Couples' Testimonials
If you’re wondering what it’s like to work with me, hear directly from the people who’ve stood in your shoes—planning a ceremony that felt true to them and feeling supported every step of the way.
Yes, it’s a lot of reading—but every single testimonial holds real gems. These words aren’t just kind; they’re rich with meaning, glimpses of the connection we built, and often even pieces of the couple’s own story. Every ceremony I create is rooted in trust, collaboration, and connection, and it means the world when couples take the time to share what the experience meant to them.
”All we knew was where we would like to marry and that we wanted to keep it simple, just the two of us. Monika took us by the hand to navigate the many options to make our ceremony both personal and intimate. By detailing our backgrounds, values, beliefs and love of both places and one another, Monika got to really know us. The poems and readings we selected allowed us to truly express how much Sarah and I mean to each other. Monikas considered and thoughtful words skilfully knitted the whole ceremony together.”
”Monika was the celebrant at our bilingual wedding up in Scotland near Kinross and we couldn’t have asked for a more memorable and beautiful ceremony. From the first point of contact Monika was so on top of it and so we already knew we had made the right decision in choosing her. We had no idea at first what to expect, but she provided us with plenty of resources to start off. Her communication was excellent all throughout which is exactly what you need in the weeks leading up to your big day. Then on the day, she led the ceremony in both German and English which was absolutely effortless and so natural. Her story of us and how we met and the kind of couple we are was spot on. Thank you Monika for absolutely nailing it! We will forever be able to treasure the memory of the beautiful ceremony that it was!”
”Our wedding ceremony was beautifully created by Monika. She was so easy to work with. Always encouraging, helpful and clear as to what we needed to give to her so she could create a truly memorable ceremony. Monika retold our story perfectly amid the sounds of crashing waves on a windswept Scottish beach.”
”Monika officiated our wedding ceremony in Applecross – and we couldn’t be happier! She was very responsive, helpful, and easy to work with. he was always relaxed and supportive, and she took the time to get to know our story and put together a beautiful ceremony for us (with some lovely surprises and many personal touches!). Overall, we are so happy we chose Monika! Thank you again, Monika. It was wonderful – a really special moment for us and our friends and family that we will always remember!.”
”Our trip to Scotland was TRULY magical. Thank you so much for helping us renew our vows..”
"Thank you very much Monika, you were sent to us to make our dream come true for our wedding in Scotland. Your warm-hearted and loving nature accompanied us and you were there for us with sensitivity at all times to support us in our planning and implementation. It was a wonderful experience! Thank you for letting us get to know you and for becoming a part of our lives!"
"As soon as we got in touch with Monika to begin plans on our wedding she made us feel totally relaxed and at ease, which is exactly the feel we wanted for our very intimate beach wedding. She was always quick to respond to any of our queries and also help us with ideas to include on the day. The wedding itself was conducted beautifully with a poem that Monika had chosen which suited our dogs perfectly, it felt like it could’ve been written about them! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Monika as a celebrant. Thank you for making our day so great!"
"Thank you SO much for being our celebrant! It was a very very special day and we felt the ceremony was absolutely perfect! Thank you for your lovely words."
-Hannah & Andy
"We were so lucky to find Monika. After agreeing on the general outline of the ceremony and sending Monika the readings, our story and other information she requested, Monika began crafting the ceremony. Experiencing it for the first time on the day was fantastic. Monika had taken all the random snippets of our life and woven them into a story linking everything together. The ceremony surpassed all our expectations and was truly perfect."
"Our wedding ceremony was very small and intimate and it was lovely to have a Celebrant we connected so well with. We wanted a simple, relaxed ceremony in a woodland that means a lot to our family and Monika really helped to create the right atmosphere for that."
"We had simply the best day. Our guests absolutely loved the ceremony. The service was incredibly personal and special. The way you put the whole thing together was just perfect. I loved the fact that our friends and children were at the heart of our ceremony and that the church was taken back to its roots. The feedback from our guests had been incredible."
"Working with Monika was a true delight. We come from different religious and cultural backgrounds and wanted to make sure we found a minister who could help us honour our respective traditions. Monika worked with us for over half a year to iron out the details, and she was more than happy to make adjustments on how best to weave together our traditions with the Scottish setting. We had to communicate virtually only, but Monika was always a text or email away. We had a handfasting ceremony, a quaich, a unity candle, and an exchange of rings, to name of few. Monika gave each the significance it deserved.
Leading up to our big day, a few key elements were severely disrupted, causing us quite a bit of stress. Monika stepped up not only as the person presiding over our blessing, but also in the way only an interfaith minister could. Monika supported us with words and actions, constantly communicating with us even late into the night and even advocating on our behalf to rectify the issues and creating a much-needed space for us to figure things out. For this alone, we cannot recommend Monika enough. In the end, the disruptions were resolved and we were able to proceed.
Weddings are so often a blur, but the ceremony will always be remembered as a tranquil and purposeful moment for us. Monika helped integrate everyone in attendance (and those who couldn't make it) and her words held deep meaning for us on an individual level. Monika exceeded every expectation and helped make our day the best it could be. We recommend her wholly and completely."
"It is quite difficult to put into words just how humbled and grateful we feel toward Monika for being our celebrant as we took our first steps into marriage. Monika helped us create our dream ceremony through suggesting different approaches we could take and then allowing us to shape the ceremony in a way that was true and honest to us as a couple. She encouraged us to be ourselves, which allowed us to have a playful, loving and raw wedding ceremony, and to include and embed those who were and weren’t present on the day into every key moment of the celebration. It was a true gift she gave us, and we could not recommend her more highly for couples hoping to begin their journey together in an authentic, meaningful and loving way."
"When we started our search for a celebrant we were delighted to hear that Monika, who has such a close connection to our chosen ceremony location, was willing to marry us. From our first meeting we knew that Monika was the one we wanted to conduct our ceremony. She has a fantastic, personable manner and made every step of the way effortless and enjoyable. The guidance, support and advice we received from her was invaluable. Thank you Monika for making our wedding day so special and one we will never forget."
"We found out Monika lived nearby and lots of good feedback from other couples as we live so far apart we had to email. She gave us good advice for our big day. Monika has a lovely manner and nothing was too much bother. We made our vows to suit our Happy life together and Monika was great and kept a wee secret I slipped in to make my now husband laugh. We met up with her and were welcomed into her home. She kept in touch with us checking everything was OK. On the day it was perfect. The weather was a bit wild but love conquers all. We laughed and cried during the ceremony. It was written out perfectly to reflect our love for each other"
"Derek and I wanted to get married somewhere near Lochinver - a place special to us as we had holidayed there a few times. When we set out on our search for a celebrant we found Monika (all the ceremonies of the north).
We chose Monika for many reasons, including that she is local to the area, her prompt replies to our emails and questions, her calmness and eagerness to get our ceremony just right for us, and her exceptional organisational skills. However, what we got from Monika was so much more than we could have ever imagined and (although maybe biased), our wedding ceremony is by far the best we have both ever had the privilege of listening to.
Monika simply went above and beyond. My husband Derek and I like to be very organised but that is usually because we like to make sure everything is completed on time. Monika was so organised that we never had to chase her for anything or remind her about any details, meaning we could be completely relaxed and ourselves for our ceremony: for us, the most important part of our wedding day. We probably slacked a bit with what we needed to do re preparation on our end, but Monika had us in check the whole time and the lead up to our ceremony was seamless. Monika supported and helped us with writing our vows, all legalities and required paperwork, and created our perfect ceremony.
At every wedding we have been to (quite a few), the celebrant usually tells a lovely story of the couple and how they came to be together. When Monika asked us to tell her our story, we had an idea/prediction of what she might say during our ceremony. This is what we thought was the 'done thing' for a wedding however what Monika delivered was so much more. What Monika said wasn't a typical 'Lisa and Derek have been together since... etc'. For us, this made our elopement so much more special. It was just the two of us there and so we didn't need to know how we met or how we had got to this point because we already knew our story. What Monika did, was relay it back to us in a different context, linking it to different metaphors of life in a way that was so personal, fitting, and accurate to us that we were completely blown away.
During our ceremony Monika reminded us that whilst we have memories of our day, our day (the people around, the landscape, the air) also has memories of us. Monika, please know that one of our favourite memories of our day is you and we will never forget how special you made our day. Thank you from the very bottom of our hearts,."
-Lisa & Derek
"When Sean and I began planning our trip to the Scottish Highlands to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary we didn’t have renewing our vows in mind. But, that’s what a romantic notion and a little late night internet searching will get you! We couldn’t be happier with the outcome and sweet memories. Finding Monika and All the Ceremonies of the North was truly a gift. I had looked at other officiant websites and they seemed quite lovely, but I knew Monika was the one after reading her philosophy. She is calm yet whimsical, philosophical but also witty. She took the time to get to know us. Monika’s service was thoughtful and joyful – it was just so us! It was like she had known Sean and me for years. Thank you, Monika, for making our day so special, memorable, and filled with love."
"Monika has been a pillar of calm, knowledge, and support. There have been many back and forth emails about running orders, vows, rituals, and the ceremony, things we’d never have considered ourselves, but with Monika’s help came together beautifully in a day that will go down in the story of our relationship, and now marriage, as perfect. The ceremony was beautiful, personable, and tailor-made for us as a couple. It fit like a glove – just like Monika’s presence in our very small company did. We wouldn’t have had it any other way."
"As our ceremony was planned during COVID we were unable to meet Monika before the wedding day but we felt so comfortable with her and felt as if we’d known her along time. She paid so much attention to the details in our story and that was the most special part of the ceremony for us. We don’t really talk often about our feelings to others but on the day we got to share our story with our families and close friends, in the most amazing setting and in the perfect words. We couldn’t have asked for a better day and we truly believe Monika played a key role in helping us achieve all we wanted for our ceremony"
"We would like to express our sincere thanks to you for carrying out our marriage ceremony. You have been truly wonderful through out it all and for braving the elements on the day. Thank you so much you will always hold a special place in our hearts."
-Angela & Chris
"Monika was the perfect celebrant for our Spring wedding in 2025. She has a very calming presence and helped us a great deal before the big day (with items like the lengths of hand fastening cords, what to write in our wedding paperwork).
On the day of our wedding everything was wonderful! Despite a few last minute curveballs, which were handled gracefully, Monika created the perfect balance of occasion and professionalism.
Thank you once again for all your help and support. The day went exactly how we’d imagined."
-Sandy & Lucy
"Monika provided an excellent professional service for our very small private ceremony at our house. The ceremony was planned quickly within a few months and everything went perfectly. All our requirements for the day were taken into consideration with lovely personalised vows finalised & provided that special touch on the day. Any questions we had in the lead up were swiftly answered and resolved via email / WhatsApp. The hand fasting ceremony was super fun & went without any hiccups. Our special day was the one day during a heatwave where it was a bit wet n wild, and Monika was more than happy to wait till the weather opened up allowing the best opportunity for the ceremony to take place.
Would thoroughly recommend Monika to everyone. 5 stars 😊"
-Rob & Bina