When we first met Reverend Mandi Neiser, who is the solo 'Spiritualpreneur' for her company, Married by Mandi, we could tell by her infectious smile and upbeat, positive energy that couples would love to have her officiate their weddings – and do! In fact, couples couldn't say enough wonderful things about the unique and personalized ceremonies that Mandi performs.

Bringing a fresh perspective to wedding ceremonies, Mandi offers personalized, classic and civil ceremonies to suit your needs and a relaxed, but professional approach to being a minister. "I pride myself on being open-minded, easy to talk to, down-to-earth, approachable and flexible," Mandi told The Ring. As an Ordained, Non-Denominational Minister, Mandi says she doesn't push her beliefs on anything but just sets out to touch the hearts of her couples and their guests. Having officiated over 400 wedding ceremonies since she began in 2003, Mandi has yet to receive a negative comment from her clients, which doesn't surprise us at all. Let us explain…

Personally speaking…

In the Spring of 1998, Mandi says she felt like something was missing from her life, despite her wonderful husband and two children. She was working at meaningless jobs and felt she had a greater purpose to fulfill. Two weeks later, Mandi says she was lead to a ‘new thought’ church, which helped her to distinguish between religion and spirituality, something she had never thought of before. "Next thing I knew, the minister was asking me to consider training to become a new thought minister myself," says Mandi. And so, she did.

Mandi's training began in September 1998 with a non-denominational organization in Hamilton, the first two years consisted of her “Soul’s Journey”. The next two involved ministerial training, followed by receiving a license with the Ontario Government in February 2003, and the celebration of Ordainment in January 2004. Mandi is currently licensed through The International Alliance of the Churches of Truth.

Mandi began marrying couples almost immediately after she received her license, with only seven weddings her first summer. But by the summer of 2005, Mandi says she had quadrupled her business. "Through many referrals, and the implementation of marketing myself through my website, my business as a wedding minister was off and running… and I haven’t slowed down since!"

Since receiving her license in the winter of 2003, Mandi has officiated more than 500 wedding ceremonies, renewal of vows, baptisms, funerals and memorial services.

Mandi refers to herself as the solo ‘Spiritualpreneur’ of her business. "I am the President, CEO, secretary, gopher… oh, and Minister and Mentor all wrapped up in one body," says Mandi. On top of that, Mandi is also a Professional Life Coach through “The Coaches Training Institute” out of San Rafael, California and a Certified “Life Success Consultant” through Bob Proctor’s Life Success Consultant Training Program in Palm Beach, Florida.

She has also been involved in the Bob Kemp Hospice Golf tournament for the past three years, which is organized by Bayshore Home Health and has been involved with the Literacy Council of Hamilton (and was nominated as best Tutor for 2007). Mandi was also featured in the Grimsby News and the Hamilton Spectator for her vocation as a minister.

Open-minded attitude for all types of affairs

Even after so many weddings, Mandi finds inspiration for each one in her belief that she makes a difference. "I know that I bring a fresh new perspective to the world of weddings… I am always conscious of just being myself and never trying to be something I’m not."

This goal is probably part of what allows Mandi to be so easy going and relaxed, which seems to help others feel at ease, too. "I pride myself on being open-minded, easy to talk to, down-to-earth, approachable and flexible," says Mandi. "And I don’t push my beliefs on anyone, nor do I challenge anyone else’s beliefs. I think this really helps to put people at ease."

Laura Wigmore had Mandi officiate her wedding ceremony on July 11, 2009 and says she had a wonderful experience with her. "From the moment we met her, we felt a connection with her. She set us right at ease and made us feel very comfortable," says Laura.

Mandi's open-mindedness is also probably what attracts so many different styles of couples to her services. She told us there are those who want a formal affair and those who wear jeans and a t-shirt for their ceremony. But, she says that "they are all interested in having a wonderful experience with their wedding ceremony," says Mandi. "I believe that I attract couples who feel that the ceremony is the most important part of the wedding day, and so they come to someone who feels the same way: me!"

Such was the case for Renzo and Amanda Locatelli, whose marriage ceremony on July 18, 2009, was, for them, the most important part of their wedding celebration. They told us that "Rev. Mandi is such a warm, inviting, inspiring individual who is truly passionate about her work..." Amanda adds that "we both knew from the vibe from Mandi's website and communicating with her prior to meeting with her in person, that she was 'the one' to conduct our ceremony..."

With the amount of weddings Mandi has officiated over the past seven years, you can rest assured that she has a ton of hands-on experience. In fact, she even started writing a book for couples, which highlights great tips for creating memorable ceremonies, along with how to avoid stress causing pitfalls. In the meantime, you can read Mandi's top ten tips that she's gathered through her years of experience as a free download from her website.

Kudos from the community

It's not just couples and their guests that love Mandi as she also gets along well with other professionals in the industry. "I’ve had photographers rave about the fact that I don’t have any rules restricting them from taking whatever pictures they want during a ceremony," says Mandi. "I am also referred by several venues and their wedding coordinators in the area because of my friendliness and warm nature…"

But, we did discover that couples do love Mandi, too, and she says she has never received a negative comment from any couple or family she has ever worked with! "I think brides choose me to officiate their ceremonies because I exceed their expectations of what they think a minister should be like," says Mandi. "I know that once I get a couple on the phone, or in person, that we will create a relationship with one another instantly.

When Michelle Moore and her fiancé met with Mandi for the first time to discuss their March 2009 wedding, they say there was no other option, she was perfect. "Mandi was so sweet and genuinely interested in getting to know us as a couple. It was definitely her amazing personality that sold us," says Michelle. "It was obvious from our very first meeting how dedicated Mandi is to being there 100% for all the couples she marries and the time and effort she puts into every ceremony she performs."

Darcea Horncastle and her husband are not overly religious, so they were seeking someone who could perform a more spiritual ceremony for their July 2009 wedding, and who could incorporate their children. Darcea told us that the minute she spoke to Mandi, she knew she was perfect to perform their ceremony. "We both liked the fact that there were many options to choose from and we were able to create our ceremony," says Darcea. "There was not one section that did not represent how we felt and that meant a lot to us."

From traditional to personalized

Mandi offers ceremonies for weddings and Renewal of Vows for heterosexual and same sex couples. For weddings, she offers three types of ceremonies that can suit different needs and budgets. Her beautifully written, personalized and unique ceremonies are her most popular service.

Renzo and Amanda told us that their whole ceremony was beautiful, romantic, magical and exceed their expectations. Their favourite part was when Mandi added in the 'secret element' of their thoughts on their love for one another. "She added components of each of our words into our ceremony that just made our ceremony that much more romantic and special on top of the already very personal and intimate ceremony it was," they told us. "Many of our guests had commented that they had never been to such a beautiful and unique wedding ceremony and it was as if she had know Renzo and I for years," adds Amanda.

In order to legally be married, Mandi says you need a declaration of intent, to sign the license in front of a witness and say vows – everything else can be customized, which is why she offers the Personalized Ceremony. It's a thirty minute ceremony for couples who "want to leave a lasting impression not only for their guests, but for themselves as well," says Mandi. For this ceremony, couples receive a ceremony template and ideas for music selections, readings and additional ceremony possibilities (e.g. the Rose ceremony, The Sand Ceremony, etc.). Prior to the big day, couples receive a detailed questionnaire to help Mandi get to know them better and give her valuable information about their relationship, which she uses in the ceremony. Each couple will also receive a marriage license application, instructions on how to get their marriage license, tips on name changes, plus many more ideas to create a unique and personal wedding ceremony. This ceremony starts at $450 (depending on ceremony location).

"Mandi provided us with a guideline with a number of different choices that we could use to
mix and match to make our ceremony perfect. She was also willing to incorporate different readings or events that we wanted in our ceremony," says Michelle. "We received so many compliments about how unique and beautiful our ceremony was and I think that is a direct reflection of Mandi's service."

The Classic Ceremony is a fifteen minute ceremony for couples who want a lovely, more intimate ceremony, but aren't necessarily interested in contributing to the content. For those on a budget, the ceremony starts at $325 (depending on location).

The five minute Civil Ceremony is for the couple on the move and is usually chosen by those who are planning a destination wedding and want to get the logistics out of the way before they leave. Or, they just want to keep things small and simple to "make it legal".

If you want Mandi to be present at your rehearsal, an additional fee is required.

Mandi says she will travel anywhere between Niagara-on-the-Lake to Hamilton, up to Oakville, including Burlington, Milton and in between to perform marriage ceremonies. She usually wears a classic black suit, but will wear her royal blue robe upon request.

Walking you through…

Mandi recommends booking her for your wedding about six months before the day – though it doesn't hurt to be early; speaking from experience, we had a hard time getting a hold of Mandi during the summer as she was averaging four weddings and two rehearsals every weekend!

Mandi is always the one who meets with brides and grooms. "I like to meet with both of them, especially if they have chosen a ‘Personalized Ceremony’ so I can get a sense of who they are as a couple and as individuals," says Mandi.

Mandi married Rita Johnstone and her fiancé in June 2009. Rita told us that she "felt very comfortable working and meeting with Mandi. She has this ease about her. She also answered all of our questions and gave us information on things we didn't even think about." She adds that she would absolutely recommend Mandi to other couples who are planning a wedding. "After our ceremony was over, and still to this day, friends and family have made comments asking who our minister was and how our ceremony was the most beautiful one they had ever witnessed," says Rita.

Email or phone Mandi to book your first consultation with her, during which time you'll go over all of the different ceremony options. Once you confirm, Mandi sends the confirmation package (with all of the details and ideas mentioned above) and a non-refundable deposit of $150 is due. The balance is due four weeks prior to the ceremony or at the wedding consultation, which takes place when you book a personalized ceremony, though you can book an additional consultation for an additional fee.

"During our second meeting, we had a fabulous conversation," says Laura. "It felt like we were sitting with a friend that we had known for a long time. We felt like we were really important to her."

No matter what package you book with Mandi, you have unlimited email access to her for help along the way. Mandi keeps track of your wedding day and sends an email six weeks before to make sure you've purchased a license and filled out the questionnaire. Just before the wedding, if you have another consultation with Mandi, she will even get you to bring your license so she can keep it in your file. That way, there's no chance of anyone forgetting it.

Michelle told us that Mandi was impeccably organized and always took the time to go through all of the ceremony details and answer questions. "She took the time to get to know us as a couple and we never felt rushed when we had a meeting with her; we had her full, undivided attention the whole time."

On the wedding day, if the venue does not have a wedding coordinator, then Mandi will fill the role. She arrives twenty to thirty minutes before the ceremony to check in with the groom (and time permitting, the bride) to make sure everything is ok. She also gives cues to readers, musicians and photographers and makes sure every aspect of your ceremony is ready to go.

"I felt like I was brought under Mandi's wing and guided through the ceremony and that was a personal touch that is rare," says Darcea. She adds that she felt that everything that Mandi said during the ceremony sounded like it came from the heart. "I really appreciated the fact that she addressed the audience and only glanced at her words occasionally. She came prepared, organized, loving and had the guidance we needed."

Details, details, details

• Call or email Mandi about 6 months before your wedding to book a consultation.
• A non-refundable deposit of $150 (includes tax) is due when you receive your confirmation package, with the balance due 4 weeks before the wedding.
• Packages range in style from Classical to Personalized and in price depending on how far Mandi has to travel.
• On the wedding day, Mandi will show up 20 to 30 minutes before the ceremony begins to make sure everything is ready to go.

Contacting Married by Mandi

Rev. Mandi Neiser at Married by Mandi can be reached by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at 905-664-4257. You can also visit Married by Mandi online at http://www.marriedbymandi.ca.