…love is the ‘why’ of life: why we are functioning at all, what we want to be efficient for… I am convinced it [love] is the fundamental energy of the human spirit, the fuel on which we run, the wellspring of our vitality. And grace, which is the flowing, creative activity of love itself, is what makes all goodness possible. Love should come first; it should be the beginning of and the reason for everything.” – Gerald May
Hello, I’m Leora Willis, the celebrant behind With This Ring I Thee Wedd. With more than 30 years of experience as a wedding officiant, I’ve had the honor of helping couples throughout Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia create ceremonies that reflect who they are and what they value. Whether you’re planning a cross-cultural, spiritual, interfaith, or secular ceremony, I bring the knowledge and care needed to guide you through the process.
Every couple I meet has a unique story, and every ceremony I officiate holds its own special meaning. I encourage couples to incorporate cultural elements, traditions, or personal touches that feel authentic to them. Over the years, I’ve collected a wide range of materials, readings, and ideas, all of which help us shape a ceremony that genuinely captures your relationship.
After our conversation, I create a customized ceremony script centered around your preferences and the tone you want for your wedding day. My goal is to craft a ceremony that reflects your personalities, your values, and your connection—something that feels truly yours.
I genuinely love what I do, and I believe that passion shows in the ceremonies I lead. For 12 consecutive years, I have been recognized with WeddingWire’s Couple’s Choice Award, a reflection of the care and attention I offer every couple I serve.
I performed my first wedding in April 1992, and since then I’ve had the privilege of officiating more than 3,000 ceremonies. I hold an M.Ed. in Family Counseling from the University of Maryland, and I am also a Distinguished Toastmaster—Toastmasters International’s highest individual honor for excellence in public speaking and leadership.
To remain current with new traditions, trends, and industry standards, I maintain active membership in the Association of Wedding Professionals. Staying engaged helps me continue to offer couples thoughtful, informed, and meaningful wedding experiences.
If you’re looking for a wedding officiant who values personalization, inclusivity, and storytelling, I would be honored to help craft a ceremony that celebrates your love in a way that feels true to you.
Leora Willis was such a HUGE part of our wedding day! We loved getting to work with her both in bringing our ceremony dreams to life. Leora are truly one of our top favorite vendors of this process and day, seriously. From the bottom of our hearts, we really appreciate her help in creating such unforgettable moments that will last a lifetime for us – from the very sweet ceremony script that truly speaks to us to our vows to getting us officially married! From our first look of Leora’s work as we were searching for an officiant last year, we knew that her work stood out the most to us. From our first call together, we knew immediately that she was the best fit to be our officiant! Leora is truly a joy to work with in leading up to the wedding AND on the wedding day. She is so genuinely down-to-earth, knowledgeable, all around so very sweet and kind – it is contagious and so comfortable and it’s what us brides need on our big day (especially with all of the nerves). Leora is so AMAZING and we have so much to learn from her.
We appreciate everything she has done such as coming out to meet us the few weeks before the wedding to get to know me and my husband better, going to court to fix our paperwork after our wedding, and so much more!
We love you her much! ❤
– Victoria & Christopher
