We are so grateful that Howard was able to officiate for our wedding. We wanted a ceremony that would incorporate traditional Jewish elements, but also be relatable and understandable for our friends and family who are not Jewish, and to be a reflection of us as a couple. We requested no mention of God, and Howard easily presented us with alternative options, and kept the ceremony in the spirit of the Jewish tradition, with modern English interpretations of Hebrew blessings. He was also so lovely to work with leading up to the wedding — we met several times in person, and exchanged countless emails fine-tuning all of the details. We were initially worried about what to do about our vows since we didn’t intend to share our vows publicly with our guests, and Howard was so supportive in suggesting vow options that would create a ceremony that was comfortable for us. Howard also constantly encouraged us to stay true to ourselves and our wishes throughout the whole process, which was so... Read more helpful to keep focused on what we imagined for this key part of our wedding day. He has a confident and calming presence that made us feel secure in knowing he had the ceremony handled, which was such a relief to know the ceremony was something we did not need to stress or worry about when planning all of the other details that go into a wedding. We couldn't recommend Howard more!

Howard was the best wedding officiant we could ever have hoped for. He designed a lovely, bespoke ceremony for us that was beautiful and elegant and touching, and felt inclusive for everyone in attendance. We are LGBTQ, with Jewish and non-denominational protestant families, we're originally from Atlanta and Austin, and we live in San Francisco, so our ceremony had to be a delicate mix. Howard asked us all the right questions to make our ceremony reflect who we are and was especially focused on making our ceremony inclusive. We especially appreciated that he was able to take Jewish traditions and make them current, relevant and digestible for the mostly non-Jewish crowd. We had been planning on having a friend officiate, but that fell through about six weeks before the wedding, and Howard was awesome about jumping in. We really only had the vaguest idea of what we wanted out of our ceremony, and Howard gently guided us through the process. Howard provided structure where ... Read morewe needed it, and was a voice of calm throughout the whole thing. We knew we were in good hands and that we wouldn't have to worry about the ceremony. And we were right: we got so many compliments on the ceremony! Our parents, siblings, friends, co-workers, and even our DJ and photographer told us how touching it was. We highly, highly recommend Howard. He's thoughtful, experienced and open-minded; he has just the right mix of gravitas and lightheartedness. He created the most beautiful ceremony for us--we'll never forget it, and we're so happy we chose him.

Howard did an absolutely incredible job as our officiant. He took the time to meet with us so he could learn about the values we wanted to project throughout our ceremony, and it was clear on the day of the wedding that he not only listened intently but also spent time and energy turning our wishes into a spiritual, meaningful and loving ceremony that we will remember fondly for the rest of our lives. We've had so many guests reach out to us following the wedding to say it was the best ceremony they'd ever attended—and we know so much of that is thanks to Howard! We can't recommend him highly enough.

We are so grateful that Howard assisted us in planning and officiating our wedding ceremony. In preparation for the big day, on two occasions Howard spent in person time with us to become acquainted and carefully listen to our vision for the wedding. Both of us wanted to write something to say to each other at the ceremony. During weeks prior to the wedding, Howard helped refine what was written through feedback via phone and e-mail. His guidance was thoughtful and grounding. At the wedding, Howard's solid yet gentle, loving, engaging presence was so welcoming to us and family and friends. Many of our wedding guests stated that the ceremony was beautiful, acknowledged Howard's kindness and praised his officiating. We could not have asked for a better person to help us prepare for the wedding and conduct a meaningful, joyful ceremony.

Howard is beyond exceptional -- the very BEST. You are in luck if he can officiate your wedding. Before we met Howard, we met another officiant (who does this as a source of income) but I walked away feeling like something was missing, like we hadn't really connected, like it was more of a business transaction to him and time commitment and less about us. But it was the exact opposite with Howard! After every meeting we had with Howard, we walked away feeling excited for our wedding and confident, reassured, and at ease that everything in our ceremony would go incredibly smoothly -- and it did! Ultimately, Howard came to feel like a very close friend. When preparing for our ceremony, we discussed all aspects, so he knew us and exactly what we wanted our wedding to be. He asked questions about things we hadn't thought of or didn't know about. And he has so much experience that he has an answer and a plan for everything. His personality is thoughtful, relaxed, reassuring, and acce... Read morepting -- the kind of person you simply enjoy being around. He was not only receptive to our nontraditional ideas but also somehow managed to pay respect to our different family/cultural/religious upbringings in a way that was secular (what we wanted) -- a delicate balance that seems hard to achieve, but Howard made it seem easy. If you get Howard to officiate, you are set. In fact, you will miss him after your wedding is over.

Howard was so very personable for our ceremony. He took time to work with us and met all of our expectations. He went above and beyond his duty to make our day extremely special. I would highly recommend his services. I cannot imagine having a better experience with any other officiant for our wedding. From our first interaction, he was kind and patient as we developed our plans for the wedding ceremony.

Howard made our “simple” ceremony very moving. We wanted a short ceremony, and Howard had many options. This included what the state requires, traditional and contemporary religious customs and even options he researched and recreated. His calm approach and breadth of experience kept us from ever stressing about the ceremony. We were married in our home surrounded by family and friends. The service met our expectations. He focused us so well, we thought we were the only people in the room, while he was able to keep our guests engaged and part of the experience. He has a unique way of guiding everyone through the ceremony. What he put together was simple, acknowledged both our Jewish connection and having our relationship legally recognized, and was very personal. I highly recommend Howard and the special approach and meaning he can bring to getting married.

I can only speak to Howard's work as a wedding officiant, and everything I can say is wonderful. He was patient and organized and helpful through all of the planning and performed the most beautiful ceremony. I am blessed that Howard was able to officiate our wedding. His calm demeanor, attention to detail, and desire to make everything perfect were exactly what our families needed at our wedding. He is a rockstar!!!

Howard did an amazing job with our wedding!!! I would recommend him to anyone. We planned our wedding from out of state.... Howard really took his time with us & made us feel comfortable that everything would run smoothly. Howard really took his time to get to know us & provided us with a wedding ceremony that we really loved. B & C Peterson

Howard is a special man. He is knowledgeable, low-key and flexible. "Thank you" does not begin to describe our gratefulness for his participation in our special day. it was magic.

I would sugget any friend or relative to hire Howard to officiate his or her wedding. He took the wedding from just a ceremony to this whole other place I've never been. It was detailed, romantic, intelligent, well thought out, and custom-made. I am over the moon happy. Howard is the best. He really cared about us too, and that took it to a whole new level.

Howard was a very thoughtful officiant for us whose warm words and professionalism made our wedding ceremony wonderful.