Unique Ceremonies for Love of the Ages
$800 starting price
NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC and beyond!
Service area
Michelle Kagel
OWNER
You and your beloved are not a cookie-cutter couple, so why would you want a cookie-cutter wedding? The Well Tied Knot works with couples who want a wedding that reflects their unique qualities, whether they are interfaith, multicultural, non-traditional, or just want something that is all their own, and we want to help you have the wedding of your dreams. We are unique in that we not only write a custom wedding that tells your love story in a way that will look like no others, but we also come from backgrounds in entertainment and ritual that allows us to expertly create a ceremony that is memorable and moving to you and your guests. We also coordinate with your music and documentation team to make sure that is the ceremony perfect for you and comes together seemingly effortlessly with all of the other beautiful details of your day and is documented expertly to capture every moment.
We're excited to welcome Todd Gardner and Samantha Piercey to our officiating team this season. Each of them brings a unique background that makes them truly spectacular in their own ways. Todd is both a visual artist and a strong man who brings his MC (Master of Ceremonies) skills and sense of humor to his officiant work, ensuring that your wedding ceremony will be far from dull. Samantha Piercey is our most gifted writer, creating wedding ceremonies as quotable as your favorite romantic movie and sure to be remembered. If you choose to have one of our talented team officiate, from the first session, where ideas are shared, to the moment of your first married kiss, the Well Tied Knot will help ensure that your ceremony will be beautiful to behold, memorable to experience, and spiritually significant.
If you'd like to have one of your dear friends or family officiate, we can help, too! While looking on the internet can give a person many ideas, the Well Tied Knot can ensure that your loved one officiates with the polish and poise our 20 years of officiating weddings can bring. Having your friend work with us ensures you get the wedding ceremony of your dreams at a fraction of the price.
We also offer premarital counseling and ante-ceremony support from a licensed marriage and family therapist for couples who have big questions and would like better skills to find answers together. Many couples find this especially helpful when families are from different cultural or religious traditions, and would like support navigating ways to honor their different pasts as they combine their futures.
No matter how we help, we look forward to celebrating your special day with you.
The Well Tied Knot, LLC, is a wedding officiant service based out of Exton, PA, and offers services in NJ, NY, PA, DE, MD, DC, WV and beyond.
Woman-owned Business
Prices & packages
No pricing details yet
Reach out to get a customized quote from this vendor.
Details
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Religious Affiliations
Christian
Catholic
Protestant
Quaker
Interfaith
Jewish
Conservative
Orthodox
Reform
Secular
Spiritual
Wedding Activities
After The Wedding
Newlywed Life
Getting Engaged
Premarital Counseling
Wedding
Ceremony
Any questions?
Meet the team
Showing slide number 1 out of 2
- Michelle KagelOwnerMichelle Kagel, LMFT has a passion for working with couples who “break the mold,” especially LGBTQI+ couples and couples from different cultural or religious backgrounds, helping them to weave their lives together with strength and beauty. Since 2020, she's mentored several other talented officiants, expanding the Well Tied Knot to be able to celebrate the unique unions of more couples with warmth, reverence, and a sense of humor. She lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania with her spouse, two children and a well dispositioned dog.
- Todd GardnerWedding OfficiantTodd Gardner was the valedictorian of his Sunday school class, and was also voted “most likely to be a rabbi” in high school. With this knowledge, he eagerly pursued an art degree, and became a variety arts/sideshow performer, and emcee. He’s a playwright, a photographer, and by most accounts a pretty nice guy. Todd uses all of these varied experiences to help couples craft their own unique wedding ceremony. Whether it’s off the wall, or traditional, Todd takes great care, and pride in making sure that the happy couple feels married by the end of the ceremony. He also is very responsive to what the couples want to express, and how they want to share the day and what is important to them as they signify, and celebrate this beautiful moment in their lives.
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.020 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
- Top reviews
- Newest first
- Oldest first
- Highest rated
- Lowest rated
Sort by
Kateland W
5.0
10/12/2022
Michelle performed our wedding ceremony and we could not have been happier with the process. We met over video call twice to discuss the details and for her to get a better understanding of our relationship. It turns out she and her husband made the exact same plans as we had wanted for our wedding day (before covid and rescheduling everything) and that made us feel like Michelle was the perfect fit for us. She was able to articulate in her ceremony speech what we valued in each other, but couldn’t find the words for. It really felt like she had known us forever. She even met us early to get married privately before our wedding day, and helped walk us through the marriage license process. Thank you Michelle for being such a huge part of the beginning of our lives together!
Kendall M
5.0
5/24/2021
Michelle did an absolutely wonderful time developing our ceremony and officiating it. She was fun to work with and incorporated all of our wants very easily. We were on the fence between hiring an officiant and having a friend perform the ceremony, but we are so glad we went with Michelle! She made the day extremely stress fear and even helped ensure we completed all the necessary paperwork in time. We received so many compliments on our ceremony!
response 05/24/2021
Thank you so much for these kind words - you and your beloved were an absolute delight! I...
am glad that I could be a part of your beautiful, magical day. It was such a pleasure to create your ceremony with you!
Any questions?
Rachael S
5.0
4/26/2021
Michelle was absolutely amazing to work with. She was kind, patient, energetic, and extremely helpful in planning our ceremony. We got so many compliments and guests (both in person and on zoom) said it was the best ceremony they’ve been to. She is a great speaker and allows you to completely customize your ceremony. We used her for our Jewish ceremony and highly recommend her over a rabbi.
Ashley N
5.0
11/30/2020
If I could give more than 5 stars, I absolutely would. As soon as we met Michelle, we knew that she was the perfect officiant for us. She took the time to really get to know us as both individuals and as a couple. She truly made us feel important and special throughout the entire process. Like many other COVID couples, we had to change our original plans and downsize quite a bit, and Michelle was there to help counsel us through it and write the perfect ceremony for us given the new constraints. We would choose her all over again in a heartbeat!
response 12/10/2020
I am so glad that you loved your ceremony! Even in these crazy stressful times, everyone ...
should have a wedding they love. It was such a wonderful joy to work with you - hopefully when things are safe we'll finally be able to catch up in person!
Rebecca d
5.0
11/29/2020
I am not a writer, but I’m going to try and convey how ecstatic we were about the job Michelle did for our wedding.
We were looking for an officiant to do a hand fasting ceremony and Michelle did so beautifully!
I could not have even fathomed to ask for the wonderful job that Michelle did. Our ceremony and readings were so perfectly picked for us it’s like she’s known us for 10 years.
She was a perfect fit for my go with the flow attitude which was 100% necessary for a wedding in 2020.
response 12/10/2020
Thank you so much for these kind words. It was a delight and an honor to work with you - ...
going with the flow is easy when its with a couple who was 100% on top of everything that needed to get done. I will smile every time I take my kiddo to see the dinosaurs and will think of you!
Deb P
5.0
10/12/2019
Michelle is awesome! She took the time to get to know us and created a ceremony that was a true reflection our love for each other. We are so grateful to have met Michelle and that she was part of our special day.
response 10/16/2019
Thank you so much for this kind review! I had so much fun working with the two of you - t...
ruly, among my most memorable ceremonies for so many wonderful reasons. It was such a joy to get to know you both so well.
Keith S
5.0
9/22/2019
My husband and I wanted a ceremony with zero religious mentions. We hadn’t expected it to be so difficult to find an officiant that would allow us to have our ceremony exactly how we wanted it until we stumbled upon Michelle. Ironically, after we had already started working with her, a coworker asked if I had an officiant and said if not we should use who she had at her wedding – turns out it was Michelle!
Michelle writes all of her ceremonies uniquely for each couple, which meant it could be however we wanted it. Other officiants have their script and hope you’ll fit into it. Michelle wanted ours to be unique and special to us. We met with her for a few drinks a couple of times so she could get to know us as a couple and see how we interact with each other. Each meeting, it felt like a casual hang out with a friend and we were truly ourselves – which enabled her to write the perfect ceremony for us! She really had an understanding of us, both as individuals and as a couple. A few weeks before the wedding, she shared her script with us so we could make any revisions or changes we wanted to ensure it was perfect.
Her ceremony was the perfect length, the perfect pace, and the perfect wording. Her speech was well spoken, elegant, romantic and funny. It was special and unique and we’ve already had so many people compliment us that it was beautifully said. She had suggestions and ideas of ways to make our ceremony unique and special, including a ceremony procedure so unique that our venue, DJ and photographer all said they had never seen before! Michelle made our wedding memorable and special and we are so grateful she was the person to wed us!
response 09/24/2019
Wow - thank you so much for this kind and thoughtful review. I am truly humbled, but most...
of all, I am so glad that you loved it. It was truly a pleasure to collaborate with you to be sure your ceremony reflected exactly who you are and all that your special day means to you.
Erika B
5.0
8/18/2019
I am struggling with words to express our shear gratitude for Michelle who made our wedding day more perfect than we could have ever imagined! Even with only speaking with her a few times over the phone, she was able to personalize the most beautiful ceremony either of us or any of our guests had ever been witness to! We are forever thankful to have found you Michelle! Anyone looking for “not your typical” ceremony and that extra special touch, look no further! 🥰
response 08/20/2019
Thank you so much for your kind words - it was my honor to be a part of your special day. ...
I will never forget "Poof" from the most adorable ring princess fairy and it will always make me smile. I wish you all a lifetime of happiness and the good health to enjoy it!
Brianna M
5.0
1/04/2018
Michelle was so wonderful to work with. She really took the time to get to know me and my husband as a couple. She was great to collaborate with and really listened to what we most wanted for our ceremony. She crafted a very personal and beautiful ceremony for us that really reflected who we were as individuals and as a couple. Everyone that attended our wedding said that it was one of the best ceremonies they'd been to - and that's very much due to Michelle!!
Sam P
5.0
7/18/2017
We don't even have enough words to convey how amazing Michelle was as our wedding officiant. All of our guests raved about how moving and unique our wedding ceremony was and some people even asked if she was an old friend since she made our ceremony so incredibly personal. She met with us on multiple occasions before the event to get to know us better and craft the perfect ceremony to fit our specific partnership. Her gift for writing truly adds to the whole experience. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a personal and heartfelt wedding ceremony!
response 07/19/2017
Wow - thank you! It was such an honor to be a part of your special day - the love for bot...
h of you out in the meadow was palpable. I'm so glad I could help make your ceremony just as you wanted it - personal, memorable, and not too stuffy.
Amy C
5.0
7/14/2017
When searching for an officiant, my husband and I wanted to find someone who would be able to create a personalized ceremony full of meaning to reflect our relationship. Michelle could not have been a more perfect choice! From day one, Michelle was very responsive to all our messages, questions, and concerns. She Skyped with us once and met with us in person four times before our big day! Michelle was able to craft a perfect ceremony with incredible detail. She also helped us create our own wedding vows. On our big day, Michelle kept the mood light and happy despite some last-minute weather drama. She even made sure to stop by and check on the bride during the big panic.
I cannot say enough about Michelle. She was not only an incredible officiant for our wedding, but a good friend throughout the process. We were really lucky to find her and I would recommend her 110% to anyone looking for a personal and intimate planning process and ceremony.
response 07/19/2017
Wow - Thank you so much for this very kind review - it was really a joy to be a part of yo...
ur special day. Nothing was going to rain on our parade! I'm so honored to have been a part of this milestone with you, and I'm looking forward to many more!
stephanie P
5.0
3/30/2017
My fiance (now husband) and I needed an officiant that understood and could incorporate both of our cultures on our special day. He has a Hindu/ Catholic background and I am Jewish. Needless to say, making sure both of our cultures and religious backgrounds were incorporated within our ceremony was no easy feat. Well, along came Michelle. She was absolutely amazing! She was extremely knowledgeable about both of our backgrounds and our ceremony was perfect. If you are looking for something truly special, seek no further! Michelle took her time to get to know my husband and myself and even traveled up to New York to speak to us in person and begin to plan our ceremony. Our meetings did not stop there. We skyped, chatted on the phone, and even met face to face a few more times to ensure that our ceremony was not only flawless but something we would remember forever. Michelle was so caring and took care of every detail and really listened to us. On our wedding day, even with all our friends and family in the room, our ceremony felt intimate and really represented both my husband and myself. I could not have imagined having anyone else officiate our wedding and be such an integral part of our special day.
Megan R
5.0
11/08/2016
My husband and I are so overjoyed that we picked Michelle to be our officiant for our wedding. She has such an easy-going and personable vibe to her that we knew right away she was going to be a great fit for us. Michelle was very easy to communicate with and took the time to get to know us through Skype and an in-person meeting. She was very flexible and everything was at our convenience. This was important to us, as we are both very busy professionals. As far as the ceremony she created for us, it could not have been more perfect. Not only was it personal and meaningful (because Michelle took the time and effort to get to know us) but it was tailored to our own beliefs and values and truly resonated with us and our guests. There is no doubt she has a special talent for connecting with couples and being able to convey their love story in the most powerful way. We highly recommend Michelle to conduct your wedding, she is the best!
response 11/11/2016
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so glad you were happy with everything we cre...
ated together. It was such a pleasure working with you, and it was a joy to capture all of the sweetness that are you and your beloved in your ceremony.
Shelley M
5.0
10/26/2016
Michelle Weiss is adorable! We knew when we left our initial meeting that we wanted her, she was even our first officiant to meet, cancelled another one we had lined up on the way home. Her questions were both personal and thoughtful, and though she was based in Philly, she was more than happy to meet us in our neighborhood for a beer a couple of times and had some great ideas! I lost count of how many people came up to us (and our parents) to say how creative, or unique, or just-like-us, our ceremony was. Everyone loved it! :D
response 11/01/2016
Thank you so much for this tremendously sweet review! I had so much fun working with you ...
both, and meeting you for drinks was hardly a hardship, but a pleasure! It makes me smile that we were able to put so much of exactly who you are into your ceremony, and I'm so happy that you were happy with it!
Diana H
5.0
9/10/2016
Michelle is amazing. After our first meeting we knew she was the right person to marry us. She is fun, professional, very thoughtful, and we did not have to worry about the ceremony at all. We had a few meetings leading up to our wedding and we looked forward to each of them. She listened to our thoughts, gave us her ideas, based on her extremely diverse experience, and crafted a beautiful ceremony for us. On the day of the rehearsal, she took charge and made sure everyone in our wedding party knew what to do -- including my young brothers who she took aside and helped them prepare for a reading. She truly cares about the couple she is marrying, and makes sure that everything goes smoothly. We are so grateful that we found Michelle and we highly recommend her.
response 09/11/2016
Thank you for the very kind review - I'm glad that you had as much fun with me as I did wi...
th you! It is true - I care about my couples quite a lot, and I'm glad that it shows.
5.0
8/25/2016
If there's such thing as a perfect wedding ceremony, my wife and I had one last weekend! Asking Michelle to officiate our wedding was one of the best/most important decisions we made in our entire planning process. We had several meetings prior to the big day, and even got an opportunity to read/edit our ceremony. Michelle is responsive, thoughtful, and truly takes the time to create the perfect ceremony that makes the bride and groom (and their parents) overjoyed. My wife is Presbyterian and I am Jewish. Michelle created the perfect ceremony that incorporated traditions from both religions, while also mixing in some of her own, thoughtful notes. She took the time to get to know us on a personal level, which added another level of personal touch to the ceremony. If you're looking for an officiant, give Michelle a call -- she'll make all of your wedding dreams come true! :)
response 08/26/2016
Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad I could be a part of your special day - I...
felt honored to be able to celebrate with you!
Reesa G
5.0
12/27/2015
I am not a person who usually writes a review online; however going through the wedding process and knowing how hard it can be to find incredible vendors, I had to share my experience. We picked Michelle because right away she was extremely responsive, and very easy to communicate with. Through our conversations, emails and phone calls, Michelle was able to gather what was really important to us and she created a ceremony that matched our personalities. Michelle made the entire process easy and enjoyable. It felt like we were working with a friend to finalize all of the small details. The main feedback we received from our entire wedding weekend was how our ceremony had a great mix of intimate moments and laughter that Michelle was able to create. She understood who we are as people and as a couple. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better experience and I would highly recommend working with Michelle and this company!
5.0
12/12/2015
Our wedding happened under extremely stressful circumstances. His father, my father and my husband-to-be were all diagnosed with cancer within six weeks of each other, and the ceremony was shoved up from months away to "in three weeks time." Michelle was accommodating, understanding, and worked with us to get through this extremely stressful time, even figuring out how to skype in my father when the day of the ceremony he was simply too ill to join us. We were also a mix religion marriage, and she was extremely sensitive to the needs of not just what we needed to be said, but what our parents did and didn't want to hear. As my mother said "she effortlessly seemed to say all the right things for the moment." I wouldn't have wanted anyone else, and she is my first, best and only recommendation to anyone looking for an officiant.
5.0
11/30/2015
My husband and I didn’t know the first thing about planning a wedding. But the one thing we were sure of was that we wanted Michelle to marry us! She helped us create a beautiful ceremony that reflected our individuality and our sense of humor. Neither of us is religious but our families are, and Michelle designed a non-denominational wedding that impressed even the most conservative of our crew. Michelle is knowledgeable, friendly, patient, and funny. She is a fantastic officiant and we recommend her highly. You won’t be disappointed!
5.0
11/28/2015
My husband and I wanted an unconventional wedding - a small and simple ceremony. We didn't exactly run away and elope, but almost! We wanted something personal and significant, but we chose not to have family or friends join us in a private retreat to the woods for our wedding. Michelle had officiated for several friends; their weddings were unique and beautiful and perfect for them. I knew I wanted her guidance and spirit in beginning married life. I was thrilled when Michelle said it would bring her joy to work with us!
Michelle was incredibly insightful and thoughtful about creating a framework for our wedding that suited us perfectly. Through at least three revisions of text and vows, her grace and patience continually amazed me. She's flexible, easygoing, and makes you feel like being true to your own vision or version of a wedding is the most lovely, happy, reasonable thing in the world. She's also pragmatic, detail oriented, and keenly aware of the need for a timeline. Michelle can deftly elicit decisions when you're unsure, without ever making you feel pressured or second guessed.
Michelle... *happy little sigh* She's just so amazingly professional, warm, genuine and simply fantastic. Josh and I are blessed to have Michelle in our life, and recommend her with every possible ringing, glowing, resounding "YES, PICK MICHELLE!!!" that we can possible articulate. She has a wisdom beyond her years and an appreciation for the deep partnership and foundation of open communication that help ensure a relationship that will survive the challenges life brings.
We knew we wanted something personal and meaningful that lay in the unexplored territory between the traditional church wedding and a legal-but-minimal JP ceremony. I can't imagine having done it without Michelle. This April will be our fourth anniversary. We've made it through some major job changes, a cross-country relocation, and we continue to grow and support each other. Josh and I suggest that if you're getting married, and you want something a little (or a lot!) out of the ordinary with the guidance of an amazing, creative, incredible person, you should definitely contact Michelle!
Contact
Curious to learn more?
Start the convo
*=Required
Use this secure form to reach out and share your wedding vision.
Michelle Kagel
OWNER
- Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure.
- Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place.
- Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go.
- For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.
By clicking 'Request Quote', you agree to The Knot creating an account for you, if you don't have one, and to our Terms of Use. See our Privacy Policy to learn what data we collect and how we use it.
Wedding vendors in Exton
The Well Tied Knot, LLC's photos
Why use The Knot to message vendors?
- Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure.
- Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place.
- Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go.
- For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.