Ceremony Officiant: Rev Kathryn Schreiber

It is a special honor to mark a significant milestone.  I offer spiritual care, ceremony design and event leadership for persons not affiliated with a religious community. (If you are a member of a faith community, please check with your faith leader before contacting me.)  My tradition is Liberal Protestant Christian, though I have experience working with families of blended faiths or non-religious spiritual beliefs and have officiated at events for persons from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. I am available to officiate at ceremonies in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, beyond if my schedule allows.

Weddings: I am a legal officiant for marriages between heterosexual or same-gender adult couples in the state of California. I also offer blessed unions for unmarried couples who do not wish to form a legal marriage but do desire a sacred ceremony witnessed by loved ones.

We begin by spending time together hearing the story of your relationship, listening to your hopes and concerns about your union. I provide pastoral listening and ask questions to help you talk to each other about your histories and expectations. Then, we come together to design a service which fits you and your household. Crafting a ceremony for your marriage/union which is honest and unique blesses you and all who attend, but it takes time. We begin our work together months before your ceremony. Our meetings will be online during COVID 19.

Expect to meet with me at least two times before the rehearsal, the rest of our work will be done online, mostly via email. I require a physical rehearsal of the wedding party a day or two before the wedding at the wedding site, preferably at the same time as the service. I will be with you for the wedding ceremony and will join the celebration as my schedule allows.

Fees begin at $600. Extra charges for mileage if events are held more than 20 miles from my home in Berkeley, California. Honorarium must be paid before your Marriage License is filed.

Memorial Service, Funeral, Burial, Inurnment: Honoring the life of one who has passed and offering comfort to those who are grieving is an import passage when a loved one dies.

Let’s begin with language — A “Memorial Service” is a ceremony without the presence of the deceased one’s remains. A “Funeral” is a ceremony with the presence of the deceased remains in a coffin or urn. A “Burial” is a brief ceremony at the cemetery, graveside, where the coffin will be buried. An “Inurnment” is a brief ceremony at the cemetery where the cremated remains will be perpetually stored.

Our work together begins with you telling me about the person who has died. Not only do I learn about your loved one and your family, this is how you being the intentional grieving process. I will guide you through gathering information, making selections, and weaving together elements which truly reflect your loved one’s faith and values, as well as offer spiritual care to those who survive.

We usually begin the process over the phone, followed by a meeting at your home, though during COVID 19 all meetings will be online. I will travel to the site of the service/s and will remain with your briefly after the concluding ceremony.

Fees begin at $500. Extra charges for mileage if events are held more than 20 miles from my home in Berkeley, California. Honorarium should be paid on the day of the ceremony.  Additional bereavement care is available if needed.