Freethinker Ceremonies 4.6 out of 5.0 4.7/5.0
Dogma-free ceremonies for all of life's milestones.
Allegan, MI 49010
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269-512-2981
  Profile   Reviews (16)   Website   Blog    
Overall Rating
Quality of Service:
   4.5 out of 5.0 (4.6/5.0)
Responsiveness:
   4.6 out of 5.0 (4.7/5.0)
Professionalism:
   4.7 out of 5.0 (4.8/5.0)
Value For Cost:
   4.4 out of 5.0 (4.5/5.0)
Flexibility:
   4.8 out of 5.0 (4.8/5.0)

Endorsements
"Chuck is one of the most laid back professionals I've had the pleasure of meeting and working with through various wedding organizations. His willingness to listen, to absorb and to understand what your needs are and his way of coming up with creative solutions has left us all in awe of his skill. He's a wonderful Officiant and I'm proud to give Chuck a rave review! If you're looking for a dogma free wedding in which spirituality is top priority without stress, you've found it with Chuck! "
"As an officiant working with ~~My Heart Is Yours Ministry~~, Freethinker Ceremonies has the unlimited resources to provide you with the ceremony of your dreams! "
"Chuck is a member of My Heart is Yours Ministry and the American Association of Wedding Officiants where we have been colleagues for some time. Chucks input and communication is these associations always stands out to me a someone I would like to know better. Chuck offers to create ceremonies that are meaningful and memorable regardless of you beliefs. I endorse Chuck for Freethinker Ceremonies!!!"
"I have gotten to know Freethinker Ceremonies through My Heart is Yours Ministry, and if I was looking to book an officiant in Michigan, I would use Freethinker Ceremonies. "
"Freethinker Ceremonies, and especially Chuck, have been valued members of both my personal and professional networks. Always positive, helpful and professional, they have my admiration and my heartfelt endorsement."

 
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foodbebe
Wedding: 09/04/2009
Reviews: 5
4.4
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Flexibility:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

We loved Chuck's philosophy and attitude towards freedom of expression. I'm so glad we found him. He is very professional and knowledgeable. I feel that the cost for officiants is a little high, but they do conduct the most important part of your wedding day. I wish that I had gotten to know Chuck a little before the ceremony. It was a little weird to have a complete stranger perform the ceremony (We did not have a rehearsal). I think just one phone conversation would have helped to ease this feeling.

Reviewed On:
10/30/2009

Services Used:
Officiant

Rebecca2130
Wedding: 08/29/2009
Reviews: 5
5.0
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Flexibility:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

Chuck Martin made my ceremony! He did an amazing job writing a custom ceremony that completely fit mine and my husband?s personalities. He was professional and easy to work with. He was there for us with anything that we needed and did an exceptional job.

Reviewed On:
09/17/2009

Services Used:
Officiant

moonlitsomernite
Wedding: 06/06/2009
Reviews: 5
4.8
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 4.5 out of 5.0(4.5/5.0)
Responsiveness:4.5 out of 5.0(4.5/5.0)
Professionalism:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Flexibility:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

Chuck did a good job and was extremely flexible with how we wanted the ceremony arranged. He stuttered in the beginning of the ceremony with a few of the lines, but afterward it all fell into place and I don't think anyone else noticed. He did a good job directing the guys on what they needed to do during the rehearsal and ceremony. He also helped keep the ceremony going smoothly before it started (from what I've heard - I was stuck in the limo!). He does includes mileage from Allegan with the cost. Our wedding was in East Lansing, which brought up the cost, but the price was still reasonable. Included in the cost was the rehearsal as well, which was nice.

Reviewed On:
06/19/2009

Services Used:
Officiant

Mike
Wedding: 05/01/2009
Reviews: 1
3.8
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:3.5 out of 5.0(3.5/5.0)
Professionalism:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:3.5 out of 5.0(3.5/5.0)
Flexibility:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)

Chuck was very personable and help with many valuable benchmarks when we were searching for vows.

Reviewed On:
06/15/2009

Services Used:
Officiant

woz
Wedding: 12/27/2008
Reviews: 1
5.0
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Flexibility:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

We were so fortunate to have found Freethinker Ceremonies for our wedding officiant. Chuck helped us put together a wedding that truly reflected us, and it did not go unnoticed. All of our friends and family commented on what a beautiful, sincere, and loving ceremony we had. It was a pleasure to have worked with Chuck and Freethinker Ceremonies. We recommend them to any of our friends and family with absolutely no hesitation. Thank you, Chuck!

Reviewed On:
04/12/2009

Services Used:
Officiant

Kelly
Wedding: 09/06/2008
Reviews: 1
4.5
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 4.5 out of 5.0(4.5/5.0)
Responsiveness:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Professionalism:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Flexibility:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

Chuck was great. When my husband messed up the vows, Chuck improvised and make everyone laugh. He was very cooperative and enthusiastic with helping us personalizing our ceremony. We would definitely recommend him.

Reviewed On:
09/13/2008

Services Used:
Officiant

Kasey
Wedding: 08/29/2008
Reviews: 1
4.0
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Professionalism:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Flexibility:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)

He did a wonderful job. I just wish he would of caught and correct as I placed the ring on my husbands wrong hand.

Reviewed On:
09/15/2008

Services Used:
Officiant

smithers
Wedding: 08/23/2008
Reviews: 2
3.3
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 2.5 out of 5.0(2.5/5.0)
Responsiveness:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Professionalism:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:2.0 out of 5.0(2.0/5.0)
Flexibility:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)

You can tell Chuck is very new to officiating. We loved that he let us really create the ceremony based on some samples he gave us. However, Chuck didn't really act like he knew what he was doing at the rehearsal because he hadn't done too many. I had to get everybody moving and in their places. Also, on the wedding day everything was fine, but he forgot to tell everyone to sit down after I came down the aisle. I think that Chuck just needs more practice to be really good. I hate to mention this, but it was a huge deal for me changing my name... He also forgot to sign our marriage license so I had to mail a copy back to him and have him sign it to then mail back. I work full-time + some, am taking grad classes and travel a ton so this was extremely inconvenient to have it be 3 weeks after the wedding and just now getting our signed marriage license. Chuck is an extremely nice person and overall needs some work. I also thought he was a little pricey considering we figured out the whole ceremony, met him once, sent about six emails back and forth, did the rehearsal and spent about an hour on the wedding day. Although I know officiant's are expensive. For a casual wedding I would definitely recommend him, but for a more formal wedding I would go with someone with more experience. Please keep in mind that we knew he hadn't done many weddings when we selected him. I decided to take a chance because of the limited choices for a non-religious ceremony.

Freethinker Ceremonies responded with the following comments:

There are some valid complaints here.I did forget to sign the souvenir copy that is left with the couple, but the official documents that are filed with the county were signed when they were sent in. Those are the ones that are needed for any official uses. I also did forget to ask the guests to sit after the bride came down the aisle - I caught it a few minutes into the ceremony, but it broke the flow of the ceremony. I'm sorry about that.

As for cost - All I can say is that my fees aren't out of line for the services that I provide in this region

I provide all of my clients with sample ceremonies to look over and they can pick and choose from those samples to come up with a wedding ceremony of their choice, OR I can write something completely from scratch, or something between those two. It's their choice. If I had known that you wanted more of my help with the ceremony, I would have been happy to provide it.

The rehearsal - the coordinator at the wedding site seemed to have a plan that she was following - I let her go with it. Two people trying to run a rehearsal can be a disaster, and it was her venue.

My goal is always to exceed what the bride and groom want, and for the most part, I do that. I'm sorry that your experience didn't meet your expectations.

Reviewed On:
09/12/2008

Services Used:
Officiant

Traci
Wedding: 08/22/2008
Reviews: 1
5.0
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Flexibility:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

Chuck performed our wedding on 8/22/08. Every part of working with him was excellent. He was flexible in allowing us to choose the content of our ceremony, but also very helpful in suggesting what to include. Our ceremony ended up exactly as we wanted it to be – simple, but beautiful and meaningful. Our family members were all impressed, and commented on how thoughtful and unique the ceremony was. We would recommend Chuck to anyone looking for an officiant!
Traci and Jason

Reviewed On:
09/09/2008

Services Used:
Officiant

Sara
Wedding: 08/15/2008
Reviews: 1
5.0
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Flexibility:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

Chuck from freethinker ceremonies did a beautiful job. I love the way he did our ceremony. He has us face our guests as we made our declaration. This part of the ceremony really made the day for many of our guests. I can not count how many people told us that was amazing to be included in that way. Then there is the ceremony that Chuck wrote for our day. It was incredible. I will hold his words with me forever. He did such a great job of capturing who we are and what we hope to be in our ceremony.

Reviewed On:
08/26/2008

Services Used:
Officiant

PhotographybySasha
Wedding: 08/08/2008
Reviews: 5
5.0
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Flexibility:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

Chuck was AWESOME to work with! He sent us sample ceremonies to look over and then let us write our own ceremony. Everyone loved our wedding since it was so "us!" Even my stuffy uncle said "that's the way all weddings should be!"

I am actually a wedding photographer, so I see a million weddings every year. I wish that all officiants were as professional and easy to work with like Chuck! It would make my job much easier!

Brides, if your looking for someone to officate your wedding- look no further, Chuck is your guy!

S and T married 08.08.08

Reviewed On:
08/18/2008

Services Used:
Officiant

Harmony
Wedding: 07/19/2008
Reviews: 5
4.8
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:4.0 out of 5.0(4.0/5.0)
Flexibility:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

Chuck was a great officiant, very professional, and helps you make your ceremony the way you want it. Highly recommended.

Reviewed On:
09/10/2008

Services Used:
Officiant

Melissa
Wedding: 07/11/2008
Reviews: 2
5.0
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Flexibility:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

Chuck did an amazing job! The ceremony was perfect! We would recommend him to anyone!

Mike & Melissa

Reviewed On:
07/17/2008

Services Used:
Officiant

Candice
Wedding: 06/20/2008
Reviews: 1
5.0
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Flexibility:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

Thanks for doing such a great job! We appreciate your flexibility as we were on a time constraint! Thank you for being a part of our wedding!

Reviewed On:
07/16/2008

Services Used:
Officiant

ak.vandenbroek
Wedding: 06/14/2008
Reviews: 5
5.0
out of 5.0
Quality of Service: 5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)
Flexibility:5.0 out of 5.0(5.0/5.0)

Chuck was perfect!! Our ceremony perfectly reflected us and our values without forcing us into other people's beleifs like many of the other officiants we had looked at. Chuck met with us multiple times and e-mailed us frequently to make sure everything was exactly as we wanted it. After the ceremony, all of our friends and family commented on how original and perfect our ceremony. They said that they could definetly see our personalities throughout. His diction was also spectacular. We were able to hear every word he said perfectly on our digital camcorder. Thanks Chuck we will definetly reccommend you!!

Reviewed On:
06/26/2008

Services Used:
Officiant

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