Personalized Wedding Ceremonies
for Modern Couples
your wedding ceremony should feel
like the two of you.
I’m a State Commissioned, Licensed Wedding Officiant, authorized to perform weddings all over Virginia. I’m a proud Army brat (growing up mostly in Germany) and I studied English Literature, Political Science and Women’s Studies at VCU. I joined the wedding industry shortly after I graduated when I started my wedding planning company, the Hive Wedding Collective. In 2014, I opened a bridal gown boutique, Urban Set Bride, with my Mom after being fed up with none of the Richmond bridal shops being size inclusive, welcoming to all gender identities or using anyone other than thin white women in their marketing.
Proudly LGBTQ+ friendly and ready to write/perform secular, spiritual or non-denominational wedding ceremonies for modern couples.
I’m well-versed in multi-cultural and interfaith wedding traditions that you may want to incorporate into your ceremony.
My writing style is light, funny, sentimental and easy-going. Let’s start your new chapter with a wedding ceremony that honors where you’ve come from and toasts where you are going.
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Full Ceremony Performance
This package is for a full ceremony performance and a ceremony rehearsal.
After booking, I’ll share my custom intake form for you two to complete together and a private form you to fill out separately. This allows me to pepper in a few surprise details and make your ceremony feel like you!
We’ll meet up a few weeks before the wedding (typically a lunch or happy hour) to get to know each other and confirm logistics before I finalize my script.
I’ll join your ceremony rehearsal along with your planner or venue coordinator.
I’ll recite a completely customized script at your wedding ceremony and get you officially married!
After that, I’ll sign your marriage license and ensure it is returned to the courts within 5 days of the wedding date so it can be processed.
Full ceremony performance within 30 miles of Richmond City is $1000
Please inquire for pricing outside of the Richmond area. I’m passport ready!
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Simple Elopement
A quick and simple wedding ceremony for you two and less than 6 guests.
We’ll do read and repeat vows, exchange rings and I’ll ask you two the important question. You’ll be declared married, I’ll authorize your license and return it to the circuit court with in the required 5 days.
This fee is $450 for any location within 20 miles of Richmond city. (Travel fees will be applied to any other location.)A personalized script can be added for an additional $50. This does not include a ‘get to know you’ meeting or a ceremony rehearsal.
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Ceremony Planning + Ghost Writing
I will provide guidance, advice and a ghost-written outline to the loved one that is performing your ceremony, so they feel prepared for the task. I’ll also authorize your marriage license and submit it to the courts within the required 5 days.
This fee is $500.
I can also attend your ceremony rehearsal for guidance (additional fee required, based on location.)
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Wedding Certificate Signing Only
If you have a close friend or family member that you want to perform your ceremony, but they aren’t ordained in Virginia, I’ll witness the marriage, sign the certificate and ensure you are legally married.
Ceremony planning services can be added on if needed.
This fee is $300 for Richmond.
kind words
“Christine was such a joy to work with. We found her through another officiant that was unavailable to do my wedding. Christine was extremely professional from the beginning. We booked her before even meeting her. Then we had a virtual meeting that was very relaxed. Christine is such a joy to work with and she made things so easy. My husband and I filled out questions separately and she used that information to develop our ceremony and the flow. She took the time to get to know us so she could personalize thing and focus on what was important to us both. She checked in often which helped when wedding planning got crazy. She communicated directly with my wedding planner so that my life was less stressed.
She also has a wedding planning background which helped with some of the behind the scenes planning as well as the rehearsal dinner. She gave me a connection for a DJ that we booked. Christine also owns a bridal shop and so I was able to use her show to find my perfect gown. She has a lot of connections in the wedding planning world which was so helpful for a bride who was planning an out of town wedding. She went above and beyond for our special day and I truly cannot thank her enough. Book her!”
“I met Christine when I went to her bridal shop and she helped me find my wedding dress. My friends, family and I loved her energy throughout the whole wedding dress process. When I thought about who would be a good fit as an officiant, I immediately thought back to Christine as I remembered her briefly mentioning that she offers that a service. I’m so glad my husband and I went with her as she is the BEST.
I literally feel like I could talk to her like she’s just one of the girls, yet she was always so professional. She really incorporated a lot of personal aspects of our lives in her speech at the wedding which gave it that sweet touch. If you’re looking for a wedding officiant, CHOOSE HER!!! You won’t regret it!”
“Christine is a force of nature in her own right — strong, confident, and unapologetic. She has an incredible ability to take hold of a space, she is a leader, and a born storyteller. It was important to us to find someone that could tell our love story AND meet us where we were. It felt like a lot of pressure to put on one of our family members or friends, and we weren’t sure that a leader of faith felt authentic when we weren’t rooted in a congregation.
Like many modern couples, we broke a few traditions, brought a few along with us, and even ushered in some of our own. It surprised many of our close family and friends, that our day which was so rooted in family nostalgia, was “narrated” by someone we’d only met during our planning process. You would never had known this, of course, as she delivered an incredibly authentic, comfortable, familiar, and beautifully written ceremony. It was scary to give her the reins, someone we’d only chatted and shared drinks with over the previous few months.
From the first time we met her, it was like talking to an old friend. Someone so new to us seemed to understand so much about us. We are so grateful that she opened up to us as we did to her, which made her guidance and “sermon” for our favorite day indelible. Christine seems to have many passions, but we like to believe that this is her calling, and her gift. We are still amazed at her ability to speak to our great love for each other, the grief and challenges that our love grew through, and the perfect amount of humor to round out the sniffles.
Our only advice to working with Christine — don’t let her fierce demeanor or local stardom intimidate or fool you; she is a total softy, and as she says, just a girl! A queen, yes, but also a romantic queen. Christine has a massive heart in the best ways; she is respectful of boundaries, family dynamics, and above all else, the wishes of the happy couple. It takes an incredible amount of strength and discipline to so eloquently deliver the love and loss that comes with loving someone forever, and we will always be grateful for the role she has played in our marriage.”
“We feel so honored and lucky to have met Christine and that she was open to officiating our intimate wedding ceremony. She took the time to get to know me and my now husband and incorporated a lot of our key beliefs about what makes marriage so valuable into the day.
She feels like a close friend now forever part of our story, and not like a stranger that signed our marriage license. I am forever grateful that she was part of our special day. Highly recommend!”
“Christine is a wonderful human being and excellent officiant. We asked her to keep our ceremony a surprise and when the wedding day came, she exceeded our expectations. After a couple of forms and an hour or so meet up, she had perfectly captured our love story and tied it all together for our big day. 10/10”
“We are so grateful to have had Christine officiate our wedding! She was kind, courteous and so wonderful to work with. Her fun, yet professional personality is what set her apart! She walked us through every step beginning to end and we cannot say enough great things about her!”
“I love Christine so much! I love her passion, professionalism, sense of humor, and her ability to balance joy and seriousness so beautifully. 💕
The moment I decided to have my ceremony here in the U.S., I knew I wanted it to be in Richmond — just so I could hire her! I had already bought my wedding dress from her boutique, so I knew she would be the perfect person to be our celebrant.
She did such an incredible job — honestly, it was even more than I expected. The ceremony she wrote was so beautiful and detailed, it felt like she had known us our whole lives. It was truly magical. My family and friends even asked if I had written it myself — but no, it was all Christine! ✨
She also helped translate the ceremony into Spanish so my cousin could do a reading for my family members who don’t speak English. That small touch meant so much to me.
Everything was absolutely magical! 🤍 ”
“Highly recommend Christine as your wedding officiant! She is professional, upbeat, and made everything feel fun and easy. When you meet Christine, you can instantly tell she loves people and loves what she does- her personality is unmatched! We feel so thankful to have had her be a part of our special day. 🫶🏻”
“We could not have asked for a better wedding officiant. From the very beginning, Christine brought warmth, professionalism, and a genuine sense of care to our ceremony. Her wittiness added the perfect touch of humor- light, thoughtful, and perfectly timed, which made the ceremony feel joyful and personal without ever taking away from its meaning.
What truly stood out was how beautifully she honored and integrated our multicultural union into our wedding vows. She took the time to understand our backgrounds, values, and love story, and thoughtfully wove those elements into a ceremony that felt authentic and deeply meaningful to both of us and our families. It was clear that every word was intentional.
So many of our guests commented on how engaging, heartfelt, and memorable the ceremony was.
We are incredibly grateful for the care, creativity, and heart Christine brought to one of the most important moments of our lives. We wholeheartedly recommend her to any couple looking for an officiant who is thoughtful, inclusive, and truly exceptional.
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“Christine was the perfect match for our wedding: we were looking for a calm and confident officiant who is LGBQTIA+ friendly, and found that in Christine. We met for lunch several weeks prior to our ceremony, where she got to know my husband and I to answer questions, strategize, and create the perfect personalized script for our ceremony.
Christine’s extensive experience in the wedding industry was evident from our first meeting: she stayed in touch with us through the wedding day, regularly checking in and providing feedback on our vows; she worked seamlessly with our planner and other vendors; and most of all – made us feel cared for and secure in her ability to captain the ceremony experience.
Whatever your needs, I have no doubt that Christine will meet them with professionalism, empathy, and immaculate style!”
FAQs
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After you submit an inquiry, I’ll touch base and confirm if I’m available for your date along with pricing. I’ll explain my style and process, get to know your love story and answer any questions you may have.
Once you are ready, I’ll email you and your partner a contract to sign and you’ll submit 1/2 down to get on my calendar. You can pay in full for a discount or pay the final balance 30 days before the ceremony.
I’ll email you both an intake form and a long questionnaire that will help me craft your custom script.
Somewhere around the 30-60 day mark before the ceremony, we’ll grab a beverage somewhere or meet virtually to catch up one more time before I finalize my script!
If you are having a ceremony rehearsal, I’ll lead that with your wedding planner (if applicable) and I’ll arrive on time and looking sharp for your ceremony the next day!
After the ceremony, I’ll stay for a photo and make sure a copy of my script and a souvenir marriage license is handed to the right person for safe keeping while you enjoy the rest of your wedding!
I’ll ensure your official marriage license is authorized and mailed off within the required 5 days after the ceremony and you’ll be official! Most counties will automatically mail a copy to you all within 30-45 days after receiving the license, while other counties require you to request extra copies. I’ll give you guidance on that.
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I am not. I perform secular ceremonies and I’m an authorized civil celebrant, registered in Chesterfield County and I’m able to perform ceremonies all of Virginia and most of the US.
While most of my couples ask for no religious elements in their ceremonies, I’m happy to personalize your script anyway you’d like! I have great respect for different faiths and your relationship with your higher power. -
I do not attend a church or identify with a specific religion. My husband is Jewish and we are raising our children to practice Jewish traditions throughout the year.
I took multiple world religion courses in college and have great respect for the positive lessons and moral strength of different faiths.
And I love (when requested) incorporating those stories and scripts into my ceremonies.
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It’s true, I am a smidge higher in price than other Richmond officiants. The reason for that is I only do 12-15 weddings a year, while most officiants do 60-80 a year. This is one of my many businesses and I always want to make sure the ceremonies I write/perform are really special. The moment this branch of my business tree becomes monotonous or impersonal, it will lose its magic.
If I’m unavailable or out of budget, I can recommend other reputable officiants who will take good care of you!
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Absolutely! Travel fees will apply, but I’m passport-ready at all times! In Feb 2026, I performed a wedding in Miami for a Richmond couple!
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Absolutely. I can work with a loved one to write the script, I can attend the rehearsal to help answer logistical questions and offer advice and then I can handle authorizing the license to make it official.
