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Weddings

About

Specializing in non-judgmental Catholic ceremonies, Contemporary Catholics offers their wedding officiant services in Vernon Hills IL. . A Catholic priest with 46 years of experience, Father Jim supports those who marry outside the Catholic faith, have a previous marriage, or a mixed-religion tradition. Wanting to only spread God’s unconditional love, he creates a warm, compassionate environment for couples to celebrate their new life.

Services Offered

Father Jim is experienced in officiating interfaith and single-religion ceremonies. Typically, he wants to meet face-to-face with a couple before the wedding, to understand their story and ensure he can provide the best ceremony possible. He also uses FaceTime and Skype when distance makes this impractical. He welcomes personalization in ceremonies, offering suggestions for vows, readings, or more traditional options, if needed. Understanding the couple may have different faiths, he can also co-officiate with other religious leaders. Specifically, Contemporary Catholics can lead ceremonies for couples of the following religions:

  • Anglican
  • Catholic
  • Episcopalian
  • Lutheran
  • No denomination

By visiting ContemporaryCatholics.org couples will find ansewers to many questions, sample ceremonies and a link to the Marriage Petition form which provides Father Jim with the basic information about your wedding prior to setting up a meeting with you.

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Frequently asked questions

Which of the following are included in the price of your wedding officiant services?

Premarital Counseling

Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?

No

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

Interfaith
Vow Renewal

What services do you provide?

Bilingual

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Anglican
Catholic
Episcopalian
Lutheran
No Denomination

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

30-60 mins.

In which states are you licensed?

CA
CT
DE
DC
FL
GA
IL
IN
IA
MD
MI
MO
NJ
NY
NC
OH
PA
RI
SC
TX
VA
WV
WI

What languages do you speak?

English

Reviews of Contemporary Catholics

Yasmin
Yasmin Sent on 07/18/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Definitely my favorite part of my wedding

We wanted a ceremony that was outside, included the Mexican traditions and bilingual. Father James made it all possible. He’s very responsive from the beginning, and had a timeline of everything weeks before the wedding. He was able to do some readings in spanish and explained all of the traditions to my husbands family. Everyone at the wedding loved him and said the ceremony was the best part. He made my husband and I feel comfortable and made it such a special day!
Brianne
Brie Sent on 01/28/2020
5 out of 5 rating

You CAN get married outside and be Catholic

Without sounding like a cliché, Father Jim was a Godsend to us! My (now) husband and I, are both of Christian faith; however during the planning process it became clear that a ceremony blessed by the Catholic Church would be critical to our family. From the first time we video chatted, we knew that Father Jim would alleviate so many fears, anxieties, and unknowns, of our special day. Like so many couples, there were so many details that we just ‘didn’t know’ and were overwhelmed to make decisions about. What we DID know (and were confident in) was having an outdoor ceremony, where we could feel close to nature, God, our families/friends, and most importantly each other. Father Jim had our back through the entire process. He showed compassion and understanding that our wishes did not line up with traditional Catholic expectations. He also reminded us of why we were getting married in the first place! We had love in our hearts for each other, a deep respect and love for our Lord, and a desire to live our marriage according to his teachings. One of the kindest ways he let us show our individuality in our ceremony, was by incorporating my Celtic heritage in a hand fasting ceremony and Irish blessing. It meant the world to our mothers and grandmother to be involved. Our family and friends are still commenting on how “us” the ceremony was, and how funny our officiant was!! We cannot thank you enough for being so flexible and working with our crazy wedding schedule to not only put our parents at ease, but to make our day as stress free as possible! Thank you for your blessings and for accepting us with open arms. Brianne & Mike
Jessica
Jessica Sent on 06/09/2014
5 out of 5 rating
I can honestly say Father Jim made our wedding ceremony one to remember. He was funny, loving, and kept the ceremony very traditional while letting us be married outside of the church. My husband and I met with Father Jim a few months before the wedding and we knew he was going to do a lovely job and felt very confident in our choice. He was pleasant and very quick to answer all questions and concerns. I come from a traditional family who was very upset that I was getting married at an outdoor venue but after hearing Father Jim's ceremony, my very critical family was beyond pleased and everyone was raving! Father Jim made us feel special and very blessed. We are so grateful to have found him. I would recommend Father Jim and Contemporary Catholics one hundred times over!
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Awards

69
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2013 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2011 Winner

Professional Network & Endorsements

1 Endorsement
Keswick Vineyards Keswick Vineyards Winery Weddings

"Father Jim" is a must for anyone wanting to have a Catholic ceremony outside of a church. Here at Keswick Vineyards, Father Jim is the perfect choice for our outdoor wedding venue. Our couples just adore Father Jim and so do we! Highly recommend.

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