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