White Robed Monks of St Benedict

We used the WRM and Father Charles Grande for our wedding this past Friday and loved every minute of it! We met with him one time several months ago and had been communicating via email. He completely listened to us and what we wanted from the ceremony and our guests all commented on how wonderful it was. We would totally recommend using them for your wedding!

We worked with Fr. Josh Favalora for our wedding in September 2014. Working with Fr. Josh and White Robed Monks was a wonderful experience. We wanted to incorporate Catholic elements and prayer into our outdoor wedding in Tahoe, and it worked out great. Fr. Josh met with us ahead of time, was super responsive leading up to the wedding, and worked with us to develop a personalized yet traditional ceremony. He was incredibly warm and personable and came to our rehearsal dinner and stayed for some of the dinner and reception after our ceremony. White Robed Monks provided exactly what we were looking for for our wedding!

Father Charles regal was exactly what we wanted and needed for our wedding. He was extremely fun, energetic, poetic and full of vigor. We really appreciate the White Robe Monks and what they stand for. We were able to customize our ceremony with verses, poems and a sand ceremony. Use them if possible!

Father Dittler and the WRM were amazing! He was our officiant back in 2011. We just celebrated our 4^th wedding anniversary last Friday. He was wonderful. He did many weddings at Wente Vineyards, he seemed to be just as knowledgable as the people who worked there. We will never forget him as he was a part of our big day. We highly recommend him!

Father Robert (Dittler) was AMAZING. He was not only inspirational, knowledgeable and professional, he went far above and beyond what might be expected of an officiant. He pinned all of the groomsmen’s boutonnieres, helped tie some ties, he even helped with the brides dress, pinned a groomsman’s slacks that didn’t fit properly, and ran messages back and forth between me and my bride to be; did deep-​breathing for 15 full minutes with Emily (the bride) prior to the ceremony… He even recited the entire Heart Sutra, from memory to me the day before the ceremony when he discovered I was a Mahayana Buddhist! Just an amazing man. A true gift from God for our most special of days. We were sort of near an airport outdoors and we worried that sound might be an issue– for the entire ceremony, not a single plane or helicopter was heard and (I was told by many guests) that two hummingbirds hovered over us as we took vows– I don’t know if Father Dittler has a direct line to the man upstairs, but it sure seemed like it to me (and everyone else– MANY comments on his amazing sermon) — and not a dry eye in the house. I recommend him without reservations, and in fact hope to recruit some people to help him rebuild a village that was destroyed in Nepal last year during the terrible earthquake. My only regret is that we didn’t give him a bigger donation for his selfless service.

We are posting to thank the WRMoSB, and Father Gerald Caprio in particular, for officiating our wedding on January 31^st at the Fairmont San Francisco.
When we reached out to the WRMoSB originally, we were seeking a Catholic officiant for our elopement ceremony that would not only allow us to marry under the Catholic faith but who would also fit our religious perspectives as well: kindness, community, tolerance, inclusiveness and compassion. We feel that we got the brass ring when Father Caprio was assigned to be our officiant; we couldn’t have asked for a better fit for us. His personal and communicative approach was truly appreciated.
Both my husband and I feel that Father Caprio is the standard of Catholic priest that everyone in the faith would like to see at their own parish. He is the type of person whom you would feel perfectly comfortable having a conversation with, he is someone you could go to with a dilemma, and the quality of his message about the sacrament of marriage within our nuptial mass left us truly touched and inspired.
We look forward to recommending Father Caprio to officiate a marriage in our circles of family and friends and we are posting here so that the rest of the world can discover his invaluable services and meet him one day if they too decide to marry in the Bay Area.

Our daughter was raised Catholic and her husband non-​denominational Christian. They visit different denominational churches and did not necessarily particularly desire a Catholic ceremony. Their venue listed the White Robed Monks as a potential officiant. After meeting with several other potential officiants and feeling like they did not «connect» with these ministers. They met with Father Tom many months prior to their wedding day and instantly were drawn to him and the philosophies of the WRM’s. Both the bride and groom really enjoyed his company and warm, compassionate nature. Father Tom met several times with the two of them and he performed what was truly the most beautiful, meaningful and amazing ceremony. We have many family members and friends of many faiths and beliefs and his ceremony was respectful and all encompassing of all God’s blessings. I absolutely believe that Father Tom’s ceremony was the most beautiful I have ever had the pleasure to hear. The marriage ceremony is the most important aspect of a wedding — and our daughter and son’s was truly the highlight of the committment they made. Would absolutely recommend.

My husband and I got married in October 2012 by Father Josh Favalora, he was absolutely wonderful! My husband was really concerned after reading a Unilocal review on him, but he was the exact opposite of the bad review, he by far blew everyone away. Everyone asked us at the reception how we found the priest he was so warm and engaging. He met with us for lunch two months before we got married and we felt that he really listened to us and what we wanted (my father has passed away and I brought a letter he had written to me and asked Father Josh to incorporate it in the ceremony) and he did a GREAT job in incorporating my father into our vows. We lived together before we got married and I didn’t feel like he «judged» us when he found out, he is very in touch with «modern Catholics» He was quick to get back to me when I had contacted him. He also came to the rehearsal dinner the night before and was pleasant to everyone. He is such a nice, warm caring man. I only have the highest things to say about Father Josh he was one of the reasons our wedding was the best day of our lives. We also think hes a good luck charm the last thing he said to my husband after he left the wedding was «call me for the baptism» now we have a baby due in June!

We had the honor of having Father Josh Favalora officiate our wedding and he was absolutely awesome. He was extremely cheerful, friendly, hilarious, helpful… all you’d ever want in an officiant. He was so comforting and warm and we couldn’t have asked for a better person to have wedding memories of. I highly recommend him to any couples who want to have an amazing wedding ceremony. Thanks, Fr. Josh!!!

When we applied with the WRMSB, we were assigned Father Robert Dittler as our officiant. We met with him about 9 months before our wedding and we loved him. He’s funny, super sharp and had a lot of great advice for us. During the rehearsal and the day of, Father Robert not only kept our large wedding party in check, but also acted as another wedding coordinator, even bringing up a bottle of champagne and flutes to myself and the bridesmaids before the wedding for a celebratory toast. All of our guests commented that he made our wedding ceremony entertaining… there were lots of laughs. I highly recommend the WRMSB, especially Father Robert Dittler!

A couple I’m friends with suggested WRM for our wedding. They said they were great at their wedding. I have to agree! Fr. Tom met up with us for a face to face about 7 months before the wedding in SF. Then again at our rehearsal at Stern Grove 2 days before the wedding. He was friendly, casual, and comfortable to be with. My groom and I grew up Catholic but no longer practice and we wanted a non religious wedding. I also wanted to acknowledge my dear Mom who has passed and Fr. Tom made our wedding wonderful! When I told him I want my niece to read a poem but I had trouble finding one– he suggested their website. After a bit of a search I found the perfect reading #71 These Are The Hands– which was truly us, we held hands throughout the ceremony. He accomplished it all. Thank you so much!

I have to say that choosing an officiant was the thing I was dreading the most about planning our wedding. My husband and I do not practice any specific religion, and were very hesitant about choosing an officiant fearing that they would make «changes» in the ceremony. Our venue recommended the White Robed Monks, so I looked into them. Reviews here on Unilocal had great things to say, so I looked into their website. Not going to lie, it was a bit intimidating (so much info/​options/​etc), but I filled out the marriage petition and waited for a response, which I got quickly. I was contacted by Father Dittler, and he guided us in designing our ceremony. Their website offers some pre-​written ceremony’s, but we opted to design our own, and Father Dittler was more than happy to accomodate our wishes.
We met with him over the holidays in SF, just so we wouldn’t be complete strangers on our wedding day. He was just bubbling over with joy and advice. The stories he had… wow. If you want to know everything that can go wrong with a wedding, he can tell you because he’s probably seen it. So we took note of his words of wisdom. We went over the ceremony we had written, and he never tried to pressure us to add or change anything, which left me feeling very relieved. It’s easy to see that he has been doing this a long time, and he loves what he does :)
On the wedding day, Father Dittler introduced himself to key players (i.e our parents) and discussed how the ceremony would run. Aside from me handing him our marriage license, he handled everything else. He rounded up the MOH and best man, had everything signed, and given back my copies without me even realizing it was happening. He was great.
I truly appreciated Father Dittler’s willingness to give us the exact ceremony we wanted. He is a very interesting and spirited man, and we loved having him solemnize our marriage.

The White Robed Monks are in various communities in the bay area. We had Father Skip for my daughter’s wedding in Santa Rosa. Fr. Skip lives and works north of the bay. I can not say enough what a wonderful experience it was to work with Fr. Skip. He was there for rehersal and was such an asset with a great sense of humor and experience. He put the bride and groom at ease right away. He was early arriving and made an impression on our venue’s staff. For the wedding he was wonderful!!! Our guest were so impressed with him. We loved that he stayed for a while and talked with the guests. The White Robed Monks do not charge for their services but we were more than happy to give a donation to this great order. Thank you Fr. Skip for a wonderful wedding!

I agree with previous reviewers that is is extremely awkward to Unilocal a priest! However, I feel that most people looking into WRM are challenged to find a priest that will provide a Catholic ceremony in an outdoor setting. In that case, it is not a perish or lifetime commitment you are looking for.
Our experience was with Fr. Favalora in the Santa Cruz area, where our wedding was held. He was the only Father we met, so I can not vouch for any other priest you may come in contact with through WRM.
When contacting WRM, we did ask about Fr. Dittler, but we were assigned a local priest instead, closest to our wedding. We met Fr. Favalora at his home to do our pre-​conference, where went went over possible readings etc. He was a very kind older man and we were excited that he spoke fluent Italian, as my husband’s side is Italian as well. He emailed us the ceremony we agreed on within a few days of the meeting and we were stoked. This was the last moment I remember being happy with Fr. Favalora.
On the day of my rehearsal I showed up only to hear that the priest wasnt coming! What!!! Apparently he had food poisoning and was​.um. indisposed. OK, I get that, but he didnt call me, only the wedding site coordinator, and he did NOT get the coordinator a copy of the ceremony! So everyone came from OUT OF TOWN and took off work for NOTHING! Without a copy of the ceremony, our rehearsal was a sham. Basically we practiced walking in and out in order. The wedding coordinator tried to wing it, but pretty much told us the wrong info that was not part of the ceremony so everyone was just more confused on the day of.
On the wedding day the priest showed up and stayed in his car until the ceremony started. No quick walk through to make sure we knew what we were doing, no calming words, nothing God-​like or compassionate. When I walked up the isle I felt like a stranger was marrying us. Fr. Favalora stood in between my fiancé and I the whole time, so we could no hold hands. He was the center of attention, not us. He read our ceremony out of a plastic white –ring binder!!! What a joke! He didnt even get the black book with paper clips that I’ve seen many other J of the P use. Just not professional looking at all.
We had not practiced the wine ceremony the day before. So my fiancé and I didnt know what to do. Do we drink it or not? The Fr. just started at us and said «what do you wan to do» so I just said «never mind».
After the ceremony the priest wanted nothing to do with us. My photographer was asking a few family pictures, so the priest took my MOH and BM over in a corner to quickly sign. I have no pictures of the signing of the marriage certificate, I was no even present when it took place, and the priest was gone before I had a chance to say a word to him. The only thing he said on his way out was a reminder to mail a donation.
When I went to get my official marriage certificate, it was not ready because the priest messed up the info on the signing. We now have an ADDENDUM to our marriage license correcting the county. He wrote Santa Clara when we actually got married in Santa Cruz county. What a nightmare.
Bottom line is that the optional donation will not be arriving…

Our wedding took place in late September. My friend recommended white robed monks of St. benedict, and I went to Unilocal and project wedding and read the reviews. Everyone raved about Father Dittler, and so we went with him. We met with him a couple months before our wedding. He was organized and I felt like we were in good hands. At the wedding, he exceeded our expectations. My bustle kept falling and he brought some safety pins and pinned them up. He also helped removed the money after my money dance and I found the money later in our «card» box. Everyone asked whether he was someone that we grew up with, and said the ceremony was so intimate. Someone had a «block party» nearby and a live band was playing during our ceremony. He knew how to make it a part of the ceremony. One of the best choices we made at our wedding.

So the name WRM caught our attention when searching for a minister for our July wedding. Their website is a bit intimidating bc there’s a lot of info but keep reading, well worth the read.
It was important to us to feel comfortable with the person that was to preside over our wedding.
Enter Father Robert Dittler. Very responsive, precise and good natured. We met w/​him 2 mos prior. He provided us a lot of helpful info, including checklists for photographer & to do reminders. He was somewhat a wedding coordinator was my thought. That’s a plus; he really shined the day of.
My husband & his fam are Catholic & very religious. My family is I would say spiritual. Our guests were a mix of everything. We wanted certain aspects of the traditional Catholic wedding & Father Dittler was very accommodating allowing us to tailor our wedding. He also assisted in the rehearsal the day prior.
And on the day of, when I was running a few min behind, flushed & frazzled & hot from the summer heat, he totally took control. He sat me down, brought me water & ordered me to take a moment to just breathe & relax… It was my day, the wedding was not going to start w/​out me. Those words alone meant a lot & calmed my nerves. Ok, ready! :) He did a great job at the ceremony.
Lastly, the reception… Remember I mentioned he was kinda like a coordinator? Yeah, he’d brought his emergency kit & pinned my gown so that I’d be more comfortable walking around. He helped take off the money that was pinned all over my gown after the money dance. He assisted in keeping us on schedule. He was just amazing! Father Dittler even took to the dance floor! All I can say about that is Wow! He was one of our main highlights at the reception. Our guests raved about how much fun Father Dittler was. I mean, seriously when your guests can vividly remember your priest??? That speaks for itself. ;)

Wedding Date: April 18, 2009
Location: Garre Winery Martinelli Center, Livermore, CA
It feels a little odd to Unilocal review a Priest, but I cannot let Father Robert Dittler’s integral role in our wedding day go unnoticed. Along with DJ Jeremy, Father Dittler was *key* in a flawless wedding. We met with him in August where he gave Zach and me very detailed steps in how to progress with our wedding plans and expectations. The lists he provided were truly gospel and very appreciated.
Though a Catholic wedding, Father Robert allowed us to tailor our wedding time length, vows, readings, and personal feel. This helped to make the ceremony our own — personal to us and also our guests.
But beyond the logistics, Father Robert is an extraordinary human being. He is down-​to-​earth, humorous, honest and forthright, and downright fun! He ‘got down’ and danced with the rest of us and brought many smiles to the guests.
We didn’t know what to expect when we selected White Robed Monks, but our expectations were easily surpassed. Thank you, Father Robert, for being a part of our very blessed event.

My husband and I are Catholic but not necessarily strict Catholics. We knew though that we wanted a religious ceremony but we ended up having our ceremony outside at a museum. The white robed monks were able to give us a Catholic ceremony outside. We filled out their form on their website and were told that Father Leonard (Skip) Sikora could help us, Father Skip was the greatest. He met with us before our wedding and talked to us openly about marriage in a realistic and compassionate way and entertained us with stories of his childhood in upstate New York and bootlegging past. He was instrumental in running our rehearsal and put everyone at ease and even helped me with my fake eyelash mishap in the middle of my actual wedding ceremony. Five well deserved stars.

My experience with Fr. Gerry Caprio of the WRM is in the context of a wedding, so skip this if you’re looking for a general religious perspective…
Father Gerry, a member of the White Robed Monks, presided over our wedding last summer (2006). We were referred to him by the non-​denominational Presidio Interfaith Chapel where we got married. After speaking with him and other reverend, we were won over by fr. Gerry’s warm confidence and reassuring attitude, not to mention the fact that he’s from NJ like me and knew the owner of a store that was around the corner from me growing up! (It was a sign, right?) The process of hiring fr. Gerry was relatively simple — we spoke with him and after he checked his schedule we officially booked him at the WRM website.
Overall, it went swimmingly. I really liked fr. Gerry and the WRM’s open attitude about spirituality vs religion. While they are Catholic in spirit, they don’t subscribe to any particular religious branch of Catholicism. They marry saints and sinners alike ;-) and believe the ceremony should reflect the couple. He asked a few times to make sure how much «God-​talk» we wanted included in the ceremony, which was challenging what with our scattered beliefs/​non-​beliefs, my Roman Catholic mom, my gently Protestant mother-​in-​law, and the mostly non-​religious audience. We met with him once in person to get to know each other and flesh out what we were looking for. He gave us some self-​service premarital counseling exercises which I thought struck a nice balance between the full-​fledged premarital weekend camps and doing nothing at all. He respected our wishes for what should be in the ceremony but also made suggestions when we asked for them. The entire process, he was very relaxed and it was clear that he’s a pro.
A few things about the planning and scheduling did give me pause. He had to ascertain who we were and what date our ceremony was a few times which as you might imagine will give a nervous bride the agita; I thought we were going to meet more times to get to know each other better and to take our time planning the ceremony, but we only met in person once before the big day; and he was sure he could make our rehearsal which is one of the reasons we went with him, but in the end, he had been doublebooked and I had to lead the rehearsal.
But in the end, the anxiety was for naught. As for the rehearsal, he coached us on how to lead it and provided an instruction guide (there’s also a lot of advice online). The wedding went super-​smoothly and he did a fabulous job. He checked with both of us before the ceremony and was unfazed when we told him we wanted to say the vows we had written just that morning. He cued each group to make their entrance. His friendly speaking voice put everyone at ease and most importantly, his service resonated with both of our moms and everyone else there. And after the ceremony, when we were having our little photo op, fr. Gerry took care of the paperwork quickly and efficiently. We were in good hands with him in charge.
I can’t speak to any other reverends at the WRM but if they’re like fr. Gerry, and you’re looking for someone to marry your non-​denominational selves, you can’t go wrong with these guys.