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About

** I do not always receive an alert about a pending inquiry here. For the fastest response, please write me here and let me know some basic details about yourselves (Jewish, interfaith, secular, etc) -- but also send a text or email me directly at SecularJewishIrishWeddings@gmail.com. TY! 267-902-7752. **

So "How is this officiant different from all other officiants?"

Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, best summarized my approach to our tradition, in his famous quote: "The past has a vote, but not a veto." In other words, while the traditions of any religion or culture are a great place to BEGIN the process of planning any religious event -- they should not dictate it -- especially if they don't reflect YOUR beliefs or your partnership!

My focus in every wedding I create is on love, community and family -- not to have a captured audience to "sell" my personal ideas about a diety or after life!

I also NEVER officiate the same ceremony twice. I don't have two or three pre-scripted ceremonies and ask you to pick one (or decide which would be best for you) -- which is what low-cost officiants do. (Think about it: How can a person invest 15 to 20 hours meeting you, follow up calls, proofing a ketubah, writing a ceremony, driving 2 hours RT, and officiant your ceremony -- all for only $300 or $500? They obviously can't; so that's the difference between "budget" officiants and someone like me).

What I find even more painful are those clergy who use the pre-scripted wedding ceremony from the Clergy Manual of whatever Christian or Jewish group they belong to -- one usually written in the Middle Ages, over 1000 years ago -- and just deliver the SAME ceremony for EVERY couple who contacts them. It's just such a tragically wasted opportunity.

Of course, you want great food and a nice venue, but at the end of the day, it is the content of your ceremony that I believe is the MOST IMPORTANT part of your wedding. And having that entirely hinges on your celebrant's ability to write beautifully; use the rituals or readings that best reflect who you both are; and then have an engaging, joyous, and entertaining delivery during the ceremony

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Probably 90% of the couples I marry are Catholic-Jewish partners, but I've married Quakers, Hindus, Baptists -- you name it!

I'm happy to officiate ceremonies where neither partner is Jewish; such couples usually self-define as agnostic, atheist, or "spiritual but not religious." I can create a ceremony with SO much more heart and soul than a Justice of the Peace would!

And still others find me specifically because of my special love and expertise in the Celtic handfasting ritual. (I'm half Scot ancestry myself; I can tell you about two lesser-known Irish/Scottish wedding rituals.)

That said, I AM an ordained rabbi and legally able to perform marriages in every state; I've studied or worked in all non-Orthodox Jewish branches for 30 years: Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Secular Humanist, Renewal. My training was the standard, uber-demanding 6 years of full-time post-graduate study, akin to earning a PhD.

Of course I am always HONORED to officiate for LGBTQ couples.

My first career was as a journalist, both writing and editing. I provide you with many dozens of files I have written to help you weigh your ceremony options (such as providing alternative options of traditional prayers). In a meeting, we would first review all 8 Jewish elements in a traditional wedding, any traditions that might work from the non-Jewish partner's background, culture, or current religious affiliation, and lastly, we'd talk about any American traditions you might wish to consider.

You'd then take however long you need to talk it over and make your selections; you would send me your final choices in a Q&A file I would provide.

In this way, we literally co-create your ceremony! You have total say over ALL the content in your ceremony (though I naturally share pointers based on my experience doing about 250 weddings over the past 14 years.)

By far the most popular (and unique) element of my ceremonies is what I call "The Love Story.” Here, I ask you each to answer questions about how you met, your first date, what qualities you fell in love with, etc. You each would email me your answers privately – the surprise is half the fun! If you read through my Reviews, you will see this is hands-down everyone's favorite part of every ceremony!

I'm a certified facilitator for the Prepare & Enrich premarital prep program, which is a free "add-on" service I offer anyone interested. It involves taking an online survey (about 20 minutes) where you each answer questions in the top 9 categories that affect marital happiness, based on 30 years' scientific research by top social scientists, such as Dr. John Gottlieb and his Love Lab at the University of Oregon.

The P&E program is especially beneficial for couples who haven't been together for more than a few years; where one or both partners have never been in a serious relationship before; or if you are interfaith and plan/hope to have children!

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As far as logistics, this is the process: FIRST, we have a phone call to "meet" (no obligation!) SECOND, I invite you to my home to brainstorm the MANY options you have for your ceremony; it takes about 2 hours. THIRD, after receiving your final decisions, I will write a ceremony based on your selections.

At whatever point you are ready to reserve your date, you make a 50% deposit. The balance is due by the wedding day.

I encourage you to take 5 minutes and watch the video clip on this site of me co-officiating with an Episcopalian priest -- just to get a sense of my writing, speaking style, and stage presence.

Congratulations on this joyous, exciting BIG step in your life!

-- Rabbi Joysa

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Frequently asked questions

What is the typical price for your wedding services?

$1,199

Which of the following are included in the price?

Premarital Counseling

What is the starting price for your wedding services?

$650

Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?

No

What is the starting price for ceremony rehearsals?

$100

What is the starting price for pre-marital counseling (per session)?

$35

What types of weddings and events do you provide services for?

Non-religious
Interfaith
Ceremony Rehearsal
Vow Renewal
Civil Union

What services do you provide?

Premarital Counseling

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Agnostic
Baha'i Faith
Buddhist
Catholic
Earth-Based
Episcopalian
Jewish
Lutheran
Methodist
No Denomination
Pagan
Presbyterian
Quaker
Unitarian

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

Less than 30 mins.

In which states are you licensed?

AL
AK
AZ
AR
CA
CO
CT
DE
DC
FL
GA
HI
ID
IL
IN
IA
KS
KY
LA
ME
MD
MA
MI
MN
MS
MO
MT
NE
NV
NH
NJ
NM
NY
NC
ND
OH
OK
OR
PA
RI
SC
SD
TN
TX
UT
VT
VA
WA
WV
WI
WY

What languages do you speak?

English
German
Hebrew
Spanish
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4.7 out of 5 rating
45 Reviews
  • Quality of service
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.7 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.7 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.7 out of 5 rating
84% Recommended by couples
E
Emily Sent on 07/24/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Beyond all expectations & hopes

We have been so grateful to have Joysa as part of our wedding from the beginning to now! Through the whole process she has been so friendly and caring! From meeting and talking about what we wanted and following up as the date grew closer we felt so special. She really takes the time to get to know who you are, what matters to you as a couple, and what you want from your ceremony. She really cares and is passionate! And so importantly during this pandemic, she has gone above and beyond helping us as we grapple with postponements and everything. She preformed a small ceremony for us on original date with our immediate family and had no problem postponing the actual date for the wedding multiple times. We couldn't of asked for more or anything better :) On top of that the special touches that she adds to your ceremony are so touching! They show how much effort and attention to detail she puts into her work :) Her pricing is amazing and fair as well. If you are looking for the best officiant look no further!

Also it may be useful to note that we are non-religious, but spiritual as a couple. We wanted to integrate Celtic traditions to our ceremony which Joysa did a wonderful job with! She has so many ideas and options to chose from as far as what you can include in your ceremony :) We really loved that!
S
Shaun Sent on 01/28/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Thank you so much and we can't wait to see you again on our redo date!

Joysa is one of the most amazing people I have met. She was wonderful to work with. She was extremely personable when we met to ensure she would be perfect for us (which she was) My wife and I are kon religious spiritualist if the even is a thing Joysa not only understood and accepted but she made one of the most heartfelt beautiful ceremonies that fit us perfectly. (maybe I am biased because it was ours) We also had the pleasure of being one of the first covid weddings after Pennsylvania shut down. Joysa was amazingly flexible was able to come to my parents house to preform the ceremony so we could be married on our date. She is even doing our rescheduled wedding that is coming up this March. Again, she was/is one of the most wonderful people we have had/have the pleasure of working with.
Z
Zachary S. Sent on 08/20/2021
5 out of 5 rating

A love story for our big day!

Rabbi Winter was amazing to work with! In preparing for the ceremony she offered so many options to personalize our wedding, and make it fit just for us. As our guests were of mixed faith, she did an awesome job explaining the Jewish rituals we included in our ceremony, so that everyone was able to really follow along.
But what really blew us away was the work she put into our “love story”. She asked us a series of personal questions individually (like how we met, when we knew we loved one another, etc), and then put it together into a narrative that became the centerpiece of the ceremony.
She knocked it out of the park! Our guests laughed uproariously, our guests cried, and ever since they’ve been gushing about how wonderful our ceremony was. (And we have members of the family who work in the wedding industry.)
We could not be happier with how touching, beautiful, and all-around amazing the job Rabbi Winter did in officiating our ceremony.
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Awards

45
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner

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Professional Network & Endorsements

1 Endorsement
Chester Springs Video Chester Springs Video Wedding Videographers

We have worked with Joysa on several weddings and she is very easy to work with. Her friendly manner and professional approach put the bride and groom at ease and make for a great ceremony (& video). We hope to work with her again soon. Kevin & Rachele

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