Illuminating Ceremonies

Pricing

Prices start at $900

About Illuminating Ceremonies

Chris Shelley/Illuminating Ceremonies

Wedding Officiant

Most couples who work with me take their relationship seriously, but don't take themselves too seriously. I will be your guests' favorite thing about your wedding. Since 2011, I've been writing and performing personal, meaningful and refreshingly engaging ceremonies with smart couples. Couples work with me in an easy, collaborative way. I take guest experience and your wishes very seriously. I have: The ability to command a room, a writer's ability to shape a story, an emcee's sense of timing, and experience at the most prestigious venues.

I articulate joy. Wedding ceremonies can be entertaining without sacrificing meaning. I am the funniest wedding officiant in the country, but my goal is to be the best, to find that perfect balance of humor and dignity that makes a wedding ceremony a wedding ceremony. My experience as an actor, a writer, an emcee and a spouse to a very smart wife have led me to be someone whom couples can trust. I've lived a lot, I've been married since 2002 (to the same woman), so I know a thing or two about having a happy marriage. I'm a professional who can get along with your parents and friends. I've done ceremonies all over the country and on TV.

In three words: Collaborative, Confident, Fun

Best of Zola 2026

Services

Ceremony types

  • Civil Union
  • Commitment Ceremony
  • Interfaith Ceremony
  • Multicultural Weddings
  • Non-religious Ceremony
  • Other
  • Vow Renewal Ceremony

Religious affiliations

  • Other
  • Secular
  • Spiritual

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 5.0

5.0 out of 5

45 reviews

  • AE

    Alexis E.

    Rating: 5
    •Jul 20

    Customer

    From the first call I had with Chris I knew he was going to be the right fit and he truly was just that. Chris’ made the most beautiful ceremony. It was classy and elegant with the right amount of humor sprinkled in throughout. All of our guests loved him and didn’t stop raving about him and the ceremony all night. He truly is beyond amazing and I couldn’t have asked for a better ceremony.

  • JB

    Jake B.

    Rating: 5
    •Jul 14

    Best Officiant Around!

    We set out to find the best officiant we could, and we found him. From the start, Chris put in real work to get to know us. His questionnaire pulled out details and history from our relationship that we never would have thought to include on our own, and it gave him real material to work with instead of generic filler. The ceremony itself was exactly what we asked for. Not too long, genuinely funny, sincere where it counted, and it kept all our guests fully engaged the entire time. My father-in-law told us it was the first wedding ceremony he's ever stayed awake for. Another family member said she had heard bits and pieces of our story over the years, but hearing it all at once, told the way Chris told it, made her understand for the first time how special it actually was. Every single person who complimented us on the wedding also complimented Chris. Not most. Every one. Multiple guests said it was the best wedding ceremony they had ever seen. We were anxious about this part of the day. We wanted someone who could represent us well and not lose the room, and that's a hard thing to trust a stranger with. Chris delivered completely. If storytelling matters to you, book him.

  • SH

    Sara H.

    Rating: 5
    •Mar 9, 2026

    Incredible work

    Working with him was such a pleasure. He was kind, supportive, and truly cared about making our ceremony perfect. Looking back at our wedding day, they stand out as someone who absolutely delivered their role flawlessly. We are so grateful and cannot thank him enough for helping create such a meaningful and unforgettable moment for us. We would recommend him to any couple without hesitation!

    Chris Shelley•Mar 10, 2026

    Thank you Sara! It was an honor.

  • AO

    Ana O.

    Rating: 5
    •Feb 28, 2026

    Simply the best!

    If 10 stars were a thing here, I'd give Chris all the stars. I read his book Best Ceremony Ever and felt that he was the perfect fit to be our wedding celebrant. I emailed him, and our relationship began. He is smart, charming, funny, and really puts his heart into his work. He worked with us to make sure all our special requests came to life. He lead the way during our rehearsal the day before the wedding. He came to the welcome party and got to mingle with our family and friends. On wedding day, he was a rock star! Our guests raved about him and still mention how amazing he was. I can't recommend him enough! He is the very best!

  • PR

    Partho R.

    Rating: 5
    •Feb 3, 2026

    Chris was a Perfect Celebrant

    I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Chris as the Celebrant for your ceremony. Chris was our chosen Celebrant for a funeral service and a Memorial of Life event. Our family felt an instant connection to Chris after our first Zoom call and he was the perfect Celebrant for this occasion. From the moment we met him, Chris brought kindness, understanding and warmth to our family when we were going through a difficult grieving process. He wrote and delivered wonderful speeches at the Funeral and also the Celebration of Life event. His speeches and delivery captured so much that we loved about our family member who passed away. I will be forever grateful for Chris’ support and guidance throughout this period. Together with Chris, we were able to deliver the perfect event to remember our loved one.

    Chris Shelley•Feb 3, 2026

    Partho, I can never share enough condolences with you. It was an honor to be there for you and your family. Let's hope we meet again on a happier occasion.

Preferred vendors of Illuminating Ceremonies

Quick responder
Venue
The Plaza Hotel
New York, NY
Starts at $550
Planner
Marian Frances Events
Rating: 5.0 (1 review)
Charleston, SC
Starts at $2,500
Quick responder
Venue
Ashford Estate
Rating: 5.0 (1 review)
Allentown, NJ
Starts at $40,000
Quick responder
Venue
Mojave East
Rating: 5.0 (7 reviews)
Cincinnati, OH
Starts at $2,000
As of mid June, 2026, I have officiated over 689 weddings.
The first wedding I officiated was at the end of 2011, in New York City, at Rockefeller Plaza. It was cold and loud.
Yes of course! Let's make the ceremony uniquely you.
Yes of course! Let's make the ceremony uniquely yours. My entire process is designed for you to personalize it.
I have often run rehearsals myself, but usually they are a coordinated effort between me and someone from your venue. I am the rare officiant who enjoys doing them. I think they can be really useful and a really enjoyable part of the whole experience. I offer my help in rehearsals that take place within 2 hours of the ceremony. If you are having your rehearsal on a different day, I have a fee for that, and would only be available if I am not officiating another wedding at that time.
Yes of course! Doing my due diligence, I'd need to see your marriage certificate. But yes, people do this all the time - they do the legal part on one date and do the huge celebration on another date. Yes.
Nope. I am not a priest, religious figure or social worker. That said, I've been happily married since 2002, so I can talk your head off about marriage if you want. But who would want that?
Yes, duh, of course. That's officiating 101. No joke: it's the first thing I learned in this business.
I’m so glad you asked. The assumption is that officiants just show up, do their twenty minutes and that’s it. People have no idea how many hours go into getting to know a couple, finding the right words to say about them, editing, rehearsing delivery, re-writing, keeping the flow going, managing different moods you want to hit. Each couple gets 20 hours of prep, easily. And then there's the wedding day - another 2-3 hours plus travel time.
I’m usually with the couple until the 3rd day of the honeymoon, then things get awkward. Kidding! I leave on the 2nd day of the honeymoon. Kidding! I stay for part of cocktail hour, then I make an Irish exit.
Top-notch Classical Voice and Speech training and years of performing plays with no microphone. If a microphone conks out, I can still project really well. Also, indefatigable charm. And perfect timing. And humbleness, whatever that is. Seriously, I have a LOT of experience at the most prestigious venues in New York. I've worked with tremendous wedding planners, photographers, DJs and musicians. My couples have ranged in age from 22 to 82. In ceremonies, I've spoken foreign languages, I've sung, I've improvised hundreds of moments for unpredictable reasons. I'm dignified and diligent but also engaging and entertaining.
Yes -- you would do the same thing if you were trying to save time.
I went to a lot of wedding ceremonies that weren't personal or even connected to the couple and I thought 'there must be a better way to do this.' It looked like a fun thing to do, so I interviewed other professional celebrants and officiants who confirmed that it was great fun. I studied at the Celebrant Foundation & Institute, set up this website, listed on big wedding platforms and here we are.
Yes. Also, I need people to keep spending too much money on weddings. Specifically, they need to spend more money on wedding officiants.

Explore other vendors serving Flushing, NY

Complete your dream team

Other officiants in Flushing

Other wedding services nearby