A CEREMONY of the HEART

"RAVES for Mary Jean Valente and A CEREMONY of the HEART"

Mary Jean Valente at A Ceremony of the Heart is the Best!!! As our Officiant, she did so much more than we ever expected. From the very first time we spoke on the phone, I felt like she cared about us and I could tell she really loves what she does. When we met, I liked her immediately. She is warm and caring and so very professional. We knew right away she would be perfect for us. Mary Jean is so easy to work with. She helped us create a very special ceremony that incorporated everything we wanted and this wasn't so easy as come from different backgrounds. She let us choose everything in the ceremony and at the same time expertly guided us and offered suggestions and new ideas until we found our perfect ceremony. She did this with such grace and kindness. On the day of our ceremony, she called us in the morning to wish us a Happy Day and reminded us to have something to eat before the ceremony. She arrived well in advance, came to visit with us and then told us that whenever we were ready we would begin. This was one of the things I liked so much about Mary Jean..She never rushed us or made us feel like we needed to hurry, rather her speaking voice and her very presence helped us feel calm and relaxed. At the beginning of our ceremony, Mary Jean took a couple minutes to speak with us privately before we began and even invited us to take a couple deep breaths. We both then totally relaxed and enjoyed the ceremony. Another very unique thing about Mary Jean is that she will say a few words in another language if you have family that does'nt speak English. She had us give her the phoenetic pronounciation and she learned it perfectly...so during the ceremony she welcomed our parents and grandparents personally in their native tongue........this was so sweet and special, it brought tears to the eyes of our family and guests!! Oh yes, and Mary Jean also provided an absolutely beautiful copy of our ceremony.....I was surprised and delighted at how very beautiful it is and we will treasure it always. In conclusion, if you want a personal ceremony, conducted by someone who is not only excellent at what she does, but also cares deeply about you and your wedding, Mary Jean Valente is the one for you! Ellen and Buddy 3 12 05

5.0out of 5.0

Quality of Service: 5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

Responsiveness: 5.0 out of 5.0 (5.0/5.0)

Professionalism:5.0 out of 5.0 (5.0/5.0)

Value For Cost: 5.0 out of 5.0 (5.0/5.0)

Flexibility: 5.0 out of 5.0 (5.0/5.0)

MaryJean was a wonderful officiant. My then-fiancee and I felt immediately comfortable with her. She was extremely open and responsive to any of our requests. She worked with us very closely to write the ceremony and managed it beautifully. She was also very helpful in calming down my nerves before and during the wedding. My family and friends still mention our wedding as the best they've ever seen, mostly because of our unique and deeply spiritual ceremony. Mary Jean was able to incorporate the traditions from my culture and the modern traditions of my now husband and our new life together. Our wedding was held on the Persian New Year Nourouz and Mary Jean added the recognition of this special day which added a beautiful element of respect that my parents deeply appreciated. I would highly recommend MaryJean. Arezoo and Robert 3 21 2003

Mary Jean Valente who owns A CEREMONY of the HEART is the very very best. We were married November 25, 2001 and we didn't know where to begin but then we found Mary Jean. When we met with her we knew immediately that she was absolutely perfect. The ceremony she wrote for us was beautiful. Our wedding was not your typical white gown and brides maids wedding, but she knew exactly what to say. We were both in our 50s - so we had a very eclectic, non traditional wedding. MJ knew just what to do and how to help us relax an enjoy the ceremony and thus the entire day. She made sure the wedding ran without a hitch. I highly recommend her to perform the wedding of your dreams . . just as ours was - a day to remember. People told us that it was the best wedding they had ever been to! We still hear those same comments today!

Mr. and Mrs. William T. Powers aka Wendy and Tom Powers

We had such a hard time finding someone to marry us, and with relatively short notice, and at a distance...but then we found Mary Jean. She was fabulous at taking our vision and shining it up into the perfect ceremony for us. Our guests told us that she really made them feel like they were a part of our wedding, instead of just an audience. We couldn't have asked for better communication and insight into planning the day. Gena 10 28 08

Mary Jean was a great addition to our special day, she knew how to get our true feelings out of our minds and into words for our ceremony. She was very professional, flexible and knowlegable in her field. She also helped us turn a painful death into a beautiful tribute on our special day. We are eternally greatful for her services.

Lisa and Aldo Perez July 18 2009

"A Word from all the Happy Couples!"

Can I say MIRACLE WORKER!!!! Mary Jean is a phenomenon...She is warm, caring, so very real and extraordinarily professional at the same time. I don't know many people who are as organized and dependable all the while making everything great fun. She really knows how to draw out what will be the most meaningful elements to create a very personal ceremony that will not only express your unique personalities and realationship, but also one that will move your guests and touch their hearts.

After our ceremony, our guests told us that they enjoyed the ceremony so much and that Mary Jean so thoroughly captured their attention. For us she was able to incorporate our different cultures and religions which was important to us and to our families. When Mary Jean speaks she has an amazing ability to make every word meaningful...and the sound of her voice is incredibly beautiful. When we first spoke with her we knew at once how very passionate Mary Jean is about what she does and that it is important to her that every couple has a very special wedding.

She supports you so completely and because she is so at ease she makes you feel so comfortable that you can actually enjoy your ceremony. I can't imagine having anyone else because what Mary Jean did was absolute perfection. We will remember our ceremony always and several of our friends have already contacted her to do their weddings. Thank you Mary Jean, you are such a Gift!

Anne and Mike 12 31 09

Following is the actual letter I sent to Mary Jean Valente after having the pleasure of meeting her and experiencing her unique, personal, loving approach to my son's wedding. Do yourself a favor - contact this woman and make a special day PERFECT!

Dearest MaryJean,

This is Kelly DeHaes, Logan Laughlin's mother. My apologies for not writing sooner - I was so involved finishing the school year and then trying to help with the wedding reception we just held yesterday. Nicole also said she knows you've tried to contact her and she feels horrible about not getting back with you. Now that the reception is over, I believe she'll have time to breathe!

I am so delighted the photographer included up close shots of you during the ceremony and the dinner that followed so that everyone at the reception could witness the beauty, both inside and out, of the woman who made my children's wedding so unique, personal, and PERFECT!

Darling, you are a treasure! I cannot express enough how impressed I was with your grace, your warmth, your attention to detail, your care, your charm, your ease and finesse, and how eloquently you maintained the focus upon Logan and Nicole. While that was the way it should have been, you directed everything in such a smooth manner that the spotlight remained upon them without it being obvious.

Nicole is just the perfect match for my darling son and I treasure the day she won his heart. She has a remarkable talent for knowing what is right and she certainly hit the mark with selecting you to perform the most memorable wedding I have ever witnessed! I believe Logan will make Nicole's life as wonderful as she would like and MaryJean, you gave them such a remarkable beginning on this journey - I cannot say thank you enough!

When I first saw Logan after the honeymoon and the beginning of his internship in Kansas City, I could tell there was something a bit different about him. I realized it was that he seemed more grounded, more fulfilled, more content, more satisfied. I can only attribute it to the fact that he has what he wants - to be married to Nicole. Everything else is extra because he has what is most important, his life with her, officially, permanently, forever. You made that possible and I cannot imagine anyone else who could have done that for both of them more perfectly than you.

Please contact any of us if you want/need a referral, testimonial, whatever.

Again, my most heartfelt thanks to you for the pleasure of meeting you, the time spent visiting with you, and for touching the hearts of my darling children. You made my son's life perfect, gave me a new daughter, and made her life perfect, as well. I will love you forever!

Hugs,

Kelly DeHaes

wedding date 5 11 09

We love Mary Jean!!! And Mary Jean loves her work. Which makes a really big difference when putting together one of the most important events of your life. Throughout the process, Mary Jean put my husband and I at such ease and this continued right through to the ceremony. Her hands on service was priceless, from writing the ceremony together to running our rehearsal to checking in on us after the big day had passed.

We consider Mary Jean a friend and were truly blessed to have her with us on this incredible journey. Mary Jean absolutely conducted A Ceremony of the Heart for us and is the only way to go!!

Marsha and Craig 4 06 09

Reviews: 1

5.0

out of 5.0

Quality of Service: 5.0 out of 5.0 (5.0/5.0)

Responsiveness: 5.0 out of 5.0 (5.0/5.0)

Professionalism: 5.0 out of 5.0 (5.0/5.0)

Value For Cost: 5.0 out of 5.0 (5.0/5.0)

Flexibility: 5.0 out of 5.0 (5.0/5.0)

To put it simply, Mary Jean was the sole factor that made our wedding a success. We were planning a destination wedding with only a couple of friends, but after several family members decided to come, we suddenly had to do something more formal. Mary Jean's unique combination of professionalism and warmth turned our little beach wedding into something unforgettable for all of us. We can't thank her enough! Love Angela 8 12 08

Mary Jean is a warm and honest person who's a pleasure to talk to and be around! She was very attentive to our needs from our first meeting, and her experience guided us through those parts of wedding-planning we were unfamiliar with (beyond providing officiant services). She's personable, quick to respond to emails and phone calls, and makes you feel as though you're her top priority. We forgot to bring our check for an official copy of our marraige certificate to the ceremony, and Mary Jean graciously offered to mail off the forms for us so that we'd have one less thing to worry about on our wedding day. The service Mary Jean provides is peace of mind and a great time! Thanks, Mary Jean!

Maricella and Jeff 5 25 08

"Stellar Reviews for MaryJean Valente at A CEREMONY of the HEART"

Mary Jean was absolutely the best! She is wonderful, personal, giving and interested in you as a couple. Her ceremony will always be unique and attentive. We couldn't have been luckier than to have Mary Jean. Her experience yet openness is a fabulous combination. She'll make you feel comfortable and confident. She is a lifetime friend now.

xoxo

Kelly and Eddie

10/21/09

where to begin?

well for those bride and grooms out there that need some love, personal attention & just an awesome ceremony that is truly genuine and amazing contact mary jean!

my husband and i had only 3 weeks to plan a wedding & were in greece when his whole family rang and said they were coming to the USA for our wedding..so we hopped back home and pulled it off!

that being , to us the officiant/celebrant was more important to us than the reception, flowers, etc itself, this was the person that was uniting us & guiding us & having us say our promises to each other, it was a huge deal and a huge honor that we didnt want to bestow upon anyone.

we interviewed heaps of people and when we met Mary Jean we felt she was it.

Her warm embrace backed with professionalism and patience was exactly what we needed.

We somehow pulled together a Jewish, Catholic, Italian, Greek Orthodox, Spiritual, Inter-faith, Inter-cultural marriage in only a few drafts a few phone calls and lots of laughs.

Our guests felt they saw something new and really EXPERIENCED & ENJOYED our ceremony, She is amazing and for anyone that wants to feel like the person marrying them is a person that actually cares for them and is not just trying to make a wedding buck, please give Mary Jean a call, if anything youll meet one more magical person out there who really cares.

With much praise and appreciation-

Anna & Nick the newlyweds 10.4.09

Finding a wedding officiant was one the last item on my list of things to do for my very last minute wedding/elopement. My future husband's visa had come through faster than expected so we were rushing around trying to make last minute plans. This is my second marriage so I figured it would be easy to find someone to make it official, since I had done this before, I knew what to expect. Well, Mary Jean blew my expectations away. From the first conversation I had with her over the phone I knew she was perfect officiant for us. We needed someone to help us pull the ceremony into something special. I live in Arizona and at the time my husband was still in England. Through phone calls and emails she was able to pull together a very warm, heart felt, touching, romantic ceremony in only a few days. She helped me with travel tips and gave me some great ideas to help make the day less stressful. She even took the extra time to hand deliver our wedding license to the court so we could get our certified copies sooner for the immigration applications we needed to file. We got our copies in under two weeks! She really went above and beyond for us to make our day a very memorable one.

Thank you so much Mary Jean

Barry and Tricia ~ 9/18/09 Santa Monica, CA

It was the night before our wedding date, we were counting on the county to conduct our ceremony, but the universe had other plans. We’d been looking for an officiant on-line, and we came across Mary Jean Valente, what a blessing!!! Mary Jean Officiated our wedding ceremony June 2009. With one nights notice Mary Jean provided love, passion, a personal story, and top-notch attention, as if she’d known us all our lives. Mary Jean exceeded our expectation, from the tone in her voice to the message she delivered; this day could not have been possible without her. Our dream wedding was a perfect way to start our marriage. Mary Jean Valente will continue to be a part of our family as we started our union through her.

Thank You Mary Jean Valente

Much love and appreciation

Justin & Pamela OBrien 6 19 09