Pastor Marie April Gismondi was our officiant on November 1st, the day we got married. She was clear, kind and super easy to work with. Being as overwhelmed as my wife and I were it was great having her be part of our ceremony. Many of the Groomsmen and Bridesmaids were unsure of where to stand and what to do. She set everyone at peace by singlehandedly running our rehearsal. By the time the actual ceremony began, she had everyone in line. Everything went perfect. She spoke so eloquently and effortlessly, making us feel like the most important people on Earth. We're quite shy and she picked up on that by having us turn toward her after noticing how nervous we were while facing our family, friends and the blinding cameras. Her attentiveness to this put me and my wife at ease. She even went as far as to make us take the time to be seen for those magical moments where everyone cheered as she introduced us as man and wife. Prior to getting married Pastor Gismondi made selecting the words we wanted to use as easy and uncomplicated as possible. She was extremely patient with us during this process. Overall, she's a true delight. We still get people asking about her. We are so happy we chose her to be part of our special day. We truly can't thank her enough.
Church of Ancient Ways
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About Church of Ancient Ways
The ceremony shouldn`t be the thing that you and your guests have to suffer through to get to the good part. I promise you a meaningful, enjoyable, ceremony that everyone will remember for years to come. We offer 21st Century wordsmithing for all of life`s most important moments. We specialize in what we like to call Couple Centered Ceremonies. These are ceremonies that speak your hearts, and can include all the traditional aspects that are important to you while leaving out anything that has no connection to your unique and beautiful relationship. Tell me your vision of your day and together we will bring it to life! All meetings are done at no obligation and you will have your first draft within 24 hours. Only after your approval do I ask for a commitment. Do you see yourselves as more traditional or perhaps more private people? Ask about discounts for using my prewritten samples! Beautiful Civil & Justice of the Peace Style Ceremonies Spiritual, Religious, Interfaith Traditional, Alternative, Multicultural Quality Service, Reasonable Rates Recommended and Trusted by Top Locations No Premarital Counseling Required Writing Services Available (516) 785-4191 Serving the New York City, Long Island and Tri-State area
Total 143 Reviews
5 out of 5
by Lisa Specker · Nov 26, 2013
5 out of 5
by Lisa Santana · Sep 3, 2013
Rev. Marie April was fantastic. Made our memorable day a glorious one. Easy to work with, beautifully written and always very professional. Couldn't have asked for a better experience. She really makes you feel at ease and special. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is getting married.
5 out of 5
by Lisa Nowosielski · Jul 22, 2014
Pastor Marie April Gismondi was absolutely phenomenal throughout the whole process of the wedding. We had a customized ceremony that was beyond my wildest dreams. Her way with language is one of a kind, and truly represented us as a couple. Everyone at my wedding raved about how wonderful the ceremony was and how special it was to us. I'd have to take their word because all I could do from crying happy tears is stare into the eyes of my beloved. After going over the ceremony so many times, I knew hearing it would just bring me to tears if I listened. So we stood there staring into each other's eyes and whispering to each other to stay strong as she told all of our friend and family how we felt about them, each other and the moment. Truly a one of a kind experience with Pastor Marie April Gismondi. We can't thank her enough.
5 out of 5
by Lisa Northrop · Aug 9, 2016
Pastor April married us in November 2015 and we have to say that marrying people is really her calling. She was born to do this job. If you are like us, we wanted a ceremony that was personal but we didn’t want to have to cry and nervously spill our guts with our own vows in front of a hundred people. We wanted our ceremony to be succinct, lively, and entertaining, but still offer a certain gravity and soulfulness. And we wanted to hit the right note of spirituality without being cheesy or cookie-cutter. Pastor April delivered on all of these parameters and more! Her special talent is being able to interview you as the wedding couple and almost instantaneously write “your story” in a way that is unique and captures who you are as a couple. She has a real gift for language and writing and storytelling in a way that I think many officiants don’t. In person, she is super smart, organized, charismatic in front of a crowd, and has a little boho chic to her. Our guests mentioned that she was very engaging and that the ceremony was very modern and “cool.” She’s also full of useful advice and tips to make your ceremony flow better like having a candle lighting during our singer and wearing my engagement ring on my pinky finger. She has several options for vows and readings and lays them all out so you can pick and choose. She always communicated well with us and gave us plenty of time and was clear about procedures and timelines. On the wedding day, she kept us calm and on track and was truly happy for us from her heart. We also appreciated her keepsake book of our ceremony which is a nice way to remember the day without us having to spend more money on yet another item. We can read our vows each year on our anniversary and relive our beautiful day. Please hire April...she is truly special!!
5 out of 5
by Lisa Ambrosio · Aug 10, 2015
I didn't even know I wanted to look for/book an officiant when I arrived at the Hilton bridal Showcase. I am so glad I met Pastor April because I instantly knew she was the one for us! She was sweet, open, bubbly and poured enthusiasm for what she does. She went through every step of our ceremony. We chose the 'Meet' where my husband and I spoke to her in person, and she listened to our words and our stories, and on the spot, came up with some great wordings for our ceremony. Afterwards, she kept in touch via email, back and forth with editing, until I was happy, even over the phone, and she never once made it seem like she didn't have time for me, she was always so pleasant to speak with. The day of, I was slightly stressed, and when she arrived, she calmed me down instantly just by being herself and soothing me through the process. My guests commented on her professionalism and sense of care. I would highly recommend her. Thank you, again, April.
Church of Ancient Ways Gallery
Church of Ancient Ways Videos - 10 Videos
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Laurie
They have a great story captured here by Rob Coup of Couped Up Productions
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Jennifer and Greg @ Giorgio's
Great personal section shot by the wonderfully talented Capture The Moment Productions
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Laura
Beautiful couple, video shot by Capture The Moment Productions to show an originally written ceremony
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Church of Ancient Ways officiant Aviva Sala @ Westbury Manor
Thank you again Capture The Moment Productions!
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Church of Ancient Ways officiant Aviva Sala @ Sunken Meadow Pavilion
One of my awesome Church of Ancient Ways Officiants Aviva Sala, captured by Capture the Moment!
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Brian
After 17 years together, they each have a husband.
- The Most Perfect Beach Wedding Ceremony (part 1 of 3)
- The Most Perfect Beach Wedding Ceremony (part 2 of 3)
- Rose Lafontant and Michael Le Grand
- The Most Perfect Beach Wedding Ceremony (part 3 of 3)
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