I'm not even sure where to begin. Ian though I hesitate to call him a rabbi was hands down the most unprofessional officiant we spoke with. During our Skype meeting, he casually admitted to being racist and followed it up with an incredibly inappropriate "joke." I'm not someone who's easily offended, but when it comes to the person officiating our wedding, there are clear boundaries that should never be crossed. The only upside to that meeting was that it pushed us to find a real, respectful Rabbi. We ended up connecting with Temple Emanu El, and they were everything we had hoped for especially as an interfaith couple. If that's what you're looking for, I can't recommend them enough. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time here unless you want a funny story to share with your wedding guests. read more

This is the worst rabbi you could hire. I cannot begin to explain how unprofessional and incompetent this rabbi is. Rule number 1 of a wedding: don't put down the bride. What does he do during our ceremony? Call my wife controlling - a joke at her expense. You're the joke rabbi Ian. Absolute loser do not waste your time and money with this joke of a "rabbi" read more

There is honestly so so much to post about how great RabbI Ian was. He truly made our wedding so immensely special. His way with words was so impactful to both my wife and myself and his humor coupled with his sharp wit helped ease both our nerves. He is incredibly kind, thoughtful, and professional. Thank you Rabbi! read more

Rabbi Ian stated from the beginning that the ceremony (our wedding) would be fun, exciting and people of different religions would love the ceremony. He said that in the past people that were not Jewish wanted to get remarried just to have him Officiate the wedding. I honestly found all of this a little hard to believe. About 170 people attended our wedding. There were a very small group of Jewish people there. After the wedding we had so many people come up to us and ask who this Rabbi was. He was funny, the ceremony was exciting and it passed so quickly due to the Rabbi's wit! People were saying that even though they are not Jewish, they loved the ceremony and said they would love to remarry simply to have Rabbi Ian Officient the wedding. The wedding was amazing and Rabbi Ian was a big part of the fun and humor of the wedding. Prior to the wedding the Rabbi asked alot of questions about us. When he performed the wedding he was so personable it seemed that we have known each other for years. We only met him a couple of months prior. He was really good at what he did. I was, and still am impressed!! I would use him again for any ceremony requiring a Rabbi or Officient. Alan read more

WOWZERS! Rabbi Ian is the one-HIRE HIM NOW AND LOOK NO FURTHER!!! The energy that he helped create was insane and the entire place was filled with laughter, love and tears of joy. That undeniable energy stayed with us and everyone for the rest of the evening, thanks to Rabbi Ian for kicking it off with a great start! We felt so honored to have his presence around us on such our special day. We definitely picked a winner and feel beyond grateful to have found him! The way he spoke about us individually and then together as a couple, melted our hearts. He has the best delivery and when he speaks with such candor, such eloquence and not to mention he brings a lightness and sense of humor that we loved! Not only were we impressed but our friends and family bragged about him being the best Rabbi they had ever witnessed in their entire life! Put it this way....all of our non-Jewish friends came up to us and would say things like, "where do you find him and how can I sign up to be Jewish!!! :))) Don't waste anymore time-Go meet him now! read more

Rabbi Ian might be what you're looking for- if you're an interfaith couple who are not looking for a traditional Jewish wedding performed an authentic Jewish Rabbi, and are just looking for an somewhat Jewish wedding experience. If you ARE looking for an ordained Rabbi to marry you in a Jewish ceremony, keep looking. Our Story: My fiancé is Jewish, and I was in the process of converting Reform when we got engaged. We are members of a synagogue here in San Diego, but our synagogue Rabbis were unavailable for our wedding date so we searched for a 'rent -a-rabbi' to marry us. We found Rabbi Ian on the internet, and met with him. He was engaging, VERY CHATTY, and seemed like a good fit. We discussed that we are practicing Jews, and I mentioned how important it was that we have a Jewish wedding, with all the symbolism, etc. We put a deposit of $450 down a few days later to secure Rabbi Ian for our wedding date. A few days later, I saw the Yelp reviews about Rabbi Ian and was concerned. Had I made the wrong choice? After all, who performs your wedding is VERY IMPORTANT and I had some concerns that Rabbi Ian wasn't an ordained Rabbi! I spoke to my Rabbis at my synagogue, and they had either attended a wedding he had performed or had heard of him. They did some research and confirmed that they did not believe he was an ordained Rabbi by any Rabbinical school they had heard of. I panicked. Was I being married by someone who had studied the Torah, had a Bar Mitzvah, and then declared themselves a Rabbi? My fiancé was understandably upset as well, and called Rabbi Ian. Rabbi Ian said that if we wanted an ordained Rabbi, he could have a Conservative Rabbi he worked with also attend/perform our wedding. What? No! I don't want two "rabbis" at our wedding ceremony, I just want one who is an ACTUAL rabbi! We requested that we cancel his services, and he asked for it in writing. My fiancé wrote an email stating that we were cancelling using his services (about 2 weeks since we secured the date, and 3.5 months before the date). Rabbi Ian and his assistant refused to refund the $450 deposit, saying as we chose to cancel, we lost the deposit as they had already told another couple getting married on the same date that he was already booked. They even threatened to make us pay for the full amount ($900) as they had lost out on the other $450 from the other couple. This was incredibly stressful while planning our wedding. We had now lost $450 and had to find another legitimate rabbi to marry us! Luckily, it all did work out, and we were married a month ago by an ordained Reform rabbi who did a beautiful and moving ceremony. I feel that if you want to marry people under the pretense of being a Rabbi, be upfront that you are not ordained by a traditional rabbinical school, which would allow the couple to make an informed choice before securing your services! read more

Rabbi Ian... I'm torn... I love the way he expressed himself at the wedding.. how loving he was and funny. He really took the time to talk to us and trying to get to know us. And I just love his voice However there have been a few huge hiccups in my eyes. I've told him several time that I don't want to do certain things that he has been pushing for and yet on our wedding date (during the ceremony) he surprised me with almost everything I asked him not to do. Here is one example: My vows... I told him I wanted to do them in English so my fiancé and all guests understand what I'm saying. Ian ended up translating them partly in my native language and had me repeat them right there. I had no idea he would do that. Aside of the fact that he probably used Google translator or something....Not only did none of it make sense but he also switched in the middle of the sentence back to English. ... so I had to a translate parts of sentences he gave me right there. If you speak another language you can imagine how that sounded like. :( I was really bummed I sounded like a dummy who doesn't know how to talk. I was so embarrassed that I told my videographer to remove entire part of our vows. I'm really sad I lost that part of my ceremony. If he would just had taken it seriously what I told him we would not have that situation. Also, I'd like to mention that Ian's website claims to be very experienced with interfaith weddings and I sadly I do have to disagree. Although he is more than happy to combine both backgrounds I'm afraid he does not pay attention to the details. He did mess up rituals, the roles of every person and to top it all of he pronounced our new last name completely wrong... My fiancé was really upset about that and said in that moment sarcastically "close enough".... Instead of saying something positive that we just got married... He ruined that moment for us too. Again, I love Rabbi Ian as a person but he definitely needs to listen closely on what the couple doesn't want. Nobody wants to be constantly surprised with things they specifically requested not to have during your wedding ceremony. While you're out there you have to go with the flow... you have no choice. I remember being so upset at him all day long. read more

I don't know what I expected when I flew from Charlottesville VA to San Diego for my cousin's daughter's Bat Mitzvah, but what I didn't count on was Rabbi Ian. He is a rabbi for today. While many Jewish kids today slip through the cracks and we lose them from Judaism because they may perceive it is not relevant to them, Rabbi Ian reins them back in, through many different ways. First, he makes the prayers and customs mean something to them. Then he allows us all to laugh at ourselves and enjoy the gift of being Jewish. There is no "finally", because he is a very complex person. I will say "next". Next, he makes me so darn proud to be Jewish and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We didn't want the day to end. We came away with a feeling that Judaism is not dead. Rabbi Ian showed us all that it is a vital, alive religion that allows many variations. This gives me hope for the future. The Bat Mitzvah learned so much and was able to lead the service with ruach and kavanah! Toda Raba, Rabbi Ian! read more

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Rabbi Ian was amazing throughout the entire process. From our first conversation to the sit down and all the way through our wedding he was personable and professional. Everyone loved him at our ceremony and we know he did a fantastic job! There is a lot more that I could say about this positive experience! Anyway, I would highly recommend him and there is a reason why he appears in a ton of internet wedding videos. Do yourself a favor and just give him a call. read more

THE BEST RABBI EVER!!! Rabbi Ian made the most memorable and special segment of our wedding, the ceremony. Everyone we talked to after the wedding was floored and moved by how engaging, witty, fun, and sentimental our officiant made our ceremony. He individualized our ceremony and put so many personal details about us that it felt tailored to us. The most common comment on our wedding was that it was the best ceremony they have ever been to in their lives. OF COURSE we think so, but we are biased :) Rabbi Ian, A MILLION thank yous. We laughed and we cried with you and are forever grateful. read more

Rabbi Ian is the most AMAZING officiant! He took the time to get to know my wife and I in order to make a remarkably memorable ceremony. He was attentive to any and all questions we had and made sure we were comfortable with every aspect of the process. We are incredibly pleased with the service he catered to us and I give him the UTMOST recommendation!!! read more

There are two types of people in the world: those who love rabbi Ian and those who loathe him. Let me help you decide which one you are. 1. He demands a non-refundable, inflated, suggested "donation" of $900. This "donation" means he doesn't pay taxes. Supposedly this donation goes towards his so called synagogue. Continue reading. 2. He claims to be the rabbi of a synagogue. Read the other reviews. He is not an ordained rabbi. Also the so called "pacific synagogue" is an office in a building, not the type of synagogue you might imagine which serves a Jewish community. So where is the money for these donations going? I'll leave that up to the reader. 3. The so called "board" is basically him. So if you have any issues with him, good luck. 4. He is inappropriate and for example talked to us about his "boy parts". Is this the man you want marrying you in front of your parents and family? Just so you know, he has no filter. 5. He will have no regard for what you are envisioning in your ceremony. It is all about him. This is the "rabbi Ian show." He does what he wants and doesn't care about your preferences. It's called narcissism. 6. When you are unhappy with his service he will be completely unwilling to make a full or partial refund of your donation. This behavior creates negative feelings during what should be one of the happiest times of your life. 7. If you read reviews on wedding wire you will see nothing but positive reviews. Well, that is a website he pays for and has complete control over which reviews get posted. When we tried to post a negative review it was removed immediately because he didn't perform the actual ceremony. If you dig deep enough into the internet you will find negative reviews, like the ones you are reading here, that show this behavior is not out of the ordinary. Pay attention To the people who gave him positive reviews, many of them only have only a couple other reviews. Do yourself a favor and get a professional and legitimate rabbi. read more

Fantastic marriage ceremony, extremely entertaining. More importantly, very very thoughtful delivery.

Rabbi Ian is absolutely hilarious and does an amazing job of creating both a serious, loving ceremony while also incorporating in humor. He did a great job with our interfaith wedding and really took the time to work in factors from both religions. Everyone raved about him all night and even after the wedding! Thank you so much Rabbi Ian. You're the best. read more

Rabbi Ian - Officiants Near Me

Rabbi Ian was amazing. He married my new husband and I recently in Orange County California. I'm Jewish and my husband is not and what a wonderful way to tie in both of our religions. Rabbi Ian was funny, insightful and had great reviews about my chuppah from all my wedding guests. They loved him and the whole ceremony which makes us happy. When we saw a video we saw at the end when everyone was walking back up the aisle after the ceremony Rabbi Ian was dancing up there to our South African song we chose and it made me laugh. He explained everything to the guests throughout the ceremony so everyone including my husband and I could be involved and into it. Thank you Rabbi Ian for a wonderful ceremony/chuppah. read more

Rabbi Ian was everything we could ask for and more! He made our ceremony very intimate and cozy. He definitely calmed our nerves at the beginning as he could sense that we were both a little nervous. He even interacted and engaged with our audience. The ceremony was timed perfectly, not a minute short, not a minute long and he definitely was NOT boring. From myself, my husband and all our guests, the one thing we can't stop talking about is how beautifully Rabbi Ian orchestrated our wedding ceremony read more

Amazing ceremony! Very charming, great speaker and made the ceremony personable and delightful. Thoroughly enjoyed Rabi Ian's personality and devotion to the ceremony. Great guy, I highly recommend him as an officiant. Beautiful ceremony. read more

This man is the most incredible Rabbi. His humor, love, and kindness permeate the wedding ceremony. I'm considering converting just so he can officiate my wedding. read more

In hindsight, we made a serious mistake by sending our money to Rabbi Ian and the Pacific Synagogue. As your wedding day draws near, nothing will matter more to you than the professionalism of the people you're working with. And a true professional will understand how important it is not to make you seriously doubt their professionalism, especially in the stressful days before your event. (Fortunately, everyone else we worked with came through with flying colors! See my other reviews.) We understand why some vendors want to be paid in full in advance, as Rabbi Ian/Pacific Synagogue did. But we believe that this places an ethical responsibility on them to treat you in a professional manner after they have your money. The four questions we now wish we'd asked ourselves about Rabbi Ian/Pacific Synagogue are: 1. How hard is it to imagine them behaving unprofessionally once our full payment has been submitted? 2. What happens in the event that they do behave unprofessionally then? Will they be seriously concerned to make things right? If not, will they agree to refund our money, or even half of it, if we have to scramble to find another officiant on short notice? 3. What exactly is our "pledge"/"donation"/"retainer" (as it was variously described) going to support? What *is* the Pacific Synagogue? My wife and I hesitated when we first heard their high asking price (nearly double the going rate for hired officiants), but we agreed because we believed (based on communications that we've saved) that we were supporting the operations of a real synagogue, with an independent board of trustees, for which Rabbi Ian worked. Suffice it to say that we no longer believe this impression to be entirely accurate! 4. How annoying/aggravating would it be to have unresolved issues with these people several weeks after the wedding? It's fair to ask how we ended up signing on with Rabbi Ian in the first place. The answer is that we (and both our families) wanted our ceremony to be performed by a rabbi, and neither of us is from San Diego (we planned the wedding from the East Coast). We were initially impressed with Rabbi's Ian's positive reviews on a major wedding website (a site that, we've since realized, collects revenues from its featured vendors). And although we did have some slight reservations after speaking with Rabbi Ian, we were reassured by all those positive reviews. As for submitting the first half of the "donation," the fact that the mailing address was a high-rise office didn't raise any red flags, since my wife and I have both been affiliated with small synagogues that don't have dedicated spaces. (It didn't occur to us then that that 33rd floor office might be the *only* physical address for the Pacific Synagogue.) And when I met with Ian during a business trip to San Diego, he seemed fine. It may well be a sheer coincidence that the "crisis-precipitating" email he sent us came a day or so after our second check was deposited. To us, and to everyone we discussed it with, the email seemed screamingly inappropriate and alarmingly out of touch, both in itself and as a response to an email in which I had just explained how exceptionally busy we were just then (my wife had returned from her medical boards early that morning, and I'd been planning the wedding singlehandedly from across the country on top of my own busy schedule). After such a peculiar response from Ian, it was hard to imagine feeling comfortable with him at our wedding, which was just 10 days away. He did leave a voice message once I notified him that we believed he'd crossed a line and would be seeking another officiant. However, the message contained no acknowledgement that there was anything amiss on his end, or even any interest in finding out why we were taking this drastic step. This confirmed our sense that our choice to replace him, though difficult, was the right one in the circumstances, and we proceeded to find (with help from another vendor--and a bit of luck!) another officiant on short notice. In the end, everyone understood that we had done our best to have a rabbi perform the ceremony. While Rabbi Ian's replacement wasn't a rabbi, we're pleased to say that he turned out to be a mensch! Given the circumstances, I felt that it was very generous of us to offer to let Rabbi Ian/Pacific Synagogue keep half of our payment ("donation" or whatever), which is about what we paid our actual officiant. But six weeks later, I still haven't received a response. We definitely feel that our generosity was abused! Update: it's been well over a year now, and in the interim we've seen doubts raised about whether "Rabbi" Ian is indeed an ordained rabbi at all. read more

DO NOT HIRE THIS SO CALLED "RABBI". Nobody knows where or by whom he was ordained (I spoke with few Rabbies in the area). My daughter hired him to officiate her wedding and after only one interview on Skype for about an hour he was talking about new Apple apps for a long time. After that he told them that he was not very religious and made very inappropriate remark about my daughters workout clothes. My daughter was very upset and tried to find replacement that took a while. After new couple found one we contacted Rabbi Ian and his assistant to reimburse our $450 deposit. Assistant said that we should put it in writing so they can submit it to Pacific Sinagogue Board or they can go after us to collect second half. After we did exactly that all kind of communication stoped. We tried emailing,calling and texting them and we never heard back to this date. Rabbi Ian made whole experience very unpleasant that does not fit religious leader who was suppose to marry your child. Save yourself a lot of aggravation and DO NOT HIRE this so called Rabbi. read more

Rabbi Ian was the officiant for my wedding a few weeks ago and it was truly an amazing experience. Rabbi Ian made our interfaith wedding extremely entertaining and comfortable for both families. He did a great job incorporating our personalities into the ceremony, making it fun, and combining certain aspects of both religions. You can tell he really cares about the people he works with and takes time to get to know the individuals. If you're looking for an interfaith wedding officiant that makes it interesting and fun, Rabbi Ian is your man! Cheers! read more

Rabbi Ian officiated a beautiful wedding ceremony between two friends of mine. It was obvious that he really took the time to get to know the bride and groom both individually and as a couple before their wedding day, which made their ceremony that much more special. I also appreciate that he brings elements of traditional Judaism (should the couple want that) into ceremonies between non-practicing or interfaith couples and explains the meaning behind each tradition. This helps engage friends and family who are not familiar with these practices, which makes the ceremony more intimate and inviting. He is an excellent officiant. read more