Testimonials
From Wedding Couples
I am still on cloud 9! Barbara's wedding was romantic and powerful. Her words were so meaningful; I cannot thank her enough for how perfect it all was. I would recommend Barbara to anyone who is looking for a wedding that is beyond the ordinary. Her attention to detail and desire for our happiness just made the whole experience even better. ~ Carolyn and Steve
"She has a very caring way about her and made us feel so comfortable talking to her. She was able to grasp exactly what we wanted our ceremony to feel like for our families. She incorporated such special words and sentiments into the ceremony while also keeping it mainly about 'us' and 'our story'. She also is an incredible speaker. We got married in central party with a group of 65 people. She spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear without a microphone and also with such emotion." ~ Michal and Daniel
"How do you plan a wedding in a few short weeks for a couple of guys who have no idea what their wedding plans should be? Simple, allow Barbara Ann to perform her magic! She asked us to tell her about aspects of our lives and knew exactly what to ask us to focus in order to create a personalized wedding that was absolutely perfect for us. ~ Derrick and Steve
"I just wanted to take a moment to thank you again. Your warm heart and love for love is so apparent and it was an absolute joy to share the day with you. All the guests commented on what a lovely job you did and the family you spoke with fell in love with you as I knew they would." Tara and Chris
"Your guidance and enormous positive spirit made us relaxed and ready to live the moment to the fullest! Thank you so much for making our wedding the best day of our lives. We are still riding high!" Lucy and Sarah
I am still on cloud 9! Barbara's wedding was romantic and powerful. Her words were so meaningful; I cannot thank her enough for how perfect it all was. I would recommend Barbara to anyone who is looking for a wedding that is beyond the ordinary. Her attention to detail and desire for our happiness just made the whole experience even better. ~ Carolyn and Steve
"She has a very caring way about her and made us feel so comfortable talking to her. She was able to grasp exactly what we wanted our ceremony to feel like for our families. She incorporated such special words and sentiments into the ceremony while also keeping it mainly about 'us' and 'our story'. She also is an incredible speaker. We got married in central party with a group of 65 people. She spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear without a microphone and also with such emotion." ~ Michal and Daniel
"How do you plan a wedding in a few short weeks for a couple of guys who have no idea what their wedding plans should be? Simple, allow Barbara Ann to perform her magic! She asked us to tell her about aspects of our lives and knew exactly what to ask us to focus in order to create a personalized wedding that was absolutely perfect for us. ~ Derrick and Steve
"Thank you SO much for everything. There were several people that came up to us and told us that it was the best ceremony they've ever attended, and that you were so funny and warm and captured our personalities perfectly." ~ Erin and Andrew
"I just wanted to take a moment to thank you again. Your warm heart and love for love is so apparent and it was an absolute joy to share the day with you. All the guests commented on what a lovely job you did and the family you spoke with fell in love with you as I knew they would." Tara and Chris
"Your guidance and enormous positive spirit made us relaxed and ready to live the moment to the fullest! Thank you so much for making our wedding the best day of our lives. We are still riding high!" Lucy and Sarah
"You are amazing. Everyone kept asking us where we found you and honestly thought that you were an old friend of ours. You are now! We couldn't have been happier with our ceremony and how it all turned out, all thanks to you! Here are some fun pics for you." ~ Danielle and Joe
"We had a wonderful time, and the ceremony was absolutely beautiful. I want to sincerely thank you, as you did such a wonderful job on writing everything and working with us to make the day so special. We had many people come up to us afterwards and let us know how moving the ceremony was, and how there wasn't a dry eye in the place." Mark and Jonny
"Barbara created a beautiful ceremony for us! It was personal, funny, touching and hit the perfect note for our wedding. She helped us build a bridge in the ceremony between our cultures (German and Chinese/American) with humor and love. Everyone was extremely moved by the ceremony and many people told us afterwards that it was one of the most enjoyable ceremonies that they had been to. In addition to that, helping Barbara to create the ceremony was a fascinating experience, and was a deeply bonding experience for my fiancé and I. I cannot recommend Barbara highly enough. She is really wonderful!!!" ~ Karen and Martin
Barbara was a joy to work with from start to finish! When we first met with her and discussed what we wanted from our ceremony, my husband's request was that it be interesting. I thought that was a tall order for a wedding ceremony, but I have to say that she succeeded admirably! We loved working with Barbara and designing the ceremony with her was one of the most meaningful parts of our wedding journey. In the end, our ceremony was a wonderful, heartfelt and yes, interesting reflection of our relationship and now marriage. ~ Megan and Ryan
"We had the most wonderful day and we have our Jester Of The Peace - Barbara Ann Michaels - to thank for helping us have it all run smoothly! Not only was it seamless but her knack for making everyone feel at ease and included was essential and no couple should be without the warmth she showcased on our day! Barbara really took the time to know each of us thoroughly - no question was left un-asked and no detail forgotten or left out. During the process we really felt that she was the keeper of our story and we trusted her to express in words what we were probably too nervous to do ourselves! That trust paid off as our day was effortless and natural and personal and emotional and humorous - everything we hoped it would be with just a bit more passion thrown in. Barbara, as she will tell you is a true romantic and she is the ultimate medium for tuning into your connection and reflecting that back to your friends and family. It's hard to explain - but she just 'got us' - and it's not everyday that you find someone who is as dedicated to fostering a genuine connection to their clients as Barbara is. As our photographer also confirmed - she is a true professional. once we were done with our vows and it was time for a kiss - she smoothly stepped to the side so that the photos were just of my husband and I with an amazing view of the natural setting behind us. Barbara is all about the details and she is inherently creative - it's what makes working with her a complete joy and knowing what we know now - we wouldn't have wanted to do it without her! Thank you Barbara… initially you were the keeper of our story but now you have become an integral part of it as well! We are grateful we found you." ~ Stephanie and Lee
My husband and I wanted our wedding to be truly us and not your standard set of vows. The challenge was writing our own and expressing those feelings outward. Fortunately we found Barbara. She made our ceremony exactly what we wanted -- a combination of our love, our friendship, our family and our story. It was perfect in every way. I recently reread the vows & I love them more each time. ~ Kim and Pete
My husband and I wanted our wedding to be truly us and not your standard set of vows. The challenge was writing our own and expressing those feelings outward. Fortunately we found Barbara. She made our ceremony exactly what we wanted -- a combination of our love, our friendship, our family and our story. It was perfect in every way. I recently reread the vows & I love them more each time. ~ Kim and Pete
"[For] our nontraditional and fun ceremony we found ourselves getting very discouraged. Then we found Barbara Michaels. After just one phone call, we knew she was exactly what we needed and wanted. She was able to take our crazy ideas and materialize them into a ceremony that kept our guests on the edge of their seats some times laughing and sometimes crying with tears of joy. We could not have asked for anything more." ~ Carolee and Desiree'
"We just wanted to say thank you for helping to make our wedding as special and as perfect as it was. We really appreciate the care and personalization you put in. We received so many compliments on the ceremony and everyone said what a fun, laid back, unique way it was for us to get married. Thanks again." ~ Briana and Jeff
"We just wanted to say thank you for helping to make our wedding as special and as perfect as it was. We really appreciate the care and personalization you put in. We received so many compliments on the ceremony and everyone said what a fun, laid back, unique way it was for us to get married. Thanks again." ~ Briana and Jeff
"Barbara married us in Times Square, it was a wonderful ceremony with emotion, love and happiness. she realized our dream. Barbara is like a part of us now because she shows and translates the love and secrets we have one for the other. Now we're back in France with a lot of happy memories. Thank you so much Barbara." ~ Caroline and Olivier
"Since our wedding, we have gotten a continuous stream of high compliments about our ceremony & our vows. Over and over we hear "that is the best ceremony I've ever seen", "it was so YOU", "you guys looked like you were having such a great time", "best vows ever". There is no doubt this is due in full to our officiant Barbara Ann Michaels. Our meetings with her were warm, informative, thorough and inspired us to take the time to make our wedding exactly what we wanted. Her skills as an interviewer, writer and her genuine curiosity about the details of our relationship allowed her to create a unique ceremony that she then collaborated with us on to edit & tweak to our liking. On the day of the wedding, her calm demeanor was welcome & she brought a relaxed but important energy to the room during the ceremony. We highly recommend her!" ~ Melanie and Damon
"Barbara was the perfect person to marry my husband and I. We thought for awhile about having a family member or friend marry us but didn't have anyone in our lives that seemed right. Barbara became that friend we were looking for. She learned all about who we are as a couple and as people in order to created the most personal, moving and special ceremony we could have every imagined. Guests were in awe of our ceremony and continue to talk about how grateful they are we shared ourselves in the way we did. All of that is thanks to Barbara. I smile everytime I think of our ceremony. Its difficult to imagine a stranger playing such a large role in an incredibly important moment in your life but with Barbara all our fears disappeared. I would highly recommend her!" - Amanda and Luke
"Barbara crafted a magical wedding ceremony for us. To this day, people still come up to us and tell us how personable and touching our wedding was and I attribute that to Barbara. Barbara told our love story to our family and friends with wit, elegance and sweetness, while also comfortable and casual. She had great ideas for extra touches during the ceremony. People in the audience laughed and cried --everyone was moved and everyone told us how they felt the love in the air that day. She is terrific at her job as officiant because it comes through how much she believes in love and truly cares to bring people together. I couldn't have imagined a more perfect ceremony, thanks to Barbara." ~ Maria and Edward
"You certainly deserve the accolades you are getting! We had such a great time in NYC and we’re still riding the wave of love orchestrated by our wedding made so special by you, Diana and good ol’ “’56 Imperial” Vinny." ~ Robyn and Warren
"We are so thankful that we found someone as wonderful as Barbara to marry us. Barbara’s professionalism, attention to detail and passion are second to none. Not only did we feel Barbara did an amazing job, but our family and friends are still raving about our ceremony and all of its personal touches. She truly took the time to get to know us as a couple and captured the essence of our love in the ceremony. Thank you so much Barbara!!!" ~ Adam and Erin
"Barbara has a great process that helped Bob and I create a unique and personalized ceremony that expressed our commitment, love, values, hopes and dreams beautifully. She energized our ceremony with her creativity and ideas while being completely sensitive to our vision. Bravo." ~ Jari and Rob
"We would like to thank you for a great ceremony. Also, I personally appreciate how you were trying to make me calm down during the ceremony and after the ceremony. You were a great support. All my guests and family loved the ceremony, and especially loved YOU. I hope we will see you again for the 10Th year anniversary." ~ Gulsah and Selcuk
"Your ceremony was, I believe to be, the best I have attended, or have been party to. Our wedding was so beautiful, a perfect joy, so romantic for us and personal. It will be a day we will never forget. I would recommend you to any British couples wishing to get married in NY." ~ Cheryl and Wesley
"Barbara made our ceremony unique to our personalities and very special. She helped us explore the how's and the why's of our love and turn it into a ceremony that was exactly what we wanted: simple and lovely." ~ Kelly and Craig
"I would recommend Barbara to anyone. She's simply a delight. Barbara and I clicked from the first phone call. She made me feel so comfortable, I felt like I knew her for years. Our ceremony was everything I wanted in a wedding." ~ Jadee and Damian
"I still marvel at the love, depth, and general all-around wonderfulness that you brought to our wedding!" - Anoosh and Kevin
"Thank you so much for officiating our wedding. It was such a special day and we appreciate the time you took to personalize our ceremony to make it really reflect the essence of our love." ~ James and Maria
"When choosing a marriage officiant, Mark and I looked for someone that was personable, cheerful, and professional. When we spoke to Barbara on the phone and met her for the first time, we both knew that she met those criteria. We only had immediate family and a few friends attend our wedding so it was important that our marriage officiant would be like part of the group. Barbara shared our love story, our goals, and our future dreams with the people attending in such a loving, caring and personal way that our family felt as if we had known Barbara for a long time. We recommend Barbara to anyone that wants a personal ceremony from a marriage officiant." ~ Emily and Mark,
From Couples Renewing their Vows
"Barbara Ann made our renewal ceremony an incredible, touching, and personal experience that my husband and I will cherish for the rest of our lives! By speaking to us by phone, in just a couple of phone calls, she was able to capture the spirit of our marriage. Her writing style is unique and delightful. Her personality is simply joyful. You are sure to be pleased with Barbara Ann for your ceremony! ~ Donna and Michael
From Family and Friends of Couples
"Hi Barbara, I am so glad Jen and Kim picked you to do the honors. You did a great job....perhaps the best I have ever witnessed. I loved your warmth and your smile and... dancing. You were the best! Thank you again. ~ Lesley, Jen's Step-Mother
"The first wedding I attended that Barbara officiated at was enough to make me realize I needed her to perform the ceremony at my cousins wedding several months later. My cousin and her fiance live in the UK, and their first introduction to Barbara was on Skype. The distance did not prevent her from getting to know them, their story and what was important to them. She gave an amazingly personal and emotional ceremony that moved everyone in attendance. It was truly one of the most beautiful weddings I'd ever been too. Every detail was planned to perfection! I highly recommend Barbara!"