Jen Gori
You are the architect of your marriage. You design it with every choice you make. Your wedding will be your first official declaration to your family and friends of who you are as a couple. It will be an expression of your values and personalities. It is the exciting ribbon ceremony that breaks ground on the creation of your marriage.
In 2000 I married my best friend, Jiten. We had a very eclectic Indian and American celebration. I really wanted to emphasize the beauty of both our cultures. We had a friend playing Sitar, readings from both the Bible and Hindu scriptures, Indian and American foods. Our wedding was truly a reflection of who we are and the beginning of our adventure together. I want to help you create a meaningful, reflective wedding that you will always remember and your guests will never forget. I can help you with…
- First time weddings both formal and informal
- Second and blended families (I have many ideas for incorporating children in ceremonies and rituals that help blended families start our their lives together)
- Intercultural/inter-religious ceremonies (lets think of some beautiful ways of blending both cultures and religions in the ceremony)
I am a nondenominational & interfaith minister who is licensed through the Univeral Life church. I graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1987 as a Speech/Communications major and then in 2001 from Bethel Seminary with a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I currently have a private practice in Woodbury, MN where I specialize in premarital counseling. Premarital counseling classes are available (but not mandatory) if you desire a brief time of focusing on the marriage .
Reviews for Jen Gori
“Thank you again for helping us have a meaningful ceremony. I was glad that even though Tyler doesn’t like to be in front of people that he liked going through and planning the ceremony together and appreciated all of it. Just as I did. His brother in law said “ Wow, I can truly say that I enjoyed every part of your ceremony and I almost cried at least twice.” We thought it was nice and have heard a lot of similar responses. Thank you for all of the choices you gave us to work with. Also, thanks for the book ideas. We both enjoy reading very much and all the Christian options are great.”
Becca and Tyler, 2012- Ham Lake Resort.
“Thank you so much for the beautiful ceremony. It was so unique and personal and it was truly enjoyed by everyone. We also appreciate how clearly and slowly you spoke for Andrea (he was Russian) He understood a lot. Thank you for making our day so special.”
Jenny and Andrea, 2012- Moscow on the Hill restaurant.
“Thanks for making things so easy for us. The whole weekend was perfect!!”
Matt and Morna, 2012 Backyard wedding in Morristown, Blended family wedding.
“I want to thank you again for everything! It was wonderful. You did an excellent job and it was everything I imagined. I loved the sand ceremony.”
Tanya and Caleb, 2012 Embassy Suites, Saint Paul- Blended family wedding.
“Thanks so much. WE had a great day. You did a lovely job and we’ve had many compliments on the ceremony.”
Emme and Mike , 2012 Hastings State Park.
“Thanks for all your hard work conducting the ceremony last weekend. David and I received nothing but great compliments on the entire wedding and people said they loved how different the ceremony was (most people around here haven’t been to any weddings other than church weddings) and that you did an awesome job! We appreciate your support and help getting us organized and for the most perfect ceremony either of us could have asked for!
Thanks again.”
Tracy and David, 2012 St Cloud county fairgrounds.
“Thanks so much for everything. We could not have made it happen if you weren’t so flexible.”
Jason and Jenna, 2012 Lake Elmo Inn, Lake Elmo.
“We just wanted to thank you again for officiating our wedding. You were so wonderful. You really made our ceremony special and helped our day run smoothly. You also received many compliments from our guests. They loved the ‘love story’.”
Adrienne and Joe, 2012 Concordia College Chapel.
“Thank you so much for the experience! We loved the balance between fun activities and in depth analysis on who we are as individuals and as a couple. Each session brought new insight into our relationship which we could not have achieved on our own. For anyone debating whether to go to premarital counseling, first of all, go. Second of all, we highly recommend Jen. The tools and information Jen gives you to help develop a deeper more intimate relationship are truly priceless.”
Chad and Emily
“Jennifer was amazing & I would encourage anyone to utilize her services as a prerequisite for marriage. It was transformative, non-judgmental, and drew us closer.”
Alena and Jody
“Jen wonderfully shattered our presuppositions of what marriage counseling would be like. I did not expect marriage counseling to be so fun yet so informative and practical at the same time. I would definitely recommend Jen Gori as a counselor for those who are going to get married. She was totally a blessing to us.”
Joey and Pearl
“Thank you so much for the beautiful ceremony . It was so unique and personal and it was truly enjoyed by everyone. We also appreciated how slowly and clearly you spoke for Andrea. He understood a lot. Thank you for making our day so special.”
Jenny and Andrea