Naomi is a multi-award winning wedding officiant. She creates one of a kind, community rich, love story focused wedding ceremonies that help couples joyfully and powerfully transition into the next beautiful phase of their lives!

Some of the things couples have said about her wedding ceremonies include:

“Our ceremony was purely and honestly of another universe. I'm still in awe of how beautiful that experience was. Naomi really helped us cross the threshold of marriage, and we are forever grateful for everything she's done for us.” -Shane, Carmel Valley Ranch

"Thank you again for the amazing gift to us of that beautiful ceremony. It was art in action, and it was beyond meaningful.”

"It was everything I’d hoped for, and more than I could have imagined. It absolutely felt like a ritual, rite of passage, and sacred ceremony... exactly what I wanted it to be AND somehow more than I thought it could be."

“By far, our favorite part of our wedding was the beautiful ceremony Naomi created just for us.”

"If you are fortunate enough to have Naomi as your wedding officiant, you will have an experience that neither you, nor your guests, will ever forget."

Services Offered
Naomi writes and performs original, custom, bespoke, one of a kind wedding ceremonies for couples of all backgrounds, beliefs and orientations. Most of the couples who seek her out identify as secular, atheist, agnostic, nontraditional, spiritual-but-not-religious, neo-pagan, inter-spiritual, mixed faith, multi-faith, Jewish and unaffiliated. Her rave reviews on WeddingWire, Yelp, Google and The Knot reflect her passion and dedication to creating and delivering wedding ceremonies that enliven, inspire, engage and delight couples and their communities. Naomi is active on Instagram and you can follow her there at @santacruzofficiant. She is the author of a popular blog about unique wedding ceremonies, nonreligious wedding ceremonies, LGBTQIA+ wedding ceremonies, modern Jewish wedding ceremonies, spiritual-but-not-religious wedding ceremonies, secular wedding ceremonies, multi-faith wedding ceremonies, earth-based wedding ceremonies, outdoor wedding ceremonies, neo-pagan wedding ceremonies, custom elopement ceremonies, and more. Naomi has special expertise with interfaith, mixed-faith, multi-faith and Jew-ish wedding ceremonies, and in working with ex-mormons and recovering catholics. In general, her ceremonies can be described as "secular but sacred" or "sacred but not religious." Her priority is to support couples in having a rite of passage that honors the magnitude of the moment, and sets them up for a beautiful start to their marriage.

Experience
Naomi has more than 15 years of training and experience in ceremony creation and facilitation. Her education includes a BA in creative writing from Queens College, a background in theater and public speaking, two years of ministerial training with the Center for Sacred Studies, and certification as a Life Cycle Celebrant from The Celebrant Institute and Foundation. Additionally, she has apprenticed with master ceremonialists in various traditions of ritual, ceremony and prayer. Since beginning Santa Cruz Officiant in 2015, Naomi has performed over 200 wedding ceremonies, become a founding board member of the Slow Weddings Network, and won multiple awards on the top wedding websites, including WeddingWire and The Knot. Naomi takes couples under her wing, guides them and loves on them on one of the most important days of their lives. As well, Naomi helps couples stay grounded, present and connected when they get lost in the wedding planning, and it all becomes a bit too much.

Areas Covered
Santa Cruz Officiant is a local, woman owned, small busiess. Naomi performs large scale wedding ceremonies, mini-monies and elopements in the city of Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Mountains, as well as in Los Gatos, and all along the coast between Big Sur and Half Moon Bay (including Pacifica, Carmel Valley, Monterey County, Carmel By The Sea, Slow Coast, Pescadero, Davenport, Ben Lomond, Bonny Doon, Boulder Creek, Woodside and La Selva Beach). Some of her favorite venues to officiate at include Nestldown, Thomas Fogarty Winery, Holman Ranch, Gardener Ranch, Carmel Valley Ranch, Rancho Don Bosco, Rancho Soquel, Sequoia Retreat Center, Holly Farm, Waterfall Lodge, Regale Winery and Vineyards, Hollins House, The Mountain Terrace, and Sand Rock Farm.