"Jo" of All Trades - Wedding Officiant, Dream C...

$225

estimated price

Zip code

Scheduling

Wedding officiant needed at rehearsal?

Service type (affiliation)

Responds in about 2 hours

Introduction: During my full-time employment years, I have been a Campus Minister, End- of-life caretaker, along with other jobs that required excellent people skills in order to do a satisfactory+ job. I have always enjoyed and continue to enjoy working with individuals who have different ways of looking at life and expressing themselves in a unique way. Whether it's a marriage ceremony or a photo shoot, I try to incorporate the customer's personalities so that the ceremony or photos are a reflection of who they are, not who I am. I enjoy elopement ceremonies the most because of their intimate nature. Oftentimes I am hired as the officiant and photographer during these ceremonies which allows me to use both skills. Officiating weddings and photographing (weddings, individual portraits, family portraits, outdoor family reunions, etc.) gives me the opportunity to be with people during some of the happiest times of their lives, rather than their saddest and most vulnerable which brings me great joy in my semi-retirement!

Overview

Hired 34 times

Serves Buffalo, NY

Background checked

1 employee

10 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Cash and Check.

Featured Projects

17 photos

Specialties

Type of ceremony

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Service type (affiliation)

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Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for professionalism, responsiveness, and work quality.

Exceptional 5.0

30 reviews

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Read reviews that mention:

Morgan B.

Oct 1, 2022

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Hired on Thumbtack

To work with Jo is to love her. She has a certain warmth and familiarity that makes you feel like you're catching up with an old friend, and the moment my husband and I met with her for the first time about officiating our wedding ceremony, we knew she was our cup of tea. The three of us were joking and laughing from the start, like it was something we'd done a hundred times before. Jo put together a beautiful ceremony script for us that was so heartfelt, so perfect. She also made sure we were 10000% happy with it in advance of our wedding. I'm not sure that anyone else could've been a better fit for us. Jo is truly amazing at what she does and has 2 new friends for life in us!!!

Details: Wedding • Non-religious (no mention of God) • 21 - 50 guests • Help writing vows will not be needed • English • Officiant will be needed at the rehearsal

Wedding Officiant

Kesia P.

Sep 13, 2021

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Hired on Thumbtack

I just want to say how fortunate my husband and I were to find Jo. I had planed my wedding with very short time with the purpose to include my inlaws. We only met her once in person and obviously kept in touch by message and calls however she made us feel like she knew us forever. She made everything go so smoothly. I want to add as wekl she is a very kind, genuine and professional as a person and wedding officiant. So if you are reading this review and are making plans for your wedding make sure you contact Jo, you won't regret it.❤

Details: Wedding • Non-denominational (mentions God) • 20 guests or fewer • Help writing vows will not be needed • English • Officiant will not be needed at the rehearsal • Officiant does not need to be present at rehearsal

Wedding Officiant

Stephanie M.

Jul 23, 2021

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Hired on Thumbtack

Jo was the perfect match for us and I couldn't have imagined anyone else officiating our wedding! She was thorough, communicative and personable. She took time to understand who we are as individuals and was not 'cookie cutter' what-so-ever. The details of how she put together our ceremony were fabulous and touched on many things we didn't even know we needed to consider. I highly recommend Jo as an officiant! We were so lucky to find her and were 100% satisfied from beginning to end. Thank you Jo!

Details: Wedding • Non-denominational (mentions God) • 21 - 50 guests • Help writing vows will not be needed • English • Officiant will not be needed at the rehearsal • Officiant does not need to be present at rehearsal

Wedding Officiant

Tymika B.

Jun 29, 2021

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Hired on Thumbtack

This woman is absolutely amazing no really amazing 😍😍 I don't know where to start!! I don't think I have enough room on here to express how great she was, so I'll give you a few things. First and foremost, she is so loving, honest, and open and she was there every single step of the way. If I called she picked up and was so sweet and helpful. There were a lot of laughs and a ton of happy tears. We could not have asked for a better young lady to do this. We walked away with not just someone who did a phenomenal job at our wedding and who also took amazing pictures but we also walked away having an amazing friendship that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. Pictures were impeccable and at the service everyone cried and everyone thought she was amazing. When she did our wedding, I didn't feel like she was a stranger. We felt like she was a part of our family. If you want an amazing photographer or an amazing officiant this is your gal ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ P.S She was so great we had her do my sister in laws pictures for her wedding too 💓💓

Details: Wedding • Christian • 20 guests or fewer • Help writing vows will not be needed • English • Officiant will be needed at the rehearsal

Wedding Officiant

Heather C.

Aug 5, 2020

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Hired on Thumbtack

Jo was great to work with! My husband and I live out of state, but Jo was willing to meet with us virtually because we live out of state and were coming to NY for our wedding ceremony on July 25th. She suggested including a love letterbox into our ceremony and we loved the idea! Our love letterbox is a tradition we look forward to continuing throughout our lives together. During the ceremony, Jo was professional and funny, which helped lighten the mood and make us less nervous. She was a wonderful choice for our officiant!

Details: Elopement • Non-religious (no mention of God) • 20 guests or fewer • Help writing vows will be needed • English • Officiant will not be needed at the rehearsal • Officiant does not need to be present at rehearsal

Wedding Officiant

Credentials

Background Check

Jo Stiller Polinsky

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Please note, An extra $50. will be added to my fees for weddings that occur more than a 30 minute drive from my location in the southtowns. During the winter months (December through February), I will only entertain officiating a wedding that is no further north or east than West Seneca and no further south or east than Springville due to possible inclement weather. I do not want to disappoint you by not being able to get to you on your wedding day!
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I typically reach out to you by phone and make sure we are a good fit by answering any questions we each may have. Then I schedule a meeting with you and your fiance at my house. During this meeting, we will plan your wedding ceremony from beginning to end. Afterwards, I will type your ceremony script and email it to you so you can approve it or ask me to make changes in the areas you're not happy with. The next time I will see you will either be at your rehearsal or the day of your wedding. Of course, I am always available to answer any questions by phone.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a Pastoral Ministry Certificate from Houghton College through the 3 year PCMP program, A BS in Transpersonal Psychology and World Religions from Empire State College and two years of Catholic Biblical School. I was a Campus Minister at two area colleges and a Youth Minister at my church. I gave several presentations in the area on "Understanding Your Dreams"