I was the groom in charge of all the planning, which was already a problem since I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing. My future wife was from another country, Catholic and spoke better Spanish than English, while I am non-religious and speak english with just enough Spanish to order a beer and order food. We changed our plans from simply a courthouse, in front of the Justice of the Peace type marriage, to Chapel Dulcinea. With very short notice to the people I was contacting, i began searching the internet looking for an officiant. Chapel Dulcinea also provided a list of officiants, all of whom I assume are very good and capable, but it would be very difficult to imagine anyone as relaxed, or friendlier or easier to work with than Spike Gillespie. Spike's name had come up in my internet search, before I had the Chapel Dulcinea list, so I thought that was a good sign and contacted her via email. Spike responded very quickly to my email and instantly had ideas for our religion/non-religion, english/spanish mixed ceremony. Spike emailed a variety of ceremonies to us, one of which we personalized to fit our lives and it turned out just perfect. Spike's husband even got involved in helping read some of the ceremony in spanish.

In the end all went as planned and was better than I had imagined. If things went bad I had a backup plan, of tranquilizing the attendants and myself with mimosas, but it never came to that...well, until after the wedding. Spike's friendliness, smile and relaxed attitude was infectious and I was able to enjoy the day without alot of stress and so was my bride and friends and family.

Spike was very prompt on mailing the wedding license and I had it back from the county, all filled out within one week. I was impressed from the first email to receiving the certificate in the mail, I recommend her to anyone whether the wedding is simple like ours, or large and complex.

Oh yeh...I forgot to bring the license with me to the ceremony....although I remembered the champagne, did I mention I was the groom? Anyway, Spike was very accommodating in meeting me at one of the local coffeshops in town to hand off the license, again, just another reason I think I got very lucky in finding her.

Best of luck!

Hi there Bride,

Just wanted to share with you that, we love, love, LOVE having Spike officiate our romantic wedding in the magnificent Chapel Dulcinea. What exactly did I love about Spike? Hmm......

Well, I sent several emails to prospective officiants, and Spike responded right away, with a personal email to me, just a like a friend would. As a bride, I appreciated Spike's genuine warmth and the very "human" way she interacted with me. As a bride, it was already way too overwhelming to choose who will be there at your wedding. You just want someone trustworthy, reliable, and definitely, relaxed. You know, in the most-Austin-kinda-way.

Spike also provided me with tips, since she's performed countless weddings at the Chapel. She also sent me several samples of classic wedding ceremonies, and let us decide if we want to write our own, or use her samples, or a little of both.

Spike also offered to take several pictures of us, since it was just my handsome groom and my something blue...our Blue Heeler dog, Emie. Our pictures turned out wonderful. Thanks Spike.

We didn't have to worry about Spike's reliability either. She was very upfront about her schedule and she was very accommodating with her time. We didn't give her too much notice on our time and date, (I think, just the 72 hrs waiting period), but that was never an issue. She made changes to her schedule and officiated our wedding in time.

All in all, we couldn't have chosen a more perfect officiant than Spike.

So, Brides, take a deep breath, relax, and contact Spike first. Oh yeah, when you talk to her, tell her Emie says hi....

Vince and Minette Rorick
Chapel Dulcinea 11.17.11 at 1 pm

Spike was wonderful to work with for our ceremony. We were an out of town couple and didn't have a chance to meet her prior to the wedding day, but she was quick and detailed in her email messages, and always responded promptly. She gave us tons of ideas of how to personalize our ceremony including readings and vows. On the day of the wedding she came extra early to go over details, and she did a great job considering we didn't even have a rehearsal. Her delivery of the ceremony was warm and inviting, and we had a lot of good feedback from our guests. I would highly recommend Spike!

We wanted a nontraditional wedding ceremony that was succinct and lighthearted yet meaningful, with just a hint of mysticism. Spike gave us everything we hoped for and more. From the moment she introduced herself at our first meeting we felt at ease and utterly confident leaving the planning and execution of the most important eleven minutes of our lives in her capable hands. We hoped for a memorable service that elicited both laughter and tears among the family and friends in attendance. Well, the tears flowed like cleansing waters and the laughter reverberated like spiritual music, touching all of our hearts. Spike’s eloquent recounting of our special love story made us feel like we were the most important couple in the universe. Any wedding officiant can join two people in matrimony, but Spike can make magic. We will be eternally grateful to her.

I cannot say enough what a fantastic job Spike Gillespie did for our wedding. Neither one of us are very religious, though we were joining Catholic and Jewish families together :) Spike was able to put together a beautiful ceremony without bringing any religion into it. She made it so personal to us and our guests couldn't stop saying how well she did. I would refer her to anyone needing a great officiant!

Spike instantly feels like part of your family or an old friend. She has a casual air about her, yet is a total professional who can put a nervous bride, groom, or family member at ease. But the best part is that she really knows how to officiate a ceremony. She takes the words (yours, hers, or quoted works) and makes them sound like they are meant for that moment in time. Spike is the perfect choice if you are looking for something unique, intimate, and totally memorable. We'd recommend her to anyone!!

Are you kidding me? Spike was unbelievably fantastic.

We contacted her on VERY short notice, and she still rocked it! She took the time to meet with us (via Skype, as we live clear on the other side of the country), coordinate with our friend who wanted to give a reading, and craft the most beautiful and absolutely perfect ceremony for us. It was EXACTLY what we wanted, and so many guests came up afterward to specifically compliment the ceremony.

She put us at ease at once, and she was just fantastic when it came to communication. Even when she was traveling! She sent us samples to help guide us and gave great suggestions!

What else can I say? I truly cannot recommend her highly enough, and I am so thankful she was recommended to us.

We loved working with Spike and we're so glad we picked her as our officiant. We wanted a ceremony that really reflected us as a couple, and that's what Spike is all about! She gave us plenty of guidance, suggestions, and example ceremonies but was also completely open and welcoming to whatever new material we wanted to include.

Spike was always quick in her responses to emails and questions and was friendly and professional at all times. Spike is the perfect combination of relaxed but professional- we always knew she was on top of things and organized and she always kept a calm, relaxed attitude which definitely has a positive effect on others! Her delivery of the ceremony was also spot-on-- the perfect balance of seriousness that reflected the magnitude of the event, and also light-heartedness and joyfulness to match the happy day.

Spike helped us to create the perfect wedding ceremony for us and we couldn't be happier. We'd definitely recommend her to others!

Not one bad thing to say about Spike! She was by far one of the best decisions we made. With most of our vendors I scheduled to meet about three but after meeting with Spike we immediately canceled our other appointmnets -we just knew it had to be her. And she followed through on everything beautifully, helping to create a perfect ceremony for us. I couldnt have found someone more perfect. She is responsible, responsive, and upbeat -and conveniently, she has a way with words! :) If I was rating out of 100 she would get 100%. Seriously, not one complaint.

Spike- WOW! We were so impressed from the very beginning when you sat down with Kathy and I to talk. Then you sent the "first draft" of your thoughts and it was 99.9% spot-on. We are both truly thankful and glad you chose to work with us. The wedding was a smashing success and your officiant services were beyond words. We thank you so much and will gladly recommend you to anyone who asks- you have our number! Best wishes and thanks again!

Spike Gillespie Rocks! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect officiant for our commitment ceremony. If you're having a ceremony in Austin, TX and are looking for someone who represents what Austin is all about, Spike is definitely the person for you. She is professional and fun, laid back and cool, helpful and supportive. What more could you ask for? Spike surpassed our expectations; and it was a true honor to have her as part of our special life event.

I am a bit late in doing my feedback about this amazing lady....so here you go world....Spike is amazing, qwerky, adorable, sincere, and amazing (yes I said that twice on purpose). I would recommend her for anyone who wants a truly special wedding, ceremony, vow renewals, or whatever suits your fancy. You will quickly grow to love her, as we have! Thank Spike! Hope to see you soon, Ciao.

Spike was an absolute pleasure to work with. From the first day my wife and I met her, she set our minds at ease with her professionalism, enthusiasm and attention to detail. Looking back on it, we both agree that we could not have picked a better officiant for our wedding. Spike will do your ceremony the way you want it, and will make very helpful suggestions along the way. We especially enjoyed the great story she wrote about how the wife and I first met, it was both funny and touching. Perfect 5's all around!

Spike is just the perfect officiant to hire for a wedding ceremony.
She helped us put together a French/English ceremony, gave us some advice on how to integrate some religious passages even though the whole ceremony was secular.
All the guests complimented us on the ceremony and the texts chosen.
She is very responsive and experienced (she even had tissue handy to give us when my husband and I started crying after the very moving speech of my mom).
Thank you for your great help and service!

Spike was the officiant at our wedding on 9/4/2011. We had communicated what we wanted for months before that and she was able to give us loads of examples of previous weddings she had done before. As a cohesive group we came up with the best plan for our big day. Spike was a joy and truly so helpful with the whole process. I hope to use her again when we decide to renew our vows in 30 years! ;)

I cant thank Spike enough for everything she did for my husband and I while preparing for our wedding. We were both so nervous and emotional about the up-coming wedding and Spike helped to minimize our nerves. She was very involved in helping us to decide on the ceremony and without that help, we would have had no idea where to start. Spike, thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for everything! The wedding was perfect in every way and that all started with you! :)

Thank you,
Mr.and Mrs. Rivers