Father Christopher Richard

My husband and I were both raised Roman Catholic but are not currently hard-fast practicing Catholics (i.e. we don't belong to any one parish as members), so we were really at a loss when trying to find a religious ceremony that would fit our needs. When looking at wedding venues in the Albany, NY area we were recommended to contact Father Christopher Richard. He is a monsignor in the Old Catholic religion and as such, his ceremonies are recognized by the Catholic church and also he is able to perform ceremonies on-site for couples. When we met Father Chris for the first time we know it was the perfect solution we were looking for. I can not say enough good things about Father Chris. He is extremely professional, flexible about meeting times and locations and he makes himself available always. In addition to performing a BEAUTIFUL ceremony for us, he really helped us along the way with areas of wedding planning that we would never expect from our officiant. He gave us recommendations on Tuxedo places, on rehearsal dinner locations, on how to best plan our honeymoon, etc. He is well know and very respected in the area and therefore we really trusted his advice. At our rehearsal, Father Chris was a lifesaver. Our wedding party was a little... rowdy (for lack of a better word) and I, personally, was nervous that we wouldn't be able to "get it together" and follow his instructions. On the contrary - Father Chris commands the attention of the room and really helped everyone understand their role in the ceremony, why it was important and how to make it go smoothly. He is professional, smart, a LITTLE stern (but in a good way!) and a great asset to any...

We were very happy to be able to have a catholic ceremony outside and without getting an annullment for my previous wedding.

Father Christopher helped us from the beginning to the end and people commented on how beautiful our ceremony was. He directed everyone at the rehearsal and kept us relaxed at the alter. My fiance is not a confirmed catholic and I am, and Father Christopher helped us have a Christian wedding without judgment. He was also available at any time for our questions or concerns. We are extremely happy with our decision to go with him as our officiant.

Father Chris was everything we could have hoped for in an officiant and more! Dave and I are of different religious beliefs, and Fr. Chris helped put together a ceremony that was a balance of what we wanted. He was non-judgmental as he tailored it specifically for us and was very thorough as he went over all the parts of the ceremony. One of the best things about him was, however, how calm he kept us at the altar. He was fun and reverent at the same time and I would highly recommend him!