Testimonials
Spiritual Wedding
Hello Revs. Clegg,
How are you? I have to say, right out of the
gate, that you both are so amazing. Everyone (including us) raved about our ceremony
� how personal and spiritual and soft yet funny it was. That is by far the best
memory of that day. My parents were just over-the-top thrilled with you both. SO
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! We could not have �struck gold� in a better way
than finding you! I look forward to hearing from you and keeping in touch as time
goes on.
It is strange to me how two people that are perfect strangers one
day, can have such an impact on your life after such a short time. We are blessed
to have encountered relationships with you both � thank you! Our ceremony touched
the hearts of everyone at our wedding, including us. It was written from the hearts
of a couple who we should all strive to mirror in relationship, love and devotion.
Reverend Elisheva and her husband are the perfect duo. Each step of the way they
made us feel at ease and in love with the entire process of creating our ceremony.
Reverend Elisheva was an integral part of our wedding and without her we could not
have captured the beauty of our love and portrayed it so eloquently. Much love to
you both!"
Christine Nicoletta Sasser and Jon Sasser
Lexington, Kentucky
(married September 30, 2006 at Virginia Beach, VA)
Intercultural Interfaith Wedding
Reverend Elisheva and Wade Clegg did an absolutely amazing job. My husband
and I postponed marriage for 8 years because we could not visualize or envision
how to do a ceremony itself that would be meaningful, personal and beautiful but
non religious. We needed someone to help us bring together elements of three
religions - my husband is Muslim and from Turkey, and I am half Jewish and half
Christian and from the UK. We met with several other officiants who all gave us
things to read and ideas about how traditional ceremonies are performed and what
we could do, but we did not feel a sense of comfort or inspiration with any of
them.
Finally, I did a search in inter-cultural, inter-faith ministers
and there she was. Her and her husband Wade did such a phenomenal job! We had
guests that flew in from the UK, Germany and Israel, and guests from Turkey,
India, Pakistan, Tunisia, 20 nations in total. They totally were able to capture
who we were and what we stand for in the most meaningful way with a service that
they wrote and personalized themselves, after we completed a questionnaire.
Elisheva was also very supportive throughout the process, spoke to me on the
phone several times and gave very meaningful support throughout, and really
helped us to pull our thoughts and feelings together. The service itself was
worth waiting eight years for! And the crowd was a very discerning and highly
educated lot, more phd's per square inch than any other wedding I know of. So
not an easy one to please (=
I would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone
considering a wedding that may not be completely traditional, or just for people
who would like to have a highly personalized service or one that pulls together
diverse identities. Of all the money we spent on our wedding, this was the best
value service we could have asked for. Anyone will be lucky to have them work
with you.
Sharon & Tugrul Keskin
married August 23, 2008 at the
Chesapeake Bay Beach Club,
Stevensville, MD
Spiritual Wedding
Dear Rev. Elisheva & Rev. Wade,
Words cannot express how special and meaningful the wedding ceremony was that
you created for me and Doug. You truly captured each of us, our children, and
our relationship. What a wonderful memory we have, and one we will treasure
always. Thank you so very much for the thought, effort and love you put in to
teach part of the ceremony.
When we were in France, we visited the
Matisse Chapel, in Vence. We thought of both of you while we were there. The
chapel has such beauty and peacefulness about it. In particular, when we saw the
vestments that Matisse designed, we thought they would be perfect for your
services!
We hope you enjoy the book, just a small token of our deep
gratitude to both of you. Thank you again, to both of you, for helping to make
our wedding day so special.
With love and Best Wishes,
Laurie & Doug
Green
Gaithersburg, MD -Married
September 6, 2008
Greenbriar Resort,
White Sulpur Springs, WV,
Religious/Catholic Wedding
Dear Elisheva & T. Wade,
Thank you for helping us create the most
beautiful wedding ceremony we could have imagined! Your guidance and support, your
open-mindedness and your sincerity, your attention to detail and willingness to
listen - we couldn't have asked for a more positive experience as we journeyed through
the process of designing our ceremony. Everything about our wedding helped reveal
more about us as individuals and as a couple. It was all so personal! Thank you
for coming into your lives and being such an important part of the beginning of
our marriage.
Much love,
Kristen-Paige & Christopher
married
October 6, 2007 at
Boars Head,
Charlottesville, VA
Update (October 7, 2008)
I'm writing because yesterday was our first anniversary, and I
thought of you both all day long! Unfortunately, Chris and I could not be
together, but I watched the wedding video last night, and I swear I think I
smiled just as much as I did a year ago! I still can't believe what a beautiful
ceremony you helped us create, looking back a year later, I still wouldn't have
changed a thing.
I'm currently in Key West for the month on a writing
fellowship ... I'm working here as an artist in resident, so that I can have a
month to write my next book. You can read more about it, if you're interested,
through the following link: (http://www.tskw.org/news_detail.php?nid=43)
It has been super hard being away from Chris, but I feel so grateful to ahve
this time alone to focus on my work. Chris and I moved to Charlottesville
shortly before I left, so we must make plans to meet for coffee when I get back
... I would love to see you both! I hope this email finds you well and that we
can all get together soon!
Love, Kristen-Page
Spiritual Wedding
Dear Revs. Clegg, Ben and I would love to extend our warmest and most grateful
THANK YOU for making our wedding day absolutely amazing. For those of you that are
inquiring about having Revs. Clegg officiate your ceremony, make note that it will
be the best decision you will make for your special day. Ben and I have a very unique
story, beginning our friendship in elementary school and blossoming into a romantic
relationship after college.
Revs. Clegg took the love that Ben and I share;
along with our shared memories, and painted a perfect portrait for our family and
friends to witness at our wedding. The compliments that we have received regarding
the personalization of our wedding have been outstanding. Revs. Clegg made our wedding
memorable and unique for all of our guests and most importantly Ben and I. Your
love, compassion, and sincerity are a rare find . We love both of you and look forward
to continuing our relationship through life and our marriage.
Thank you,
Ben and Casey Floyd
(Veritas Vineyard & Winery, Afton VA
- June 2, 2007)
Spiritual Wedding
What can I say about the wedding.... Everything was perfect. The wedding ceremony was truly
the most special ceremony I've ever seen and was so glad it was ours! Through your guidance,
suggestions and our ideas the ceremony was extremely personal. It was about the joining of the
two of us and our families. It was interactive. Greg and I were able to speak from the heart to
each other during the ceremony which I really wanted to incorporate. It was extremely important
that our children were accepting of the marriage and so we wanted our adult children to be involved
in some way. Through the "binding of hands" ceremony, we were all able to stand together and our
children were provided the opportunity to "formally" express their acceptance of our marriage to
each other. That was a monumental moment for us. Since the wedding our two families have come
together as one. The children are communicating with each other often. Greg and I both believe
the coming together as a family was due to the wedding and the ceremony itself. We are very
grateful to you both for conducting such a warm, loving, personal and interactive wedding ceremony.
We will cherish the memories of it forever....
Our best to you both,
Greg & Stephanie Luce
married
Framington Country Club, Charlottesville, VA July 12, 2008
Spiritual Wedding
Dear Revs. Clegg,
Thank you does not express how grateful and happy we
are with how beautifully our ceremony turned out. Despite the heat, everyone has
said it was the most personal & touching part of the day. We were glad to share
it with you & look forward to having you perform the christenings of our
red-headed babies.
Much love, Rebecca & Wes Spence
married June 7,
2008 at
Old Trail Golf Club, Crozet, VA
Humanist Wedding
From Alyssa and David:
Elisheva officiated my marriage ceremony
on June 3, 2006. I enjoyed the first conversation I had with Elisheva - we hit it
off personally, and I believe we have similar values and approaches.
Let
me tell you first what we were looking for in an officiant. Dave (my husband) and
I looked at a couple of other officiants during our search process: we wanted a
civil/secular ceremony (after discussions with Elisheva, we realized that we're
both mostly humanists) that wouldn't be too "touchy-feely," and would not be religious
at all. We wanted someone who would craft a ceremony for us, listen to us, and since
we felt that the ceremony was the most important part of the day, that we would
really be involved in the creation of it. Although we liked one of the other officiants
we interviewed personally, we felt that his ceremony option was a bit too "plug
and play," if you will - he provided options, and you just selected texts from a
list. Personal, but not enough.
If you choose to go with Elisheva, she'll
have you and your partner (separately) complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire
takes a while to complete, but really helps her to get to know you, and I think,
for you to articulate your feelings to yourself. Once we completed the questionnaires
- Elisheva went to work. We met up for coffee a couple of weeks later (ended up
spending a couple of hours) and I really got the feeling that Elisheva and Wade
(her husband) were truly involved in our answers. During the process, Elisheva contacted
both of us several other times, and also spoke with our parents and our readers
- just in general made us feel that she was very involved in our lives and our marriage.
Needless to say, the rehearsal and ceremony went perfectly. I can not tell you the
number of compliments we received (and continue to receive) on our ceremony - comments
like " that really sounded like you," and "how long have you known the Cleggs?"
(truly an interesting question to me, since obviously it had not been very long),
and "what a beautiful, meaningful ceremony."
Obviously, I would highly recommend
Elisheva and Wade to you. The ceremony was so important to us, and the end result
truly surpassed our expectations. Plus, I feel like we've made a new friendship
with the Cleggs - an added, and unexpected, bonus!
Alyssa and David Sturgeon,
Washington, D.C.
married June 3, 2006 at
Willow Grove Inn,
Orange, VA
Hindu/Baptist Wedding
Dear Revs. Elisheva and Wade,
We give you our most heartfelt gratitude
for the wonderful interfaith ceremony you developed for us. When we began our search
for a wedding officiant that could accommodate Hindu and Christian/Western traditions,
we had no idea we would come across someone like you. We were extremely lucky and
blessed to find someone who could intertwine all the elements we wanted to include
and bring our cultural and religious differences together in one ceremony rather
than separate them into two ceremonies.
We thoroughly enjoyed working with
you and getting to know you in the months leading up to our wedding. We received
so many compliments from our guests saying how personalized the ceremony was as
it accurately and equally represented us. We know that none of this could have been
possible without your unique and personable approach to working with us and our
families.
Thank you for all the time you dedicated to us and to making our
ceremony so beautiful and meaningful. We cannot wait to see you guys the next time
we are in Charlottesville!
Love, Sarita and Joseph
married May 5,
2007 at Historic
Mankin Mansion, Richmond, VA
Buddhist/Christian Wedding
I wanted to find someone to do our wedding who could combine my (now) husband's
and my beliefs. I am Buddhist and he is Baptist. I also wanted something personalized
that would reflect our bonds and our commitment, rather than a sterile ceremony
that merely reflected the tenets or rituals of a particular religion.
When
I first corresponded with Elisheva and Wade I knew that I had found what I was looking
for. I couldn't have found two warmer, more caring people to preside over one of
the happiest days of our lives. They weren't merely officiants - they melded into
our lives and our family as if we had known them for years. They did an amazing
amount of un-intrusive research and created a beautiful ceremony that really was
totally about our love and our joy at sharing our day with our family. They ensured
our ceremony was what we wanted it to be.
We received so many compliments
on our ceremony -people asked us if they could buy a tape of it!! We can't express
how grateful we are, not only for the effort and love Elisheva and Wade put into
our ceremony, but for their continued friendship.
Christina and Ben, Baltimore,
MD
married April 28, 2007 at Chapel at Quantico, Quantico, VA
Jewish/Christian/Muslim Wedding
My name is Beth Silver. I was married by Rev. Elisheva on June 17, 2006. When
Justin and I were in the beginning stages of our engagement and planning, we envisioned
how we wanted our ceremony to be. We knew we wanted to incorporate our religious
and cultural backgrounds, and our family. However, it was most important for us
to have a ceremony that would incorporate our immense love for each other and our
love for our family.
Elisheva did just that. She listened to our stories
of who we are and where we came from and integrated all of that into our ceremony.
It was the most beautiful ceremony that I have ever been to. I know I�m biased,
but I can assure you that Elisheva could make any ceremony beautiful and meaningful.
Our ceremony had everyone laughing and crying. We received so many compliments
from our friends and family. I have been told by at least 20 different people that
it was the most beautiful ceremony they have been to.
When I reflect and
think about my wedding today, I don't think about the party afterward; I think about
marrying my husband and knowing how beautiful it was to have a ceremony filled with
words that meant everything to us.
As you can tell, we absolutely love Elisheva
and T. Wade (he was there every step of the way). They spent so much time talking
to us and getting to know us as a couple. In turn, we were able to get to know and
spend time with two amazing people. We will always be grateful for having them with
us on our wedding day and the months before.
Beth and Justin Silver, Arlington, Virginia
(married June 17, 2006 at parent's home in Sperryville, Virginia)
Jewish/Christian Wedding
Dear T. Wade and Elisheva,
I just wanted to say hello and let you know that
Lee and I are thinking about you as our one year anniversary is just around the
corner. I can't believe 365 days could fly by so quickly. I remember all of the
excitement and planning of just 12 short months ago so well!
To reminisce
I got out the wedding binder that you gave to us. It made me cry and fell so much
happiness just like it did 1 year ago. I can't thank the 2 of you enough for making
our day so unbelievably wonderful. Lee and I have been to a few weddings since ours
and not to slight other people's days, but our wedding was so much more personal
and reflective on us as a couple that in our opinions it was much better. We still
have people tell us even now how it was the best wedding they have ever been to.
And we owe that all to you.
So, rest assured that Lee and I are still completely
smitten with each other and deeply in love. We are making a getaway for the weekend
to Seattle on a vacation/work trip (I have a seminar I have to attend for one day
but we'll have 2 days to explore and at least we'll be together).
Love,
Robin (and Lee)
Dr. Robin Naples Kubersky and Dr. Lee Kubersky
Married October
7, 2006 at Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville, VA
Update:
Dear Elisheva
and T. Wade,
Thank you so much for everything you have done for us to make
our wedding day so spectacular. We are so happy that we found you to perform our
ceremony!
Drs. Robin and Lee Kubersky,
Hindu Wedding
We were married this past April (2006) by Rev. Elisheva at the King Family Vineyard
in Crozet, Virginia. I must say that it was a pleasure working with both Elisheva
and her husband. They both make a great team. They spent a long time crafting our
wedding ceremony and making it truly unique to who we are as a couple. My husband
and I are both Indian and we wanted a ceremony that captured some of the Hindu traditions
but we also wanted it to be meaningful to us. I can honestly say that the ceremony
was the best part of our wedding day. Many of our guests came up to us afterwards
letting us know what a meaningful ceremony it was.
Veena and Ameet Patel,
Alexandria, VA
married April 22, 2006 at
King Family Vineyards, Crozet, Virginia)
Humanist Wedding
Dear Rev. Elisheva & Rev. T. Wade,
Thank you so much for the wonderful
ceremony. It was exactly what we wanted. It was so nice that it told a story about
our relationship. Thank you for all your time to prepare for our wedding. Our families
enjoyed meeting you both and getting to know you at the dinners. We look forward
to hearing from you yearly.
Love, Diana & Shawn Kolodgie
married
September 16, 2006 at
Meadowlark
Gardens, Vienna, VA)
Spiritual Wedding
Blessings Our Beloved Cleggs,
What a great service
- you have begun a Blog site. Luke and I were married just about a year and a half
ago in Shenandoah Valley in May; as a team and individually you touched everyone
present and made our day 95% ceremony and 5% dance and drink. If you ever need or
want us to share how you touched our life or want us to give a testimony of how
awe-some our ceremony and wedding was...because of your love, detail, and true spirit,
please do not hesitate, we love you and wish you the best.
Most sincerely,
Kerin and Luke Weingarten
married May 13, 2006 at parent's home Woodstock,
VA
Update:
Thank you again for
making our ceremony so special. We have been to a few weddings since our own and
are disappointed at the lack of emotion or togetherness the ceremony holds. We still
have people commenting on your words and the way it was and the message of love
that was shared with our family and friends. it seems (now in hindsight) that in
general many people disregard the importance of a great ceremony. now that i can
"compare" ceremony styles, i can't help but feel that not only is it the most important
part of a wedding, but it also (if planned) is the message that will remain woven
through your lives together. Again, thank you. You remain such a personal and special
part of our life. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Take care and write
when you can.
Kerin Weingarten
Spiritual Wedding
Dear Elisheva & Wade,
This is a very sincere (although belated) and
grateful THANK YOU for our beautiful ceremony. You floored us! It was even more
amazing than we ever could have imagined. It was quite obvious that you put your
heart and soul into caputuring the perfect mood for our ceremony. We loved
having you there, and we hope that our paths cross again.
Thank you,
Love, Jessie & Matt Johnson-Schneider
married August 2, 2008 at
Khimaira Farm, Luray,
VA
Spiritual Wedding
Jason and I cannot express to you how wonderful you made our wedding day and
how amazing your service was. It was the most personal and touching ceremony and
we are appreciative beyond words.
We even joked that it was meant to be,
because of how fabulous of a couple you are and that it hopefully rubbed off on
us!
We want you to please ensure that we keep in touch......we hope to
be able to continue our relationship with you and to come to you for spiritual
guidance and to share our experiences. WE are truly blessed to have met you.
Thank you so much!
Love Always,
Tatjana and Jason Brown
married November 3, 2007 at
Jefferson Vineyards,
Charlottesville, VA
Irish/Druid Wedding
Dear Revs Wade & Elisheva,
You, Our ceremony was, in a word, amazing.
So many people came up to us afterwards to let us know how unusual, yet beautiful,
they thought it was. We took this as the highest complement and totally agree. You
made us laugh and brought us close to tears (in a good way). In fact you brought
out everything we stood for and/or love for one another - in a unique & personal
way, which obviously came through to everyone in attendance. It really made out
day and set the tone for the rest of our lives. We can't possibly thank you enough!.
Love Rachel & Ashley Jones
married October 22, 2007 at parent's
family farm, South Hill, VA
Religious Wedding
Dear Revs. Clegg,
We wish to thank
you again for a wonderful marriage ceremony. You both were so awesome. We could
not have been happier with how it all went.
Elisheva, well, the gift you've
given us by the blessing of performing our marriage ceremony is, without a doubt,
beyond words. We are so happy together and we're looking forward to that happiness
growing and growing throughout the remainder of our years on this earth. In that
sense, yours is truly a gift that will keep on giving and giving and giving. We
would very much love to see you both again.
Aimee and Michael Haslam, Damascus, Virginia
married August 12, 2006 at The Old Mill Restaurant, Damascus, VA
Buddhist/Christian Wedding
We can't thank you enough for giving us the most beautiful and memorable ceremony
we could have hoped for! Thank you so much for taking such good care of Todd and
I throughout this entire process. You know better than anyone that this is such
a big, life-changing step that it can be very overwhelming. Your personal attention
and care helped to make this not only easy but even more special and meaningful.
Thank you again, Love,
Heather & Todd Lee
married January 29,
2008 at Maggiono's Little
Italy Restaurant, McLean, VA
Spiritual Wedding
Thanks again for such a great
ceremony and being a part of what was one of the most magical days of our lives.
We received so many compliments about the ceremony you wrote for us. You would have
thought you'd have known us for the whole 8 years we've been together. We hope some
day you can be a part of another big milestone in our lives. Either way, I'm sure
we'll stay in touch.
Jody & Jason Shelley
married September 15,
2007 at
The Valentine Richmond History Center, Richmond, VA
Humanist Wedding
Dear Rev. Elisheva,
What a
blast the wedding was! Joe and I had so much fun, and the ceremony was beautiful.
We�ve received so many compliments to pass on to you two. It was a fantastic ceremony.
We will always cherish the memories.
Lisa Ellis Rosler and Josef Rosler, Gulfport, Florida
married
September 23, 2006 at parent's home in
Kingsmill Resort,
Williamsburg, Virginia
Bahai/Christian Wedding
Dear Rev. Elisheva,
We would like to thank you for all of your work and guidance throughout the planning.
The ceremony could not have been any more beautiful and exactly what we were hoping
it to be. Nothing could have been done any better and thank you again. We hope to
keep in touch.
Katharine and Ralph Martinez
married September 2, 2006
in Richmond, Virginia
Religious Wedding
Revs. Clegg, Thank you so much for a beautiful ceremony. We absolutely loved the
thoughtful words that you used for our ceremony. It was more personal and heartfelt
than we imagined, and we were truly amazed with how well you were able to convey
the love that Luther and I have for each other.
Natalie and Luther Pilkinton, Washington, D.C.
married
October 1, 2006 at
Veritas Vineyard & Winery in Afton, Virginia
Spiritual Wedding
Brian and
I were married on June 9, 2007. It was my dream wedding. Elisheva and Wade made
the ceremony a memorable one. We received so many compliments about the ceremony.
They made is so personal and that was exactly what we were looking for. It's not
your every day wedding. She asks you questions, probably none that you have even
asked yourself and really made you look at why and who you are marrying. I couldn't
have asked for anything more on my wedding day!!
From Brian & Chelsea de
Casper
married June 9, 2007 at Scott Eden Farm, Culpeper, VA
Spiritual Wedding
We have so much to thank you for that I hardly
know where to begin. Thank you, of course, for the beautiful ceremony
that you wrote for Matt and I. I could not have imagined a more perfect
wedding ceremony for us. It was so meaningful and perfectly combined our
differing views of how we'd like the ceremony to be. So many of our friends and
family commented on how much they liked it afterwards. They said they liked how
it was personal to the actual couple and individual. My mother and father were
so touched they cried nearly the whole time. We were so glad you gave us a copy
of it. We have read through it several times since the wedding, and it is so
meaningful to us.We are so blessed to have met you both and to have had you perform our wedding ceremony. Our wedding day would not have been the same without you and Rev. Wade. You are two of the most kind and caring people we've ever encountered. Thank you for everything! We will keep in touch.
Love, Cindy and Matt Duhon
married May 31, 2008 at Stonehenge Golf & Country Club, Richmond, VA
From the Parents of the Bride or Groom
To call the wedding ceremony of my daughter, Sharon, and now Son-in-law, Tugrul,
"remarkable" only barely
matches its actual effect on both the couple and those there to witness. To describe Interfaith Ministers
Reverend Elisheva and T. Wade Clegg's work as "Spiritual" or even "magical" still does not capture the sense
and sound of the love of the Divine Spirit connecting the couple and bathing all in attendance with its joy,
its humor, and its depth. It was a truly blessed event.
I want to thank you Elisheva and you Wade not only for taking the time to actually get to know each of the couple in depth but to have helped them know and understand both themselves and each other. You are truly two of heaven's beloved and blessed messengers.
As we mentioned to you, should Clive and I decide to renew our vows, we would so love to have you officiate.
Love and blessings,
Eileen Watkins Seymour
(August 23, 2008 at the
Chesapeake Bay Beach Club,
Stevensville, MD)
Humanist Wedding
Dear Elisheva & Wade,
We would like to thank you for the very special
services you provided at our daughter's wedding. The questions you asked before
developing the services and how you worked the responses into the services made
for a special personalized ceremony. I do not think there was a dry eye in the house
during the ceremony. You added special touches (such as the rose ceremony and the
joining of the families) that we will always treasure and remember as we think back
on the special day. We would like to thank you for making the day so special. Thank-you
for a job well done.
Respectfully, Charles & Penny Hardin,King George,
VA
Allison Ann & Matthew Zurinski married November 17, 2007
at
Boars Head Inn,
Charlottesville, VA
From the Parents of Jason & Tatjana Brown
How do I ever thank you
properly for the absolute beauty, grace, charm, wit, love that you two put into
Jason and Tatjana's ceremony? I do not have the vocabulary to even begin. It was
truly the most amazing, spiritual moment I have seen since the birth of my sons
and grandsons. I believe that God was the Wedding Planner/Director of this wedding
and His results were magnificent!! I will forever be grateful for the blessing of
having Him direct you onto this journey with us; it would not have been as beautiful
without you. I've spoken with Jason and Tatjana; they are having a wonderful honeymoon
in Napa Valley, CA and thoroughly enjoying themselves. May God continue to bless
your lives.
Forever grateful and appreciative,
Marie Payne
