Skip to main content
Weddings

Reviews for Rabbi Susan Shamash

Rabbi Susan Shamash

Rabbi Susan Shamash

Vancouver, British Columbia
5.0 out of 5 rating, 40 reviews
View more information

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 rating
40 reviews
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
100% Recommended by couples

Awards

40

60 User photos

  • T
    Thanh Married on 20/08/2023
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating

    A beautiful, intentional, and meaningful experience!

    We had such a beautiful experience with Rabbi Susan. She put so much thought and intention behind the pre-wedding sessions to get to know us and our values as individuals and as a couple. The Ketubah signing and ceremony she led was so beautiful and meaningful to not just us but our families and guests. Thank you for everything you've done Rabbi Susan, we appreciate you so much!

    Rabbi Susan Shamash's reply:

    Thanh and Daniel, thank you for this beautiful and heartfelt review. It was an honour and a privilege, not to mention a lot of fun, to co-create and officiate at your magical wedding ceremony and the deeply meaningful Ketubah signing. You are a very special couple!
  • A
    Alex A. Married on 06/08/2023
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating

    Absolutely perfect!

    We absolutely loved Rabbi Susan's approach to our special day. So many of our guests told us the ceremony was their favourite part of the wedding and wished it was longer. Rabbi Susan took the time to learn who we were outside of our marriage, and our connection with her was so wonderful to have. It made our marriage ceremony even more special.

    Rabbi Susan Shamash's reply:

    Thank you Alex and Anna for this wonderful review. I have to say that no one has wished that one of my wedding ceremonies were longer, but that is high praise indeed. It was a joy and a privilege to meet and "work" with the two of you and to co-create such a beautiful and meaningful wedding ceremony. You are an amazing couple, so much in love. I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity it/you gave me.
  • N
    Nancy W. Married on 30/07/2023
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating

    Rabbi Susan is the best!

    Rabbi Susan was absolutely perfect in every way. She was able to tailor the ceremony to meet our unique needs and wishes.

    Rabbi Susan Shamash's reply:

    Nancy and Bill, what an honour and a privilege it was to join you under the huppah for your wedding day. The two of you are an inspiration that teaches us it is possible to love and love again; having met one another at this stage of your lives. Your love is a source of inspiration and encouragement, reminding others of the beauty that lies in a deeply committed partnership.
  • illustration stars

    Are you interested?

    Send a message
  • Sassoon
    Sassoon Married on 18/05/2023
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating

    Amazing Rabbi and Wedding experience

    Rabbi Susan provided excellent Jewish wedding experience tailored to our needs as an interfaith couple. Our special day wouldn’t have been the same with out her. For anyone looking to have an interfaith Jewish wedding Rabbi Susan is the Rabbi for you.

    Rabbi Susan Shamash's reply:

    Sam and Andrea,
    Thank you for this wonderful review. It was my distinct honour and privilege to co-created your meaningful interfaith Jewish wedding experience with you. You are an amazing couple!
  • Eryne
    Eryne O. Married on 26/11/2022
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating

    Your Beshert Rabbi



    We had the opportunity to meet with and get to know Rabbi Susan in 2022 while we prepared for our wedding. It was very important to both the bride and groom to have a jewish’ish wedding. However during our time with Rabbi Susan we moved more towards a Jewish wedding, rather than ish. She’s not just a wedding officiant, as you get the opportunity to spend time with her during her “sessions” leading up to the wedding.

    Rabbi Susan’s sessions were fabulous. It gave my husband and I an opportunity to get to know more about each other. She asked how our relatives relationships were, how our parents parents came to Canada and what their marriage traditions were etc. It was unexpected and wonderful. We also got to learn about Rabbi Susan herself, which was so special for us to have someone we knew marry us.

    She wrote her “script” for our wedding and gave us the opportunity to edit and review. Her ceremony was unlike anything us, our family, or guests ever experienced. For months people have been telling us how amazing Rabbi Susan’s ceremony was.

    We also had the opportunity to have her do our ketubah signing 2 days early with just our family and wedding party (winter wedding made the timing too tight for night of signing) Which was so special and intimate and just for us.

    We love Rabbi Susan and would highly recommend her. Having her officiate your wedding will be the best and easiest decision you’ll make for your wedding.

    Thank you again with Love Eryne & Matt

    Rabbi Susan Shamash's reply:

    Thank you Eryne for such a wonderful "review". It was a joy and a privilege to meet and "work" with you and Matt, getting know you and the beautiful interior of your relationship, and to co-create such a beautiful and meaningful wedding ceremony. You are an amazing couple, so much in love, so devoted to each other. The personal words of intention and commitment you spoke to each other moved me deeply. I am so very appreciative of the opportunity it/you gave me.
  • M
    Madison F. Married on 03/09/2022
    4.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      4.0 out of 5 rating

    Jew-ish Wedding

    My husband and I are so grateful that we could have a Rabbi marry us. Celebrating Jewish tradition is an important part of our relationship. Rabbi Susan got to know us over the span of a year and considered both of our needs and interests. I was baptized Lutheran as a baby, and identify as "spiritual". The ceremony felt spiritual to me because I understood the meaning behind the huppah, circing, and breaking of the glass. My husband's uncle Howard (well known artist in Israel - look him up!) created a gorgeous Ketubah. It's hanging in our room now and is very precious to us. None of this would be possible if we couldn't have an interfaith wedding with a Rabbi. I felt like I knew Rabbi Susan by the time she married us. It wasn't a stranger or generic officiant. She met our families on Friday when we had Shabbat dinner. A true honour to have a Rabbi join us! Now that she has married us, she's our Rabbi for life!

    Rabbi Susan Shamash's reply:

    Madison and Aaron, thank you for this beautiful and heartfelt review. It was an honour and a privilege, not to mention a lot of fun, to co-create and officiate at your deep, unique and magical wedding ceremony. You are a very special couple and I am so glad that I am your Rabbi for life!
  • N
    Nicholas P. Married on 31/08/2022
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating

    Incredibly personalized and meaningful ceremony

    Rabbi Susan was incredible. She took time to get to know and understand us as individuals and as a couple. She appreciated the unique concerns we had and why we wanted to create an individualized ceremony that was meaningful to us. She was able to help us honour individual Jewish roots while also holding space for progressive and non-Jewish elements that were important to us. We are so excited to have ventured down this path with Rabbi Susan.

    Rabbi Susan Shamash's reply:

    Nick and Ariela, It was such a joyful and deeply meaningful journey. Spending the past year getting to know the interior beauty of your relationship and you two glorious individuals allowed me the blessing of standing with you for the Bedekken and Huppah ceremonies with authenticity and great delight at the confluence of some of the most intimate expressions of Jewish tradition and the gorgeous inclusivity of big tent Judaism. I am grateful for the honour you gave me.
  • A
    Ariella Z. Married on 14/08/2022
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating

    A wonderful Rabbi for our "Jewish-ish" wedding

    As a Jewish person marrying an other-than-Jewish partner, it was important to honour both of our families and backgrounds for a wedding with meaning and to set us up for a loving marriage to come. We had only heard good things about Rabbi Shamash and when we first met, she had as many questions for us as we did for her to ensure it was the right fit. The preparatory meetings were not simply to learn who stands where or who says what during the wedding, but to learn about us as a couple and what it means to be married. She was always responsive to our many questions in leading up to the ceremony and we had the opportunity to meet the other couples she had married.

    On the big day, Rabbi Shamash made every bit of the ceremony feel special for us, our families and our guests. It did not end there as in her words, she is our "Rabbi for life" and we look forward to continue learning from her and navigating our lives as a married couple. Thank you, Rabbi Shamash, for making this simcha so very special!

    Rabbi Susan Shamash's reply:

    Ariella and Nam, thank you for this wonderful "review". You are, in many ways, my “ideal couple”. Your love for and commitment to each other is awesome and your willingness to work deeply with me was inspiring. You knew exactly what you wanted and never for a moment forgot exactly who the ceremony was for (the two of you). It was a pleasure and a privilege to be your Rabbinic Officiant and I look forward to being your Rabbi for many years to come.
  • W
    Wendy S. Married on 18/06/2022
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating

    Very professional and engaging

    As someone with a strong background in Judaism, I was very impressed with Susan's depth of knowledge, professionalism, and people skills. She did an absolutely amazing interfaith marriage for my daughter, which was deeply appreciated by all the Jews and non Jews who were there. Those with no religious background were especially appreciative of her explanations and sensitivity. Can't recommend her highly enough!

    Rabbi Susan Shamash's reply:

    Thank you Wendy for this wonderful review. It was an honour and a privilege, not to mention a lot of fun, to co-create and officiate at Hillary and Sebastian's magical "Jewishish" wedding ceremony. They are a very special couple! And a tribute to you ...
  • K
    Kerem T. Married on 07/05/2022
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating

    Wonderful ceremony!

    Rabbi Shamash prepared and officiated a beautiful ceremony that told our story and interwove our backgrounds.

    In the two years before the wedding (twice postponed because of COVID) Rabbi Shamash met with us in person and over zoom taking the time to get to know us, teach us about Jewish wedding tradition, and providing guidance on married life. These meetings were in themselves a nice part of our engagement and step toward our wedding.

    Can’t recommend highly enough!

    Rabbi Susan Shamash's reply:

    Kerem and Robyn, thank you for this heartfelt review. It was an honour and a privilege, not to mention a lot of fun, to co-create and officiate at your magical wedding ceremony. You are a very special couple!
illustration stars

Are you interested?

Send a message