Woo hoo!  Koru Ceremony has been selected for the 9th year in a row as the 2022 winner of The Knot Best of Weddings Award and the winner of the Wedding Wire Couple’s Choice Award.  The awards represent the highest and most-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by real wedding couples.  
 
These two awards give newly engaged couples a guide to the top wedding pros across the country.  Only 5% of hundreds of thousands of local wedding professionals listed on The Knot and Wedding Wire receive this distinguished award.  
 
The vendor must exhibit superior professionalism, responsiveness, service, and quality when interacting with engaged and wedding couples.  To determine the winner, The Knot and Wedding Wire analyzed its millions of user reviews across 20 vendor categories, including officiants, to find the highest-rated vendors of the year.  The winners represent the best of the best among wedding professionals.  
 
We are so grateful for all the fantastic couples we had the honor of working with in 2021 and for the kind words of praise they shared about Koru Ceremony on The Knot and Wedding Wire so new couples might consider Koru as their celebrant on their wedding day.  

I am incredibly appreciative of all the ceremonies that Koru Ceremony performed this year. Despite the pandemic that caused some cancellations and postponements, we still officiated 91 weddings, three baptisms, and one memorial service. The joy of being a part of these important transitional moments in people's lives is always an honor and a privilege. We believe a ceremony performed with intention and great care makes the memories even richer and more significant.
I am exceedingly grateful to the officiants that work with Koru: Reverends Amy Gile, Sarah Harrison, Peter Leidy, and Rachel Tatge. Each of them receives rave reviews from the wedding couples they work with, and I am thankful for having such dedicated and caring officiants.
The attached photos are from many of the wedding couples we worked with, although not all. If I knew who the photographer was, I have given them photo credit. Those photos that don't have a photo credit were taken by an officiant, or I have not been able to figure out who took the image. I would be happy to add the photographer's names if you want to pass them on to me. Or, if I did not include a photo from your wedding, I would be happy to add it.
Thank you for a wonderful year, and Koru looks forward to what 2022 brings. Happy New Year!

I had the joy of marrying Virginia and Chris at the Geneva Inn, in Lake Geneva, on Tuesday, November 16th. I really enjoyed working with this couple, and it was an honor to be at their intimate elopement celebration. I particularly liked that they read a poem to each other during the wedding and ended with dancing to Etta James’ song, “At Last,” which was a perfect way to finish the ceremony. Wishing them all the best in the years to come.

Virginia wrote in a recent email, “Thank you for such a wonderful ceremony and all your help with my dress, earrings, and shoes since my excited bridal fingers weren’t working properly! You made our wedding better than I could have ever imagined!”

Here is the review she wrote on Wedding Wire, The Knot, and Google Business:
“Pat was warm, kind, and knowledgeable about every aspect of our ceremony and the marriage license. My husband and I eloped, and Pat had crafted a beautiful ceremony for us during our initial Zoom meeting. We had a private ceremony, and Pat even helped me with the buttons on my wedding gown! We were so happy with everything Pat did for us!”

Thank you Megan and Scott for writing this wonderful review for Rev. Peter Leidy and Koru on Wedding Wire, The Knot, and Google Business. 

​"They were absolutely perfect. Our officiant, Peter L, was amazing to work with. We wanted an intimate and unique ceremony and he more than delivered. Their packages and customization are so flexible and fairly priced. We even got several guests' compliments about our ceremony and officiant Peter afterward. We cannot say enough positives about Koru or Peter!" 
Megan and Scott were married on October 23, 2021, at Cedar Hill Barn in Markesan, WI 

I love this photo that East Elm Photography captured of Heather and Jeff at their wedding last weekend at Stone Prairie in Brillion, WI. Such a sweet and wonderful couple to work with.

Update: Here is a review that Heather just posted on The Knot, Wedding Wire, and Google Business:
"Reverend Pat was wonderful to work with! She made the process of creating the ceremony very easy and personable. She gave us a lot of suggestions and options for the content and flow of the ceremony. It's easy to tell she has years of experience and expertise. If we had any adjustments we wanted to make she was completely open to them. You can tell she loves what she does and always had a smile on her face! During our meetings with her, we always felt comfortable, as if she was a friend. We highly recommend Reverend Pat and her services!"

Koru Ceremony had the great pleasure of working with Anya Kubilus Photography at a couple of weddings this year.  These fantastic photos from Jinjoo and Edward's wedding at The Tinsmith in Madison really tell a story.
I love what Anya wrote to go with this post on her Facebook page:
"A gorgeous venue, the closest friends and family, plants and karaoke = a perfect day.
Cannot wait to start diving into editing this day. But for now, enjoy these sneak peaks and swipe to see some karaoke."

Wow! These photos by Natural Intuition Photography evokes such a romantic, idyllic setting. But the most amazing thing is that what Justin and Christine captured was real and not just a gorgeous location for a photoshoot.
Joellyn and Erik were married by Rev. Sarah Harrison at Joellyn's parents' home in Spring Green in a meadow of wildflowers on August 1.
Congratulations to this delightful couple on their new life together! May their marriage in the years ahead also be beautiful, romantic, and idyllic.

What an absolutely gorgeous photo by Twig and Olive Photography from Bridget and Adam's wedding this past July. Rev. Sarah Harrison, married this beautiful couple at their gorgeous ceremony on the rooftop of the Monona Terrace Convention Center.
Here is what their awesome wedding planner Katie, owner of Ela Events, share in her post:
"What a beautiful couple, inside and out. Still smiling ear to ear thinking of these two as they start the next chapter as husband and wife!"

What a lovely photo of one of the warmest, kindest, sweetest couples I had the honor of marrying this past summer at Milford Hills Hunt Club! I adored working with Sonya and Klaus.
Image by Silhouette of Madison ​

"Pat was amazing. Her experience and organization & friendly personality made the ceremony so much more stress free and enjoyable then we ever could've hoped for. She was extremely flexible with our schedule and made sure to stay in touch with us throughout the planning process. We would definitely recommend her to anyone, no matter what type of wedding you want to plan!"
​Thank you Sanam and Aaron for writing this really nice review for Koru on Wedding Wire, The Knot, and Google Business.  It was an honor and so much fun to work with you in planning your ceremony at The Edgewater Hotel, Madison, WI.  
Here is what a wrote about their wedding in a previous post: 
"What a fun couple. During their ceremony, they included their older son getting their 1 year down the aisle in a car walker (adorable), a Rumi wedding poem (heartfelt), breaking the glass (joyous) and recessing down the aisle to Marry Me by Bruno Mars while wearing sunglasses (upbeat and celebratory). Congratulations, wishing you continued happiness."

This past weekend was jam-packed with weddings for Koru.  October is a popular time of year to get married, and on October 23rd Koru helped six couples get married as far north as Brillion and Markesan, three weddings were in Madison, and one was in Stoughton. 
This stunning photo is of Sarah and Ryan, who got married last weekend at The Fields Reserve in Stoughton.  Rev. Sarah Harrison was their officiant.  She loved working with them.  At Koru, we wish Sarah and Ryan, and the other couples married on October 23rd, an abundance of love and happiness in the years to come. 

This past weekend I had the pleasure of marrying Heather and Jeff.  What a wonderful and sweet couple!  This was my first time officiating a wedding at Stone Prairie in Brillion, WI.  I was impressed by what a unique venue it was.  It was a crisp fall day, so I loved all the details Heather and Jeff added, such as lap blankets for their guests and candles down the aisle and on the fireplace.  It gave the whole wedding ceremony such a warm and cozy vibe.  It was very hygge!  
(Hygge is a Danish word used when acknowledging a mood or feeling of contentment or a moment as being relaxed, charming, special, memorable, and aware of the present moment surrounded by your loved ones.)

Such a beautiful photo of Carly and Gage. Here is the sweet thank you note they wrote me.
​
“Dear Pat,
Thank you so much for everything you did to create a truly unique and memorable day for us. Thank you for your patience and flexibility and allowing Griffin to share some parts of the ceremony with you. The ceremony was absolutely perfect!
Much Love,
Carly and Gage”

​"Rev. Pat was absolutely amazing. She delivered an incredible ceremony that didn't leave a dry eye in the room. I felt that Pat really made our story feel unique and special. Not to mention, Pat provided tons of material to help us write our own vows and customize our ceremony with plenty of options for every detail. She also gave our wedding party tips during rehearsal and talked about how she would be positioned to make sure the pictures turned out the best.  I don't think our wedding day would have been as special as it turned out without Pat."
Ava and Zach were married on October 8, 2021, at Lake Windsor Country Club, Windsor, WI.

Thank you, Zach and Ava, for this heartfelt review.  I loved working with both of you, and I agree, there wasn't a dry eye in the room by the end of the ceremony.  Even I choked up during the benediction because I, too, was feeling all the emotions of such an extraordinary ceremony.


Photos by The Wild Authentic Photography

​In the 16 years I have been officiating weddings and the 100’s of couples I have worked with, I have never done a wedding jointly with someone else. But Gage and Carly’s good friend, Griffin, brought so much joy and laughter to the ceremony, it was delightful to do it together. First of all instead of a traditional flower girl, Griffin played the role of Flower Dude and had the guests in stitches coming down the aisle during the processional. He also shared a hilarious speech and helped me at the end pronounce them as husband and wife. Gage and Carly also personalized their ceremony by including the wine box love letter ritual and added the component of asking their parents and grandmother to write letters to them to add to the box, which they will read on their first anniversary. Then on their second anniversary they will add a new bottle of wine and write a new love letter to each other. Thus, over the years their love letters will grow, just like their love for each other will grow over the years. Although I love every single wedding I do, some weddings have a special magical quality about them that makes them so memorable. Gage and Carly’s wedding was one of those. I will remember this wedding for a long time and will remember their amazing vows and what a beautiful, sweet, and sincere couple Gage and Carly were to work with. Wishing them an abundance of happiness in the years to come.

"Working with Pat and her company Koru Ceremony was one of the best decisions we could have made for our wedding. Pat has a great process that will produce the ceremony you have dreamt about. Pat did a good job helping us through the planning process for the ceremony. She was receptive to our ideas and tweaks that we wanted to make our ceremony unique. I would highly recommend Pat and her company to anyone needing her service. She truly helped make our day special."
Kassi and Gibson were married on September 4, 2021, at her parent's house in Baraboo, WI.

Thank you, Kassi and Gibson, for your wonderful review about the services Koru can provide couples on Wedding Wire and The Knot. I am very grateful.
​
Your wedding was one of the most unique ceremonies I officiated this year. Getting married in the woods where you grew up made it special. It was such a magical day that I wouldn’t have been surprised if fairies and elves had come skipping and dancing down the aisle. All the details, such as branding a tree during the ceremony, we added to the ceremony, made it exceptional.

"Pat was wonderful to work with. 10/10 would recommend. Everyone commented on how wonderful, memorable, and unique our ceremony was, and there was not a dry eye in the house. She made the entire process easy and fun. The ceremony was very custom to us. Pat was very organized but also really listened to our wants and needs and input and was flexible. You can have as much or as little input as you want, and either way, you’ll have an unforgettable ceremony whether you let Pat do it all or are more hands on in the writing as we were. She is not only a great officiant but a kind person. She was always on time, organized, and very helpful with the license and even changing my last name after the ceremony."
Emma and Nick were married on September 11, 2021, at The Atrium, Shorewood, WI.

"We really enjoyed working with Pat from the first time we met with her! She was warm, supportive, organized, and fun to talk with. She had super helpful handouts for everything we needed, and she was always on top of things. We loved our ceremony and had lots of compliments from our guests!" ​
Review posted on Wedding Wire, The Knot, and Google Business 
​Marc and Monica were married on September 18, 2021, at Vintage Fields at Farmin' Betty's, Columbus, WI

Hello!  My name is Reverend Dr. Jill Johnson.  While I continue to have a fulfilling career in higher education as an Associate Dean, I love the positive energy experienced during wedding ceremonies. This could seem like an odd combination, but with a mind for details, mixed with my strong managerial ability and warm and inviting demeanor, I can help you plan and carry out your perfect wedding day.  I understand that weddings are a pivotal time for you, your friends, and your families. Each time a couple trusts me to contribute my skills to their ceremony, it is an honor I take very seriously and with great joy.  I look forward to guiding you through the process of getting married.