One of the joys of officiating weddings is working with fantastic couples that want to create a meaningful and one-of-a-kind ceremony. Luke and Kris' backyard wedding at their new home in Madison was precisely that. There were so many unique elements in the ceremony, and I loved that Sadie at Sadie Lawson Photography LLC captured all the guests waving ribbon wands when Luke and Kris kissed. It was so personal and authentic to their relationship, and it was so much fun working with this delightful couple. Congratulations Luke and Kristina. May your years ahead be filled with an abundance of joy and happiness. 

No compliment is more appreciated than when a fellow wedding professional tells you the ceremony was the best he has ever heard. These words of praise are what Rev. Rachel Tatge heard from Greg, the DJ at Yes Weddings, after marrying Shaun and Ye following their wedding yesterday at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, WI. 

Kaitlin and Drew's wedding yesterday at The Ivy House in Milwaukee couldn't have been more perfect. It was so much fun working with them to create a meaningful, one-of-a-kind ceremony. They have been together for 13 years, so I loved sharing their love story. Including their dog, Olive, in the procession as the flower girl and the unity beer ritual using a stein they had purchased during a trip to Germany was incredible! Even the train passing by in the middle of the ceremony so I could spontaneously compare their love to an unstoppable train worked out fine. The whole ceremony felt very personal and authentic to their relationship, and I was honored and delighted to be there to celebrate with this fantastic couple.   

What do you do when it begins to rain in the middle of the wedding? To finish the ceremony, you invite 200 guests to join you under the two massive willow trees. It created an intimate, bonding experience for everyone, and I'm sure Cassie and Austin's guests will talk about their wedding in the days, weeks, and years ahead. 

Despite a sudden change of plans and a heavily abbreviated ceremony, the couple was happy, and Cassie wrote and said, "Austin and I wouldn't change a thing about how our wedding day went. Thank you for being so flexible with it all."

In 17 years of officiating weddings, this was a first for me. I can't tell you how grateful I was that Cassie and Austin were a laid-back couple and able to be present in the moment. And I'm incredibly thankful it happened at my favorite wedding venue at Harvest Moon Pond, because what would we have done without their beautiful big willow trees. 

Photography: Tiffany Bekx Photography
Photo from the Barn: Harvest Moon Pond 

"Koru Ceremony and Pat Werk were spectacular to work with. Pat advised and guided us through the whole process while letting us make our own choices, kept in touch, and provided a very personal experience for us and all of our guests. We received several comments complimenting our wedding ceremony. I could not more strongly recommend her!"
Barb and Mike were married on June 4, 2022, at the Rotary Botanical Gardens, in Janesville, WI.

There is no elevator to a healthy, successful marriage. You have to take the stairs. ​
Happy Anniversary Christian and Sally! 

What a beautiful day to get married at St. James 1868 Event Venue in Milwaukee. This gorgeous venue was a former Episcopal Church that got a second life when the congregation died, and a developer decided to save the historic building.

Yesterday, Kyle and Jessica’s wedding couldn’t have been better or more beautiful. Working with this delightful couple and their incredible vendors was a joy.
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Photographers: Uttke Photography & Design
Videographer & DJ: Sound by Design 
Wedding Planner: Blue Fancy Events
Florist: Jane Kelly Floral
Officiant: Koru Ceremony: Celebrating New Beginnings

​We are delighted, humbled, and utterly surprised to announce Koru Ceremony won the BEST OFFICIANT award at the WI Bride Best of 2022 Awards Ceremony last night in Milwaukee at St. James 1868.

Peter Leidy, Sarah Harrison, and I always have a good time hanging out together, whether we win or are a finalist. I also want to acknowledge my other Koru officiants, Rachel Tatge and Connie Lambeth, who could not come to the event but cheered us on from afar.

I am so incredibly grateful for my officiants and the fantastic job they do working with our fabulous wedding couples. Koru would not receive the rave reviews couples have written about us online without the support, guidance, and care these four phenomenal officiants give to every wedding.
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We also want to thank the wedding couples, vendors, family, and friends that voted for us. We couldn't have won this award without your support for us and Koru Ceremony. And finally, I want to acknowledge my fellow finalists, Brad Schnell at I Do and the honorable Judge Derek Mosley. For the past six years, I Do and Koru have traded the title of Best Officiant back and forth. We have each won it three times, so we are both winners in my book.

​KORU (kor-roo) is the Maori word for “loop.” For the indigenous people of New Zealand, the koru spiral represents a fern frond beginning to unfurl. The koru symbol embodies new beginnings and a new phase of life, hope for the future, positive change, personal growth, working in harmony, bringing people together, and being mindful of the good things in life. At Koru Ceremony, we strive to personify these ideals and celebrate new beginnings through ceremony.

"Our wedding was last weekend, and I can't say enough great things about Pat. From our initial consultation through the final ceremony script, Pat was there through the whole process to answer questions, provide guidance and assistance, and create a ceremony that was unique and perfect for our wedding. 
Our parents have different religious beliefs than my husband and me, so I was very worried about how to make them happy with our ceremony while still making it feel personal and genuine for my husband and me. We were able to work with Pat to build a ceremony that was meaningful for us but that our parents also loved. 
Even beyond the ceremony script, Pat helped with music selection, vow writing, and provided instructions on obtaining marriage certificates, changing my name, etc. 
The ceremony was beautiful, and we could not have done it without Pat. I can't recommend her and Koru Ceremony enough."
Erika and Derek were married on April 30, 2022, at the Goodman Center, Madison, WI

"We could not have asked for a better officiant than Rev. Pat Werk. Our ceremony was, by far, the smoothest (and best) part of our wedding - thanks to Pat!

In our initial meeting, she really took the time to get to know us and stood out (by a long shot) compared to other officiants we were "interviewing." Pat's communication was excellent and made everything very easy. She provided many suggestions and informative documents. Some of these documents included song and reading suggestions; the best one was instructions on applying for our marriage license and all the documents we would need!
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It was like she knew exactly who we were and that we had known each other for years. She kept our whole bridal party on schedule and was able to coordinate everything. I did not have a worry in the world! There were so many personal touches that really reflected who we are as a couple. We received so many compliments, and we will forever have this beautiful memory with Pat. We hope our paths cross again!"

Thank you, Jen, for writing this heartfelt review for me on The Knot. Your kind words of praise meant so much to me.
Jen and Jake were married on March 26, 2022, at the Delafield Hotel, in Delafield, WI.

I LOVE these photos that Anya Kubilus Photography posted from Derek and Erika’s wedding we did together yesterday at the Goodman Center.  What a delight it was to marry these two. Afterwards, Erica told me the ceremony was perfect and I couldn’t agree more. It was an honor to be there to celebrate with them, along with their family and friends.
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Awesome vendor team:
Photographer: @anyakubilusphoto
coordinator: @olivebrancheventsco
Officiant: @koruceremony
DJ: Mike and Jessica Boggs- Dance Floor Heroes @citizenjess
HMUA: @archapothecary
Dress: @raffinebridal
Suit: @menswearhouse
Ring: @nyfinejewelry

​Super sweet photos of Aimee and Brandon on their wedding day on New Year's Day at the Sixth Floor in Milwaukee. Rev. Sarah Harrison was the officiant for this adorable couple.
Photos by Stephanie Marie Photography and Design

​The beauty of weddings nowadays is that there are no rules. Not every bride wants to wear all white. That's what I love about Koru. We enjoy helping you customize your wedding ceremony to be exactly what you want so that it reflects your personality and relationship.
Take Jazmine, for example, she looks fantastic, and it was fun to figure out a way to incorporate their daughter, Kali, into the handfasting ritual they wanted to include. And then they recessed out to The Addams Family theme song. It was perfect for this couple and all they were hoping for.
Photos by: Kate Bender
DJ: Atom Age Entertainment
Venue: Firemen's Park, Columbus, WI

It doesn't matter what size your wedding is. Even an elopement is still a special and memorable moment for every couple. On a cold February day, I married Danny and Nathalie at the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Before we even started, a dog came bounding up to join us. The dog's owner was surprised when he happened upon a couple getting married during his walk.
Photos by: Mikaila Dusenberry Photography LLC

​It was so much fun to marry Kelsi and Jack The Lageret in Stoughton, WI, last January. I loved how they asked their two stepparents to do a reading called, We Who Love You. Such a sweet way of honoring the relationship they have with all six parents.
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And it is always a joy to work with these incredible vendors:
Photography: @davestremikisphotography
Wedding Planner: @copper.feather.events
Florist: Floral by Jamae
DJ: @midwestsounddj

How exciting to see Corey and Ross' wedding I officiated at The Tinsmith featured on The Knot.
I adored working with this amazing couple and their incredible vendors:
Venue: The Tinsmith
Photography: Laura Zastrow Photography
Wedding Planner: HUE by Sarah Davidson
Florist: Daffodil Parker
Catering: A Pig in a Fur Coat
Cake: The Baked Lab
​Rentals: Event Essentials
Suits: Men's Warehouse
PR Agency: OFD Consulting
Officiant: Koru Ceremony

​"Ross and Corey tied the knot with a whimsical loft wedding at The Tinsmith in Madison, Wisconsin, anchored by a blue-and-green color palette. Instead of filling the day with flower arrangements, the couple leaned into a greenery-centric look that added vibrancy to the industrial loft venue space. Each detail of the wedding day was not only curated to fit their modern-meets-eclectic vibe, but the wedding style also perfectly reflected the couple, their personalities and their priorities. "We didn't have a specific inspiration for our wedding day, but we wanted to base the colors around some of our favorite colors like deep blue and orange," explains the couple. "We are fairly non-traditional and I wanted something different—a lot of the focus when we were looking at wedding inspiration was around a white color palette, which we were not interested in." 

As part of the wedding ceremony, the couple chose to include a lei exchange wedding tradition as a nod to their engagement locale. "We got engaged in Hawaii love the look of leis as opposed to something like a boutonniere and thought it would be something nice to incorporate to mix up the ceremony," explains the couple. 

At the reception for their microwedding, all the guests sat at one large square table so they could spend the evening together. In keeping with the blue-and-green aesthetic, the tablescape included blue linens and blue glassware. And as a fun decor accent, a custom neon sign hung behind Ross and Corey’s seats at the reception table. Dinner wasn’t the boy highlight of the reception—a dinosaur-themed cake and Polaroid guest book were also enjoyed by all wedding guests. And to further enhance the ambiance of the event, the couple curated the musical selections for the evening. "We created our own playlist for our small gathering based on music that we both like," shares the couple. 

Looking back on their blue-and-green wedding at The Tinsmith in Madison, Wisconsin, the couple encourages current to-be-weds in the throes of wedding planning to "be conscious about your overall budget and come in with realistic expectations. We quickly discovered our expectations did not match what we ultimately wanted. Some expectations were much higher than expected and some much lower (like for example rentals cost much less than we expected). Also, don't underestimate the amount of planning needed—we ended up hiring a full-service wedding planner partway through the process since we couldn't dedicate the time needed to plan. And lastly, pnce the day comes just enjoy and have fun!"

"Pat did a fantastic job with us! We were wanting a quick yet beautiful ceremony that had elements of our faith in a very short time. She had about 3 days to get something together and it was perfect!"
​Thank you Matt and Heather for writing this glowing review on The Knot
Heather and Matt eloped on March 30, 2022, at Korth Park, Lake Mills, WI

The votes are in, and we are excited to announce that Koru Ceremony has been voted as a finalist for the sixth year in a row for the WI Bride magazine’s Best Officiant Award!  The award will be handed out in May, but Peter, Rachel, Sarah, and I want to thank everyone for voting for Koru.  

Whether we win or not, we are humbled by your love, trust, and confidence in us as officiants and are honored for the opportunity to marry so many wonderful couples we have the privilege of working with. 
 
I want to also congratulate my fellow finalists Brad Schnell at I do. and Judge Derek Mosely for their nomination as well.  We are delighted to be in the company of some other exceptional officiants. 
 
Check out the list of finalists here: https://wibride.com/wisconsin-brides-best-2022-finalists