Ryan Sato he/him
Get to know Central and Northern Alberta wedding officiant Ryan Sato.
Edmonton, AB
I engage in this vocation as a person who brings more than 30 years of pastoral ministry experience. Being invited into a couple’s life as they set their sights on their wedding day — the preparation, the conversations, the sharing of hopes and dreams — has always felt like a privilege. I loved it then, and I love it now.
Here’s what I believe: on your wedding day, YOU are the stars of the show. My job is to make sure you feel like you’re in good, kind, and confident hands, and I’ll be one of your biggest fans while I’m at it. When you trust the person at the front, you are free to breathe, take in the moment, and enjoy it.
So let’s talk. I want to hear your life stories and your two-lives-coming-together story. What makes you tick. What you love about each other — and what you like about each other, too. I may even encourage you to each write down ten adjectives that describe you, so we can banter about how two unique personalities mix and meld into something new and beautiful. Then we’ll weave it all into a ceremony that’s warm, joyful, and unmistakably yours.
Ryan’s Story
One wedding that stays with me: an outdoor barn ceremony on a big acreage. The bride came down a winding staircase, the sun was shining, and we were surrounded by fields of green and bright yellow canola. Eighty guests, every one of them over the moon happy for this couple. You could feel the joy in the air. That’s the feeling I want to help create at every wedding I’m a part of.
When I’m not officiating, there’s a good chance I’m watching a rom-com. The Wedding Singer, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually — I love them all. I’m also a big hockey and baseball fan (go Oilers, and let’s go Blue Jays), and I never say no to a good laugh, whether it’s a comedian or an episode of The Debaters.
I like to think my personality is a good mix of deep, inquisitive, and thoughtful, balanced by an easy sense of humour. I try not to take things too seriously — that tends to suck the joy, mirth, and spontaneity right out of life.