Hey there, I’m Hope, and I LOVE love!
I would be honored to help you celebrate your union.
My goal is to bring balance and inspiration into marriage preparation as you plan your wedding and not only honor, but strengthen your relationship. It can be a daunting task, but doesn’t have to be – and you certainly don’t need to do it alone. I’m here to guide you through!
The path to becoming a wedding officiant, pre-marital counselor and yoga teacher was an amazing journey. There were lots of surprises and so much to learn along the way. Therefore, I would be an excellent tour guide for you as you travel from engagement to wedding day.
Photo: Brindamour Studios
Here are some of my past highlights:
Moved from New York to Atlanta for college. I not only learned my “m’ams” and “sirs,” but worked for the ‘96 Olympic Games and Coca-Cola, co-founded a theatre company, was a personal chef, and performed and choreographed at some amazing theatres (whew!)
Headed West to Northern California to get my MFA in Interdisciplinary Theatre, and taught acting and dance to kids and adults.
Then completely out of the blue, one of my classmates and close friends asked me to officiate her wedding. I said no.
Needless to say, I changed my mind!
I realized that my friend needed my support, and I had to step up. So, on a chilly December day in 2009, I performed my first ceremony on a beach in Sausalito, CA. With our feet in the sand, we shared a moment of love and laughter, of community and promises for the future. It was such a magical experience, that I started the ordination process the very next day. Two years later, I embraced my new path, moved back to New York and fully stepped into my calling. And yes, while it may be woo-woo, I really consider it a calling.
A handful of educator, a scoop of performer, a dash of administrator and a whole lot of positive, nurturing energy. That’s me! Twelve years later, I continue to work with grooms and brides around the country to celebrate rites of passage & ritual, stay Zen and create memorable wedding ceremonies.
What people say about Hope–
We connected Hope with our wedding officiant (groom's best friend) to help him put together a vaguely Jewish-yet-pretty-secular ceremony. She brought her years of experience to bear while still letting our collective visions shine. If you need help with your wedding ceremony in any capacity, do yourself a favor and reach out to Hope!
Alyssa & Ryan New York, NY
Hope was simply perfect. I initially reached out to her, after learning that a family member would not obtain their officiant credentials in time for our ceremony. From our first conversation with Hope I knew she was ‘The One’. She worked with us extensively to curate vows and a ceremony that felt like us and also incorporated our daughter into the service.
Brittney & James, Brooklyn, NY
Our experience with Hope was great! She respected and adhered to all our desires for our ceremony, making what was only an online ceremony (due to the pandemic) feel very real to us, and very moving. We were impressed by how she inculcated our stated desires into how she conducted the ceremony. And bringing to it her own personality made the entire experience altogether enjoyable, joyful, funny and moving all at once!!
Vladimir & Tara | Staten Island, NY
From my first conversation with Hope via FaceTime, I knew she was the perfect person to officiate our wedding. Her bright energy and warm demeanor drew me in immediately. She was extremely quick to respond to any questions or updates we had for her. We recently had our ceremony and Hope played a huge role in helping to make our day so memorable and special. She has such a calming energy and presence, which I desperately needed for my wedding day. She created the most beautiful and personal ceremony. We wanted to keep things simple, yet still meaningful and dignified and Hope created a ceremony beyond our expectations.
Brittany | Staten Island, NY
Hope’s yoga classes are creative, challenging and energizing. A thoughtful and intuitive teacher, her many talents and interests are reflected in her approach to yoga. It’s an experience not to be missed.
Kim | Oakland, CA
I’ve been taking yoga classes with Hope for the past several months, and it has been a real pleasure. The classes are always varied, as Hope explores the vast world of Yoga and shares her findings with her students.
Rosalie | Albany, CA
Don’t hesitate—you want Hope Mirlis as your wedding officiant without a doubt. She is one of the nicest, most considerate, most thoughtful, and brightest people we have ever met.
Meg & Alan, New Rochelle, NY
The person marrying us requires all couples to attend pre-marital counseling. I was skeptical because we already have a strong relationship, but I found Hope on Yelp, and signed us up anyways. I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG ABOUT PRE-MARITAL COUNSELING! Hope was AWESOME, and our session was extremely valuable.
E & M | New York, NY
We cannot thank you enough for the ceremony that you put together for us. Everyone, from our extended families and older generations to our dear friends who can’t stand to sit through another boring wedding ceremony – LOVED what you did with our wedding.
Jen & Justin | La Jolla, CA
We began searching online for officiants and found only people who were offering cookie-cutter services. After a few frustrating days of this, we came across A More Perfect Union, and set up a meeting with Hope. Before the introductions were far behind us, we already knew we had found the officiant for Our wedding. We had already decided that we had wanted to start things off on the right foot, so we also signed up for counseling.
Salua & Dave | New York, NY
Hope played a huge role in making our wedding as magical as it turned out to be. We are positioned somewhat anti-religiously, albeit with a very healthy love for the universe in which we live, and Hope was able to really channel our love for one another, our kids, and our lives into a ceremony that really reflected our passion, as well as our desire not to take life too seriously. We would absolutely recommend that anyone that is looking to add a really special and personal touch to the officiation of their wedding invite Hope to perform the ceremony!
Genia | Sausalito, CA
I cannot imagine preparing for marriage without Hope’s insight and guidance. She helped me and my fiancee navigate some very important (and sometimes difficult) topics that we would never have thought of otherwise. Through our counseling sessions, she learned so much about us as a couple, and incorporated this knowledge into our ceremony. Because of her care, attention, and presence, what could have been a mundane ritual was transformed into a hand-tailored ceremony and a true celebration.
Chris | Atlanta, GA
If you are considering Hope for your ceremony, don’t think another second. She is a true professional and made our day more than special. From our first meeting until our wedding day, she took care of every detail. There are things that come up that you don’t even think of and Hope always had it covered. She created a ceremony that was authentic to us and very memorable for our guests.
Melanie | Brooklyn, NY
Hers is a gentle yoga; great for beginners but also for people who want to go at their own pace, taking each pose as deep as they wish. From time to time she brings fun, interesting suggestions such as yoga to Beatles music or readings from yogis and scholars.
Elizabeth | Berkeley, CA
Hope’s teaching always challenges my yoga practice, and also makes me smile. She is both humorous and serious, with a clear and supportive way of teaching.
Justin | Stevensville, MT
Hope’s teaching has provided me with a sense of safety and trust in class – both in her as a teacher and in my own exploration of my yoga practice. Her immense compassion for her students combined with her no-nonsense, straight-forward instruction are a beautiful combination inviting our most authentic selves to come forward and play in class.
Eleni | San Francisco, CA
I was lucky enough to have Hope not only serve as our pre-marital counselor and officiate our wedding, but also to guide me, my maid of honor and two close friends in a wedding-day yoga practice. Hope got us out of our heads and into our hearts.
Angela | Atlanta, GA
My wife and I just wanted to thank you for officiating our wedding ceremony. Your calming influence was much appreciated, by myself in particular, and all the guests were impressed by your great personality which added so much to the ceremony. It was a real pleasure to have you there with us.
Jason | London, UK
We can’t thank you enough. You helped make our wedding ceremony everything we had hoped for (and more)! Our family commented afterwards on the positive energy you brought to the ceremony; we noticed as well and it made the ceremony even more special for us. We’ve been to quite a few weddings over the years and compared to the other officiants we have seen you went above and beyond what we expected. Thanks so much again for making our day so special.
Eric & Shawna | Ontario, Canada
Hope was exactly who we needed to lead our wedding. She worked closely with us over the course of two months to design a totally custom ceremony, incorporating all of the elements we wanted. She helped us to focus our ideas and then expanded upon them with her own words.
Selene | New York, NY
Hope has been an incredible resource for us. We felt we were in a great place before we got married, but we’re so glad we came in for pre-martial counseling. It has only helped us with communication, listening, and working through obstacles. We appreciate Hope so much & would recommend her to anyone getting married!
Maggie & Michael | New York, NY
No one walked up to me and said the typical “It was a beautiful ceremony”. Instead, people said more thoughtful things like: “That really was the most fun ceremony I’ve ever been to!”
Kelly & Gordon | Brooklyn, NY
Last night was a dream come true, thank you for all of your help and hard work over the last few weeks and for a truly amazing, unforgettable ceremony. It really set the stage for a perfect night. We are so fortunate to have partnered with you. So many friends and family members commented on how special the ceremony was and what a fantastic job you did. You set the bar for all officiants.
Cope and Kevin | 501 Union, Brooklyn