the wedding. These aren't really complaints, just things to be aware of if you like to have things done a long time in advance. Other than that, I couldn't have asked for a better person to officiate our wedding. She was so personable and kind. I can't say enough good things about her!
Where do I even begin?? Ali at Ritualisms was an absolute DREAM to work with! She was the very first vendor we booked on our great wedding adventure and I was absolutely blown away...
! From the very beginning, Ali was on board with every crazy idea we threw her way and was able to maneuver and weave the most incredible ceremony for us that will forever be one of my favorite memories. Her "homework" really helped us dig deep on not only why we were choosing to marry each other, but also helped her and us to create the most personalized, heartfelt, and soul reaching ritual to celebrate our union! I cannot recommend Ali enough; I promise if you are looking for a special addition to your ceremony, book Ritualisms!! <3
Ali at Ritualisms was completely awesome and I would recommend her to anyone. I mean, when is the last time you went to a wedding and guests commented multiple times on how much th...
ey enjoyed the officiant??
We wanted a brief ceremony that wasn’t stuffy, but still had traditional elements. I’ll be honest in that I booked Ali because the price was right and she was available. I pleasantly discovered that she was easy to work with, too. She literally let me go through her base script and cross out things that didn’t sound like us or insert things that did. She made helpful suggestions, she answered all my questions, and she was punctual to the rehearsal and ceremony. And she delivered a ceremony that didn’t sound like she’d given it 100 times before.
As many brides will tell you, the day is a blur. I remember bits and pieces quite well and other moments not at all. Later when I was unpacking our decor at home, I found a little booklet from Ali that had our ceremony script printed in it. That was SO amazing. I didn’t know she did that (maybe I missed it in our emails?) and it was so perfect, because the actual ceremony part was a bit of a blur to me. (Don’t cry… don’t lock your knees and faint… is the photographer getting good pictures…)
Initially, I didn’t really care who we hired as an officiant as I considered it the least important part…yes, I know it is technically the MOST important vendor, but they spend less time with you than the DJ, photographer, etc. But fate was smiling on me when I reached out to Ali, because she really delivered a phenomenal experience. Everyone said the ceremony was “so us”, that the officiant sounded genuine and likable, and that it was the best ceremony they’d been to. That was more than I had ever hoped for!
We picked Ali for our ceremony, as neither my fiance (husband now!) nor I are very religious, but we both wanted a meaningful ceremony. Ali was amazing to work with- extremely resp...
onsive, patient, and really listened to what we wanted. Then, the pandemic hit... and Ali was just as amazing at helping us talk through what we wanted, she worked with us on securing a new date, and helped us with the license/paperwork etc. And, after we did all of our 'couples homework', she wrote a beautiful ceremony, that really captured our history as a couple, and summarized our love story. Ali was phenomenal to work with, and we would absolutely, 100% recommend her!
Bret n I found Ali on The Knot website. We meant with her a couple of times before we had everything set. Because we were getting married on NYE we planned 2 years ahead!
Bret n I ...
could have not asked for a more, patient, like, generous, loving and compassionate person come into our lives.
This was our second marriage and we were older now.
Because of this...we didn't know were to begin. We wanted a "universal" wedding. No discrimination among religions and/or people. And that is exactly what we got!
Ali could have not been more perfect for our wedding!
After our wedding, we gave Ali her 1st Obi Sash which we used to do our hand wrap. We will always treasure our special day n the time we spent with Ali. We love You! Kim n Bret 12-31-2021
Ali is absolutely amazing. I can’t even find the words to describe how perfectly she fit into our day. My husband and I eloped in Minnewaska State Park with just Ali and a couple p...
hotographers and Ali really helped to make it so incredibly special. She was super responsive and helpful in the planning up to our wedding day and was very mindful in her ability to incorporate both of our beliefs into the ceremony. Our handfasting was beautiful. Ali is here for the adventure and for the weirdos and helps to bring the magic to an already inherently special day. Book with Ali.
Hiring Ali was one of the best (if not THE best) decision for our wedding. We wanted something more modern, less religious, but still romantic and beautiful- and she definitely del...
ivered! Our ceremony was perfect, and she was very accommodating for all of our requests. She was also quick to have everything filed - our marriage certificate was already waiting for us when we returned from our honeymoon! I think she would be the perfect choice for anyone. Couldn't be happier!
Our ceremony was small and non-traditional in many ways. Ali was an amazing part of our day. We chose not to change any of the wedding reading that Ali used and it was perfect for ...
us as a couple. Ali was easy to communicate with prior to the date and was timely in all interactions. The positive energy that Ali had was imcredible. An amazing experience all around. I highly recommend Ritualisms for your wedding ceremony.
Ali was the best officiant and the kindest person we could ever choose to lead us through wedding day. She is extraordinarily accommodating, making sure that whatever speech gets c...
rafted personally reflects just the right amount of tradition, humor, love, silliness, and seriousness. Our guests continued to tell us throughout cocktail hour that they loved our ceremony and could tell it was tailored to represent our relationship. She had us answer a handful of homework questions to make sure she understood us as a couple. I can say with certainty, that she stood out against all other officiants we reached out to. We highly recommend her services!
I cannot say enough amazing things about Ali and Ritualisms. Our ceremony was beautifully written, delivered from the heart and it was everything that we wanted it to be and more. ...
Ali really took the time to get to know us as a couple throughout our planning process and that really showed through our ceremony, which felt so special and so us. The little nods to Star Trek were just the icing on the cake. It felt more like we made a friend (seriously, Ali, could you be any cooler?!) — Another lovely surprise was our vows and the entire ceremony was printed in a gorgeous booklet that Ali left for us with our wedding cards. We will be placing this is a memory box with our handfasting cord. Thank you again, Ali, for everything!
Ali was thorough, thoughtful, and made everything seem tranquil. So glad we were able to have such a special day with her. Highly recommended if you’re looking for something outsid...
e the box for a ceremony.
Ali, what more can we say? She brought a sense of tranquility and humor to a day that was high energy. She touched on all bases that helped us bring joy to those present and lovin...
g remembrance to those that are no longer with us. Bravo Ali!
Ritualisms was a dream come true for officiating our wedding. Ali created and performed such a unique and personal ceremony for us. Our guests wondered if we have been friends for ...
years after hearing such a well-crafted ceremony. The process of putting the ceremony together was a breeze with Ritualisms' "Choose Your Own Wedventure"! It was so much fun! We will cherish Ali and our fairytale ceremony forever!
ALI IS AMAZING!!!
I really enjoyed my experience with Ali, she created such a beautiful ceremony that had us weeping like babies (we are happy criers). There was not a dry eye in t...
he house!
Mat and I decided to have Ali complete the ceremony and keep the entire thing a surprise for us to hear when the time comes. MAN were we not disappointed. After completing our homework from Ali we felt confident that she would create a beautiful ceremony. I might recommend this to anyone who wants a special treat on their wedding day.
We did hand fasting and that was just so special. Ali helped me come up with the idea of having our family and friends make the cords the night prior to the wedding. I will cherish those knots for the rest of my life!
After the ceremony we received our own book with the entire transcript of the ceremony. I thought that was a beautiful touch.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Ali. You made our wedding day so special.
XOXO,
Emily and Mat
We had a mix of traditional and pagan wedding and Ali did an amazing job. We had a ring exchange and a handfasting. She had just the right amount of each and was willing to change ...
things to make it perfect for a perfect day. We were so incredibly happy. She was willing to drive to our location which was a little ways. She types it up into a cute book that you keep which is adorable! And such a cute memento. I highly recommend ritualisms. I truly felt like they wanted it to be the best day and it was. Even through COVID she kept in touch and was very responsive. I could’ve have asked for a better person to do the honors.
I can't say enough good things about Ali. Her approach to telling our story and getting to know us was everything I could have hoped for and beyond. It meant so much to her to unde...
rstand our beginnings & the things that were important to us, down to the tiniest detail, and it shown through so beautifully in our ceremony. So many of our guests asked what our relation was to Ali because it felt like we had been friends for years. What more could you ask for?? (Oh, she has a great taste in music, too!)
Her drafts were perfect so there was no need to, but she would accommodate any changes to the narrative ahead of the big day to ensure it lived up to our wildest dreams. I could go on and on! Anyone can put their absolute faith in Ali to carry out this important task alongside them. She was made for this. Thank you again Ali!! 💓
We couldn't have chosen a better officiant for our wedding. Ali was an absolute gem and her way of mixing our personal stories and weaving them together within her speech made it a...
ll so personal. She was also able to be discreet about any religious talk, keeping everything very high level yet exactly how it needed to be for a Halloween wedding and speaking to the more traditional origins of the holiday.
What we adored was how Ali gave us a printed and bound copy of what she said during the ceremony, a perfect keepsake for us to look back on. She is such a warm spirit and down to earth person so please consider using her, I'm sure once you meet her she'll become your top choice as well.
We couldn’t had expected anything more beautiful and personalized than what we were given. The flexibility, warmth and support from Ali was amazing. Very professional and afforda...
ble. She ensured our day was perfect!
Our wedding venue offered a free officiant but I denied that offer. From the very first moment I met Ali, I knew she needed to perform our wedding ceremony. Our wedding was postpon...
ed due to Covid and Ali quickly made the necessary accommodations for us. She is absolutely phenomenal. Positivity radiates from her pores! She is worth every penny!
Ali was able to put our love story into words that brought tears to everyone’s eyes. She even included our children in the ceremony. Our wedding would not have been the same without her. There aren’t enough thank you’s!
Ali was a pleasure to work with and such a positive person. She kept us informed and wrote a perfect ceremony for our wedding. HIGHLY recommend Ali!
Ali wrote a beautiful ceremony for us and had a fantastic presence as an officiant. So many of our guests said it was the most unique and meaningful ceremony they’ve been too. She ...
even helped coordinate our wedding party walking down the aisle since I didn’t have a day of coordinator. She is a pleasure to work it and very professional. Would definitely recommend!
Alina was more than we could have asked for. She was so attentive and went above and beyond to bring our words to life. She was positive and energetic from start to finish. She is ...
the best with articulating what we wanted to say but still keeping it our own unique style. Our day was perfect and Alina was the absolute best choice for our officiant. Thank you so much Ritualisms!
Working with Ali was an absolute pleasure. She was enthusiastic, bubbly and sweet. She took the time to get to know us, hear our ideas and craft a ceremony that was personal and fu...
ll of love. Many family members and friends commented that it was the most moving ceremony they had ever attended. Several even asked us if she was an old friend because she knew us so well. Ali is certainly able to roll with the punches too and laugh off those inevitable mishaps, like when I dropped the ring!
Ali was professional, flexible and made our ceremony very special. I would highly recommend her for anyone wanting a wedding ceremony that ranges from traditional to anything but!
I can’t say enough good things! Honestly Allie was amazing. She helped me fix my dress and the flower girls dress.
Ali at Ritualisms was great! She was organized, accommodating and super friendly. There was a snow storm the night of our wedding and she assured us that she would be there no ma...
tter what!! She showed up on time a prepared. I would definitely recommend Ritualisms and Ali as wedding officiant(s).
We cannot express enough how wonderful Ali is. Our ceremony was non-religious and we weren't sure exactly what we wanted to do but Ali gave us our dream ceremony! We received so ma...
ny compliments from our guests who said it was the best ceremony they ever attended! Ali made it personal and sweet with a touch of humor which is exactly what we wanted. If you do not choose Ali to be you’re officiant, you are truly missing out!
Perfect for the couple looking for a bespoke ceremony!
When my then fiancee and I were looking for an officiant we knew that two things were important to us: that we felt a connec...
tion to the person and that it felt true and authentic to both of us. Our family, mine in particular, is more traditional so we weren't sure how everyone would react to our handfasting, non-traditional seating, altar, and lack of ring exchange. We had so many family members say how beautiful our ceremony was and how much it truly felt like us.
We could not be more happy with how the ceremony turned out and Ali made us feel so comfortable in the moment. She was really up there with us. Our personalized ceremony is forever captured in the book Ali created and left for us as well, which is a special memento of the day. I also just have to say - we ran off to take photos together and Ali found our witnesses, had them sign the license and sent it out for us! Our certificate was waiting for us at home when we returned from our honeymoon - no stress!
I cannot praise Ali and Ritualisms enough! Do yourself a favor and just hire her!
Everyone told us how beautiful our ceremony was. Working with Ali was great and we loved every moment of it.
Ali was so sweet and perfect for our intimate wedding ceremony. Im so glad I found her!
Ali was amazing! She made our ceremony beautiful. From the moment we booked her, she was on top of everything. She sent us “homework” so our ceremony was personalized for us. She h...
ad all the guests crying and laughing at the same time. I would highly recommend her!!!
We don’t even know where to begin describing our amazing experience with Ali, other than to say: Choose her to officiate your wedding! From the very first communication to after ...
our wedding, Ali was incredible to work with and gave us the most beautiful, heartfelt, and intimate ceremony that was truly ours. My husband and I had a unique vision for our wedding: 10 people, but still a special and classic ceremony to remember. Ali made that happen. We laughed, we cried, we smiled non-stop. She incorporated our story in our words into the beginning of the ceremony, and then lead into a traditional script. We opted for a more religious message, and Ali delivered (though also offering a non-religious script as well, should you choose). Leading up to the ceremony, Ali was available and open to any comments or changes that we requested to the script, as she was truly interested in only one thing: providing us with a ceremony that reflected our story. Ali was very responsive. We met once before the wedding day for a meet-and-greet and then again at the rehearsal, where she took charge in directing people so that things ran smoothly for the big day. During the ceremony, Ali spoke loud and clear, addressed us directly, and was animated in her delivery. It’s been three weeks and I’m still getting compliments! Overall, Ali was an absolute pleasure to work with, and she gave us the most perfect ceremony—we would not have changed a thing. We highly recommend!
Ali was phenomenal! My husband and I had done the whole justice of the peace thing several months before our planned wedding, and we really didn't know what we wanted in a ceremony...
for our wedding day. We aren't religious and neither of us had anything specific that we wanted as part of our ceremony at first, but Ali helped us tailor our ceremony to be perfectly "us". From getting to know us and our relationship, to suggesting a beer sharing (we poured a black and tan basically), we couldn't have asked for anything more.
After the ceremony, our friends and family raved about how it was probably the best ceremony that they've ever been to. They thought that Ali was a close, personal friend of ours! She was bright and bubbly, but also got people emotional and was able to really tell our story - all within 30ish minutes! It was perfect. :) Ali has a way with words! Would 1000% recommend her!
Ali was AMAZING! From the very beginning, she was hands on, and was willing to do anything we wanted. She made it clear that she wanted our ceremony to be about us, and that she wo...
uld do whatever it took to make sure we were happy and satisfied. We had no idea where to start, but she asked the right questions that led to her writing a beautiful ceremony. Her enthusiasm and personality drew everyone in attendance to her. It felt like an old friend was performing the task. I highly recommend her to anyone who's not sure what they want out of their ceremony, because she can seriously do it all!
Ali is a phenomenal officiant and was such an important part of our wedding. Her writing process made us comfortable, gave us the feels, and resulted in a unique and wonderful cer...
emony. No joke, like 10 of our guests came up after to say how awesome she was and how great her reading voice is! Ali is the best; I can't really express how truly wonderful it is to work with her or how much she really made the day.
Alina was *amazing* to work with. She was so friendly and helpful during the planning process, asking lots of questions so she could make our ceremony completely unique and persona...
l. She helped us find ways to incorporate traditions from our heritage and seamlessly blend in literary selections that spoke to us. When we wanted to make minor changes at the last minute, she was flexible and accommodating. The ceremony itself was incredibly moving: Alina is an excellent speaker and she radiated sincerity and kindness as she officiated. Multiple guests told us our wedding was the most beautiful, personal and moving ceremony that they have attended. Alina is the perfect officiant to make your ceremony memorable and unique.
Ali was AMAZING! We had such a lovely ceremony thanks to her. I cried, my husband cried. I actually had people tell me afterwards that it was the most beautiful ceremony they'd eve...
r seen and it was all thanks to Ali. She was a pleasure to work with and I cannot recommend her enough. Love her!
You can see some of the shots of the ceremony on the photographer's blog below:
http://www.amberbauhoffphotography.com/single-post/2018/04/26/Will-Staceys-Renaissance-Hotel-Wedding
Don't look anywhere else for your officiant - get Ali!!
I found Ali through instagram and in all her pictures the couples were laughing - this really struck home with me. We excha...
nged numerous emails and phone calls with Ali prior to and after our wedding because of our unique situation, and she was always there for us. She answered all our questions and concerns, and made us feel like we were her top priority.
Apart from all those great things, our guests still talk about her and our ceremony! She will personalize your ceremony to the point where you will feel like old friends, even though you may just meet for the first time at the altar.
For the most important day in your lives, trust in Ali to make this occasion as special as it can be.
Ali was the best decision we made for our special day! She made everything so easy and was a pleasure to work with during every step of the process. She was responsive and open to ...
our ideas regarding the ceremony script, she took time to get to know us and what was important to us. We made some last minute changes and she quickly got the different drafts to us without any issues. She did a great job during our rehearsal dinner, as well! Our guests couldn't say enough good things about her officiating our ceremony.
Overall, we cannot say enough good things about Ali and HIGHLY recommend her to anyone who wants a fun, personal and meaningful wedding. She is the best!
I cannot say enough about Ali! She was incredible to work with! Right off the bat it felt like I had known her for years. It was very important to my husband and I that our ceremon...
y veered away from too much tradition and Ali was key! She even found a way to make our ceremony completely unique to us! EVERYONE who attended our wedding could not stop talking about the ceremony. Even our guests thought Ali had been in our lives for years. She captured our relationship so perfectly. It could not have been anymore personal. I love the keepsake she created so we can cherish those words forever. Do not hesitate to book her!
Ali was amazing. She performed a beautiful ceremony that not only touched my heart and my husband's heart but all of our friends and family as well. I highly recommend her to ma...
ke your wedding one you will never forget
Alina was wonderful. She put together a perfect ceremony for my husband and I. We were looking for something non-religious that told our story and was very personalized and she mor...
e than delivered. There was barely a dry eye in the house. She was great about meeting with us on Skype and in person to put everything together, and gave us some great ideas. She's also very affordable for the amount of time and effort she put into our wedding. If you're looking for a creative ceremony that is a reflection of you, she's definitely the officiant to go with.
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