Our Story
Our personal wedding journey led to a career in the wedding industry
23 years ago, I married my best friend. The best decision I ever made. While planning our wedding, we quickly realized that finding someone to marry us was not as easy as we envisioned. Officiants weren't as popular as they are today, and most couples turned to a pastor / church or went to the courthouse. We were a little flustered as we realized it would be difficult to find a wedding officiant service that would fit our style. We didn’t even really know there was such a thing. The pastors and reverends we spoke to (those willing to marry us) didn't offer options or ask for feedback. We ended up with a Baptist minister who agreed to officiate our ceremony off site. He was a wonderful man, and the ceremony was beautiful because the result was that we were married. We had little input in the ceremony content and had to push just to include personal vows to one another. Throughout the process, we asked ourselves, "Why can't we have more influence in our ceremony?" “Why can’t we share our story?” I looked into the process of being ordained in Illinois and discovered that it was quite simple. Just thoughts at the time and we moved forward, building our lives.
Over the next few years, we talked about it from time to time after all it was natural for me with a BA in communications and minor in Theater along with years of experience in Radio and public speaking. One fateful day, my lovely wife Carolyn approached me about a friend’s wedding. They wanted something unique to them, and my interest was piqued. I was hesitant, knowing that if I officiated, I was going to take it seriously and as a professional since it is a big moment in someone’s life. I started researching, talked to pastors, wedding professionals, took classes and became certified online. With Carolyn's support, I took the leap and before I knew it, I was officiating 60-80 weddings a year. Carolyn came along at first as a support system for me. That quickly turned into her being a support system for wedding couples and their family and friends. From the beginning she was a valuable asset to couples and the overall ceremony experience.
Our backgrounds seemed destined for the wedding industry. Besides, my experience in communications / theater/ marketing and public speaking–Carolyn has an extensive background in event planning / promotions / coordination and years of experience working in the wedding industry. She knows the ins and outs of venues, timelines, catering, and handles a wedding day calmly and professionally with a smile.
15 years later and we still love providing a unique, professional and caring service. It has been an incredible journey, providing couples with a uniquely crafted, meaningful experience. I have officiated nearly a 1,000 wedding and Carolyn has been with me for most of them. It has been our passion to provide a service we couldn’t easily find 23 years ago.
Over the next few years, we talked about it from time to time after all it was natural for me with a BA in communications and minor in Theater along with years of experience in Radio and public speaking. One fateful day, my lovely wife Carolyn approached me about a friend’s wedding. They wanted something unique to them, and my interest was piqued. I was hesitant, knowing that if I officiated, I was going to take it seriously and as a professional since it is a big moment in someone’s life. I started researching, talked to pastors, wedding professionals, took classes and became certified online. With Carolyn's support, I took the leap and before I knew it, I was officiating 60-80 weddings a year. Carolyn came along at first as a support system for me. That quickly turned into her being a support system for wedding couples and their family and friends. From the beginning she was a valuable asset to couples and the overall ceremony experience.
Our backgrounds seemed destined for the wedding industry. Besides, my experience in communications / theater/ marketing and public speaking–Carolyn has an extensive background in event planning / promotions / coordination and years of experience working in the wedding industry. She knows the ins and outs of venues, timelines, catering, and handles a wedding day calmly and professionally with a smile.
15 years later and we still love providing a unique, professional and caring service. It has been an incredible journey, providing couples with a uniquely crafted, meaningful experience. I have officiated nearly a 1,000 wedding and Carolyn has been with me for most of them. It has been our passion to provide a service we couldn’t easily find 23 years ago.