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Weddings

About

How did I get from corporate America to wedding ceremonies?

I believe that life should be about doing what you enjoy, and not just making money. After leaving the international business life behind in 2004, I "retired" to North Georgia to assist my wife Cyndi with her fledgling wedding venue Cavender Castle.

Over the next couple of years I observed other ministers and officiants as they conducted weddings. With a background in sales and public speaking, I was amazed at how boring most of the ceremonies were. And, worse than that, most officiants did nothing to personalize their ceremony for the couple they were marrying. I knew I could do better.

So I did my homework and became an ordained a non-denominational minister.

Through that process I learned not only how to make a marriage legal, but how to make the ceremony touching, memorable, and meaningful for the couple and all theirmguests. Most importantly I learned how to celebrate the relationship being honored at a wedding.

I started by doing a few small ceremonies at our Cavender Castle venue. But it became crystal clear… I had finally found my passion!.

One of the skills that I am most proud of is learning how to incorporate children into my weddings in a way that makes them feel both included, and important, to both the wedding and the new family being created.

Today with almost a thousand ceremonies under my belt, I have become perhaps the busiest wedding officiants in the country. In addition to doing ceremonies at wedding venues everywhere I also conduct weddings at waterfalls, lakes, rivers, beaches, and cabins throughout the USA.

To make the planning process easy for you I have designed a special Online Ceremony Builder that provides every couple with complete control over the style, content, and wording of their ceremony. My clients love how they can add their own personal touch into their wedding and avoid any surprises on their wedding day!

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Frequently asked questions

Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?

No

What is the starting price for ceremony rehearsals?

$98

What types of weddings and events do you provide services for?

Non-religious
Interfaith
Ceremony Rehearsal
Vow Renewal
Civil Union

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Agnostic
Baptist
Catholic
Earth-Based
Episcopalian
Evangelical
Jewish
Lutheran
Methodist
No Denomination
Pagan
Presbyterian
Unitarian

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

Less than 30 mins.

What languages do you speak?

English

Reviews of Ceremonies By Rick

Suzanne
Suzanne Sent on 09/07/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect in every way!

Rev. Rick was one of the best choices we made for our Wedding. Our pastor couldn't perform our nuptials and so we needed a backup and Rev Rick was there for us. ALL THE WAY! He got to know us via a simple phone call. We got married in the extreme heat of August and no air conditioning!! and he was a professional through and through. He was exactly what we had hoped for, professional, punctual, thoughtful and likable. We felt like instant friends with him. He was able to slightly change up some of the ceremony verbiage to accommodate our wishes. Everyone was blown away by his offered, "Native blessing" and agreed it fit with the location of our venue as I heard that several times throughout the day. If you need someone reliable and willing to work with you, Rev. Rick Durham, is your guy.
Abby
Abby Sent on 07/20/2022
5 out of 5 rating

A truly perfect ceremony.

He spoke as if he knew us. He said and did everything that we asked him to. We were nervous hiring someone we didn't know. Never have I seen an officiant receive such high remarks. My family was blown away by his ability to lead the ceremony, his quick wit, and his loving tone in which he navigated each part of the ceremony. We could not have chosen anyone better. My family is christian, and we were embarrassed we didn't have someone we knew closely that was willing to do it, and Rev. Rick was a prayer answered for us. Genuinely would recommend him to anyone.
M
Melissa Sent on 07/06/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Rev. Rick went above and beyond anything we could have asked of him

Rev. Rick was willing to accommodate us and made our day much more special than we ever thought it could ever be. He was respectful, non-judgmental because of the age difference my husband and I have, and he was very professional. He signed everything correctly the first time and he just made everything perfect for us. We highly recommend Rev. Rick for you.
Latoya
Latoya Sent on 02/14/2021
5 out of 5 rating

He did a wonderful job with makin my day what I wanted despite being in an pandemic!!!

We had a Wonderful experience and Rev.Rick made sure our day was Beautiful.
L
L.k. Sent on 11/24/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Last minute wedding

After our original wedding plans were postponed due to COVID, decided to do what was important, and get married! Rev. Rick was easy to coordinate with last minute. I really appreciated the Vow Builder tool he provides which takes out a lot of the guess work in preparing for the ceremony. He was reliable and made everything go smoothly on his end, the day of. He will take any COVID precautions requested such as wearing a mask which I asked of my small number of guests. I would definitely recommend Rev. Rick.
Cydney
Cydney Sent on 11/16/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Thank you Rev. Rick!

We had a great experience with Reverend Rick. He let us customize our ceremony exactly how we wanted it to be and recited the ceremony perfectly. He was funny, professional and a pleasure to work with. Highly recommend!
K
Kara Sent on 11/08/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Rev. Rick Durham officiant extraordinaire

Rev. Rick brings years of experience and a kind smile that will make you feel like you have known him your whole life. We were nervous to choose an officiant as we did not know the area and wanted someone that really understood what we wanted in a ceremony. After reading a lot of reviews and his website we reached out to discuss further. Rick set up a call with us and after talking just a few moments, we decided he was a natural fit for us. He took the time to meet with us a few times and get to know us personally which made us feel even better about our decision.

His ceremony builder took the anxiety out of the readings and speeches that would be used. We were able to personalize our ceremony so it reflected who we are without being overly religious. Rick even helped us build a wine mixing ceremony in place of a unity candle to reflect the Vineyard venue we were getting married at.

Rev. Rick was flawless during our ceremony and gave us the confidence to write our own vows. He brought his own PA equipment so we did not have to worry about logistics. The ceremony was beautiful and we could not have asked for a better partner to complete our ceremony. I will recommend Rev. Rick Durham to anyone looking to have a personal experience with an incredible individual.
A
Alyssa Sent on 11/05/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Absolutely amazing and so thankful!

Rick was so amazing! Our officiant backed out a week before our wedding, and we were super panicked. We called Rick and he was ready to help! He even came on his day off. He took such a stress off of us. His ceremony builder was amazing, it was so heartfelt and made our ceremony that much better. He is so kind and sincere. We would recommend him to anyone. We are so thankful!
D
Danielle Sent on 11/03/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful Experience

Rev. Rick was great to work with! He was very responsive from the start and we loved his custom website that allowed us to select from multiple options on how our ceremony would go. He made us feel very comfortable during the ceremony and really helped make it special for us. It felt like we had known him for a long time even though we met for the first time right before our ceremony. Can’t thank him enough!
Jackie
Jackie Sent on 10/27/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Recommending Rev Rick

Rev Rick was great to work with. He has a wide range of options to let you tailor the ceremony to how you want it and makes it so easy for picking what you want him to say. He was so responsive and flexible when we had to reschedule our ceremony twice. He also has a lot of recommendations if you are in search of other certain vendors.
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Professional Network & Endorsements

3 Endorsements
North Grove Hall North Grove Hall Banquet Halls

Rick really cares about the couples wants and desires and is a full time wedding officiate.

Waterfall Wedding Experts Waterfall Wedding Experts Wedding Planners

Rev Rick is our "Go-To" officiant for our weddings all over North Georgia! Brides love his Online Ceremony Builder!

Cavender Castle Cavender Castle Mansion Weddings

The best officiant in North Georgia! His On-Line Ceremony Builder gives our brides complete control of the style and wording of their ceremony. No surprises with Rev. Rick!

Preferred Vendors
Cavender Castle
4.9 out of 5 rating , 119 reviews
· Mansion Weddings
Waterfall Wedding Experts
4.9 out of 5 rating , 81 reviews
· Wedding Planners
Small Wedding Experts
5.0 out of 5 rating , 105 reviews
· Wedding Officiants

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