Santa Cruz Officiant

Packages

About Santa Cruz Officiant

Santa Cruz Officiant

Officiant, celebrant and business owner

Hi, I’m Naomi Rose, a wedding officiant serving Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur. I’m an ordained reverend and certified celebrant who has officiated over 400 wedding ceremonies. I specialize in secular, spiritual-but-not-religious and Jewish ceremonies, as well as second marriage and blended family ceremonies. I officiate custom wedding ceremonies and intimate elopements—from state parks and redwood groves to oceanfront and luxury wedding venues. I’m part marriage midwife, part storyteller, part fierce loving mama bear. I help couples stay grounded and connected on one of the most important days of their lives. Guests swear that I must be a family member or close friend because of how well I get to know the couples I work with.

I create wedding ceremonies that blend depth and levity with realness and reverence. I’m allergic to generic, cliché ceremonies and plug-and-play scripts, and strive to make each ceremony I officiate as unique and authentic as possible. I have a degree in creative writing and a background in theater and public speaking, which enhance my ceremony writing and performance skills. To view ceremony videos and wedding photo galleries, read 100+ reviews, and learn more about my work as a Santa Cruz and Big Sur wedding officiant, please visit my website and contact me there directly rather than through Zola.

In three words: Creative, Innovative, Supportive

Services

Ceremony types

  • Civil Union
  • Commitment Ceremony
  • Elopement
  • Interfaith Ceremony
  • Legal License Signing
  • Multicultural Weddings
  • Non-religious Ceremony
  • Other
  • Religious
  • Vow Renewal Ceremony

Religious affiliations

  • Interfaith
  • Jewish
  • Other
  • Pagan
  • Secular
  • Spiritual
  • Unitarian
  • Wiccan

Santa Cruz Officiant packages

Micro-weddings and elopements

Description

Planning a Santa Cruz, Big Sur, Carmel or Monterey micro-wedding or elopement? This nonreligious, LGBTQIA+ friendly ceremony includes a getting-to-know-you questionnaire, a nod to your love story, nontraditional vow selection, support with your marriage license, and professional ceremony delivery. Ideal for intimate weddings, destination elopements, redwood weddings, state-park ceremonies and coastal weddings. Preview available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TB6VEp8CQk&pp=ygUJI3RlbG9wZXlh

What’s included
  • Selection of non-traditional vows
  • Ceremony questionnaire
  • Information about obtaining your marriage license
  • A beautifully-worded nonreligious ceremony
  • Marriage license filing

Custom Ceremony Package

Description

My bespoke ceremony package is a high-touch, collaborative process for couples who want their ceremony to be the highlight of their wedding day. Through thoughtful reflection, real conversation and careful listening, I get to know you deeply and create a one-of-a-kind ceremony rooted in your vision, values and vibe. The experience includes extensive guidance and support before, during and after your wedding. A one-hour consultation is required to assess mutual fit.

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 5.0

5.0 out of 5

3 reviews

  • WM

    Wesley & M.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Oct 22, 2025

    An Unforgettable, Grounding, & Cherished Presence

    Naomi was beyond incredible. From the very first meeting, she made us feel so comfortable and cared for, and it truly felt like she really took the time to understand who we are as a couple. Naomi has a unique world view that made us feel gratitude for every moment of the process but also for our lives leading up to our wedding and meeting her. It made our connection with her far deeper than we had expected - once you meet her, you will feel it too. Naomi was extremely calm, organized, and so grounding; from the start of the planning process to the rehearsal to the big day, she truly set the tone and was a guiding light throughout, even quietly reminding the groom to breathe as his bride appeared, which was unexpectedly necessary! The ceremony she wrote was everything we could have hoped for and more - personal, heartfelt, and full of meaning. It felt completely “us,” as if she had known the two of us for years already! And our friends and family couldn’t stop talking about how beautiful her words were and how she created such an intimate, warm atmosphere, too. We went with her custom ceremony package, which included reflection questions, vow-writing help, marriage license guidance, and multiple meetings. Beyond having a copy of our custom ceremony, another fun keepsake we now have from working with Naomi is both of our responses to the premarital reflection questionnaires she had us complete separately, since we’re now saving our answers to read together on our one-year anniversary (we seriously can’t wait!). Naomi was listed as the preferred officiant for our venue (Waterfall Lodge & Retreat in Ben Lomond, CA), and it’s clear to see why! Having her know the venue and most of our vendors made things feel that much more seamless, which was wonderful since we’re not local to the area ourselves. But on top of her being our venue’s preferred officiant, it was her reviews (and our wonderful first meeting with her!) that made us ultimately choose her to be the shepherd of our big day, and we’re so glad we trusted those reviews! We’re beyond grateful to her for helping make our ceremony so magical and forever cherished. If you’re looking for an officiant who is kind, professional, and genuinely cares about making your ceremony feel personal and memorable, Naomi is it.

  • AW

    Aubrey D W.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •May 15, 2025

    Forever Grateful for Naomi

    Choosing Naomi as our officiant was one of the very best decisions we made for our wedding. She embodies so much warmth and wisdom and has an extremely thoughtful process of getting to know her couples. We wanted our ceremony to be the most special part of our day, and while we trusted her from the beginning, we couldn’t have imagined a ceremony as beautiful as the one she delivered. We wanted to really feel the transition, the peace, the profoundness of the moment, and Naomi gave us this and so much more. Every word was meaningful and deeply personal, not a single one wasted. She slowed everything down. She helped us and our guests all be still and truly present and to notice even the tiniest details that were made not so tiny by the awareness: the trees, the smell of the cool forest air, the crow flying overhead. She was a grounding presence that steadied us in a moment that is often nerve-ridden and blurry for many people. Friends and family all commented on how it was the most beautiful ceremony they had ever been to. One friend even said that he had never been to a wedding where the ceremony was the best part until ours. If you are looking for an officiant who can truly see you and your partner, someone who is capable of honoring your story and your dreams, someone to anchor you in a whirlwind moment while acknowledging how once in a lifetime it is, then run don’t walk to connect with Naomi. You will be so glad you did.

  • BB

    Breanna B.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Apr 16, 2025

    Wedding Officiant

    Naomi from Santa Cruz Officiant was an absolute pleasure to work with for our wedding. Her communication style was great - she was very personal in getting to know us as a couple, but never in an intrusive way. Naomi was diligent in following up on any phone calls or emails we had leading up to the big day. On the wedding day, Naomi's soft-spoken and calming presence really helped us feel grounded and present during the ceremony. She officiated our legal marriage and took care of submitting the paperwork for us. Naomi's words connected with us in a profound way, and I found myself balling with emotion just a sentence into my vows. Naomi offers a variety of ceremony options to fit different couples' needs and budgets, which we really appreciated. We highly recommend Naomi and Santa Cruz Officiant to any couple looking for a warm, personalized, and meaningful wedding ceremony experience.

Preferred vendors of Santa Cruz Officiant

Quick responder
Venue
Kennolyn Events
Rating: 5.0 (1 review)
Soquel, CA
Venue
The Holly Farm
Rating: 5.0 (2 reviews)
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA
Starts at $57,000
Quick responder
Venue
Sand Rock Farm
Rating: 5.0 (4 reviews)
Aptos, CA
Venue
Waterfall Lodge and Retreat
Rating: 5.0 (1 review)
Ben Lomond, CA
I started Santa Cruz Officiant in 2015.
I have officiated over 400 wedding ceremonies (including elopements and micro-weddings.)
Yes! I have officiated many weddings for couples who were already legally married. Many couples do the paperwork first because of taxes, health insurance, visas, etc. so it's not uncommon for couples to be legally married before their wedding.
I'm not a therapist and don’t offer premarital counseling as such, but as part of my custom ceremony package I offer a very in depth premarital reflection process - what one bride described as “the emotional homework I knew I needed to do before getting married but previously hadn’t known how…" This process includes 50+ questions that help couples reflect on their relationship, contemplate their future, and think deeply and intentionally about their ceremony. Check out my free blog posts: Before You Say “I Do”: Essential Premarital Conversations Every Couple Should Have and Premarital Counseling for Nonreligious Couples.
It depends. For micro-weddings and elopements I generally do not. I do attend rehearsals for custom ceremonies unless I am officiating another wedding ceremony on the day of their rehearsal. In all cases I prepare the couples I work with via email or Zoom, or by speaking with their planner/coordinator/site manager.
Every ceremony I officiate is welcoming and inclusive of all cultures, colors, creeds, abilities and orientations. From first marriages to blended families and second chances, and from atheists to mixed faith and cultural hybrid celebrations, I create deeply personalized ceremonies for people across an enormous range of backgrounds, beliefs and origin stories.
I provide a high end vow writing tutorial as well as 1:1 vow coaching to all the couples who book me for my custom wedding ceremony package.
Tipping is never required, but always deeply appreciated. If you’re tipping your other vendors—like your photographer, DJ, videographer, or caterer—it makes sense to tip your officiant too, especially if they’ve gone above and beyond to make your ceremony special. If tipping isn’t part of your wedding plan just know that a heartfelt thank you (and a glowing review!) means the world.
Yes! I am active on Instagram @santacruzofficiant.
The short answer is no, I am not a rabbi. The longer answer is that I have extensive experience officiating Jewish wedding ceremonies that honor Jewish traditions in meaningful, inclusive, and often reimagined ways. I come from an ultra-orthodox family of cantors and kohanim (Jewish high priests), so I bring a deep understanding of Jewish wedding customs, along with a passion for helping couples have a fresh perspective about ancient rituals.
Have an unplugged ceremony. Don't be drunk, stoned or hungover for your ceremony. Skip the first look and see each other for the first time at the altar. Share your vows during the ceremony and not beforehand. If tears come, let them! Have the ceremony be the most magical, expansive part of your whole wedding day. It sets the tone for everything that follows it...

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