Tag: secularwedding

Ask Me

Wedding Planning Advice

Sandra

There are so many decisions to be made but I suggest finding your wedding planner/coordinator first. If you have a wedding officiant already in mind, you should reach out and see what their availability is like for your preferred months. You have your guest list, your officiant, venue, theme, food, flowers, attire and so much more to consider. This why many couples start planning a year of more in advance.

A wedding planner can offer you comprehensive wedding management, final coordination and execution that will dramatically reduce the time commitment for you as a couple. Your wedding planner should work with you on every planning and design aspect from vendor and venue sourcing until the day itself. Your planner will act as your advocate, teammate and collaborator, getting to know your needs and wants as a couple and helping to bring your dreams to life. 

For many, Day of Coordinators, their work begins weeks or months before your big day. It includes a venue walk through, wedding timeline planning, vendor confirmation, ceremony and reception information, contract review, rehearsal assistance, a planning team, plus generally 14-16 hours working on your actual wedding day.

Now it is time to find your perfect venue. This is where an experienced wedding planner can come in handy. You want to find a venue that aligns with your vision. f you’re planning a modern wedding, look at art galleries, well-designed restaurants, or warehouse spaces. You might also consider a wedding incorporating more natural elements works well with outdoor venues such as parks, backyards, and farms. Choosing a venue that fits in with your theme will enable your wedding to feel more connected to the space.

My best advice is to try and enjoy the process. My role as an officiant is to make the time when you are exchanging vows, rings or whatever you choose, magical for you both – easy, effortless and so memorable. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or if you are looking amazing wedding for an amazing wedding officiant. sandralruch@gmail.com

wedding officiant, Sandra Ruch standing in front of head table at wedding in 2024.
Ask Me

What does a wedding officiant charge?

Sandra

This price varies based on your wedding. How many guests will you have? Do you require a customized ceremony? Where is the location of your ceremony?

I charge $300.00 a legal signing without a ceremony or an exchange of rings or vows. No guests, except two witnesses. This is the perfect package for you if you are planning a destination wedding and want to take care of the legal paperwork in advance or if you need a marriage certificate for legal reasons.

I charge $400.00 for as small intimate ceremony with your closest family and friends (20 guests or fewer). We will work together to create a personalized ceremony.

I charge $600.00 for wedding of more than 30 guests with a completely customized ceremony. I will work with you to create a ceremony that is tailored to who you are as a couple.Perhaps you have a friend or family member who will participate or you want to include elements of different cultures. This is the way to go if your ceremony is more involved: bigger wedding party, the inclusion of additions (sand ceremony, handfasting, etc) or cultural elements, multiple speakers, involvement of children, special language considerations, or if you simply want to personalize your ceremony text to suit you both.

life cycle events

Wedding Officiant/Celebrant

Sandra

LGBTQ, Jewish, Interfaith and Secular weddings. Creating a ceremony exactly as you want it.

Weddings of all types whether your guest list is 2 special witnesses or 200 family and friends.

I bring a professional attitude infused with joy and enthusiasm to both your wedding planning and your wedding day. I am an ordained Kohenet (Hebrew Priestess).  I am a mother and grandmother and community leader.

I will facilitate a wedding ceremony that will meet all your expectations whether you are religious or secular, I believe in the inclusion of all. Wherever you choose to celebrate – in a traditional setting or under a waterfall, I will bring just the right amount of reverence to your wedding ceremony.

I am licensed to officiate wedding in the province of Ontario, Canada.

Testimonials

Noah and Hindurika

Sandra

Sandra was a great choice to officiate our small wedding! She delivered an enthusiastic and graceful ceremony that incorporated elements from both our cultures seamlessly. We felt at ease with her leading us through the ceremony. It’s hard to think of our wedding without her involvement. We’d happily recommend her to anyone looking for an officiant! November 27, 2021

Testimonials

Naomi and Ethan

Sandra
beautiful ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) designed and created by the bride

We had the most positive, wonderful experience with Sandra. She was professional, attentive to our preferences, available for us, accommodated an interfaith marriage with creativity, and the service itself was a dream. It was exactly what we wanted, and she was a great officiant. I’m really happy I can look back on the experience with Sandra steering the ship. Highly recommended! September 6, 2022

Testimonials

Mirra and Justin

Sandra
wedding officiant SandraLaya Ruch stands beside bride with short brown hair wearing a traditional wedding dress and groom stands beside her in a black suit, bowtie and a white boutineer.

We had the most positive, wonderful experience with Sandra. She was professional, attentive to our preferences, available for us, accommodated an interfaith marriage with creativity, and the service itself was a dream. It was exactly what we wanted, and she was a great officiant. I’m really happy I can look back on the experience with Sandra steering the ship. Highly recommended! September 6, 2022

Testimonials

Sarah and James

Sandra

We had a wonderful experience having Sandra as our officiant for our intimate wedding. We were able to meet remotely twice – once to get to know her and once before the wedding to ask any final questions. She guided us through creating our ceremony by providing several options and “create your own” sections for each key moment of the ceremony. It was so helpful to have this as a guide to help us shape a ceremony that was reflective of our relationship. The ceremony itself was magical and conveyed the happiness, uniqueness and ease that we wanted to share with our friends and family. We received so many compliments on the ceremony itself, and credit goes to Sandra for being our guide. If you’re looking for a warm, calming, joyous and professional officiant – Sandra is the best choice!

Testimonials

Rene and Rachel

Sandra
newly married couple points at each other with wedding officiant SandraLaya Ruch in between them.

Finding an officiant was fairly straightforward. We were able to search by the date of our wedding and it made it all that much easier. Sandra Ruch was incredible in officiating. Her allowance to customize our wedding allowed our day to be exactly as we wanted it. It felt very personal, as any wedding should. Jun 2023