Jonathan Brooker
Have you ever noticed how the wedding scene in a movie often features a pretty strong stereotype for what the minister typically looks like? Well, I’ve come to discover something significant with the couples who’ve invited me to officiate their weddings: They would happily do away with a stuffy old stereotype in exchange for someone who they can actually relate with and who genuinely cares about them.
They realize the wedding officiant is a crucial role to the planning of their ceremony. But they also realize they’re looking for someone who cares about the actual marriage that’s being started, and someone who can help set it on a healthy and strong course ahead.
They’re looking for someone reliable, experienced, genuine, caring, engaging, and who will do more than just execute a simple ceremony with their names inserted in the blanks. They want a real person who gets what they really want and has taken time to know who they really are.
The truth is, there’s a lot that I enjoy about the life of being a pastor and the fact that I get to pastor the amazing people of Alive Church here in Fredericksburg, VA. But officiating weddings for couples both inside and outside of that congregation is one of the true joys of my life!
With passions for things like woodworking, hiking, fine coffee, and good books, and then add to that the fact that I wear dark-rimmed glasses, it was practically bound to happen that a good friend would dub me “The Hipster Minister.” And so it stuck.
When I got married a few years ago to my amazing wife I got to experience firsthand all of the “crazy” of wedding planning. I now personally understood why so many brides and grooms feel overwhelmed with all the boxes they have to check off!
I became all the more eager to offer a significant help to couples who were feeling the pressure of choosing color schemes, entree options, and which distant relatives to invite: The relief of knowing their ceremony would be a beautiful beginning to a strong marriage.
If you’re ready to take the next step in conquering your wedding to-do list and setting your marriage up for success, let’s talk!