Kind Words From My Clients
Scroll to see wedding, funeral, and life milestone testimonials
Wedding Ceremony Testimonials:
Everything We Wanted
Joanne crafted a custom commitment ceremony for us and it was everything we wanted. Joanne was a delight to work with. She is professional and showed up to our ceremony looking beautiful and happy to be with us. I highly recommend Joanne as an officiant and to create the perfect ceremony for anyone looking for something a bit different. Thank you Joanne !
~ Jennifer and Shaun (September 2024)
Above and Beyond
Joanne goes ABOVE AND BEYOND for your service. She rolls with your story as a couple and writes the most beautiful personalized service. And she doesn’t stop until you at 100% completely happy. The long questionnaire is WORTH IT but I would just like to add that she will use your wording from the questionnaire throughout your ceremony and I didn’t originally respond to the questionnaire with that knowledge so it took some finessing (but thankfully you get unlimited edits!) Our guest raved about Joanne’s approach. They’d never seen an officiant like her, telling our story the way she did and addressing our GUESTS for majority of the ceremony. Such a smooth and wonderful process working with Joanne. Would highly recommend her services to anyone looking for something more than just the usual ceremony pieces.
~ Micaela and Kirill (October 2024)
Guests Loved Her
Joanne was amazing and did such a great job with our ceremony; guests loved her. I've been to other weddings where the officiant was terrible and can make or break your wedding. She curated a script based on us as a couple and made it personable. She helped us every step of the way and was so detailed.
~ Chris and Melissa (September 2024)
It was Perfect!
Thank you for everything, it was the most perfect ceremony. We are so happy with your work!
~ Nate and Dani (August 2024)
Incredible
From the moment we connected with Joanne, she made us feel like we were in such good hands and that our ceremony would be incredibly intimate and personal to us. She works collaboratively with you to design your ceremony and also connects with the key people for your special day. Although we went with a rather traditional ceremony, there were options to incorporate a variety of unity ceremony details to your ceremony. She then guided and coached our bridal party on all the aspects of the ceremony but with considerations for photography and videography. If all of this doesn’t scream “experienced professional” I don’t know what will. I wish we could get married again to continue working with Joanne as it was just a great experience.
Thank you Joanne for everything and your part in our truly unforgettable day!
~ Daryl and Teresa (September 2024)
Exactly What We Were Looking For
Joanne did such a wonderful job officiating our wedding—it was exactly what we were looking for. She crafted a personalized ceremony that was meaningful to us, and it made the day so special. Joanne was fantastic to work with, incredibly kind, and so down to earth. We received so many compliments from our guests on how beautiful and unique the ceremony was, and how much they loved that it told our story. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect officiant! Thanks so much Joanne!
~ Brett and Megan (July 2024)
Amazing Storyteller
Joanne made our day so special, she made it very personal and is amazing with her story telling. From the moment we met with her she was attentive and was in contact with us giving us advice etc. Many of our guests gave us compliments on our ceremony after as it was just amazing! Thank you Joanne for making our day so special!
~ The Nutzenbergers (August 2024)
Perfectly Happy
Joanne was wonderful- she wrote us a beautiful and personal ceremony and went back and forth with us through many revisions and changes until we were perfectly happy. We had an absolutely incredible and meaningful wedding ceremony and we thank her so much for being part of it!
~ Aurie and Eileithyia (August 2024)
She Captured our Love Story
We couldn't have asked for a more incredible wedding officiant! From start to finish, Joanne was kind, attentive, and genuinely invested in making our ceremony perfect. She crafted a beautiful, personalized ceremony that captured our love story. Her warmth and professionalism made the entire process smooth and stress-free. We are so grateful for her role in our special day and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a truly amazing officiant!
~ Jason and Jackie (August 2024)
We Loved Her Closing Remarks
Joanne did such a wonderful job officiating our wedding. She did an amazing job telling our story and we absolutely loved her closing remarks. She made our day feel truly special.
~ Deanna and Justin (August 2024)
Appreciate her Professionalism and Communication
Joanne officiated our wedding this summer! She also made adjustments to our wedding script based on our preferences, lead our ceremony rehearsal, worked well with our other vendors and was transparent about prices/process. We really appreciate her great professionalism and communication regarding paperwork and wedding day expectations!
~ Tyson and Diane (July 2024)
A Ceremony to Remember
Working with Joanne was super wonderful. She was always quick to respond to our emails, she kept us in the loop through the entire process, and she wrote an amazing ceremony script. Joanne wrote us an individualized ceremony script, and she changed/adjusted whatever we requested. She was super accommodating and understanding. After our ceremony I had so many of our guests talk about how good and unique the ceremony was. Majority of our guests (we had 188 guests) complimented us on it being the best ceremony they’ve heard/attended. That in itself was worth the extra price we paid for her! Thank you, Joanne, for making it one to remember and a ceremony that is going to be talked about for a long time to come!
~ Kayla and Brandon (July 2024)
We Can’t Thank You Enough
Joanne recently officiated our wedding on July 6th. Before our wedding, she sent us a questionnaire to fill out about each other. Our script for the ceremony was written based on our answers, which added a personal touch. She made our ceremony so fun with her energy and wrote beautiful vows for us to say to each other. We can't thank you enough for making our day special!
~ Courtney and Terrence (July 2024)
Touching and Amazing
Most touching and amazing experience. Hands down out of a twist of fate we ended up with the best officiant we’ve could’ve dreamed of.
~ Anna and Shaun (June 2024)
Most Meaningful Experience of our Lives
From the moment we met, we knew Joanne would provide an absolutely amazing experience for our marriage ceremony. She was so thoughtful and thorough in her preparation for our big day, ensuring every detail reflected each of us as individuals, was meaningful to us as a couple, and inclusively embraced our family, ensuring each of our children as well as our guests played a special role in our wedding, warmly surrounding us in a literal circle of love on winter solstice. Her bespoke ceremony creation and expert coaching on our vow construction made for the most meaningful and memorable experience of our entire lives, something we will always remember moving forward through each day of our marriage.
~ Matthew and Jennifer (Winter Solstice 2023)
Best Experience
We had the best experience using Joanne for our wedding date. She guided us and helped us so much with our ceremony & made our vows come alive. I had the privilege seeing her for my brothers wedding and had to have her for mine. Thank you for all your help!
~ Alyssa and Matteo (September 2023)
Kept the Ceremony Flowing Flawlessly
Hey Joanne! Thank you again for being a part of our special day! You had everyone laughing and crying (tears of happiness) and you kept the ceremony flowing flawlessly. So many people have said lovely things about you since! Thanks for helping ensure we had the best day ever!
~ Adriana and Justin (September 2023)
Received Many Compliments
Joanne delivered a beautiful ceremony. We had many compliments. She was very open to our edits and we were able to mold our ceremony into a memorable experience.
~ Tobias and Cheyenne (October 2023)
There For Us Every Step of the. Way
Joanne was the officiant for our wedding. She guided us step by step and helped us have a wonderful experience. We found a lot of value in the Prepare and Enrich program which is a form of pre marital counselling. It was incredibly insightful and we would recommend doing it.
I would recommend Joanne to anybody who is looking to have a customized ceremony with a unique twist. She was there for us every step of the way, incredibly knowledgeable and encouraging. We couldn’t have asked for a better officiant.
~ Timothy and Casey (October 2023)
Highly Recommend
Joanne was an absolute pleasure to deal with throughout our wedding process. We had many people comment on how much she personalized our ceremony, and said she was the best officiant they have ever seen or heard. We highly recommend her services for your wedding! (Carter)
Joanne was nothing short of amazing. Our guests said they had never seen such a personal ceremony before and how she included our friends and family in it was incredibly special to all of us. Even our vendors commented on how organized and awesome she was, to send them all timelines, info etc. They told us they don't usually get that stuff from an officiant. She had everything down to a science and left us with no questions in the end of what was expected of us all. She made our day so perfect and personalized to us and our love story, I couldn't have asked for anything more. Thank you so much Joanne, we appreciate all the effort it took to make our day as incredible as it was. I highly recommend her services. (Ciara)
~ Carter and Ciara (September 2023)
A Pleasant Experience from the Start
We had Joanne with Circle and Ceremonies officiate our Ceremony of Love. Joanne and her work really originated with our love story, and it was a pleasant experience from the start. We had a very unique request and a personal theme we wanted for our ceremony and Joanne was able to implement it all so easily! She was able to support us through the whole process and answer any questions we had. It was also a very stress-free experience with the rehearsal and the day of the ceremony. Everything was so beautiful and emotional; we were able to stay true to ourselves and tell our love story, all thanks to Joanne! If I could relive it, I would! :)
~ Darlene and Lyle (August 2023)
Thanks a million!
Joanne was such a pleasure to work with! We had many questions and didn’t really know the direction we wanted to take with our wedding ceremony. Joanne came prepared, and helped us to customize the entire thing. The couple’s questionnaire she provided was thorough and we felt like she really got to know us and our relationship. This made it easy for her to deliver an amazing service for us! We didn’t want to do vows, so she provided multiple different options for us. She was amazing and we would definitely go back to her for other services! Thanks a million Joanne!!
~ Carley and Jesse (August 2023)
Amazing job!
Joanne did an amazing job for our wedding ceremony and I would highly recommend her! She really takes the time to get to know you and makes your ceremony so personal to your relationship. It was sweet and lovely and also made people laugh. She was also super helpful at the rehearsal and made us feel so much more comfortable going into the day."
~ Michael and Michelle (August 2023)
So special
Joanne customizes your ceremony so it is written specially for you. There’s a lot of cookie cutter weddings out there and she definitely makes you feel like you stand out. Absolutely professional and unlimited edits make sure your ceremony flows perfectly. Very accommodating with changes and so patient when you’re indecisive. So, so happy.
~ Raelee and Jordan (August 2023)
An amazing woman!
Joanne did an amazing job with our ceremony! Without even meeting us she was able to tell our story as if she had known us our whole lives. She works with you to ensure you get exactly what you're looking for! I highly recommend Joanne!! Thanks again for an amazing day!
~ Joan and Joel (July 2023)
Wonderful to Work With
Joanne was wonderful to work with! Although the "get to know you" questionnaire is quite lengthy, it is to ensure you get an incredibly personalized ceremony script, which is what we were looking for. Our families and guests all commented afterward on how great Joanne was as our officiant. Joanne kept us on track with deadlines to ensure everything was edited and completed to our liking. She communicated with all of our vendors to ensure everyone was on the same page for timing and to ensure our photographers and videographers knew what to expect. Joanne was also extremely helpful throughout our rehearsal to ensure our families and bridal parties felt comfortable and knew what to do. Joanne was great to work with! I do believe in investing more ($) into great vendors to ensure the day/planning goes smoothly and as stress free as possible. I would definitely recommend Joanne.
~ Stephanie and Zach (March 2023)
Wonderful Source of Ideas and Guidance
Right from the very first email Joanne was extremely professional, excited for us, and supportive. She knows, that planning a wedding is a stressful process and did a wonderful job of getting to know us, and what we valued in our ceremony. There were so many parts we were unsure about, and Joanne had fantastic suggestions that we were able to weave together to produce a breathtaking ceremony. She also assisted us with writing our own vows. Her experience really shone through during the rehearsal, listening and leading through many voices and ideas, to get the job done. Comments from our guests: "Wow, that was the most powerful ceremony I have ever been to. " "That was so deeply personal, I feel like I know you better." "Best wedding I have ever been to."
~ Bianca and Fraser (October 2022)
With Us Every Step of the Way
“Joanne was wonderful to work with- very professional, took care of so many details behind the scenes and really understood the type of atmosphere we wanted for our special day. We loved how personalized our ceremony was and how she was with us every step of the way- from the initial brainstorming to vow writing all the way to calming our nerves before walking down the aisle! Thank you, Joanne for helping to make our day everything we had hoped for!"
~ Cheryl and Jose (August 2022)
Very professional and Well Organized
We had to reschedule our wedding twice and working with Joanne was easy and she really made our experience personal! She followed up and sent us all the info and prep that we needed. Great contribution to our big day!
~ Kathleen and Steven (August 2022)
Our ceremony was PERFECT thanks to Joanne
My now husband and I enjoyed working with Joanne from our very first meeting, all the way until after our ceremony. The care and work Joanne puts into your ceremony is incredible, and her passion for her work is truly obvious. Our ceremony was exactly as we had hoped: personal, light, and sentimental. Her communication through the planning was great, we never felt lost or confused as to what our next step was. We can't wait to receive our ceremony keepsake! We highly recommend Joanne for any couples looking for their officiant, and cannot say enough positive things.
~ Taylor and Stephen (September 2022)
Funeral / Celebration of Life Testimonials:
An Absolute Blessing
Joanne was an absolute blessing during such a difficult time. As the celebrant for our mother’s memorial service, she brought warmth, compassion, and professionalism to every detail. Joanne took the time to listen to our stories, and the ceremony she created truly honored our mother’s spirit and life. Her words were thoughtful and comforting, and her presence helped everyone feel at ease. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful, personalized service. Thank you, Joanne, for helping us celebrate our mother’s life in such a meaningful way.
~ Shona (September 2024)
Endless Support and Guidance
Joanne officiated our mother’s celebration of life. She provided endless support and guidance for our family in preparation of the memorial and especially the day of. I do not know how we would have been able to sufficiently honour mom without Joanne's compassionate and intuitive guidance.
~ Kathy K. (July 2024)
Endless Kindness, Empathy and Care
Our family can’t recommend Joanne highly enough. She was the celebrant at our Mom’s Celebration of Life and showed endless kindness, empathy and care in creating a beautiful tribute to our Mom. It was a difficult day made so much easier by her and we walked away believing our Mom had truly been honoured. We could not have done this without her.
~ Lori, Kathy and Terry (July 2024)
Compassionate and Caring
Joanne is a compassionate, caring, and a very organized professional. She goes above and beyond planning & organizing your memorial service. Joanne relieves the anxiety that goes with planning such a sensitive occasion. She is an excellent speaker that makes a memorial service proceed with ease and understanding. Joanne is there to help in your time of need.
~ Colleen (January 2024)
Professional and Kind
My family and I were so pleased with your professionalism and kindness in the planning of our Dad’s Celebration of Life. The biggest compliment would be that my Aunt (Dad’s sister) was shocked when she learned that you had never met dad. The way you spoke of him had many thinking that you were a long-time friend of the family. Thank you again for making a very hard day manageable.
~ Shaun (March 2023)
No Hesitation
I engaged Joanne to lead an interment ceremony for my husband's remains. Right from the start Joanne was responsive and professional, responding to emails promptly and providing clear information. When she came to meet me in person to talk about the ceremony, her warmth, creativity and good nature were evident. She put together a eulogy that was thoughtful and just right for the occasion. Everything rang true. I have no hesitation in recommending Joanne as a celebrant.
~ Sarah (June 2022)
With Appreciation!
Thank you for your guidance before and during the Celebration of Life for my dad. So many people told us it was beautiful, and one elderly lady told my brother it was the most comforting and life-affirming service she had ever attended.
~ Colleen (April 2022)
Off the Hop She Stood Out
It was an honour to hire Joanne Van Beek; a most thoughtful, mindful, helpful and efficient Funeral Officiant for my sister’s funeral. Off the hop, she stood out. We requested her services at the last minute. She had only days to prepare, but she took care of everything – she was very professional and extremely courteous. She helped with the obituary; her beautiful poems; her compassion, and sense for the afterlife brought us joy, which we will carry in our hearts for eternity. We collaboratively worked together to make the vision for my baby sister's funeral a reality – it was all it could be and more. I felt genuinely cared for by Joanne, and thank her for facilitating such a beautiful service.
~ Karen (2021)
Warm and Caring
Joanne is a very caring person. She spent a lot of time talking to myself and the kids about my husband’s life to prepare for his Celebration of Life / Interment. The things we remembered most and what was really important to us. How he had contributed to the family, to friends and community. What his interests, hobbies, achievements and quirks were. We never felt rushed; Joanne was focused on making sure the ceremony reflected our values, needs and would honour him. Family members commented that the service was much nicer than a traditional funeral - that is truly honoured him. They said Joanne’s style of presentation came across as very warm and caring. She clearly has found her calling! Our family would highly recommend Joanne as a Funeral Celebrant to other families.
~Trudy (2021)
Rod’s Memorial Captured His Essence
If you or your loved one is suffering from a terminal illness and you know you need to start planning a memorial but have no idea how, I recommend you reach out to Joanne Van Beek. Joanne supported my husband and I through his death from esophageal cancer. About a month before he passed, Joanne spent time with Rod gathering stories about his life and hearing ideas about how we wanted his life to be celebrated. She listened deeply, and because of her caring, compassionate presence, the celebration she helped us put together and the eulogy she wrote, turned out to be more than I could ever have hoped for; it captured Rod’s essence beautifully. As well, Joanne’s prayerful presence on the night Rod passed blessed me deeply, and I know Rod was helped a great deal on his journey home because of her wisdom and kindness. So, if you’re looking for at least one bright spot during a very dark time, reach out to Joanne. You will not be disappointed!
~Mary Jane (2020)
Best Memorial Service
Joanne did a phenomenal job at my husband’s memorial. I had numerous people tell me that it was the best memorial service they had ever been too. We would absolutely use Joanne’s Celebrant services again. Joanne was very caring and sympathetic during our process and very respectful during our grieving moments. Joanne incorporated unique ideas that were very special to our family and made everyone very comfortable.
~Preslea (2020)
We Could Not Have Asked for a Better Memorial Service
I would highly recommend Joanne, as a Funeral Celebrant. During this very sad time, she took the time to meet with our family and get to know what made my son special; like special moments, memories, favorite sayings, what he enjoyed and things he loved to do. She planned the memorial service with our input. The memorial service was professional, touching and a fitting tribute to honour my son. She added in special touches, like my daughter-in-law lighting a candle for my son during the ceremony, and the opportunity of saying goodbye as a family, and having a Tibetan bell ringing out. It was very touching and we could not have asked for a better memorial service. We received many compliments on the memorial service and inquiries on how we found Joanne to do the service. Thank you so much Joanne, for the honourable tribute you helped us all to make for my son on such a difficult day.
~Theresa (2020)
A Blessing of Light
As we gathered around the hospital bed of a dear friend, wife, mother, sister, daughter… Joanne turned the lights down low, lit some candles, shared a few readings and then encouraged each of us to speak our final words of thanks and farewell to this woman we all loved and cherished. Joanne was attentive and sensitive to all that was asked of her during that difficult time. Joanne helped us to make our final goodbyes into a lasting and special memory.
~ Sarah
Other Ceremony Testimonials:
Life Milestones / Transitions / Healing
Could Not Be More Pleased
We could not be more pleased with the Baptism Joanne lead for us! We filled out a questionnaire and Joanne used the information to create a personalized ceremony. It was a simple and meaningful process.
Our friends and family expressed how impressed they were with the ceremony. They all felt involved in welcoming our baby to the world.
I highly recommend Joanne as she is so gifted with words and the ability to create a meaningful event. We will always cherish this ceremony she led for us.
~ Heather and Aaron (September 2024)
Our 50th Wedding Anniversary
Our 50th anniversary celebration was a wonderful day. Thank you to Joanne Van Beek for being our celebrant, your kind words and thoughtful message were so meaningful to us.
~ ❤️❤️Abe &Tena (September 2024)
An Inspiration
I had the pleasure of having Joanne support me with planning and hosting a ‘threshold’ ceremony to mark the launch of my work as a certified Forest and Nature Therapy Guide. This was an unusual ceremony in that it was hosted outdoors on an icy cold late fall day. Joanne was incredible in adapting to the circumstances and helping me stay focused on the purpose and spirit of this event. What I loved about working with Joanne was her strong sense of presence, which in turn encouraged others to be present to what was happening. She was a wonderful inspiration for myself and others to sense the ‘sacred’ in this ceremony and allow the forest to celebrate with us as well!
~ Mary Jane
My 60th Birthday Event
“I was pleased to have Joanne facilitate a ceremony as part of my 60th birthday event. Joanne provided a wonderful balance between lighthearted celebration and meaningful reflection, as well as skillfully involving guests according to each one’s level of comfortable participation. Joanne turned what would have been a regular social gathering into a memorable event. Thanks Joanne!”
~ G.D.