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About

On WeddingWire since 2024

Last update: January 2025

We are a queer/woman-owned officiant/celebrant service in the Lower Mainland, and we would love to help you craft a meaningful ceremony!

Beth Carlson-Malena is an award-winning officiant, having performed at more than 300 weddings in the lower mainland. Based in Vancouver with her wife Danice, together they are able to provide ceremony services along with sound and music - whether you just need someone to play your cues for the ceremony itself, or if you're looking for a wedding DJ for the full night!

Pride + Joy Ceremonies knows that your love story is different from any other. When you gather your family, chosen family, and friends to celebrate with you, you want to make sure the ceremony reflects who you are and what you value. Together, we can reflect on how far your love has brought you, and find the best words to carry you into your next chapter. Whether you love timeless traditions or you prefer to think way outside the box, we can't wait to join you in crafting this central part of your day.

Here are some of our values as a team:

Listening for what matters.

We take time to listen to your story so we can weave it into the larger narrative of the ceremony. We will come curious about what matters to you, and we can consider together how our ceremony can honour the complexity of who you are (or, in the case of a Celebration of Life, who your loved one is), whether it's weaving in family/cultural traditions, quoting from a favourite song or film, or finding a role for one of your family members to play during the ceremony.

Thinking outside the box.

The last thing we want is to plug your name into a pre-written template. We will come to our meeting with ideas from past ceremonies, so we don't have to start from scratch, but we'd love to hear your ideas and brainstorm together as much as possible. We love trying new things, whether it's putting a new spin on a time-honoured tradition, creating a new ritual with elements unique to your venue, or adding a moment of humour. We see this as our collaborative effort to make meaning of this event in your life, which will never look exactly like it does in someone else's life.

Prioritizing inclusion and belonging.

It can feel vulnerable and risky to gather together in a ceremony, especially when emotions are raw and when we're awkward in trying new things. As we consider how to introduce and frame your ceremony, we focus on building a safe container so people can risk as much vulnerability as is healthy for them. As queer team members, we know what it feels like to be excluded from ceremonies, so we try to choose language, themes, and shared practices that explicitly include all kinds of people, creating belonging for each individual who has made the choice to be there, so that they know their presence matters.

Giving you peace of mind.

We'll keep making adjustments to the ceremony until you're fully comfortable with our plans. We're also very capable of rolling with unexpected last-minute changes and surprises. We are trustworthy and reliable hosts and facilitators, and our goal is to free you up to simply show up and experience it, along with the other people you've invited to participate, instead of having to fret about the details.

PLUS+

Did you know Beth has also done ceremonies in French? (All those years in French Immersion at school finally came in handy!) Contactez-nous si vous voulez discuter une cérémonie bilingue ou une cérémonie en français.

Beth is committed to making her work ecologically sustainable by going paperless and using her e-bike to travel to any meetings, rehearsals or ceremonies within Vancouver city limits. Let us know if you're hoping to keep your wedding as green as possible - we might be a good fit for you!

Pride + Joy Ceremonies is a wedding officiant based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Frequently asked questions

What types of weddings and events do you provide services for?

Civil union
Single religion
Interfaith ceremony
Non-religious
Vow renewal
Ceremony rehearsal

What services do you provide?

Licensed
Allow couple' own vows

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Agnostic
Baptist
No denomination
Evangelical
Unitarian

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

Less than 30 mins.
30-60 mins.

What is the starting price for your wedding services?

$600

Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?

No

What is the starting price for ceremony rehearsals?

$250

If you offer pre-marital counseling, what is the starting price for (per session)?

$200
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Any other questions?

Reviews for Pride + Joy Ceremonies

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
5.0 out of 5 rating
5.0 out of 5 rating
8 reviews
100% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
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    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
Q
Quita Sent on 02/01/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Excellent ceremony writing and officiating

Beth wrote a beautiful and personalized ceremony that perfectly balanced my faith and my atheist partner's values. She was so amazing anf professional throughout the entire process, I really can't recommend her officiating services enough!
Anita
Anita Sent on 22/12/2024
5 out of 5 rating

So creative, personalized and stress-free!

We’re so grateful for Beth’s thoughtful and easygoing approach to union. She got to know us before the wedding, even talking with friends and family about things they appreciated about us as a couple. Beth honoured our religious and cultural differences and helped us have a ceremony where we felt seen in what we brought to our marriage and where we could grow in our own and combined ways. We wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to pronounce us Lawfully Wedded Lovers.
Craig
Craig Sent on 17/12/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Fantastically fun and welcoming!

Beth and Danice had a big part in making our wedding special and memorable for all in attendance. So grateful you could celebrate with us!
Younghoon
Younghoon Sent on 12/12/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Simply the best

Beth and Danice are not only amazing people but also incredibly professional, with a profound understanding of what a wedding is truly about.

As someone who knew nothing about weddings or the planning process, I was blown away by their guidance and support. From the very beginning, they explained everything in detail and went above and beyond, offering help far beyond their roles. Their sincerity and care deeply touched us.

Thanks to them, our wedding day was even more magical and meaningful than we could have imagined. They took the time to truly get to know us, making the entire experience feel uniquely tailored to our story. Their heartfelt words and flawless delivery created a ceremony so moving that there wasn’t a single dry eye in the room.

Beth and Danice ensured that every moment of our special day was unforgettable. We cannot recommend them highly enough – they are simply the best!
Jenny
Jenny Sent on 12/12/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Dream Team!

My husband and I had the privilege of having Beth officiate our wedding, and Danice DJ our reception (and do music for the ceremony).

So many of our guests commented on Beth’s officiating. She was so good. She got to know our story and weaved it into the ceremony, adding her own beautifully written words of wisdom. She also gave some very helpful tips and advice for writing our own vows (though she also has lovely pre written options should you want that).

The music for the ceremony was seamless and sounded great. The reception was SO fun. Danice gets a feel for what you like and then runs with it. She has a vast knowledge of music spanning many genres, and knows how to curate a playlist better than anyone else I know!

Hire Pride and Joy! Danice and Beth are GREAT.
Samantha
Samantha Sent on 08/12/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Sam & Tamar

Pride & Joy ceremonies were incredible, considerate, personable and made our wedding day that much more perfect. Beth made the officiating / legal process a breeze and their speech the day of was personable, touching and full of joy. Danice is an incredible DJ and truly made our day a giant party and got the people dancing well into the night - they certainly know how to work a crowd. I absolutely loved our wedding day, and having Beth and Danice was the best choice we made. Our Friends & family still talk about our wedding and how incredible both Beth and Danice were, and I've been asked for their contact info multiple times. 10/10 would highly recommend.
Jordan
Jordan Sent on 07/12/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Best officiant and DJ we could've asked for

We were so lucky to have both Beth and Danice be a part of our wedding ceremony. Beth was incredibly thoughtful in how she crafted our ceremony - which was funny, personal, and engaging - which really let us relax and just enjoy the evening. Danice was also a joy to work with, very accommodating of our requests, and never missing a cue. Both were always professional, communicative, and knew how to keep things light, too! We wouldn't have done our wedding any other way.
Becca
Becca Sent on 06/12/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Highest recommendations for Pride + Joy Celebrations!

Pride + Joy Ceremonies made our wedding day the memorable and meaningful day that it was! Beth crafted a beautifully queer affirming ceremony that took into consideration all of the unique parts of our story. Danice helped us create the perfect playlist to get our guests on the dance floor and was able to weave in music that was important to us throughout our relationship. Together, they made us feel cared for and celebrated while helping our day run smoothly! You want these folks supporting you on your wedding day!
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Meet the team

Beth Carlson-Malena
Beth Carlson-Malena
Officiant

I grew up playing piano at weddings in my church in Saskatoon, watching my Dad officiate beautiful, personalized ceremonies as a pastor. I was drawn to the way story-telling could be interwoven with ritual to create a marker in time.

Fast forward many years… I moved to Vancouver, met Danice, came out as queer, and we decided to get married. Our churches wouldn’t host our wedding, but we worked with our officiant friend Jane to find ways to mark the day with with creativity and intention.

After our wedding, I got my own license to officiate weddings, in hopes of helping out some of my queer friends who had been similarly excluded by churches, or by their family members. What started as a hobby soon blossomed into a career as I realized how rewarding it could be to sit with a couple, listen to their story, build it into a ceremony, and proactively hold space for them to celebrate their love and say their vows, while creating belonging for their loved ones.

Since then, I have officiated over 300 weddings, almost all non-religious (though I’m quite happy to do religious weddings too). I have also enjoyed preparing other kinds of ceremonies to mark significant moments in people’s lives: births, deaths, griefs, milestones, and transitions.

When I’m not working on ceremonies, you’ll likely find me hanging out at Open Way (the little queer church I helped start up in 2017), baking zucchini bread, giving botany tours at Van Dusen gardens, reading/watching science fiction, or organizing for climate justice and a free Palestine.

Danice Carlson-Malena
Danice Carlson-Malena
Admin and DJ

I am proud to be the operational mind behind Pride + Joy. I love using my administrative skills to assist couples with bookings, and to keep Beth’s life organized!

You may also know me by my alter-ego, DJ WhySoSerious. I have over 12 years of experience as a DJ for parties and weddings, most recently through my company Serious Beats, including monthly gigs at Home By Midnight at the Anza Club. I love to play everything from 60s-70s classic funk, disco, and soul, through 90s hip hop and R&B, to the club hits of the 2000s, and any fresh hits that make you want to move.

My favourite party to DJ is: full of queers and queer-adjacents (you know who you are); wherever I can drop an original mashup, or the latest Beyoncé or Janelle Monáe banger; and any wedding where I can work alongside Beth. (If you’re looking for an officiant AND wedding DJ, look for our packages at the bottom of the wedding page!)

When I’m not sending emails to couples or sampling music, you can find me drinking craft beer, rating local tacos, reading queer YA, and following women’s basketball (especially cheering on the Seattle Storm!).

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918 W 19th Ave V5Z1X5 Vancouver (British Columbia)

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