Amanda & Zach ~ 3/1/25
Miami Beach, FL
We cannot say enough wonderful things about Jeff! From the moment we met him, he exuded warmth, kindness, and genuine care for us as a couple. He took the time to get to know our love story and crafted a ceremony that was not only beautiful but deeply personal and heartfelt. We aren't Jewish and had a non-religious wedding, and his words during our ceremony were so thoughtful and eloquent - he captured the essence of our relationship perfectly. So many of our guests came up to us afterward to say how moved they were by his words and how touched they felt by the ceremony. He created a space that felt intimate, meaningful, and filled with love.
His presence was calming and reassuring, and we felt completely at ease knowing he was guiding us through such an important moment in our lives. We feel incredibly lucky to have had Jeff be a part of our wedding day, and we will cherish the memory of his beautiful words forever.
Rachel & Tyler ~ 2/15/25
Dover, FL
“Thank you so much for your role in the best day of our lives! We are still in awe of the beauty and love throughout our wedding weekend. The ceremony was incredibly thoughtful, many of our guests commented on how special the Jewish traditions were, and my family learned a lot.” (From an email)
“From the first meeting he was incredibly thoughtful, detail oriented, and warm. He answered our many questions and truly made our ceremony unforgettable!” (From review on The Knot)
Lana & Jon ~ 1/25/25
Tampa Bay, FL
Rabbi Astrachan was the PERFECT person to officiate our wedding. He helped walk us through everything over Zoom (since we are out of state) in the months ahead of our wedding, and was just amazing the entire time.
Rabbi was committed through the entire process to ensure that our ceremony was personalized to us. He was encouraging, calming, organized, and has an amazing sense of humor. Our ceremony was more beautiful than we could have imagined. It was and is so special to us. We received loads of compliments on how warm and touching the ceremony was.
We’re so glad we chose Rabbi Astrachan for our wedding and would highly recommend him to anyone else!!
Jessica & Liam ~ 11/23/24
Bradenton, FL
“Rabbi Jeffrey was the Rabbi for [our] wedding in Bradenton, FL and we couldn't be more happy with him.
We found him through Google and, being a less-traditional Jewish couple, were excited that he could wed us in a more progressive way, with both my wife and I circling each other, writing our own Ketubah, and even taking a shot after the Sheva Brachot. He did a great job of melding the ancient Jewish traditions with our own personalities and keeping even the more traditional family members happy.
Over the year, we met 3 or 4 times and Rabbi Jeffrey got to know us, planned the ceremony in alignment with our wishes, and gave us a well-told backstory of all the things we might have in the ceremony. He was extremely organized and always followed-up over email, even when we were having trouble keeping everything together. We really enjoyed our meetings together, as well.
During the wedding, Rabbi Jeffrey's sense of humor and sentimentality showed through and he served as an excellent Rabbi, MC of the ceremony, and comic. I was very touched by what he said during the Ketubah ceremony and it couldn't have gotten any better. I know it's hard to know if someone would be a good fit solely over the internet, but I would definitely recommend reaching out and talking to him -- he was perfect for us!
Tabby and Joe ~ 11/16/24
St. Petersburg, FL
I cant express enough how awesome Rabbi Jeff is! From the moment we first met we instantly knew we wanted him to marry my now husband and me.
Wedding planning is very stressful, but Rabbi Jeff was one of the EASIEST parts.
He made us feel so welcomed and comfortable and we truly are so blessed that he had the honor to be present for such an important and special day. Thank you for everything, all of the advice and information along the way!!!! Truly an amazing man.
I would highly recommend him as your officiant a million times over again!
Elana and Drew ~ 11/9/24
Thonotosassa, FL
“If you are looking for an amazing officiant look no further. I found Rabbi Astrachan through 18Doors while looking for a Rabbi to perform an interfaith marriage. We met with a few Rabbis and immediately clicked with Rabbi Astrachan and truly loved his approach to bringing together an interfaith couple. After just two meetings he had a great read on us as a couple. We opted not to do our own personal vows but through our meetings and "homework" assignment he was able to put together one of the most beautiful wedding ceremonies (biased opinion). He brought in nice personal touches as well, including sharing interpretations of the Seven Blessings that our loved ones could read during the ceremony.
I cannot recommend his services enough. Thank you Rabbi!” — (Elana & Drew)
“We just wanted to thank you for the phenomenal ceremony you performed for Elana and Drew's wedding this past weekend. It was one of the warmest and most meaningful wedding ceremonies we have ever seen. Many of our guests voiced similar sentiments and a number of guests on Drew's side had never been to a Jewish wedding before and they too were very impressed with you and the ceremony. We also liked the way you incorporated our parents into the ceremony which made it all the more meaningful to us and our family.
— Hank & Sue (Parents of the Bride)
Inna & Max ~ 11/2/24
Tampa, FL
The Rabbi stunned!
He was eloquent, funny, sensitive, and caring.
Hire him!!!!!
Abby & Hunter ~ 10/20/24
Lebanon, PA
My father officiated our wedding, and he truly made it an unforgettable, meaningful experience. As a rabbi and a father, he seamlessly blended our Jewish traditions with my husband’s non-religious background, creating a ceremony that honored both of our families and cultures.
His warmth, wisdom, and open-minded approach made everyone feel included and celebrated. He brought out the beauty of our differences and the joy of our union, and so many guests commented on how special and unique the ceremony felt.
I couldn’t have imagined anyone else leading this important moment in our lives! Highly recommend.
We love Rabbi Jeffrey Astrachan!
Daniel & Ugur ~ 3/23/24
Tampa, FL
We searched for a rabbi who would accept a same sex couple and also be okay with the fact that one of us was born into the Muslim faith. Rabbi Astrachan accepted us without any reservations. When you hire Rabbi Astrachan, it isn’t just for him to appear the day of your wedding but he fully invests himself into your wedding planning. He meets with you several times to get to know you as a person and as a couple. He makes sure every aspect of his ceremony is to your liking. He guides you throughout the whole process to make sure nothing is forgotten and you’re at ease. He will even go beyond his duties to make sure the process runs smoothly.
[Our guests] kept telling us how much they enjoyed the Rabbi and the ceremony. He created a very personal, unique, and beautiful wedding ceremony for us that captured our essence. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed hiring Rabbi Astrachan for your wedding. He is definitely not boring and will make sure to keep your guests captivated during the ceremony. I would enthusiastically recommend him to anybody who needs an officiant for their wedding!
Jenny & Mark ~ 3/16/24
Tampa, FL
Truly a wonderful time working with Rabbi Jeffrey Astrachan. He was exactly what we were looking for and made our wedding special. He worked with us to get the type of ceremony we wanted, and led a beautiful and meaningful service. I cannot recommend him enough.
Jamie & Jon ~ 2/3/24
Lutz, FL
When we started searching for rabbis that would perform an interfaith wedding, Rabbi Astrachan stood out with his charismatic demeanor and kind heart. He made our day so special, creating a truly Jewish wedding ceremony, with opportunities to integrate aspects of other traditions if we wished. He helped us create a ceremony that really felt like it was meant for us, and he delivered it beautifully. Our loved ones, from a variety of faiths, continue to talk about how beautiful our wedding ceremony was, and it was truly special to the two of us.
Sam and Ken ~ 12/2/23
St. Pete, FL
Rabbi Astrachan performed the most beautiful ceremony for our wedding! He was incredibly thorough, organized, and clearly communicated what we should expect through every step of the process. He thoughtfully personalized our vows and took the time to really to get to know us. Above all, he is an open-minded and compassionate person who embodies the characteristics we both value. It was an honor to be married by him! Thank you, Rabbi Astrachan!!
Shira and Steven ~ 11/5/23
St. Pete, FL
Rabbi Astrachan was the best officiant we could have asked for. He was very inclusive of the groom’s upbringing and background while also keeping true to every Jewish wedding tradition we wanted included in our wedding ceremony. He was charismatic, funny, wise, and the perfect Rabbi for our wedding. We would recommend Rabbi Astrachan to any Jewish or interfaith couple looking for an awesome Rabbi to officiate their wedding.
Kat & Morgan ~ 10/20/23
Orlando, FL
Working with Rabbi A was an incredible experience. His skill and professionalism through the whole process truly spoke to his experience in this industry, and his active communication made everything much easier than my wife and I were worried it would be initially. We are so incredibly grateful to have had Rabbi A officiate our wedding as the ceremony was absolutely incredible and truly something we shall remember forever.
Nicole & Troy ~ 7/16/23
Clearwater Beach, FL
Rabbi Astrachan was so amazing officiating our destination wedding in Clearwater Beach, FL. If felt like he had known us for quite a long time. He took his time listening to us and hearing our profound love we have for each other which gave him the tools he needed to make our wedding so personalized and special.
Ian & Miguel ~ 4/2/23
Lassing Park, St. Pete, FL
Rabbi Astrachan made our interfaith LGBTQ+ wedding ceremony such a profoundly memorable experience and I’m struggling to find the right words to make sure this review is written in a way that showcases how much it means to us. From our first virtual Zoom meeting to the goodbyes after the ceremony, it was evident that Rabbi Astrachan cared about us as a couple and making our ceremony meaningful, and his constant smile and calmness really made the entire process amazing. From the meetings, to the homework, and the help with making sure we had all the right ritual items, Rabbi Astrachan was a text, email, or phone/Zoom call away to help us make the ceremony unique for us as a couple. If I could give him more than 5 stars I would! Thank you, Rabbi, for making our day so memorable, meaningful, and full of smiles and love. We will remember it for the rest of our lives!
Liz & Ben ~ 3/25/23
The Garrison, NY
Rabbi Astrachan was incredible from start to finish. I have had the privilege of knowing Rabbi Astrachan since I was a kid and it was an absolute honor to have him be the Rabbi to officiate our wedding. Furthermore, he made my now wife feel so comfortable during the whole process, and worked hard to foster a close relationship with her, to match the already close relationship I have with him.
I was blown away with how detail oriented he is. He made us feel like everything was under control throughout the whole process. He explained every part of the ceremony to us, and made sure we fully understood his role and our role throughout it all. You can absolutely tell throughout the whole process how much experience he has, and his suggestions come from a place of true experience, and knowing what would work best.
He also had us fill out a worksheet with information about our partners and he turned it into incredibly moving and special remarks that he made during the wedding. He WILL make you feel like you've known him your whole life. That is how much he cares about this job and cares about you having the best wedding ever. He didn't leave a single detail out in his planning and it showed the day of.
We got SO many compliments after the wedding about how great it was and how great the Rabbi was. The most important compliment I felt was that he EXPLAINED everything he was doing during the ceremony. So whoever was watching knew exactly what was going on. I recommend Rabbi Astrachan to the highest degree!!
If you want a Rabbi who will make sure every detail is taken care of AND make your ceremony feel unique and special for you and your partner, he is absolutely the RIGHT choice!!
Lindsey & Ran ~ 3/18/23
Museum of Fine Arts, St. Pete, FL
Rabbi Astrachan was an incredible asset to our wedding day. Throughout the process, Rabbi was responsive to all of our questions and extremely warm. During the ceremony, the Rabbi was engaging, injected humor, and wowed our wedding guests with his words. After the wedding, all of my friends want him to be their officiant at their future weddings! Overall, he surpassed our expectations and we would highly recommended anyone to hire him as their officiant.
Sabina & Lance ~ 3/12/23
Grove, Lakewood Ranch, FL
Rabbi Jeffrey Astrachan is a highly professional, warm and compassionate Rabbi with a fantastic sense of humor. All our family and friends were very impressed with our ceremony because of our wonderful Rabbi.
Thank you Rabbi Jeffrey Astrachan for making our ceremony magical!!!!
Shelby & Patrick ~ 1/18/23
Saxon Manor, Brooksville, FL
Rabbi Astrachan was absolutely wonderful to work with. He truly made our ceremony unique, beautiful, and certainly memorable! He made sure to explain the Jewish traditions incorporated into the ceremony as I was marrying somebody not Jewish so many of our friends and his family would understand the meaning behind everything. Prior to the wedding, Rabbi was very clear and helpful with obtaining the Ketubah, what we needed to bring with us the day of the wedding, etc. I would absolutely recommend him to anybody looking for a ceremony filled with love, laughs and guidance along the way!
Mary & Andrew ~ 12/16/22
Sunken Garden, St. Pete, FL
Where do I even begin!? If I could give Rabbi Astrachan more stars than just 5, I would in a heartbeat. He kicked off our wedding with a memorable ceremony that honestly captured everything we ever dreamed of. We found him on The Knot and communicated via phone calls, Zoom, and emails for a little over a year before the wedding (he was one of the first vendors we booked). He was committed to actually getting to know us during this time and this made us comfortable enough to share personal experiences with him, which he then worked into the ceremony. We had an interfaith ceremony with the majority of the guests having never been to a Jewish ceremony before. He kept all of our guests fully engaged and even explained some of the Jewish wedding traditions to the guests as he went along so they understood the significance behind them. All our guests LOVED him and let us know what an amazing job he did and how unique and personalized his words were. We plan on maintaining a relationship with him, as he has made such a great impact on our lives.
If you need a Rabbi for your wedding, look no further than Rabbi Astrachan! He is such a genuine person who truly cares about getting to know you and providing an experience that you and your guests will never forget!
Carlie & Henry ~ 12/10/22
Union Terminal, Cincinnati, OH
Rabbi Jeffrey Astrachan with Exchanging Rings is truly the most exceptional officiant a couple could ever ask for for their wedding! He helped facilitate the most unique, personalized wedding for my husband (Jewish) and myself (Catholic). We met with him several times in the months before the wedding and he placed careful attention to get to know us as individuals and a couple. He encouraged us to do wedding "homework", which was a series of fun questions that we answered independently and as a couple. He then used the answers in the wedding to ensure the ceremony was personalized to us. We had countless guests tell us it was the most unique ceremony they ever witnessed! Rabbi Astrachan traveled to Cincinnati, OH from Florida for our wedding and we will eagerly recommend his officiant services to any couple regardless of your religion, sexuality, race, culture, location, etc. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
Tomi & Amanda ~ 10/29/22
The International Venue, Tampa, FL
Rabbi Astrachan was absolutely amazing! He took the time to really get to know us and exceeded our expectations in tailoring a perfect, beautiful ceremony for me and my wife. Even our guests were raving about how wonderful he was. Meet him—you won’t choose anyone else!
P.S. Our wedding was Steampunk and he came “Dressed to Impress!”
Forever grateful,
Amanda and Tomi
Dani & Harrison ~ 10/8/22
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Orlando, FL
Rabbi Astrachan is professional, reliable, and compassionate
Rabbi Astrachan is amazing!
As everybody probably is, we were nervous about our big day but Rabbi Astrachan made us feel so comfortable and made it very easy to get through. He is very professional, and always respond in timely manner. The sessions he organized prior to our wedding are very thoughtful and comprehensive, we felt well prepared by our wedding day.
My husband and I are from different cultural background, Rabbi Astrachan took consideration of all the audiences present, and incorporated stories and translations to really bring the cultures together, he went above and beyond to make everyone feel a part of ceremony. It is a perfect event.
Michael & Kat ~ 10/1/22
Private Home
Rabbi Astrachan was absolutely wonderful. He was great at holding our hands through the entire process, and answered all of our questions. He was able to tailor our ceremony to our needs perfectly. Our ceremony almost got derailed by Hurricane Ian, but we were able to pivot and hold the ceremony elsewhere, and Rabbi Astrachan was easily able to adapt and go with the flow as things were in flux. Fantastic job. Added in some humor into his remarks. Highly recommended.
Jenna & Zane ~ 5/29/22
York, PA
Rabbi Astrachan was truly the best officiant my husband and I could have asked for. Shortly after getting engaged, I knew almost immediately that I wanted him to officiate.
Prior to the wedding, we met with the Rabbi several times and he took special care to make the ceremony personal and follow the traditions that made sense to us. We appreciated the Rabbi’s more modern take to these traditions. My husband and I both found these meetings to be one of our favorite parts of the wedding planning process. He also gave us insights about certain logistics-planning that we hadn’t thought about. Additionally, he shared resources with us that made finding a ketubah and other elements of the wedding very easy.
As an interfaith couple, it was also important to us that, while we stayed true to traditions, that they were understandable for both of our families. He helped to share a program explaining these traditions and provided his own interpretations through the ceremony.
By the time we reached the day of the wedding, the Rabbi had collected stories and remarks about us as a couple and shared the relationship he had with us. In general, Rabbi Astrachan brought a great energy to the day. Many of my friends specifically said that they got emotional when the Rabbi gave his remarks and we received so many compliments on how beautiful the ceremony was. He really did an amazing job and it was very evident the time, effort, and care he put into making our day special.
Ann & Jennifer
Having this wonderful man perform our ceremony was truly one of the best parts of the day!
I cannot possibly say enough good things about him. He paid attention to each of us, and captured details about our relationship that were completely unexpected yet felt like such a blessing. His warmth and humor and kindness are beyond measure. We never even considered having anyone else marry us, and we chose the date based on his schedule. He was literally the first wedding choice after I chose the person I wanted to marry.
Tammy & Chuck
Rabbi Astrachan performed a uniquely personal interfaith wedding ceremony for us.
As part of his preparation, he had each of us complete a multi question homework assignment which allowed him to learn about each of us as individuals, how we met, and how we meshed as a couple. He asked for personal anecdotes which he then used to weave a uniquely personalized story about us as a couple. Although we had met with him only one time (on Super Bowl Sunday of all days, when HIS team would soon be taking the field), his ceremony gave the impression of knowing the two of us intimately for a long time. His mix of humor and faith and humility made our wedding ceremony a memorable experience for us and an inviting event for our family and friends.