5.0
Praised by couples for:
Officiant
Great Planner
Seasoned Professional
Your Ceremony Should Be An Experience!
Saratoga, Lake George, Albany,
Service area
I wish there were more than 5 stars!! Listen up people: If you want to be married by a talented, eloquent, warm, funny, professional individual, Maria is THE choice. Working with her was absolutely lovely. She made my husband and I feel at ease from the first consultation. On our big day, we were so excited to finally meet her and let her do her magic. MANY of our guests commented on how amazing she was after the event. She works with you to build a ceremony that feels very personal and accurate to your personalities. She also provides help and resources for vows and name changing, if you need that.
Matthew D.
5.0
can’t say enough good about the ceremony Maria crafted for us. She truly took the time to get to know us both individually & as a couple. She learned what was important to us and truly captured it all in the most meaningful, sweet ceremony! From the first draft, every word she wrote really meant so much! My husband & I were shedding happy tears reading it! It was heartfelt and resonated so much with our journey & our values! I’m glad she worked so hard to show us everything before the ceremony - so that i wasn’t at the alter crying my make up off (LOL)! She was kind & gracious and respectful the whole way through. Our family kept remarking how beautiful the ceremony was and I truly think it was because of all the time and thought she put into it! She even took the time to answer my questions about the name change process - and handled the marriage license for us so that we could quickly begin enjoying our time as newlyweds. She truly is a master of her craft!
Sami P.
5.0
AWARD WINNER
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Hi! My name is Maria and I am The Officiant. I am a nondenominational, non-traditional, professional wedding officiant who believes that your ceremony should be more than a formality - it should be an experience that sets the tone for the start of not only your celebration, but for your adventure in marriage.
For over 12 years I have built connections with hundreds of couples, offering them not only my expertise, but a captivating presence that must be witnessed to be fully understood.
My passion is the foundation of my work: for me, there is no greater feeling than connecting with my couples and reliving their story, culminating in a ceremony experience that is uniquely theirs.
What my couples say tells a story in itself:
"Maria has truly found her calling!
I wish there was a way to leave 10 stars!
She's the epitome of grace and was a total hit at the wedding!
Everyone said that this was the best ceremony they've ever attended.
Maria is an absolute gem!
She radiates warmth, calmness and eloquence.
She made our guests laugh, and brought them to tears.
Listen, she is not called “The Officiant” for nothing."
Discover why I am known as "The Officiant". Let me help make your ceremony an experience to remember.
**Being a little newer to The Knot platform my reviews are limited. To read more reviews showcasing my work please see my Google Reviews.**
Details
Ceremony Types
Elopement
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Affiliations
Spiritual
Wedding Activities
Wedding
Ceremony
Awards and Affiliations
2025 'Best of Weddings'
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.
Join couples who chose award-winning vendors for their wedding
Meet the team
Maria Pelton
Professional Wedding Officiant
Hi! My name is Maria and I am The Officiant. I LOVE being a wedding officiant, and I'd have to say that a big part of that comes from having a love for people, and connecting with them. Since I was young I've thrived on connection, and what better way to do that than when bringing two people together in marriage. A little about me on a personal level...I went to culinary school and own a baking business specializing in custom cakes and cupcakes (unfortunately I don't do wedding cakes). I also have a small obsession with dogs - for the dog lovers out there I know you can relate - they're just SO cute! I love the outdoors, and can often be found walking around my neighborhood. Oh, and lastly...I grew up in a small town in Vermont with a population of roughly 600 people, and attended a one-room school house during my elementary education years. I could go on, but I think for now I'll end here. I look forward to connecting, and learning about you!
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.015 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
This officiant is highly praised for crafting deeply personal, heartfelt ceremonies that moved couples and guests. She’s professional, warm, calming, organized, and eased nerves while helping with vows and handling the marriage paperwork. Guests repeatedly complimented her delivery and many strongly recommend her.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
Amy H
Highlighted review.
5.0
6/05/2025
Maria was INCREDIBLE!! I cannot recommend her enough. My now husband and I were both going back and forth once getting engaged on whether to have a family member officiant or Maria...
and we are both so thrilled we went with Maria!! Throughout the planning process, Maria was there every step of the way. She even offered to proofread each of our vows to make sure they flowed. On the day of our wedding she came to each of our suites and introduced herself. She even reassured me after deciding morning of our wedding that I hated my vows LOL! She made our ceremony so personable and our families loved it!
Response from The Officiant on 06/05/2025
Oh my gosh, Amy it was SO FUN working with you & Spencer and being a part
of your wedding...
day! And your vows were absolutely perfect! :) It was such a pleasure getting to meet your families and many of your friends, and having them take part in such an unforgettable moment for the two of you. Congratulations again! I'm so excited for the two of you for all that's yet to come in marriage and in life. Cheers!
Matthew D
5.0
10/07/2026
I wish there were more than 5 stars!! Listen up people: If you want to be married by a talented, eloquent, warm, funny, professional individual, Maria is THE choice. Working with h...
er was absolutely lovely. She made my husband and I feel at ease from the first consultation. On our big day, we were so excited to finally meet her and let her do her magic. MANY of our guests commented on how amazing she was after the event. She works with you to build a ceremony that feels very personal and accurate to your personalities. She also provides help and resources for vows and name changing, if you need that.
Response from The Officiant on 10/07/2026
Reading this just made my entire week! Thank you so much for your incredibly kind words. F...
rom our very first chat, getting to know you both and bringing your story to life at the altar was such an absolute honor. You two brought so much joy, love, and ease to the whole process, and standing up there with you on your wedding day was pure magic. Knowing your guests felt that connection too means the world to me. Wishing you both a lifetime of laughter, adventures, and unforgettable memories together! Cheers you two!
Any questions?
Sami P
5.0
8/26/2026
can’t say enough good about the ceremony Maria crafted for us. She truly took the time to get to know us both individually & as a couple. She learned what was important to us and t...
ruly captured it all in the most meaningful, sweet ceremony! From the first draft, every word she wrote really meant so much! My husband & I were shedding happy tears reading it! It was heartfelt and resonated so much with our journey & our values! I’m glad she worked so hard to show us everything before the ceremony - so that i wasn’t at the alter crying my make up off (LOL)! She was kind & gracious and respectful the whole way through. Our family kept remarking how beautiful the ceremony was and I truly think it was because of all the time and thought she put into it! She even took the time to answer my questions about the name change process - and handled the marriage license for us so that we could quickly begin enjoying our time as newlyweds. She truly is a master of her craft!
Response from The Officiant on 08/26/2026
Samantha, thank you so much for this incredibly touching review! Crafting your ceremony an...
d taking the time to weave your values and journey into it was such a joy. I’m so glad our drafting process gave you all the happy tears ahead of time so you could stay radiant at the altar :) ! It was a true honor to share that space with you both and help make the entire process; from the very first draft to the marriage license, seamless and stress-free. Wishing you both a lifetime filled with love and happiness!
Tara H
5.0
1/17/2026
We met Maria at a bridal show WAY before we were in the wedding planning process and she was one of the few vendors cards I kept. She had such a smile and personality that I couldn...
't forget, she was easy to talk to, gave us good information and wasn't pushy. During our meetings with her, she made it easy, it was such a non chalant conversation and she was gathering infromation from us without is even knowing and included it in the ceremony. When it came time to review the ceremony script, I caught small gestures of infromation about us that she gathered making the ceremony so personal and loving. One of the most common compliments we got from our wedding was the Officiant! They frequently said "She ran it so smoothly, she moved out of the way for photos, she was nicely spoken". She had tissues ready for us, eased our anxiety during rehearsal and made it so easy on us! Getting married is very nerve-wrecking but with Maria, she made it so much less stressful! Not only do we recommend her, so do all of our guests who witnessed her magic!
Response from The Officiant on 01/17/2026
Tara, thank you so much for such a thoughtful and heartfelt review! It’s truly special to ...
hear that keeping my card from that bridal show led to me being a part of your big day.
I couldn't love those 'nonchalant' conversations—it’s my favorite way to truly get to know a couple’s story so your ceremony feels like it belongs only to you. I'm so glad to hear those small, personal gestures resonated with you and your family & friends. Hearing that your family and friends noticed the smooth flow and 'photo-ready' moments is the icing on the cake.
It was an absolute honor to help ease your nerves and witness your beautiful ceremony. Cheers to all that's yet to come as your adventure in marriage begins!
Sabrina B
5.0
9/15/2025
Maria was beyond incredible to work with. From the very beginning she made everything simple for us and made us feel comfortable. We had a zoom call with her a few times to get to ...
know each other and she came up with a beautiful ceremony. Everyone came up to us and told us how wonderful she was. She’s funny, kind and charismatic. She made us feel at ease in front of a crowd. 10/10 would recommend.
Response from The Officiant on 09/16/2025
Sabrina, I can’t thank you enough for your kind and heartfelt words! It was beyond my plea...
sure to have the opportunity to work with you & Nicholas - you were so much fun! And your wedding day was all that I hoped it would be for you two. Thank you for sharing your story with me, and allowing me to be a part of such an amazing moment for the two of you. Cheers!
Sarah P
5.0
7/25/2025
Maria was absolutely incredible to work with. She made the process of working with her easy, giving us a step by step on what we need to do with a very precise timeline. Her person...
ality is the cherry on top, being very personable and fun. She drove 45 minutes out of her way to meet us at a local coffee shop. She really got to know us on a personal level at our initial meeting, asking us deep questions about our relationship. She made us laugh, she made my partner and I feel closer together. We could tell right away that it wasn’t just about making money with her. She genuinely showed care for us and our big day. I can’t say enough about how amazing she was to work with at a very reasonable rate. Definitely recommend!!!
Response from The Officiant on 07/25/2025
Sarah, to get to know you & Lars, and be a part of your wedding day couldn't make me happi...
er. You two were truly so fun to work with, and it's couples like you that I have the pleasure of working with that make the process feel so "easy". Thank you for sharing your time, your story, and space for me; and allowing me to be a part of what was beyond an unforgettable moment for the two of you.
Haley F
5.0
7/09/2025
I never realized just how important it is to have someone as incredible as Maria officiate a wedding, but now I can’t imagine our ceremony without her. Maria is professional, kind,...
and truly has the sweetest soul. She brings such warmth and sincerity to every moment, and her goal is clearly to create an intimate, meaningful experience. She helped tell our guests that we are having an unplugged ceremony and allowed everyone to take a picture before we started. She also helped with a fun little part of our ceremony, where we hid our rings under someone’s seat! So many of our guests told us how beautifully she spoke. Her voice is calm, confident, and full of heart. Before the ceremony, she checked in on both me and my husband, helping calm our nerves and making us feel so supported. Her smile and energy are absolutely contagious. Maria played a huge role in making our ceremony as beautiful and memorable as it was. If we ever renew our vows, there’s no question, she’s the one I’ll call!
Response from The Officiant on 07/09/2025
Haley, to say it was honor is an understatement. To be a part of what was such an unforget...
table moment for you & Bryan brings the biggest smile to my face. Your kind words mean so much, and it makes me feel so happy knowing that the goals that I set for myself are seen in the couples that I work with and in the "end" result. It's so important for me to be present with you on your day; not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and help bring the kind of energy that should surround you on your wedding day front-and-center. Congratulations to you & Bryan - I couldn't be more excited for the two you and all that's yet to come in marriage. Cheers!
C C
5.0
1/28/2025
Maria was a consummate professional from beginning to end. Working with her before the wedding was informative and also hassle-free. Our ceremony was beautifully performed and ev...
ery bit as intimate as expected. We couldn't recommend Maria enough.
Response from The Officiant on 01/29/2025
Chaemee, thank you so much for your kind words! It was beyond my pleasure to be a part of ...
your & Nicholas' wedding day - how beautifully intimate it was. And to have the opportunity to connect with your family and some of your closets friends - it was an experience I couldn't possible ever forget. Sending you wishes for a lifetime of happiness. Cheers! Maria
Jacquelyn F
5.0
11/13/2024
We are so grateful to have had Maria officiate our wedding! From the moment we met, she was professional, warm, and truly invested in making our ceremony meaningful and unique to u...
s. The entire experience felt so personal, as she took the time to get to know us as a couple—our story, values, and what we wanted our ceremony to reflect.
On the big day, Maria delivered a beautiful, heartfelt ceremony that was perfectly tailored to our relationship. It was clear that she had put thought and care into crafting something that felt truly ours, which made the moment even more special. She was calm, poised, and engaging, which helped ease any pre-ceremony nerves and set the perfect tone for our celebration.
We received so many compliments from our guests about how meaningful and personal the ceremony was. People commented on how well it captured our personalities and how it felt like a genuine reflection of our bond. We couldn't be happier with how it turned out!
Response from The Officiant on 11/13/2024
Jacquelyn, let me start off by saying that I'm so grateful to have had the pleasure of mee...
ting you & Nick, connecting with you, and having the opportunity to go on such a beautiful journey together. The process of getting to know the two of you was so great on its own, but then having it all come together on your wedding day...it was truly beyond words can describe. Thank you for everything, and enjoy every moment! Cheers! Maria
Crystal S
5.0
11/12/2024
My wife and I had been to 6 weddings in the year we were married (2024) ours was the last one of the year to attend, We had been to a few before that as well and we noticed a trend...
with alot of ceremonies. They were very cookie cutter, all very similar, and saying the same things (our 2nd and 3rd wedding of the year had the EXACT same ceremonies). We were very excited to hear that Maria wrote her own ceremonies for each couple! She got to know us over a couple of meetings, and gave us some homework to do in order to create the best ceremony possible. Boy did Maria deliver, it was amazing and had many people in tears (which was the goal). She was incredibly professional in every way, she had amazing communication back and forth. She had us read though our ceremony before hand to change anything, and there was a couple things to add and change and she was delighted to do so. She took care of sending in our marriage certificate, she printed our vows so we didn't read off a phone during our unplugged ceremony (which she beautifully told our guests to keep their phones away for as well). Everything we could have wished for and more was brought to us by Maria and we couldn't be happier
Response from The Officiant on 11/12/2024
Crystal & Ryan, I can't thank you enough for allowing me to enter your "world", to get to ...
know you on a deeper level, and be part of what truly was such an intimate moment in your lives as you came together in marriage.
Your words mean so much to me, and it was beyond my pleasure to be a part of your wedding day - it was truly amazing!
Sending you wishes for endless happiness, and who knows we may run into each other :)
Cheers!
Maria
aka The Officiant
Ingrid O
5.0
10/22/2024
From the moment we met Maria on a Zoom call after seeing her on The Knot we knew she would be the perfect officiant for our wedding! We were looking for an LGBT+ friendly officiant...
that could help us execute a beautiful and non-religious ceremony that wouldn’t bore our guests and Maria DEFINITELY executed. We had multiple people tell us it was the best ceremony they had ever been to and I have to agree. They asked, “where did you find her!!” From a short zoom call, an easy couples questionnaire, and a short meeting at a local coffee shop, Maria wrote a beautiful personalized ceremony script that we were able to read before the big day. 10/10 definitely recommend :)
Response from The Officiant on 10/22/2024
Ingrid,
It was so great getting to know you & Brittany, and being a part of your wedding d...
ay. It wasn't only easy to see the connection that the two of you have, but the connection that you have with your friends & family (it was so great meeting them)...the energy was simply beautiful. I don't think there was a dry-eye present as the two of you came together in marriage. I can't thank you enough for your heartfelt words, and for having me be a part of such an unforgettable moment for the two of you. The words; THANK YOU, I don't feel are enough in saying what a pleasure it was, but I think you get my point ;)
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Maria aka The Officiant
Rebecca G
5.0
8/19/2024
My husband Nick and I had a difficult time deciding to hire someone who we didn’t know for our wedding ceremony. It was hard to picture someone we didn’t know being able to underst...
and our relationship in such a short amount of time. However, Maria went above and beyond anything we could have anticipated. By the time we got to the ceremony we had no doubt that it would be anything but perfect. I can’t tell you how many of our friends and family members complimented the ceremony by the end of the day. Being both professional and organized, Maria was able to minimize any stress that we had leading up to the wedding and on the day of. If you are looking for someone to officiate your big day we would recommend Maria every time.
Response from The Officiant on 08/20/2024
Rebecca, thank you so much for these kind words! Having the opportunity to get to know you...
& Nicholas; and as you said, in such a short period of time is what I love about being a professional wedding officiant. It's about connecting in a way that just feels so comfortable; not only for you, but for your families and friends who are celebrating the two of you on your wedding day. I couldn't have wished for anything more beautiful for the two of you, and am sending cheers of joy as you start this next chapter in your lives. Hey, this is Fair Season...are you & Nicholas going? ;) Cheers!
Alexa D
5.0
7/16/2024
It’s hard to believe we met Maria in such a short amount of time. Maria desired to get to know my husband and I so well, and it felt like Maria had known us all of our lives. She c...
rafted such a beautiful ceremony and really wanted to be able to capture who we are. All of our guests asked how we have a personal close relationship to her from the way she spoke about us and our love during the ceremony. They thought we had known each other forever! To this day, Maria’s ceremony and words are one of the things that is remembered most fondly from us and most of our guests that people bring up and name as their favorite part of the whole wedding. She is the sweetest person, and is very passionate at what she does. She is extremely organized, very responsive, and flexible as she wanted to ensure our ceremony was absolutely perfect in our eyes. She handles everything down to your marriage license so you don’t have to stress about it on your wedding day. She is very well spoken and has the most calming voice (more feedback directly from our guests!) We HIGHLY recommend having Maria make your big day so memorable and perfect.
Response from The Officiant on 07/16/2024
Alexa, it was truly beyond memorable being a part of your wedding day. Your words mean so ...
much, and embody what I strive for with all of my couples. It's about getting to know you, and building a relationship, even in a short period of time, so when it comes to your wedding day it's as if we are old friends. You're able to feel calm, comfortable and look back on your ceremony, and have it bring a smile to your face, and hold a special place in your heart. I couldn't be more excited for you & Matt as you step into this next chapter - enjoy every moment. Cheers!
Shari L
5.0
7/10/2024
As the mother of the bride, I was tasked with finding an officiant. As soon as I spoke to Maria, I knew I found the one. She is so friendly, well spoken and calming. My daughter an...
d son in law absolutely loved her as well. She got to know them on a personal level and learned their “story”. The ceremony was captivating to all who were in attendance. So many guests commented how wonderful Maria was. And we agree! Thank you Maria! We will never forget you!
Response from The Officiant on 07/10/2024
Shari, it was such a pleasure meeting you, your family, and having the opportunity to be p...
art of such a beautiful moment for Alexa & Matt. It was so much fun getting to know them; as it was all of you. Thank you again for choosing me to be a part of a brief, but truly memorable moment in your lives.
Cheers!
Maria aka The Officiant
Austin A
5.0
5/17/2024
My wife and I had Maria as the officiant for our wedding last month and she was absolutely terrific! She was so communicative and easy to work with throughout the whole process lea...
ding up to the wedding. On the day of she of course delivered a beautiful and personalized ceremony. She was very well prepared and made sure everyone was on the same page about how things were going to go, so that even without a rehearsal we were able to have the whole ceremony proceed flawlessly. She was also really good about seeking out our input and feedback on everything to make sure we were ultimately getting the exact wedding ceremony we wanted. I would definitely recommend!
Response from The Officiant on 05/17/2024
Austin, it was such a pleasure being a part of your wedding day. Celebrating such a specia...
l moment with you, Gianna and your closest family - what a beautiful moment to witness. Thank you so much for the kind words, and for being such an amazing couple to work with - from our first meeting through your wedding day our interactions, connection just flowed, and I'm happy to hear that you felt the same. Congratulations again to you & Gianna, and I hope you had a fabulous honeymoon celebration in Cancun!
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