Weddings

I approach your wedding as an initiation . . .

. . . guiding you to discover the truth of this moment.

. . . customizing your ceremony in collaboration with you.

. . . elevating your wedding with Jewish tradition, song, and heart.

I take the responsibility of officiating your wedding to heart so you have a stunning wedding and are well prepared to have a generative marriage together.

Living in West Sonoma County, I officiate weddings on the Sonoma Coast. I also travel to your community and for destination weddings.

  • In pre-marital counseling sessions, we discover a vision for your marriage, grapple with the issues every marriage confronts and customize your wedding ceremony that is just right for you.

    In pre-marital counseling sessions, we explore questions such as:

    • What does marriage uniquley mean to you? 

    • What are the gifts and challenges you bring to this marriage?

    • How do you approach money as a couple?

    • What role will religion play in your life together and the children you might raise?

    • How do you want to communicate in your marriage? How will you navigate conflict when it arises?

    I generally offer 7-9 pre-marital counseling sessions that last 1-2 hours each, and this is entirely customized to your unique needs.

  • I take pride in creating joyful, engaging, and transformational wedding ceremonies. I aim for your wedding to feel like a truly transformational rite of passage.

    I understand the depth of Jewish wedding rituals and the dynamics of potent ceremony. I value engaging community as active participants in weddings and take to heart the task of weaving the ceremonial elements you love while honoring and engaging your family, community, and your personal flair to make your wedding uniquely yours.

  • After the chuppah, I remain committed to support you through the ups and downs of married life. Call on me when you need support during challening maritial moments and for lifecycle celebrations.

Discovery Call: Click here to schedule a free 30-minute Discovery Call to explore with me.

Contact Rabbi Zelig

Testimonials

  • Reb Z held us with wisdom, strength, and tenderness, empowering us to co-create a ceremony that shimmered with the magic of tradition and the truth of our souls. Beneath the chuppah, he provided an anchoring presence — beautifully weaving our family and friends into the ritual, opening our hearts, and invoking the loving support of the unseen. Portals opened, blessings poured through, and we emerged transformed.

    Daniyel Berchenko and Aleksandra Dubov - FEATURED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

  • Rabbi Zelig offers the complete a-la-carte menu of Jewish wedding rituals so that you can customize your ceremony to be most meaningful. The part he doesn't waiver on is the pre-marital counseling because if he's going to be your wedding officiant under the chuppah he's got to trust you are committed to the deep work of relationship. These sessions kept us from getting lost in the wedding plan and kept us focused on our marriage.

    Jacqueline Kammer & Ooah Reitzenstein

  • We could not have asked for a better rabbi mentor to help guide us to our marriage. Zelig has a heart of gold and is full of wisdom. We came from very different backgrounds and he helped us reconcile our differences. Our wedding felt sacred and full of Spirit; Zelig infused meaning and depth into every interaction and ritual.

    Orli and Dani Rabin

  • Having rabbi Zelig officiate our wedding was a true blessing. He showed up with presence and inspiration, and worked with us to craft a beautiful ceremony that was rooted in tradition and aligned with our unique visions. He exuded such warmth and joy during the ceremony, made our family and friends feel welcomed and included, anchored us through the ceremonial components, and uplifted the holiness of the day.

    Eva and Asher Lyons

  • Our wedding ceremony was the true rite of passage we desired to transform our relationship to a deeper place. We credit Rabbi Zelig and his multi-step pre-marital counseling process during the year leading up to our wedding for making this happen. Zelig is a skilled conductor with profound understanding of Jewish traditions, human relationship dynamics, and the technology of ceremony. He seamlessly wove our friends and family in the ritual, which resulted in a transformative ceremony for everyone. Our wedding felt both ancient and totally new. Many shared it was the most profound and uplifting wedding ever!

    Julie Wolk and Paul Houghtaling

  • Rabbi Zelig was exactly the wedding officiant we hoped for. His premarital counseling was profound, laying the foundation for a lasting marriage. The ceremony was spiritually uplifting, deeply soulful, Jewishly rooted, and inclusive of all of us!

    Gabriella Horn & Benjamin Tievsky

  • No one else could have made our ceremony as spiritual and meaningful as Rabbi Zelig did. He grounded our wedding in Jewish ritual that was ancient and accessible to family and friends. The ceremony could not have been more beautiful, joyful, soulful, and alive. He invited participation in a way that felt easeful and authentic—by the end of the ceremony, everyone was on their feet, encircling us with song and blessings. He was a sparkling, attuned, generous officiant. As someone said afterward: “this is what all weddings should be like!"

    Hannah Hindley and Louis Caditz-Peck

  • The entire experience of our wedding was as close to ideal as we could have possibly hoped. His pre-marital counseling was profound, and he helped us plan our perfect ceremony, with a mix of traditional and modern elements. The ceremony was flawless with style and warmth. Most importantly, we came to completely trust him as a spiritual advisor and someone who genuinely cared for us.

    Rob & Tina

Proud to partner with 18Doors.org to serve interfaith couples and families!