“Thanks so much for a wonderful ceremony! We really appreciated your energy and enthusiasm on our big day, and your wonderful mix of humor and empathy generated a vibrant start to the entire evening.

What really stood out to me: 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!” “Usually I don’t listen cause they’re just reading Bible passages, but I definitely listened tonight.” “Where did you find that officiant of yours? She was great!” “Is your officiant a friend of yours?”

We know that your words, storytelling, and support made all of these wonderful comments possible.”

— Kelly & Gordon – Brooklyn, 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.

Hope is so sweet and made us both feel so comfortable (we’re both a bit shy). She sent us a pre-session questionnaire to fill out which was thoughtful, and helped us get our session off to a good start. We talked about potential future issues and how we could tackle them more effectively, and also reflected on good things in our relationship, which was nice in all the chaos of planning a wedding. I HIGHLY recommend Hope, even if you don’t think you need her!”

— E & M – New York, NY

“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

“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

“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. Hope met us for four sessions, and helped us discuss issues which most commonly cause marital troubles and divorce. We both felt the sessions were very effective, and we plan to meet with Hope every so often in the future for periodic marital refreshers/check-ins.

Leading up to the wedding, we touched base often with Hope and she put together many drafts. The final version was exactly what we envisioned, before we even knew what kind of ceremony we would want. Since the wedding, one of our most common things we’ve heard was how wonderful our ceremony was, how much it reflected the two of us and how excellent Hope was in her delivery and presence during the ceremony. Hope helped to guide us through the wedding process and gave us a wedding ceremony we only could have dreamed of. We could not give her a more enthusiastic recommendation for other couples!”

— Salua & Dave – 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

“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 and Shawna – Ontario, Canada

“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

“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. My husband and I wrote our vows at the last minute, and she even went as far as to print out our vows on nice cards to read. We had a bit of family drama at the rehearsal dinner, and she made sure that our processional order was such that I didn’t have to interact with a particular family member. We would have done pre-marital counseling with her, if my husband was in the country before the wedding. We couldn’t recommend her more!”

— Meg & Alan – New Rochelle, 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. People were crying almost as much as I was. And the energy was absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for being a part of this union. We were absolutely thrilled and truly hope we will get to see you again officiating one of our loved one’s weddings in the future.”

— Jen & Justin – La Jolla, CA

“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 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

“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. We loved that she was totally open to feedback and would eliminate any phrasing that we didn’t respond to without taking it personally.

And on the big day, Hope was just perfect. Sometimes when planning a non-denominational wedding, the ceremony is an afterthought. You focus on the party and the design and when it comes time to pick an officiant you think maybe you should just have a friend do it. I’m SO glad we didn’t do that. The ceremony was absolutely our favorite part of the day and Hope was an integral part of it. We’re so happy we chose her.”

— Selene – New York, NY

“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. The focus on breath and heart was so soothing, and was absolutely perfect – just what I needed to settle myself before our ceremony. I felt truly centered, awake and aware, and because of that, I was able to be fully present as I entered marriage.

Our ceremony, written primarily by Hope, was deeply personal and full of meaning. She was accommodating and encouraging of the Buddhist tone we were looking for, and provided some lovely touches by way of her own research. I cannot express how grateful I am to have had her support by way of yoga, officiating and serving as a personal centering point for me on that day.”

— Angela – Atlanta, GA

“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. She will often choose themes to organize her teaching for the week. For example, over the weeks we have explored (among others) various chakras, breath, kundalini, spontaneity, music, intention and light. The classes are not overly difficult, but she has the knack of letting each student be at their level, while encouraging each student to explore their own limits. I experienced a real sense of growth and progress in my practice while working with Hope.”

— Rosalie – Albany, CA

“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

“Hope is a fantastic yoga teacher; working not only to improve your body, but to focus your mind and set intentions for the day, week, month or year. It is a great start to any morning or during a time of transition. 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. With a beautiful voice, her chants will transport you to India and beyond.”

— 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