- Loading
It’s free with no obligation to hire
Overview
Hired 8 times
Background checked
4 years in business
Business hours
(Pacific Time Zone)
Daily | 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
Payment methods
Cash, Venmo, Paypal, Square
Photos and Videos
15 photos
Specialties
Type of ceremony
Wedding,
Commitment ceremony,
Vow renewal,
Elopement
Service type (affiliation)
Buddhist,
Interfaith,
Non-religious (no mention of God)
Reviews
Keyao S.
Wedding Officiant
Shundo officiated our small and romantic wedding in May, 2019. We spoke via FaceTime a month prior to the wedding. We discussed the time and location, and shared our stories with him. He then helped us finalize the wedding process including vows and other details such as what he would wear. After the wedding, he kindly took care of everything of the marriage certificate. We appreciate his patience and thoughtfulness very much, and would definitely recommend him as a wedding officiant!
May 27, 2019VerifiedKate G.
Wedding Officiant
Shundo officiated our wedding at City Hall in San Francisco. We spoke with him by phone (we were traveling), and then met with him prior to the day. He helped us think about how to structure our non-traditional wedding, provided helpful resources about vows, and crafted some lovely statements that opened and closed our ceremony. Our guests also commented on what a wonderful presence Shundo provided. His thoughtfulness and calm, kind and encouraging presence helped make our day everything we hoped it could be.
Jan 9, 2017VerifiedMelanie V.
Non-Religious Wedding Officiant
Matthew and I asked Shundo to officiate our non-religious wedding ceremony which was held this past July 15th at the Rockefeller Lodge in San Pablo and it was a tremendous success! Shundo was extremely accommodating, calm, helpful and generous throughout the whole process. My family is French so he was able to arrange to do part of the ceremony in my native language which was much appreciated. His French speaking skills are excellent! In short, Shundo is a real gem and we highly recommend him to anyone looking for an outstanding officiant! Matt & Mel
Jul 20, 2016VerifiedKelly M.
Shundo officiated my wedding in San Francisco in 2015. He worked with my husband and I to make sure the overall ceremony (based on traditional buddhist text) incorporated our voices and values, including our own vows. Shundo brought all that was needed, and helped arrange a small altar, candles, and bells. He looks the part of a zen priest, dressed in a full black robe, shaved head, and a nice english accent to boot. The ceremony was truly intimate, and Shundo was a solid and supportive presence throughout.
Jan 19, 2016Jason S.
Shundo officiated my wedding in 2014. He worked with my husband and myself to plan the ceremony and provided excellent guidance. We are both Soto Zen Buddhists and had a ceremony in that tradition. Shundo provided all the tools and instruments required for the ceremony, e.g. altar, candles, incense, bells, etc. The ceremony included chanting the Heart Sutra, the precepts, and our vows. Shundo was supportive, a great help and great friend. The ceremony was professional, formal and at the same time intimate and welcoming. The ceremony was very intimate and our guests felt included and remarked at how impressed they were with the entire wedding. Shundo was flexible and worked-well with others helping us to plan the event (photographers, caterers, etc) while at the same time ensuring that the ceremony maintained its correct forms and perspective. We had another friend, also a Zen priest, and Shundo was able to include him in the ceremony. We highly recommend him to officiate, particularly weddings in the Soto Zen tradition.
Jan 19, 2016
FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?I would love to be able to offer all my services on a strictly donation basis, as is traditional for Buddhist teachers, but I also have to pay rent in San Francisco!
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?For weddings, meeting the couple ahead of time to get a sense of who they are and how they relate to each other is a valuable step. I am happy to advise on setting up a ceremony and helping to write the vows if that is needed. For meditation, I will ascertain what style the person or group is most interested in, and will shape my instruction accordingly. I can accommodate for whatever setting is available, whether it be chairs around a conference table, traditional cushions, or taking a group outdoors to sit in the open air.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?I have fifteen years of residential zen training at San Francisco Zen Center, including five years of intense monastic training at Tassajara, and many silent retreats. Important steps on the path have been ordaining as a priest in 2009, and training as head monk in 2012. ----- I have been leading groups and teaching for more than eight years. I co-led Zen Center's Coming of Age program for seventh grade boys; co-founded and led the thriving Young Urban Zen group at Zen Center. I have given talks to groups ranging from four people to more than a hundred, have taught workshops at Zen Center, Green Gulch, Tassajara, Santa Cruz, and in England on regular visits; I have met with many students individually as well as in ongoing groups. ----- More recently I have been leading regular groups and offering one-off sessions at various tech companies, start-up spaces, colleges, high schools and middle schools, yoga studios, retreat centers and the county jail, where I volunteer to teach meditation a couple of times a month.