Testimonials
Couples whose weddings I have performed regularly tell me, both at the event and long afterward, that they never knew a ceremony could be so perfectly about them. They tell me the ceremony captured precisely how their love is different from every other love that has ever existed. I run into folks at the supermarket who rush over because they just have to tell me how the ceremony they witnessed was the most memorable, moving and unique wedding that had ever attended. A significant number of my weddings are referrals from couples or family members and wedding guests--and that brings a big smile to my face! In fact, I stay in touch with the majority of "my couples" and am often asked back to perform Baby Naming Ceremonies, House Blessings Ceremonies & other great events in their lives – we truly establish a lifelong bond.
Rev. Susan,
I can't tell you how many wonderful comments were made about the words you gave. It was perfect. Thank you for your kindness and your spirit.
All the best blessings,
Tiffany & Daniel
Dear Susan,
We really enjoyed getting to know you and having you as our counselor and officiant! You did a fantastic job with the ceremony and we really appreciate the thought you put into it. Thank you for suffering the heat and making our wedding ceremony so memorable!
Love,
Katie & Carlos
Dear Revered Kennedy,
Thank you for officiating our special day. It was all we had ever dreamed of and more. Your words were simply beautiful! Our tears were shed in sheer happiness. It is a day we are sure to never forget.
Love,
Erin & Michael
Susan,
Where do we start? You have been my saving grace. You have gone above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined. From my mid-afternoon breakdown session to my constant changes in the ceremony, you have been my rock.
Thank you just doesn’t seem like enough to tell you how I feel. You have been amazing. Thank you for everything.
With all my love,
April and Josh
Susan,
We knew from the moment we you at the Castle Bridal Shower that night that you were the perfect person to join our lives together as one. And we were right!! The wedding was exactly that – PERFECT.
Uniquely us and beautifully written and conducted. Both of our families loved you and knew, without our telling them, why we chose you. You will always have a special place in our hearts, and we look forward to a long and lasting relationship with you.
Love,
Susan and Lewis
Dr. Kennedy,
Well, it's only taken me four months, but I'm finally getting around to sending you a photo and saying thank you so very much for being such a wonderful and important part of our wedding! Everything you said was so perfect that it seemed like you had known us forever.
We had so many people come up to us afterward and say they had never been to a ceremony that was so personal. You really managed to encompass our relationship over the (many!) years. I can't even find the words to express how much all you did meant to us! Thank you a million times!
Love,
Laureen & Stephen Richard
Dear Reverend Kennedy,
We wanted to thank you for making our wedding such a special and unique night! Especially the way you involved our family and friends with the unity candle and red string. The planting of the seeds was truly special because we are two different individuals who are growing beautifully together!
Giving his mom the pink roses meant so much to us and the exchanging of red roses will stay with us forever. You've made our wedding a dream come true!
Love,
Chan & Mike
Phillip and I were in search of someone to perform our wedding ceremony. Neither of us had strong ties to any specific church in our area, but we knew that we wanted a religious service. A mutual acquaintance led us to Susan. The three of us met for lunch to discuss our needs and wishes. Susan was immediately a blessing to us.
She listened to, and was open to, all of our suggestions, including having our Golden Retriever in the ceremony as the flower girl. Susan suggested that we both (privately) write down the things that had attracted us to each other, which was read during the ceremony. We knew that having Susan perform our wedding would be special, but also felt that we would truly be blessed as we began our lives together. It has now been a year and a half since we were married. I can say that Susan was a special person on our wedding day and is still a part of our lives.
Dear Dr. Kennedy:
Wow! What can we say?
You made our wedding day be the truly best, and most talked about, that we could ever have expected.
You managed to make our ceremony tell the story of US!
Every word was about us and for us.
This was exactly the way we dreamed it could and should be: meaningful, fun and touching.
Thanks a million!
Heather and Patrick Muscatello
I didn't know how in the world you were going to create a ceremony that combined such completely different traditions. But this was absolutely gorgeous, I loved every word, and so did all our guests. Thank you for creating the impossible!
From Eleni, one of the guests who flew in all the way from the bride's home country of Colombia, South America for Adriana's and Rusty's wedding:
I read my Bible and, when I saw it was a woman priest, I was skeptical. I know Adriana and Rusty come from different backgrounds and so the service would not be of any one faith, so I was also skeptical.
Then I listened to how you intertwined Adriana's traditions and Rusty's traditions, and how much love you put in everything, and you captured it all.
I felt God in everything. I want you to know that I started very skeptical, but I saw what you did and it was one of the most perfect and beautiful weddings I've ever been to in my life.
Dear Susan,
The wedding was so beautiful. We cannot thank you enough!!!! It was like a fairy tale come true. I cannot tell you how many compliments we got about the ceremony, especially about the part when you told "our story."
People said that they felt like they got to know us all over again. They said it was the most romantic and the best wedding that they had ever been to. Van and I couldn't agree more. It was one thing reading it over emails, a whole other thing listening to it unfold. I was mesmerized the whole wedding. I don't think I took my eyes off of my groom for one second.
Thank you again!!!! We look forward to keeping in touch with you!
God Bless
Molly and Van
P.S.: We have our "rose vase" on our mantel!
I'd like to tell you about our experience with Reverend Susan Kennedy.
Phil and I were married on April 7. Reverend Kennedy spent several hours getting to know us when we first met. Phil and I quickly learned that Reverend Kennedy was a wonderful listener, creative, enthusiastic, funny, genuine, and intuitive.
She took many, many notes as we talked about ourselves. At the end of our meeting, we felt connected to Reverend Kennedy in a special way. We felt very cared for and understood. Phil and I wanted our ceremony to be unique and filled with readings and prayers that reflected our inner thoughts, feelings, beliefs and desires for the future. After just one meeting with Reverend Kennedy, she was able to design a ceremony that we felt was perfect for us.
She had customized a ceremony that was beyond our expectations! We believe her unique work with couples who are getting married is one of her many incredible gifts, and we would recommend her to everyone!
Thank you, Reverend Kennedy, for giving us memories we will cherish forever.
Sincerely,
Martha and Phil Stilson
Dear Susan,
Thank you so much for performing the ceremony at our wedding! Not only was it a great ceremony, but EVERYONE just loved YOU - said you were the coolest Rev they've ever met.
Hope you and your family are well!
Leslie & Bob Case
Dear Rev. Kennedy:
Kevin and I want to thank you so very much for the absolutely beautiful ceremony you conducted for us. Your kindness and obvious happiness made Kevin and I feel so comfortable and made the ceremony a truly joyful occasion for our guests.
So many of our guests commented on how lovely the ceremony was and asked many questions about you (they were very impressed!)
The unique ceremony you wrote and your wonderful delivery of it made our wedding day the happiest day of our lives!
We thank you again, and wish you much luck and happiness in the future!
Love,
Amanda and Kevin Malone
Reverend Susan,
For us, having a meaningful ceremony was the most important part of our wedding day. When I read the first draft of the ceremony, tears kept filling my eyes. It was hard to get through it all because it struck such depth in me. It was magically so "us"!
When we first met with you we found the compatibility survey we took was integral in provoking discussion in areas that we had not yet discussed at great length (if that is possible knowing how much we talk!)
After the ceremony, some of the most repeated comments to us were: "what a wonderful ceremony," "this was the best wedding that I have ever attended," “the ceremony was so personal," "it really reflected you and Michael's personalities," "I laughed and cried...," and so on. One of the ladies from my church told my mother that she wished you were not in North Carolina so that you could preside over the current congregation (in Cleveland, Ohio).
We received thank you emails and notes afterwards from family members and friends for INVITING them to our wedding! We could not believe that they were thanking US!
We owe most of these accolades to you and your fantastic abilities to capture people's personalities, to meld an eclectic grouping of poems, spiritual readings, and personal story telling, and to have them flow so seamlessly together.
Outside the First Hungarian Reformed Church Cleveland, OH
Reverend Susan, you truly are a blessing! Thank you so much!
xx,
Ava & Michael Longfield
Rev. Dr. Susan Kennedy.
I would like to offer this testimonial for you to place on your website for all who read about what a beautiful ceremony you perform, not to mention what a wonderful person you are.
I called you with a unique situation and you stepped up to the plate. As a pediatric nurse specializing in medically fragile babies, I needed to find a very 'special' person to come to my home and perform a special ceremony for my client's parents--the mother and father of this baby born with two holes in her heart and additional health problems.
The ceremony you provided was not performed, it was orchestrated--from the heart, with such love and compassion.
It was not delivered by a person who had performed so many that it was mundane and dry of feeling. You touched all our hearts. You made us all cry--in the best possible way.
You entered into the dynamics of the family and drew the couple close, including those who attended. The 'rose ceremony' was awesome and unforgettable.
For anyone who wants the best, personalized, gut-wrenching, from the heart wedding ceremony, Dr. Kennedy will make it happen.
Thank you again Susan, for allowing me to now call you my friend.
Having a father who was a minister, my biggest dream growing up was to have my father walk me down the aisle and then preside over my wedding ceremony.....just like he did my oldest sister. However, the Lord had different plans for my father and took him home before I graduated from college. Heartbroken and disappointed that I would not have a special wedding because of that......Tony and I had considered just eloping. But in the back of both of our minds.....we wanted a way to blend our two families and have a "meaningful" wedding ceremony.
My sister helped me locate Susan Kennedy, and from the moment I first met her, I felt she was a very genuine and caring person. I had no idea the great sense of humor she had and just how much I'd grow to like her. I'm proud to say that even though I've moved three states away after my wedding, I feel as if I have a very dear friend back in NC.
Tony and I want to thank you so much for the beautiful ceremony........it was stress-free, fun, and absolutely perfect! I couldn't have imagined having a ceremony quite like that. It was totally different from the ceremony I would have had with my father
(a traditional one). So the Lord works in mysterious ways......because the ceremony touched our hearts and the hearts of everyone there. Thank you for encouraging the participation of my children.....my daughter has worn the little gift (silver anklet) we presented her with during the ceremony every day since.
God Bless you and your family, Susan. We love you.
Tony and Nancy Lanier
Performing wedding photography for more than 25 years, I have seen hundreds of officiating ministers at weddings going through the motions of performing wedding ceremonies.
There are only a few which have left a lasting impression on me while I am there "on business," making me actually listen while I am working to capture the moment.
You touch everyone's heart, making all of us understand the great importance of the event taking place right in front of us.
It is you making a wedding ceremony so much more special than others, captivating the Bride and Groom, their families and the guests. You connect with everyone present, you warm their hearts and make everyone thankful for having you there, that special day, that special moment.
Bernhard Goetsch
BG Photography Inc.
Dear Reverend Susan Kennedy,
Thank you so much for the beautiful wedding ceremony. We knew when we chose you to marry us it would be something different and special, and it really was. Nothing could have been more perfect than a beautiful ceremony that really reflected on our relationship and the true meaning of marriage.
One of the reasons we chose you as our officiant was because of the positive comments on your website. I received the same response to our ceremony!! One friend said that it was the best ceremony that she and her husband have ever attended.
Thank you again. I’m sure we will check in with you as our marriage and family grows! Good luck to you in all you do.
Sincerely,
Diana Keyes Johnson & Andrew Johnson
Dear Rev. Dr. Susan Kennedy,
I am writing you because I visited your website and was astonished. I want to thank you for what you do; you are an inspiration for an aspiring newly ordained reverend like me.
Sincerely,
Rev. Daniel Feier
Dear Rev. Susan,
I can't thank you enough for your special words you wrote for our wedding ceremony on May 2nd. Because of you, our special day was so much more meaningful. We will always remember sharing it with our 5 children. It was so much more than I ever dreamed of, and I appreciate everything you did to make that happen.
McCrae and I are so enjoying our new life together as husband and wife. I feel like I have never been in love before. I need to pinch myself every so often to know this is not a dream.
Thank you, Caroline (the one with the continuous smile on her face!)
Dear Reverend Dr. Susan Kennedy,
Words can't begin to describe the joy and love that you brought into our ceremony. The different types of traditional practices that you preformed will forever be a part of our lives. Every time I look down at Daniel’s hands I will forever remember the words, "These are the hands that will love and nurture you forever more."
We have our combined water in our jar atop our entertainment center and maintain the meaning behind that in our everyday lives. I have always thought that weddings were all the same no matter where you went. That they always said the same things and it was just basic. Having you perform our ceremony was the greatest of honors. I honestly did not know that such beautiful words could be put together in such a manner to perfectly describe the two of us as individuals, the journey we took falling in love, and then carry onto our combined hearts forever. We will always hold you very close to our hearts and look very much forward to having you in our lives forever. We are so enjoying our lives together as husband and wife. Thank you so much for everything you did for us.
With So Much Love,
Mrs. Catherine Corey
To say that Susan Kennedy did a wonderful job would certainly be the understatement of the year. As she said early into the ceremony, our love is pure magic--& so was our wedding!
I am sure that if we wrote a dissertation on the service, it would still not encompass all of our feelings, joys, excitement and thankfulness.
We very much wanted to write our own vows, so Susan encouraged & guided us in that process—& her recommendations made them even better. Susan’s knowledge of our personalities and relationship made the ceremony beyond meaningful. Her analogies and symbolisms have given us memories to treasure forever.
Somewhere between being super glue and a true catalyst, Susan is absolutely the best!
Thank you Susan, from the bottom of our hearts…and our families and friends thank you too!
All our love,
Randy and Maria
Dear Sue:
I don't even know where to start.... we are so lucky to have had you perform the ceremony at our wedding--& not just because you & my dad have been close friends since your freshman year in college together! It was so personal, so unique--so US. It was perfect.
Thank you so much for such a beautiful gift--we look forward to seeing you again real soon.
All our love,
Natalie and Brian Akin
There were three sets of twins at our wedding, including the bride & her sister!
When my wife Adrienne & I began planning our wedding we wanted to keep it simple and personal. Being passionate horticulturalists & gardeners who met working at a botanical garden, we both felt that getting married in a garden was the only way to go. As with any wedding there are always going to be stress moments but having Susan as our minister was the ultimate tonic.
The time she spent getting to know Adrienne and I, our family backgrounds, and our own little love story, was priceless. The end result was a ceremony that was very personal, blending traditions from both families and creating some new ones. To this date, 7 1/2 years later, I still treasure the memory of that ceremony and we still have people comment how they have never enjoyed a ceremony as much as ours. I replay that day in my head and always have a smile on my face and I credit Susan for much of it.
