Rabbi Yael Ridberg

Pricing

Prices start at $1,800

About Rabbi Yael Ridberg

Rabbi Yael Ridberg

Rabbi

It's a great privilege and pleasure to celebrate each couple's unique love story and relationship with a wedding ceremony that is personal yet traditional, always warm and inclusive. I have been working with couples for 30 years, and I love every part of the process - from the psycho-spiritual conversations before the ceremony, to the sacred experience of standing beneath the wedding canopy. I strive to weave together each partner's narrative with the Jewish rituals that sanctify a relationship in ways that reflect each couple's shared values and connections.

I work hard to make Jewish practice and connections accessible and meaningful to every couple. Having served Jewish communities as a pulpit rabbi, a teacher, and and advocate for social justice and interfaith understanding, I offer an open-minded and deeply respectful perspective, ensuring your ceremony is infused with warmth, relevance, and genuine celebration.

In three words: Calm, Empathetic, Positive

Best of Zola 2026

Services

Ceremony types

  • Commitment Ceremony
  • Interfaith Ceremony
  • Religious
  • Vow Renewal Ceremony

Religious affiliations

  • Interfaith
  • Jewish

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 4.8

4.8 out of 5

6 reviews

  • RH

    RJ H.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Aug 16, 2026

    Incredible experience with an incredible Rabbi!

    My wife and I recently got married in San Diego and asked Yael to officiate our wedding. This turned out to be one of the best decisions of our wedding day! For as amazing as she was during the ceremony, our pre-wedding sessions with her were just as special. Yael has an innate gift in connecting with people and fully understanding others. She brought great energy to our sessions and asked key introspective questions that helped me and my wife prepare for the next chapter of our lives. For the actual ceremony, she tailored our wedding exactly to our vision and brought a unique combination of a professional yet relaxed style. We are so glad we crossed paths with Yael as she is truly one of a kind. If you are looking for a Rabbi for any special occasion, working with Yael will make your milestone that much more meaningful.

    Yael Ridberg•Aug 16, 2026

    Thanks RJ! It was such a pleasure working with you and C! Wishing you both a long and happy life!!

  • MA

    Maya A.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Mar 13, 2026

    Rabbi Yael Made Our Wedding Ceremony Unforgettable

    We feel incredibly fortunate to have connected with Rabbi Yael for our wedding, and we cannot recommend her highly enough. From start to finish, she exceeded every expectation we had. Our pre-ceremony sessions with Rabbi Yael were transformative. She created a welcoming space where we could explore what was meaningful to us and have thoughtful conversations about our values, our relationship, and how we wanted to honor our heritage. Those conversations shaped not just our ceremony, but our understanding of what this day meant to us. The ceremony itself was nothing short of beautiful. Every detail from the Ketubah signing to the final moments under the chuppah felt intentional and deeply meaningful. Rabbi Yael has a remarkable gift for creating sacred space. She wove together Jewish traditions in a way that felt authentic and heartfelt, making our intercultural ceremony feel cohesive and celebratory rather than disjointed. Our guests were moved, and we heard repeatedly that the ceremony was their favorite part of the wedding. Several people told us they'd never experienced a Jewish ceremony before and how much they appreciated the reverence and beauty with which Rabbi Yael presented each tradition. What we appreciated most was Rabbi Yael's commitment to honoring Jewish customs while making the ceremony feel personal and accessible to everyone present. We will carry the memories of working with Rabbi Yael and the ceremony she created for us always. If you're looking for a rabbi who is knowledgeable, thoughtful, collaborative, and truly invested in making your ceremony special, Rabbi Yael is the perfect choice. With gratitude and joy, Maya and Elias

    Yael Ridberg•Mar 13, 2026

    Thank you so much Maya! I so loved working with you both. Your investment in making the ceremony meaningful made my job easy!

  • DR

    Damon R.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Feb 19, 2026

    Wonderful Rabbi for our Interfaith Wedding

    I was so lucky to find Rabbi Yael here on Zola. She spent quality time during the months leading up to our wedding to get to know my wife and I, and led a ceremony that was heartfelt, traditional, culturally/spritually inclusive, and also progressive in ways that made our ketubah signing and wedding extremely special to us and to our mixed faith family and friends. We are both very thankful to her for her insights, great communication, her understanding, and compassion for my wife's Thai and Buddhist faith and culture, and her ability to blend essential Jewish traditions into our special day. Because of her expertise and willingness to get to know us, we were able to have a beautiful Inter-faith/inter-cultural Jewish Wedding filled with precious memories that will truly last a lifetime.

    Yael Ridberg•Feb 19, 2026

    Thank you so much Damon! It really was a pleasure work with you and S! Your openness to embracing Jewish ritual and practice in celebration of your wedding and relationship was very special!

  • CA

    Carly A.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Dec 9, 2025

    THE BEST RABBI!!!!

    I have known Rabbi Ridberg since I was a young child and she was the rabbi at my synagogue. I prepared for my bat mitzvah with her and she played a formative role in my Jewish development. I knew for many years I would want her to officiate my wedding and when the time came she was a true joy to work with. My husband and I met with her regularly before the wedding, discussing the meaning of marriage, our wedding and our respective and combined spirituality. During the ceremony she explained with clarity and meaning the jewish traditions to incorporate our guests. I truly cannot recommend her more.

    Yael Ridberg•Jan 29, 2026

    Thank you Carly! It was a privilege and beyond wonderful to work with you and celebrate this milestone with you and your families.

  • MC

    Mika C.

    Rating: 4
    •Zola
    •Nov 21, 2025

    Meaningful

    Rabbi Ridberg officiated our modern, mostly secular interfaith wedding, and we could not have asked for a better experience. She took the time to understand who we are as a couple and crafted a ceremony that felt authentic, inclusive, and deeply personal. Her ability to blend tradition with a contemporary approach made every part of the service feel meaningful without ever feeling formal or restrictive. She was organized, thoughtful, and incredibly warm throughout the entire process. Our families—from different religious and cultural backgrounds—felt respected and included, and many guests told us afterward how beautiful and intentional the ceremony was. We are grateful for her guidance and presence on our wedding day and highly recommend Rabbi Ridberg to any couple looking for an officiant who is compassionate, adaptable, and genuinely invested in making the ceremony reflect your values.

    Yael Ridberg•Nov 22, 2025

    Thank you Mika! I loved working with you two and so very glad the process and wedding were meaningful for you and your families!

I've been a rabbi for nearly 30 years and have had the pleasure and privilege to work with close to 100 couples to sanctify their marriage and connect them more deeply to one another and Jewish tradition.
Yes! It is always meaningful to help a couple make their wedding truly their own.
Yes, in the months before the ceremony I spend 3-5 hours with couples talking about their relationship - their expectations, dreams, challenges, and how they continue to grow into themselves as much as they grow as a couple.
Yes! In summer months, as close to sunset as possible.
Yes. My standard fee covers ceremonies all over San Diego county. Travel more than an hour a way adds travel costs, and any ceremony requiring airfare and lodging will have commensurate costs added.

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