Interfaith Intercultural Wedding Ceremonies

Christine Paul, CEO/Principal Planner Christine Paul Events, Inc. http://christinepaulevents.com/		"Ceremonial Genius! I have had the sincere pleasure of knowing Rev. Susanna Macomb for many years. She is brilliant, kind, passionate... and embodies a contagious joy. Rev. Susanna has that unique je ne sais quoi that will make your ceremony come ALIVE!"
Lina Jang & O.B. Solinsky Co-Owners of Jang Photographers http://jangphotographers.com/		"Having been professional wedding photographers for over 15 years, we have witnessed hundreds, even thousands of beautiful ceremonies. Of those, the ones that stood out to us that were the most sincere, emotional, and personal were the ones conducted by Reverend Susanna Macomb. When we finally decided it was time for us to get married, there was no other choice for us, but to have Susanna perform our ceremony. Our ceremony was so special and we'll remember it for the rest of our lives. Many of our wedding guests, also wedding professionals, commented that our ceremony was the most beautiful one they have ever witnessed and was the highlight of our wedding."
Matthew Andersen, Catering Manager The St. Regis Hotel NYC http://stregisnewyork.com/		"Susanna radiates light as brides and grooms come to the altar; her ceremonies are inspiring and uplifting to all who participate."
Danielle Aspromatis, Event Planner, Founder and CEO dLuxe Events http://dluxeevents.com/		"Rev. Macomb is a true bridge builder in every sense of the word for two lives coming together. She performed my interfaith ceremony. It was the best choice we could have made!"
Debra Thompson, Wedding Planner, Founder and CEO Weddings by Debra http://weddingsbydebra.com/		"Reverend Susanna brings the ceremony to a whole new level with her care and love. It sets the tone for the day!"
Brett Deutsch, Photographer Deutsch Photography http://deutschphoto.com		"Rev. Susanna is truly an artist. As a photographer, I've seen more weddings than I can count, and most ceremonies seem almost like an afterthought. But when Rev. Susanna officiates, the wedding ceremony returns to its rightful place as the most important and most memorable part of the day. Rev. Susanna brings her love of people and a beautiful spirituality to every wedding that she officiates. And it's clear that the time she spends getting a deep understanding of her brides and grooms translates into ceremonies that always radiate with love, passion and eternal promise. Having seen Rev. Susanna perform several ceremonies, I fully understand why her brides and grooms come back to her year after year to ask her to preside over other of life's milestones like baby blessings and even funerals."
Marcy Blum, Event Designer, author of Weddings for Dummies Marcy Blum Associates http://marcyblum.com/		"In addressing the issues of interfaith, intercultural weddings, Rev. Macomb focuses on the true essence of what a marriage is about; the joining of two souls, their families and their communities."

An ecstatic ceremony, a blissful and magical experience, you are a genius.

Susanna,

We're still blissfully swirling from that ecstatic ceremony. THANK YOU again for the blissful and magical experience.

Each and every friend has remarked on how they have NEVER seen a ceremony like ours. They have remarked on the magic and love in the room, they have remarked that you are a GENIUS. People called us THREE and FOUR times on our honeymoon because they couldn't tell us enough how mesmerized they were by our ceremony.

We watched our video over the last 2 nights and cried and laughed all over again. Your words and prayers come through the video almost as poignantly as they did in person. Your work on our behalf is simply stunning and we still cannot get over the emotional and physical gifts you have given us.

The point of this message is to reiterate how significant you are. How important and relevant your work is. And to THANK YOU over and over -- we are SO THANKFUL that we did everything that you suggested we do -- it made the moments of our wedding day so very, very rich and golden.

We thank you for allowing us to enter your life and for giving so selflessly of yourself.

You are a song
A wished for song.

Most blessed, outrageous, fabulous, transformative, life altering ceremony ever!

Oh my, we are so sad that it is all over. It was the most blessed, outrageous, fabulous, transformative, life altering ceremony ever to exist. Everyone is talking about it. C. and I spent half of our honeymoon crying that it was all over. We have had friends say that it was the most inspiring wedding ever and their lives have already changed because of it. There are so many stories. It was beyond our every expectation.

Your genuine love for what you do, your energy, your faith, your spirit and optimism.

Dearest Susanna,

To say thank you to you for all that you have done for us seems somehow too simplistic. Meeting you and being in your presence during a really auspicious time in our lives has truly been a blessing.

The work that you put into our ceremony- and more importantly into getting to know us as people is perhaps what we are most thankful for. It is difficult to describe how grateful we are to you - for bridging our religions in the most universalistic way, for helping us to give our families the best gift ever (appreciation and love), for performing a ceremony straight from the heart, one that exceeded every expectation we had - THANKS SO MUCH!

Perhaps the greatest thing about you, Susanna, is your genuine love for what you do, your energy, your faith, your spirit and your optimism. We have learned so much just from watching you interact with people and the way you are able to light up the lives of those that you are around is amazing. The ceremony was exactly as we envisioned, and much much more than that. We were blessed to have found you.

God bless you for all you do to unite and light up the lives of others,

Our best to you and your family.

People commented on your grace and dignity, your warmth and peaceful presence, the poetry and spirituality of your words, your talent, your gift.

Dear Susanna,

There are so many wonderful experiences to think about over the next few months and for a life time, but you were and are one of the best. I know you've heard unending praise for your extraordinary ceremonies by countless people who were lucky enough to have had a few moments with you, and of course I want to be the most eloquent in my gratitude. Yet, I cannot think of a way to let you know what your contribution to our wedding meant to me, to us, in a way that would give back to you even a fraction of what you have given to us: great joy and laughter, and a vision of the future for M. and R. which offers unending possibilities for love.

Preparation for this marriage ceremony could not have been an easy feat. Both M. and R. are more demanding than their initial easy manner implies. Not to mention two diverse families struggling for understanding and sometimes forgetting to trust what they knew about themselves and their children. You walked the tightrope with all of us with understanding and confidence in our ability to walk with you, and I think we succeeded. Thank you.

I want to take a moment to mention something you taught me. I know that your family have experienced considerable emotional pain over the past few weeks. I am sure you had soaring expectations about the life you were beginning and that you are still grieving over your loss. I am profoundly sorry. You showed me, however, that there can be laughter alongside sorrow and I expect I will be forced to remember this from time to time. Thank you.

Everyone loved you. People commented on your grace and dignity, your warmth and peaceful presence, the poetry and spirituality of your words, on the hard work of your preparation, your talent, your gift. Thank you.

Will we meet again? I hope so. But if by some mistake, we do not, please know that we will not forget your presence on this earth, we will look for your footprints along the way. We will think of you often with smiles and grateful tears, and we hope your future is everything it is hoped to be. Thank you.

From our initial meeting to the final blessing, working with you was a pleasure and an honor.

Dear Susanna,

Many many thanks for making our wedding ceremony an amazing reality. From our initial meeting to the final blessing, working with you was a pleasure and an honor. Everyone loved the ceremony and we hear there wasn't a dry eye in the house. We were so wrapped up in the moment with you and each other. We were glad to know that everyone else had as transcendental of a time as we did. So many told us it was the most engaging, funny, moving and memorable ceremony they attended and that you conveyed us so well.

The words, the passion, the sincerity, the hope!

Dear Susanna,

The words, the passion, the sincerity, the hope! Everyone loved you, and continue to say wonderful things about our ceremony. We were blessed to find you and will always remember you --- and include you in all major moments in our life! Enshallah!

Everyone has agreed, this was the most beautiful ceremony they have ever attended.

Dear Susanna,

We wanted to write a letter to let you know how deeply grateful J. and myself are. I knew the first time I saw you perform at a ceremony, how gifted you were. You have a way of making people feel special. But it is done in the most sincere manner. Perhaps, your humbleness does not allow you to fully realize how deeply your ceremony will truly affect people's lives. For us, you gave us back something we had lost, this moment will remain a permanent, beautiful memory. You touched so many on our wedding day. The time you took, and the words to address all those present in the church, will never be forgotten. Our parents, siblings, friends have not stopped talking about your ceremony. All have had words of praise in regards to Reverend Susanna Macomb.

Colleagues at work, still touched from your words, were discussing it with their clients. Words cannot describe the overwhelming feeling we felt on that altar. For us, it was truly "The First Time ". Your words made us feel so alive, inspired by a love and a sense of God's blessings. Something I almost feared would be missing.

I want to tell you a story that you are not aware of. Several days before our wedding, I reached out to a friend that is a priest. He was invited to our wedding and never answered the invitation. I called him and had a conversation on the phone, he told me how displeased he was that we were using an interfaith minister and a non-Catholic church. Well, a discussion regarding annulment took place where even he seemed out of answers regarding some particular questions. Anyway, I made him realize that the party that was insulted was I, at him for not even having the decency to respond to our invite. He invited me to see him one night and talk about this. I said I would, and asked him if he would at least bless our rings. To my shock, his reply was, "I can't! I can't bless this union in the manner with which it is taking place. Besides, canon law does not permit me to attend". I replied, "God will not punish you for sitting with us at dinner. We are not sinners. What was our sin??? Being married to two adulterant fools? God will send down His blessing!" I don't think I will see this priest for a while, friend or no friend. But here is the thing, when you took our rings and blessed them the way you did, I was taken so grateful. That was so important to us. I can't thank you enough. You exceeded all our expectations, and those standards were set pretty high, and you knew that.

There was so much to this, and you again were there, consistently. With your words of encouragement, of love, of support. Every one was so deeply emotional. I believe there was a moment when I thought you were getting emotional with us as well. Most noticed that, and that made it even more intense. Everyone has agreed, this was the most beautiful ceremony they have ever attended. So personal, and with so much care. Thank you ever so much, you kept even the promises you didn't make. You took the time to say all the most wonderful and personal things, with so much personal care, and it showed. We will keep the memory of you and this day, forever in our hearts and minds. Be proud Susanna, for we were proud and honored to stand before you. You've earned a special place in our hearts.

Left the groom speechless.

Dear Susanna:

What a great ceremony! I think you actually left S. speechless (believe it or not!) I remember when S. and I had our first discussions about our wedding ceremony, we thought that it might be tough for us to get exactly what we wanted from it without insulting any family members. From our first introduction both S. and I could not have felt more comfortable with you. Thank God for technology and the Internet that helped us find you. Like they say, if you look hard enough, you will find what you are looking for. We greatly appreciated that we were both given the opportunity to express our thoughts and feelings about what we wanted and did not want and also had the opportunity of meeting/speaking with you numerous times over the course of several months. The words that you spoke brought us into reality. Sometimes when you are planning a wedding you get caught up in the planning and stress involved and forget the real reasons for the joyous day. The words you spoke helped to bring us back.

Each person that spoke with us after the ceremony expressed how wonderful the ceremony was. Over the past four years or so S. and I have been to a handful of weddings and although the ceremonies were beautiful, they never left such a strong impact on us (or the other guests). However, the ceremony you performed, I strongly believe will stay not only with us but with our guests for many years to come.

Our parents were touched. When S. and I told my parents about you, I believe they were both a little skeptical. My mother mentioned that although she trusted my judgment she would like to meet you. I assured her, that she had nothing to concern herself about. Unfortunately, due to her hectic work schedule, she was unable to ever make arrangements to meet with you. However, I know that after the glass was broken and S. and I were officially married... she not only felt the joy for us, but she was touched by the style and words (both yours and ours)...

While speaking with one of my cousins, she mentioned to me that she thought it was so touching that you mentioned our kind words about our parents. She said that unfortunately, the heartwarming things about people are not usually mentioned until it is too late and they are no longer in this world to hear and appreciate it! You also gave us the opportunity for each other, our parents and guests hear our own words in the perfect setting.

Susanna, you set a great mood for our day. Thanks for everything. Keep in touch!

WOW WOW WOW WOW!

Hi, Susanna!!!!!!

First off...WOW WOW WOW WOW! Thank you a million times for the amazing wedding you gave us! R.and I can't stop talking/thinking about it, and we are STILL getting calls from friends telling us it was the most amazing ceremony they've ever seen!! R. and I are already trying to arrange how we can possibly come down from Albany in a few years so we can have you bless our kids!!! You are absolutely an amazing person, Susanna, and everyone saw it through you and the ceremony you blessed us with.

The best gift we have received thus far!

Susanna,

Just a note of thanks for a wonderful ceremony---the best gift we have received thus far! I don't know if everyone says this about their officiants, but everyone, I mean everyone, was talking about you. Even the photographer was impressed and wanted to know how we found you, and he sees hundreds of weddings!

We watched our ceremony on video for the first time last night and it brought tears to our eyes.

We are so happy to have found you!!

My guests were exhilarated at the spiritual, yet non-denominational atmosphere you created.

Dear Susanna,

As we approach my daughter's T.’s first anniversary, I am reflecting back on the ceremony that you performed for her and C. last year. I picture you in your white robe, standing with my children, under the chuppah using your carefully thought out words to make their marriage ceremony special. It must have been difficult to put together an interfaith marriage and make the words flow as you did, creating a comfortable and loving atmosphere.

I know you spent many hours with T. and C. learning about them and how genuinely in love they are. After the ceremony my guests were exhilarated at the spiritual, yet non-denominational atmosphere you created. I wish to again thank you for making their day, and mine most special. Keep up you fine work in joining others in matrimony.

Guests rave about the minister more than the cake, the band, the flowers!

Dear Rev. Susanna,

D. and I have spent the last week and a half rehashing every moment of our wedding, and we keep coming back to the same refrain. So many of our friends and family members have reaffirmed what we already knew: you made it the most special, significant, transformative, moving day of our lives. It's a rare (but wonderful) thing to hear wedding guests rave about the minister more than the cake, the band, the flowers!

We are very grateful.

You went above and beyond the call of duty.

Dear Susanna,

We want to thank you so much for the time and effort that you devoted to us, and to making our ceremony so memorable. We couldn't have dreamed it would be so beautiful and so perfectly suited to us. So many people have told us that it was the most moving ceremony they've ever experienced, and we more than agree! You went above and beyond the "call of duty" for us, we so appreciate it. We can't thank you enough for helping us through such a joyous, yet sad time in our lives. You were a tremendous pillar of support to us both and we thank you for your kind words, special way and friendship.

You did an amazing job capturing “us”—the perfect balance of tradition, poignancy, humor and love.

Rev. Susanna-

M. and I just wanted to send a huge thank you for the unbelievable ceremony you performed for us on Saturday. It was everything we could have asked for---the perfect balance of tradition, poignancy, humor, and love.

You really have an amazing gift for conveying profound feeling through words---you did an amazing job of capturing "us," and translating everything encompassed within that to our guests. M.and I were (and still are) extremely moved by your words, and we received so many comments from our guests on how great the ceremony was.

All of our family and friends thought that we had known you for years, as the ceremony was so personal to us. You truly have a knack for getting to know people in only a few conversations and being able to accurately reflect their personalities and values in your words.

Your light met ours. Utter magic!!

Utter magic!!

The fruit of our love and also your partnership. We could have never done this without you and we did it Big!!

What was created was bigger than us and in a few moments last night we too were guests and witnesses.

Your light met ours and in an evening expressed our intention for the next part of our lives and beyond.

Thank you, thank you, thank God for you.

The nicest ceremony, the most personal, people who never cry cried. Organic, alive and beautiful for everyone!!

Dear Reverend Macomb,

I have to tell you something funny. So F.'s talking to me and as always I'm a little distracted. So he's going on and on, telling me how everyone was asking him "Where did you find her? She's amazing! I love her!" etc and I say, "That's so nice! Who said that about me?" and he looks at me confused and says, "NO! Not about you. About Reverend Macomb!!" HAHA! I love it!!!

Thank you so so much for being such an amazing, beautiful part of our wedding. I can't tell you how many times we heard that was the nicest ceremony, the most personal they've ever been a part of, people who never cry cried. You really took something that's a part of a (albeit nice) process and turned it into something organic and alive and beautiful...for everyone!!

You are gifted at what you do. I'm so glad we met you.

Warm, wonderful, magnificent, loving splendor!

Susanna-

Yesterday afternoon, S., B. and I watched the entire, uncut video of R. and J.'s wedding ceremony. We wept, especially me!!! Words rarely fail me, but I find it hard to describe how we felt watching the ceremony unfold again in all of its warm, wonderful, magnificent, loving splendor! We were awed again by the utter spirituality of your words and the profound meaning of the rituals that you wove so beautifully into a seamless, timeless (meaning outside of time) tapestry illuminated by family and friends. I have never been, and likely never will be, part of an experience so completely and utterly spiritual, so imbued with the presence of God.

Last year, I read the ceremony on our flight back to Houston, and cried ("water from the river of the heart" I used to tell the girls). I re-read it several times over the winter because I simply could not get enough of the fullness of spirit it evoked in me. Yesterday, those same feelings came rushing back only with more force because what I had been missing was your commentary and spontaneity of emotions that bound everything together into such a cohesive whole. What a gift you have, Susanna!!! S. and I have such warm memories of last October's wedding but watching the video rekindled that flame of memory that burns so brightly within us. We know now that it was karma that brought you into our lives, and for that we are so grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We will make it to New York at some point and will be sure to see you and meet your husband. Thank you again for all that you've brought into our lives, and for your continued love and blessings!

The most AMAZING ceremony of all time! We LOVED it.

Hi Susanna,

We just got back from our honeymoon last night, it was such a whirlwind the next day after the wedding but I wanted to thank you right away for the most AMAZING ceremony of all time! We LOVED it, everyone couldn't stop talking about how phenomenal you were and how warm, heartfelt, personal, and spiritual you made it. We will remember this for the rest of our lives and we're so happy that we'll have it on film. Every second of the ceremony was more special than we could have ever imagined. D. and I keep saying that you really made it feel like it was just he and I up there and that we were the only people in the room, truly amazing. You brought everyone into our world with our personal essays on each other and picked the best parts :-) You kept the ceremony light and non-religious while making it feel extremely significant, spiritual, and personal.

We can't thank you enough for the most amazing ceremony. Thank you so much for making the day what it was and for all of the hard work that you put into it.

Please keep in touch!

Inspired! No one can stop talking about it! I can’t stop thinking about it.

All I have to say is fabu!!!!!!

You are awesome. My family was touched and the entire group was as well. You somehow managed to weave this amazing story together about our family - new and re-newed. No one can stop talking about it. They just can't stop. I can't stop thinking about it.

The word I keep hearing over and over is "inspired". And it is the truth. We were all inspired and I must say that that gift of inspiration came from both you and my bride.

Amazing. Thank you so much for helping us realize how great out family and friends are as well as how much love everyone had and has to give.

An elegantly poetic, pitch perfect, summation of our love and our lives together.

Dear Rev. Macomb,

It’s hard to express the depth of our appreciation and gratitude for the wonderful ceremony you put together last night.

Your warmth, charisma, and compassion were noted -- and commented upon -- by all. We could not have chosen a better officiant for this most special of days.

We were profoundly moved by the way in which you so artfully crafted, from the welter of random details we gave you, an elegantly poetic, pitch perfect, summation of our love and our lives together.

It was better than we ever dreamed it could be. We get chocked up just thinking about it. All of our guests said the ceremony was the most beautiful ceremony they ever attended and you were simply magnificent. The whole moment was surreal.

Thank you so much for everything. If you need a testimonial for any publications or reviews, we would be happy to provide one. And next time we are in NYC we would love to buy you dinner, drinks, or some such, if you are available.

Your hard work, eloquence and enthusiasm.

Hi Susanna,

Thank you again for making our wedding so wonderfully special, it would not have worked without your hard work, eloquence and enthusiasm. Both families loved it and there was no talk of religious issues. J.’s mom was completely and utterly in love with you and it was hard to believe that a few weeks ago she was so worried.

A gift.

A bride’s email to her Wedding Planner after meeting Rev. Susanna, sent to Rev. Macomb by the Wedding Planner:

Ok! I cannot tell you how much we love her! We met with her for over 3 hours! And afterward I felt so uplifted and like I had just been given a gift. I don't even know how to explain how profound that experience was for me. I felt like light had flowed into my soul... I know this sounds so crazy but it made my day. We must have her do our ceremony. Can you please let her know and work out the logistics? She is EXACTLY what we wanted. Thank you so much.

E-mails, cards, and personal calls raving about your ceremony and style.

Good Morning Reverend Susanna,

Where to begin…the wedding buzz has ended however J. and I are still flying high.

The wedding was incredible and your calming presence was critical.

I wanted to let you know we received e-mails, cards, and personal calls raving about your ceremony and style.

Some of the married audience in attendance really absorbed the message and are going to recapture the love and passion within their relationship.

Please let us know if there is a website or anything we can do to write up a review on your behalf.

Attached are some “teaser” photos from the wedding.

My baby, Mrs. H. looks amazing as always..ha ha

You made us feel that we are very close to you, like we've known you for many years.

Dear Susanna,

We want to thank you very much first of all for the wonderful things that you wrote and second of all for the wonderful job that you did with the ceremony. I think we achieved all the goals that we had set in our previous meetings and everybody was pleased, we certainly were. You wrote a beautiful ceremony and your interpretation was majestic! It set the exact tone for the whole day. This was something that we were hoping to accomplish when we first started to debate about the day, this combination of fun and seriousness that wouldn't offend anybody but would also set a more relaxed tone. You did it very well, it's not something easy and we want to congratulate you.

We feel that we are very lucky to have met you, you are a genuinely kind person and your choice of profession and especially the passion that you seem to have for it, speaks volumes for your character. What is funny is that although we spent little time together you made us feel that we are very close to you, like we've known you for many years. This feeling of intimacy doesn't happen overnight and it's not something that you can pretend very easily. You know it's like when you go to a village and you meet more simple people and you feel that after you've only been with them for like five minutes you can tell them anything. It's a Mediterranean trait--I think it resonates from your Italian roots!

So once again thank you very much for everything! We hope to see you again either when you come to Greece, or when we visit New York.

It was masterful.

Thank you so much for everything! You made the ceremony so special. So many people have told us how moving the I was and how it was the best ceremony they have ever seen. We had the best day ever! Sorry we didn't get back to you sooner. Internet was not so readily available in Bora Bora---but we are back and settling in. So many people remarked on your excellent handling of the proceedings. Grown men were crying. People were nodding their heads in agreement to the things you were saying. You could have said, "Can I get a Hallelujah?" and the guests would have blown the roof off the place when they replied. At the same time, you found ways for B. and I to tune out the crowd and listen to you and each other. It was masterful. In short, you got us started off right and we are more in love now than we were two weeks ago. The pro pictures will come soon. There are some amateur shots on Facebook. Are you on Facebook? Can I friend request you?

We were meant to work with you.

Greetings from Bali!

N. and I can't stop talking and thinking about the wedding. It was such a special day for us. I know that we were meant to work with you, and can't thank you enough for your guidance! Our family and friends have spoken with us countless times about the ceremony, and I am so glad that it was as memorable for them as it will be for us. You were remarkable up there.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

You have an amazing gift and way of touching others.

Dear Rev. Susanna,

S. and I. wanted to thank you for making our ceremony so special and touching. Every single person who attended said it was the most beautiful and personal wedding they had ever seen.

You have an amazing gift and way of touching others and have been a huge inspiration for I. and me. We feel blessed for having you in our life and would love to keep in touch!

Enclosed in this email, are some pictures from the wedding. We can send more once we get the collection of photos from the photographer.

All the best to you and your family!

The feedback was extraordinary.

Thank you!

You did an awesome job. Everyone said the ceremony was beautiful. The feedback was extraordinary.

Everyone asks the same question: How long have you known her? Nobody believes us when we tell them the truth.

My mom said that you must have really liked us to do what you did. Nobody ever saw anything like that before. Many people were very impressed with the quotes.

We tried very hard to absorb everything but, no matter what, the whole day came and went so fast. We're almost a little sad that it's gone already. The honeymoon too! We had so much fun.

We promise to keep in touch and send you lots of pictures and videos.

We'll see you soon!

We marvel at your energy, spirit and spirituality and are forever thankful that our paths crossed fatefully.

Dearest Susanna,

I was going through some photos and these made me smile - I'm sure you will too. We have a wonderful video of the wedding I would love to share with you someday. Every time we watch it, we marvel at your energy, spirit and spirituality and are forever thankful that our paths crossed fatefully last spring.

We both hope you are well and happy. We will be in the states soon and perhaps even in the New York area. I promise to copy the video and send it on to you - don't ask me when but know I'll do it!

With much affection and heartfelt warmth,

Master of all things related to love.

Hi Susanna, Your ceremony was marvelous and it strikes me that you are a master of all things related to love.

So special, intimate and personal—exactly what we were hoping for.

Hi Rev Susanna,

You did such an amazing job!!! Everyone was raving about how great you were and how touching it was. They were crying the whole time...even some of the guys!

You really made our ceremony so special and intimate and personal, which is exactly what we were hoping for.

We hope to be able to thank you with more than this email after we return from our honeymoon!

One thing though...we received the transcript of the wedding along with your lovely note, but unfortunately in all the chaos and shuffle of getting home it got misplaced. :( We really would love to have a copy of it so we can remember how magical it was. Would it be possible for you to email us a copy?)

Thanks again so very much for all you have done.

The ceremony had a definite spiritual impact in our relationship.

Susanna,

The ceremony had a definite spiritual impact in our relationship. It does feel much much different.

I love it! I love it! Thank you and thank you again. You did in fact light candles of hope for many people at the ceremony. I have many friends wanting to talk with you (mostly for counseling). You made a huge impact and shed a lot of light with your words, energy and spirit.

Stay strong and healthy, I'm trying to do the same, and sane too!

You’ve helped facilitate our dreams.

Dear Susanna,

In so many ways, you've helped facilitate our dreams. You're presence has added direction and perhaps most importantly awareness to our lives as individuals and as a couple. Our family truly does include you.

You not only allayed our fears, but surpassed our expectations.

Dear Susanna,

We wanted to write to tell you how thrilled J. and I were with the beautiful service you conducted for A. and V. The care and attention you lavished on them showed in your warm, insightful remarks. Frankly, we'd been concerned about an interfaith ceremony and how meaningful it would be. You not only allayed our fears, but surpassed our expectations. Thank you for making their wedding day so special and memorable.

The most beautiful and personal ceremony we have ever heard.

Dearest Susanna,

How could we possibly thank you enough? You married us in the most beautiful and personal ceremony we have ever heard.

We felt an immediate connection with you and we never looked back & you made everything so wonderful.

We are so glad to have met you and look forward to a lifelong relationship.

The love and support you gave us.

Dear Susanna:

I cannot thank you enough for all of the love and support you gave us through the process of planning the wedding all the way up to the altar. Your words were so touching and your guidance was incredible! I cannot express in words what your presence and your wisdom meant to us!

You have such a gift and I am so glad that you are able to share it with people who are starting their lives together. My brother cannot even stop talking about the ceremony in a positive way. Now that is a miracle! I am so glad that M. and J. suggested you to us!

Thanks again for making our wedding extra wonderful!!

Your remarkable gift.

Dear Susanna,

Two months of wedded bliss, how does the time go?

As the dust has finally settled, our heads have cleared and our lives have returned to some semblance of normalcy. I finally have found a moment to write a few words to you. We are so lucky to have found you and your remarkable gift.

I recall how excited B. was when she found your website, and how excited she was when she first spoke with you on the phone, and how exited we both were to finally meet you and craft our ceremony. We feel truly blessed and grateful that we were brought together with you and that you took the time to truly combine our individual love, souls and spirit into one.

While the whole evening was a blur of tears and joy, we received nothing but compliments about the wedding, particularly the ceremony. Each person we have spoken with was truly touched by your words, insight, understanding and boundless spirit that you brought to the evening.

You made our fairy tale into reality and there is nothing else for us to do now, but live happily ever after.

You made the ceremony about love and the love we have for each other.

Dear Susanna,

We just wanted to extend our most heartfelt thanks to you for performing the ceremony at our wedding. As expected, you did such an amazing job! As soon as we met you we knew that you were the only person to perform our ceremony.

Even though we had an idea of what to expect (having worked with you a little prior to the wedding and reading your book) we were still in awe of the job you did and incredibly touched by the words that you spoke. You really made the ceremony about love and the love we have for each other. It's hard to put into words how special you made that day for us. It was truly a moving experience and one that we will never forget.

We can't tell you how many of our guests came to us and told us that it was one of the most beautiful ceremonies that they had ever been a part of and how moved they were from the beginning to end. A couple of people who don't cry at weddings were actually brought to tears. They absolutely loved how personal you made the entire ceremony. In addition, those that had a chance to speak with you that day also mentioned what an amazing person you were.

We can't express how truly fortunate we were to have you be a part of our wedding. As amazing as our wedding day was, it would not have been nearly as memorable an experience if not for your beautiful ceremony.

We want to wish you all the best in the future and hope that we can someday share another occasion with you.

And, of course, we will not hesitate to recommend you to anyone we know!!

You have changed my life for the better.

Rev. Macomb,

From the blessed moment I found you, you have changed my life for the better. What you have taught, shown and written is priceless---beyond words. Our wedding contains so many themes, but one central theme is that of light…from lanterns. We saw this and thought of you immediately.

We hope it shines upon you all the light, love and wisdom you have offered to us (or at least a portion of it).

Thank you for our wedding.

She makes the ceremony exactly how you want it and then some.

An email written from one bride to another, later forwarded to Rev. Susanna:

Hi D,

First, congratulations on your engagement! Secondly, I can't say enough about Susanna! She was everything we thought she would be and more. My husband's family is Jewish, mine is Greek Orthodox and we are both not religious at all, so we thought the ceremony might be difficult. With her help, we were able to have the personal, spiritual ceremony we wanted and THEN SOME. Aside from religious differences, we had some sensitive family issues as well, and she handled it with the utmost care. She had us fill out a survey and we couldn't see each other’s answers until our wedding day and it was absolutely amazing to experience that in front of all our friends and family. She had such a great sense of who we were as people...so much so that after the ceremony, most of the people asked if we knew Susanna personally before the wedding. She makes the ceremony exactly how you want it and then some. This is more than a job for her. She loves it and she is perfect at it, and it completely shines through in the finished product. She was a joy to work with from start to finish and I am STILL (6 months later) sending her Thank You e-mails! Thanks to Susanna, the ceremony was my favorite part of our wedding. I remember it so vividly and even in typing this, a smile comes to my face just thinking about her warm nature. I can't imagine ANYONE being unhappy with choosing Susanna for their officiant. It was definitely the best decision we made for ours. Take care and good luck!

Awestruck.

Hi Reverend,

We are going to send you a more personal and official letter when we get back from our long weekend, but for now let us just say that you were a huge influence on how we went about planning and thinking about the wedding and everyone was really awestruck by the ceremony. So kudos to you!

Your guidance and humanity and talent.

Dear Rev. Susanna,

I can't believe it's over. It feels like a dream but such is life, literally. Thank you so much for your helping us put together our ceremony. We could not have done this without you and your guidance and humanity and talent. It was your ceremony that set the tone for the event. M. and C. were crying during the wedding ceremony, they were so moved...

Thank you so much for your blessing...

You delivered a most outstanding, memorable, poignant and personal ceremony. My parents LOVED you!

Dear Susanna!

A much belated thank you from the bride, as well! You really hit the mark. There was not a person who complemented the wedding who did NOT mention that you delivered a most outstanding and memorable (poignant and personal, too) ceremony. I knew we were in for a REAL adventure, and was so happy with the outcome after the ride. Many thanks again for meeting and indeed, exceeding, our expectations.

My parents LOVED you! Our families had only glowing remarks for you who really set the tone and the magic to set up for the celebration to follow.

Again, our sincerest thanks and warmest regards to you. This weekend and week have been dipped in honey - just divine!! Too sweet!

We will surely be in touch with photos of the ceremony as they arrive to give you some visuals of what everyone else saw - beautiful!

Much love and thanks again.

Our lovely, fabulous and beautiful ceremony!

Hi Susanna,

P. and I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU!!!! for our lovely, fabulous and beautiful ceremony!!! Everybody complemented it and felt that this was the most beautiful wedding ever :))) We are so happy we met you and had you writing our ceremony!!! We will always remember you and what's the most beautiful is that we will always remember this MAGICAL DAY - OUR WEDDING!!!!

We will send you our wedding pictures once we get them from B.

Hearing the word “magical” several times from guests.

Hello Reverend Macomb,

I just returned home from my honeymoon and wanted to say hello and thank you. I am so happy that you were our officiant! Many guests remarked about how personal and emotional the ceremony was and I've heard the word "magical" several times.

I'm so relieved that you gave us a copy of the ceremony. I wanted to recall exactly what M. said and now I always have it!

You are wonderful and I thank you again for leading us on our special day.

You really got the essence of who we are. You knew exactly HOW to bless us.

Dear Susanna,

It’s the morning after and we are both reeling with excitement still from yesterday. Words fail both of us in trying to express our gratitude to you for all that you have done for us culminating in the magic that you facilitated during our ceremony. Not only did you deliver it in such a touching, personal and funny way, but you really got the essence of who we are individually and as a unit. You knew exactly HOW to bless us, in the way that meant the most for us and our families. You have been a doula for this rite of passage for both us, delivering us beautifully into the next stage of our life. We received feedback from many guests that they also felt transformed by this ceremony, not a dry eye. Words cannot express how grateful we feel for the gift of your work and your presence with us yesterday.

You ABSOLUTELY MADE our wedding.

This is D, the woman you so WONDERFULLY married a few weeks ago! Of all the thank you cards I will write, this one is the first on my list. You ABSOLUTELY MADE our wedding. Words will never ever be able to express our gratitude to you for marrying us….I cannot tell you how many people came up to us that day and said that was the most meaningful ceremony that they'd ever witnessed, and we couldn't agree more. There are many moments from that day that I will remember , but none more, or in more detail, than that ceremony. You completely captured L. and I both as people and as a couple. You have been blessed with a great gift, and I/we are so thankful that you shared it with us.

I cannot say enough how wonderful you were, nor will I ever be able to thank you enough. Thanks so so much for everything!

The ceremony was my favorite part of the day.

Hi Susanna,

How are you? I hope you are and your family are fantastic.

I just had to thank you so incredibly much for everything. You did such an amazing job and people are still telling us that they have never been to such a personal and beautiful ceremony. We just got our wedding DVD back and I got to relive it all over again and I was blown away. Everyone thought you knew us for years! But most of all, you gave us the best gift of all-it seems S.'s mom has come to an understanding regarding their relationship. He would have never just said those words to her, but the fact that they WERE his words, said by you on that special day, in front of all our loved ones meant the world to her, and now they have a better relationship because of it.

The main reason I waited so long to thank you was because I wanted the words to be perfect, like yours were to us on our wedding day. Whenever anyone asks me what my favorite part of our wedding was, I always say the ceremony. And we both took your advice about stopping to take the time to smell the flowers, taste the food, and just remember the day. Thank you SO much for taking the time to get to know us, for seeing us for who we are, and for caring enough to do the job that you did.

D. and I are also sending you something in the mail within the next few weeks, so be on the lookout!

The Ultimate Wedding Goddess

From the editor of Susanna’s book, Joining Hands and Hearts, who later became one of her brides:

May I tell others that I think you are the ultimate wedding goddess, and one of the most wonderful people I have encountered in this world!

We think our interfaith minister is the best interfaith minister in the world!

Hi Susanna,

I looooooooooove what you wrote about the families! I think it's truly perfect and really captures exactly how we feel, so thank you so much for really listening and understanding, especially the more sensitive situations.

It's really so wonderful working with you, and you have and continue to make this whole experience so amazing! I just can't thank you enough! We think our interfaith minister is the best interfaith minister in the world!

It blew people away!

Dearest Susanna,

There is not enough room to describe how thrilled and grateful we are for your love, support, and beautiful ceremony at our wedding. I hope you heard at least some of the feedback on the ceremony. It blew people away! We are eternally thankful and look forward to a long friendship with you.