Me e t M a r t t i
Martti Pajunen has been inspiring people to lives of greatness and goodness for over 3 decades. His warmth, humour and practical wisdom are the hallmarks of his communication style
Martti was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario. Over the years he has served as a youth worker, college professor, Wedding Officiant, Funeral Celebrant, Certified Relationship Coach, and key-note speaker.
Martti has conducted over 2,300 wedding ceremonies including being the on-air Wedding Officiant for Indie 88 in Toronto and Y108 Rocks in Hamilton. He has also served over 900 families by leading Celebration of Life and memorial services for their loved ones.
Martti also partners with Our Wedding Officiant, serving couples at the beautiful Pearle venues and with the DTK Chapel in downtown Kitchener.
In 2017 Martti released his first book, The Thirteenities: Leading tweens to lives of greatness and goodness which became an Amazon international bestseller.
3F o u n d a t i o n a l C o m m i t m e n t s
C O N F I D E N C E
-
Every member of our team has received extensive, formal training and certification as Life Celebration Professionals and public communicators
-
We are all legally licensed and registered marriage Officiants by the Province of Ontario to perform wedding ceremonies and we always follow the rules of the Marriage Act of Ontario
-
We have a full-time booking manager and part-time associates who are always available to answer questions
-
We have vast experience in all life celebrations and can answer any question related to ceremony tradition or etiquette.
-
Our fees are affordable and always the very best value!
C H O I C E
-
We provide the largest number of creative ceremony options through our online ceremony resource portals.
-
We work in concert with couples and families to customize every ceremony to reflect your values, style and personality.
-
We have a diverse variety of Officiants and Celebrants from our team available.
-
We honour special requests and love involving other family members or friends in the ceremony.
-
We go to where your ceremony is and work with all venues and locations.
C O N N E C T I O N
-
We personally meet with all couples and families and take the time to create a personalized, meaningful, and memorable ceremony; celebrating your story.
-
Our meetings can be done in person, by phone, or via video conference call; it's your choice.
-
We are available for ceremonies 365 days a year, including holidays
-
Our online directory can assist you in connecting with other amazing wedding professionals and we are referred by the finest venues and industry professionals.
Our Team Members
C H E RY L S C H A D E
Cheryl Schade is a trained and certified Wedding Officiant, Funeral Celebrant, New Life Celebrant, WPIC certified wedding planner, and Relationship Coach with Always and Forever Life Celebrations. Her passion for serving couples and families flows from her deep desire to support, encourage, and facilitate memories and celebrations as they relate to all aspects of life.
As a Reader’s Choice award-winning Officiant, Cheryl has performed hundreds of ceremonies over the years across Ontario and brings a high level of competence and care to everyone she serves. Cheryl is a grad of Conestoga College and Emmanuel Bible College and works as the Chaplain at a Long Term Care Facility.
She was born in Toronto and raised in Kitchener. She has two amazing, energetic and fun-loving daughters, Hailey and Jorja, who love being involved in competitive and recreational dance, camping, fishing, swimming, playing board games and watching movies. Cheryl has always had a love for music, playing everything from classical on the cello, to rock on the bass guitar.
D E A N K E N N E D Y
Dean Kennedy is a trained and certified Wedding Officiant with Always and Forever Life Celebrations. He is well known for helping couples enjoy the process of creating their ceremony and then helping them relax and appreciate those incredible moments during the ceremony.
Dean is a Reader’s Choice award-winning Officiant and has performed hundreds of ceremonies over the years across Ontario. He resides in the GTA, but has also lived in Virginia (attending college), and San Diego (yes, he is a LA Chargers fan).
Dean is married to his wife and best friend Lesley; has 4 amazing kids: Travis, Leah (and her husband Harrison), Grace and Cali-Faith as well as his dog, Daisy.
He has bungee jumped, run the Scotiabank half-marathon, climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, surfed at Manly Beach Australia helped start and run a Fair Trade Coffee Shop in Orangeville, and led students on humanitarian trips to Grenada, the Dominican Republic and helped to build a school in Belize.
After his daughter was born 3 months premature – Dean and Leslie spent 6 months visiting the NICU at Sick Kids and Brampton Civic waiting for her to come home. Their dream is that one day she’ll run unhindered without leg braces.
Dean is a truly wonderful Wedding Officiant, appreciated by all the couples he serves.
N I C K L I G H T
Nicholas "Nick" Light, is a dedicated and highly energetic wedding officiant with Always and Forever Life Celebrations. With over 5 years of experience, Nick seamlessly blends spiritual insight with practical know-how to make your special day truly magical.
Born and raised in Toronto, Nick has a deep appreciation for diverse cultures, having lived in Brampton, Mississauga, and now he makes Kitchener-Waterloo his home. When he's not crafting unforgettable ceremonies, Nick loves exploring different cuisines and staying balanced with Reiki and Prana meditation. He and his wife Lana live in the downtown and love the vibe there.
Nick is able to connect quickly and brings a confidence that allows couples to just relax and actually enjoy their wedding ceremony. His humour and vibrant personality are appreciated by all who know him both personally and professionally. Plus he looks amazing in a bow-tie!!
J A M E S T O O N K
James Toonk is a trained and certified wedding officiant with Always and Forever Life Celebrations. James is an officiant known for his fun-loving and caring nature, who approaches his role with dedication and warmth. Whether marrying couples in serene gardens or at bustling city venues, he brings a spontaneous yet calm demeanor to every ceremony. Born and raised in the small town of Palmerston Ontario, James was accustomed to the quiet life but that didn't last long. Being a passionate musician James jumped at the opportunity to go study music and leadership in Australia, and ever since that he has wanted to live for adventure! If James isn't busy with a wedding, he is usually playing drums or walking his big great Dane dogs on all the walking trails surrounding the beautiful town he lives in, Paris and all over southern Ontario. Beyond officiating, James is crafting an espresso cart for catering weddings and events, driven by his passion for excellence in service. His goal is to not only unite couples with memorable ceremonies but also to elevate their special day with exceptional coffee and a touch of his caring spirit.
Natasha & Kevin
"We worked with Martti for our wedding last fall. Martti was fantastic to work with!! He was very professional, organized, and made the process so simple! We had a lot of fun using the online form to develop our ceremony content. We 100% recommend working with Martti to officiate your wedding!"
Schenelle & Michael
"Cheryl was such a gem from the very beginning as we started to plan our wedding ceremony, until the very end. She guided us throughout the entire process, leaving us with no doubts. It was an honor to be officiated by Cheryl as she made our moment so special and absolutely perfect. Many thanks and God Bless."
Lexi & Jeff
"Dean was phenomenal. Throughout the process he made everything so easy and comfortable for us. The ceremony itself was everything we'd asked for, and we received so many compliments from our guests saying how it was one of the most special ceremonies they'd attended. We couldn't recommend him more!"
Hunter & Mitch
"Hi Martti, we are back from our honeymoon and are starting to get back into the regular swing of things. Let me just start by saying what an honour it was to have you officiate our wedding. Thank you very much for being a part of our special day, our ceremony was perfect and exactly what we envisioned. We will be sure to recommend your services to all our friends and family. Thank you again for being a part of our special day."