It's hard to find the words to describe our experience with Barbra as our officiant. From the very beginning, she captured the essence of our relationship so beautifully. When we first met to review how the ceremony would open, we instantly knew the connection was meant to be. When everything came to life on our wedding day, the ceremony became a heartfelt reflection of our journey together and filled us with joy and excitement for the path ahead. We were truly blessed to have met and worked with Barbra. She will always be a meaningful part of our special day, and we highly recommend her to any couple looking for an officiant who brings authenticity, warmth, and heart to their ceremony. read more

Barbra Valentine - Officiants Near Me

Barbara was perfect in every way. She has the ideal spirit to make a wedding heartfelt and it was so wonderful to have her loving presence and care at that moment... read more

Barbra was kind, professional, and so thoughtful - we were so grateful to have her officiate our intimate 20 person wedding at San Ysidro Ranch. She took the time to get to know us (we met with her at her home in SB) and thoughtfully integrated our stories that my now-husband and I shared about each other. A close friend attending the ceremony asked if we had known Barbra for years, which is a true testament to her ability to officiate ceremonies that are truly unique and reflective of each couple she works with. Our wedding day was wonderful in every way, and we are so glad Barbra was a part of it. read more

My husband and I got married at the Mural room in SB and Barbra was our AMAZING officiant, we couldn't have picked a better person to conduct the ceremony. Barbra is a sweet woman who puts a lot of thought and time into ceremonies. Thank you Barbra for everything we loved every moment on our special day! :) read more

Barbra Valentine - Officiants Near Me

We highly recommend Barbra for your ceremony. She adds a warm and personal touch, makes you feel calm and it feels as if you've known her forever. We knew from the moment we met her she was the Officiant for us and we weren't wrong. She truly made the ceremony perfect for us and we cannot be more grateful that we found her! read more

Barbra curated a beautiful, personal ceremony that our families haven't stopped talking about. Barbra took the story of our relationship and other personal anecdotes and was able to convey our story and emotions in such a wonderful way to our guests. She made our day so sentimental and memorable, and we are so grateful that she was a part of our special day. read more

Barbra is a remarkable woman! Ashley and I were so fortunate to have her with us on our big day. Prior to our ceremony Barbra took the time to meet with both of us to really get a sense of who we are as a couple. The day could not have been more perfect as Barbra officiated our ceremony that was perfectly tailored to what we were looking for. I can't say enough great things about this extraordinary lady. read more

We are SO glad that we chose Barbra to be the officiant for our wedding! We connected right away after I first reached out, and my now-husband and I both felt so comfortable when meeting with her and going over what would go into our ceremony. Our March 2020 wedding was cancelled just a week before due to the first shutdown for COVID-19, but Barbra was so sweet and supportive during the whole postponement process. As we got a few months away from our rescheduled date in December, we made the tough decision to reschedule a second time to an entire year later, but we knew we still wanted to get married in a small ceremony this year. Hours before another shutdown, we finally got married, and it was the most beautiful ceremony. We didn't have audio set up, and everyone was standing far away for social distancing, but Barbra's words about us still touched everyone! She's going to repeat the ceremony for us at our larger wedding next year, and we're so glad we get to work with her again! read more

Barbra Valentine - Officiants Near Me

We absolutely loved our experience with Barbra from our initial phone call to our counseling sessions and to our ceremony on the day of. It was such a great value and experience to do pre-marital counseling with her along the way. For one thing, the sessions are a nice quiet pause along what ends up being a very hectic and busy planning period and second it gave us a chance to get to know Barbra better and for her to get to know us. By the time our ceremony came around it didn't feel like a stranger was marrying us, but an old friend who knew so much about us and how we got to that day. She organized the ceremony so well and also incorporated some Filipino traditions into it for us. We loved hearing every word of what she wrote and it made us laugh and brought me tears of joy. We would recommend Barbra whole-heartedly and also suggest going to counseling with her before. read more

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It was extremely important to us that we had a genuine connection with our entire vendor team. From the first call with Barbra, it was clear she would bring something special to our wedding day. She is calm and caring and truly listened. She took time to understand who we are as individuals and what brought us together as a couple. She perfectly captured our our love and relationship and beautifully shared it with our friends and family during the ceremony. We are so incredibly grateful that Barbra was apart of our wedding day. After the ceremony, many of our guests approached us raving about her and the experience she created. She is a beautiful person and extremely thoughtful officiant. The thing no one prepares you for in wedding planning is wanting to continue working with your vendors after the wedding day!! read more

Hire Barbra as your officiant! Barbra was great from the beginning. After meeting with Barbra, my husband and I agreed that she was perfect. Her personality and kindness sealed the deal. The ceremony was beautiful thanks to Barbra. She created a personalized ceremony based on questions answered by my husband and I. She made the wedding feel that much more special. There was laughter, there were smiles, and there were definitely tears. Just the way a wedding should be! Barbra thank you so much! read more

Barbra has a true gift! Our ceremony felt so personal, not just to us, but to our guests as well. The last thing I thought our friends and family would be talking about months later was how great the ceremony was, but ours were, they loved it! Barbra just has a way with words, captivating everyone in attendence. We spent a few hours with Barbra to get to know her before our big day and she was kind enough to drive 2+ hours each way on Thanksgiving day for our wedding! We feel so lucky to have had Barbra there. She even eased my nerves before the ceremony and made us both feel so comfortable being in the spotlight exchanging vows. We would totally reccomend Barbra!! read more

Barbra Valentine - Officiants Near Me

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One can plan a wedding to the finest of details, but there will be things you don't plan on and you have to roll with the punches. The day before our wedding, our initial officiant (a relative) dropped out due to his own personal struggles. At the "final hour", we were left to find an officiant who we felt represented us. Luckily, my wedding coordinator knew Barbra and put us in touch. Barbra called us that evening for a discussion on what we were looking for. By the sound of her measured and calm voice, we knew we were in good hands. Just minutes before the ceremony we met Barbra. My now husband and I felt the same about her. We both felt we already knew her and it was as if we had a hundred conversations beforehand, when in fact we only had one. She did not disappoint at the ceremony. She absolutely captured the essence of what we wanted to convey with eloquence and heart. There was a moment when I heard Barbra's voice shift. It was then I knew she wasn't just our officiant. She was a friend and was meant to be there all along. read more

Barbra officiated our wedding in beautiful San Luis Obispo. The ceremony was everything we could have dreamed of and so much more. Barbra did such a wonderful job - her words were heartfelt, personal, special, and fun! She took the time to really get to know my husband I before the ceremony and even asked us some fun personal questions that she tied in perfectly to the ceremony. We knew within minutes of skyping with her that she was exactly what we were looking for. She had everyone laughing one minute, and crying the next. We continue to hear from all of our guests that it was the most beautiful wedding ceremony they have ever been to. She was a huge part of our wedding weekend and she felt like part of the family right away. We can't recommend Barbra enough! She is exactly what we were looking for and in addition to being our officiant, we also did couples counseling with her a few times before the wedding. The sessions were helpful, comfortable, and tons of fun. Barbra makes everything relaxing and stress-free, which is SO important to have for a bride/groom while they're planning a million other things around their big day. We love you Barbra! - Amy & Tim read more

My Dear friend, Barbra, has conducted two celebrations of life for us this last year. One for my father and one for my mother. In both she brought such a warm and loving presences to her oration. She recited beautiful poems that were very appropriate on both occasions. She gracefully included family members in the celebrations and kept things moving in the right direction. Barbra bends over backward to accommodate all. I can't thank her enough. read more

We were recommended to Barbra by our DJ and it was such a great decision. We met with Barbra a couple months before the wedding where she let us choose from a large collection of beautiful readings. We chose some readings and she even let us customize parts of them to align better with our sentiments. At the rehearsal she led the practice so that we were all ready for the next day. The day of, the ceremony went beautifully. She queued us for all the actions and everything was very polished. The ceremony was very personalized and it felt like we had known each other for a long time. We would definitely recommend Barbra! read more

From the first call to the day of the ceremony Barbra was so wonderful to work with! We wanted something relaxed and unplanned for our elopement ceremony. I was worried about not knowing all the details and Barbra was so caring and easy going about letting the day unfold perfectly for us. I could not have asked for a better day and Barbra was a huge part of making it so PERFECT! I will be forever thankful to her for the light, loving, thoughtful energy she brought to our wedding day. read more

Barbra Valentine - Officiants Near Me

First and foremost, this review is very late. I blame being stuck in the "honeymoon phase" for so long that somehow writing this review would mean that everything is finally over. My wife (Tanya) and I had selected a friend of our to officiate our wedding at Firestione Vineyards in Los Olivos. To make a long story short; our officiant had a last minute scheduling conflict (about 2 months before the wedding) and we had to quickly find a replacement. Our biggest challenge was getting comfortable with someone who would officiate our wedding in just 2 months. To add to that, we live about 4 hours away from our wedding venue so we would also need to find this level of comfortability exclusively from a phone call. My wife and I compiled a list of about 3-4 people who we would interview via phone and hopefully click with one of the prospective officiants. After 3 calls, we almost decided to call off the search and choose between one of the three people we had talked to. Barbara was the 4th and last person on our list. I cannot express enough how thankful I am that we decided to call. Not only did Barbara take the time to listen to what we wanted from our ceremony, but she delivered beyond our expectations! Tanya and I really wanted our wedding to focus on our relationship, our story, and why we had chosen to spend the rest of our lives together. Barbara truly took that to heart and crafted a ceremony that matched what we hoped for. After our initial conversation, Barbara sent Tanya and I a brief open needed questionnaire to get to know us as both individuals, and as a couple. The answers we gave were clearly reflected in the ceremony and it truly made us feel like she took our answers to heart and incorporated them into the ceremony. First and foremost, this review is very late. I blame being stuck in the "honeymoon phase" for so long that somehow writing this review would mean that everything is finally over. My wife (Tanya) and I had selected a friend of our to officiate our wedding at Firestione Vineyards in Los Olivos. To make a long story short; our officiant had a last minute scheduling conflict (about 2 months before the wedding) and we had to quickly find a replacement. Our biggest challenge was getting comfortable with someone who would officiate our wedding in just 2 months. To add to that, we live about 4 hours away from our wedding venue so we would also need to find this level of comfortability exclusively from a phone call. My wife and I compiled a list of about 3-4 people who we would interview via phone and hopefully click with one of the prospective officiants. After 3 calls, we almost decided to call off the search and choose between one of the three people we had talked to. Barbara was the 4th and last person on our list. I cannot express enough how thankful I am that we decided to call. Not only did Barbara take the time to listen to what we wanted from our ceremony, but she delivered beyond our expectations! Tanya and I really wanted our wedding to focus on our relationship, our story, and why we had chosen to spend the rest of our lives together. Barbara truly took that to heart and crafted a ceremony that matched what we hoped for. After our initial conversation, Barbara sent Tanya and I a brief open needed questionnaire to get to know us as both individuals, and as a couple. The answers we gave were clearly reflected in the ceremony and it truly made us feel like she took our answers to heart and incorporated them into the ceremony. If you are looking for an officiant who will truly listen to how you envision your wedding, will make it as personal as possible, and will make the day all about you and your spouse, I would highly recommend Barbara. Barbara was so excellent and personal that family and friends assumed that Barbara was a longtime family friend. Numerous people were in shock when we told them we had met over the phone just 2 months before the ceremony. I think that should tell you everything you need to know about Barbara and the incredible service she provides. After the wedding, Barbara told Tanya and I "thank you for letting me pinch hit". No, thank you Barbara. You did not just "pinch hit" you hit a grand slam. read more

Look no further! Book Barbra for a wedding officiant who will help you create a ceremony that is meaningful, personalized, heartfelt, and elegant. Barbra traveled all the way to Manhattan Beach from Santa Barbara to officiate our wedding. She was prompt, energetic, encouraging and very well prepared. She gave us plenty of assurance and support throughout the whole process. She made sure that she captured the essence and uniqueness of our relationship. She was easy to work with. She provided us with all the guidance we needed to create a very memorable wedding ceremony! Thanks a million Barbra! read more

Barbra did a absolutely fabulous job at our destination wedding in New Orleans. She was personal, professional, and invested in her heart in making our ceremony as sacred and beautiful as we hoped. We have gotten countless comments saying, "That was by far the most romantic wedding I have ever seen in my life!" Barbra brought many of her own repertoire of ideas to the table and was always willing to tweak anything as I thought of more ways to make our ceremony special. She made people laugh, cry, and enter into the presence of what a ceremony is all about - two people committing their lives to each other. We did everything from hand washing ceremonies to sacred stones and candle lighting with special music and personal vows - and Barbra was the best cheerleader to have by your side on your big day. She knows how to energetically hold a space for people to unite their lives, and that is a tall task. She met with us several times beforehand to really understand our love story and to make sure it was represented in the clearest vision possible on our wedding day. We had met Barbra from a few different communities in town, but had we not, we still would have selected her and can't recommend her enough. She will go out of her way to make your ceremony spectacular, and she will be the first on the dance floor to help get your reception started. Plus, she looks fabulous in a little black dress, so you can be assured your wedding photos will look spectacular. Don't look any further than I Do Santa Barbara and Barbra. It's the best choice you can make. read more

My husband (Max) and I were just married on April 7, 2017 in California. Planning for the Big Day was a little tricky since we currently live in Iowa, so almost all of our vendors were people that we found online after extensive research. We were fortunate enough to find Barbra after quickly vetoing various officiants that we found on different websites; we're very picky! I emailed Barbra to get a little more information from her and she immediately responded to us. After a few messages back and forth, we set up a Skype meeting where Barbra got to know my husband and me. It was an immediate sense of relief getting to know Barbra. She took the time to learn about Max and myself; from the day we met to our families to the wedding planning process. Not only did she learn about us, she also allowed us to learn about her. The mutual relationship that formed was such a comforting feeling to have with regards to one of the most important aspects of a wedding ceremony. Through the course of the next few months we were finally able to meet with Barbra in person during a visit to CA. Once we had a face-to-face with her, we officially knew that we had made the right decision. Barbra's process in writing the ceremony was something that we felt very supported in. She took two different religions (and quite a bit of uncertainty about what we really wanted to be said during our vows; plus, last minute changes...oops!) and made it into a beautiful speech about us. She incorporated inside jokes and humor, sentimental moments and memories, and optimism and best wishes for the future. I can honestly say that my nerves subsided once Barbra started speaking; I was so invested in how she was portraying the relationship between my husband and I that the butterflies in my stomach finally calmed down. Our audience was also interested and involved; we received so many compliments afterwards about how lovely the ceremony was. Overall, it felt as though a long-time friend was our officiant and made our day so amazing. Thank you so much, Barbra! Your kindness, thoughtfulness, insight, and confidence made our day so special. Love, Kimberly & Max read more

My husband and I had a wonderful experience with Barbara as our wedding officiant last summer in San Luis Obispo. She was relaxed, professional and kind. Highly recommended. read more

If we could give Barbra more stars we would!! When planning our wedding Matt and I knew we wanted to keep things small and intimate. When I found out Barbra helped to teach Matt in the second grade, I knew she would be a perfect fit!! From the moment I met her, she made me feel comfortable, she even convinced Matt to write his own vows. From start, to finish, our wedding was perfect. The ceremony was beautifully written and personalized just for us. Matt and I feel extremely lucky to have had the best officiate our wedding! We love you Barbra!! read more

Barbra was the officiate at our intimate wedding at the San Ysidro Ranch. I am a florist in Santa Barbara...so I was very familiar with all my choices and felt Barbra was the perfect fit for both my husband and myself. She did an amazing job from the time she took to meet us ahead of time, get to know little details about us and also got US to think about our union and why we were marrying each other. Our ceremony was very intimate and perfect....we felt tears of joy, laugher and most of all LOVE! I highly recommend Barbra...she is very intuitive and made our wedding ceremony so personal and memorable. Thank You Barbra! We love you!!! read more

Barbra officiated our son's wedding a week ago. She did an outstanding job. The ceremony was heartfelt, relaxed, personal, and romantic. Barbra shared words of love and encouragement to not only the bride and groom, but to all in attendance. She offered premarital counseling with the bride and groom and got to know them. She tailored their ceremony by sharing special things she learned about them. It was a beautiful ceremony. The five stars I gave for her review has the words, "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" next to them. I totally agree that Barbra's officiating is as good as it gets! Thank you, Barbra! read more