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My Generation Weddings

English
German
Ceremony Rehearsal
Interfaith

Why couples loved this vendor

  • Seasoned Professional
  • Officiant
  • Great Planner
Perry
Madison
Katherine
William
R

Recommended by 100% of couples

About this vendor

About My Generation Weddings

Dusty Hoesly - My Generation Weddings offers non-denominational, mixed-faith, spiritual, and secular ceremonies in traditional or modern styles. Whether you’re looking to get married, renew your vows, consecrate a domestic partnership, or simply share your commitment with the world, I would like to help celebrate your special day. I have officiated 200+ weddings since 2012.

My Generation Weddings serves couples in and around Chicago, Illinois, as well as in Chicagoland suburbs and vicinity. I moved to Chicago from Santa Barbara in 2024. In crafting wedding ceremonies, I honor the unique connections between every couple. My primary focus is understanding you and your partner, so I can develop the beautiful ceremony you envision.

Experience
In 2008, two friends asked me to officiate their wedding. Afterward, several more friends and family members asked me to marry them, too, and my passion for officiating weddings was born. The praise and encouragement I received inspired me to start Dusty Hoesly - My Generation Weddings in 2012. I have a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and am licensed through the Universal Life Church. My expertise in contemporary weddings and personalized ceremonies has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, and NPR.

Services Offered
Dusty Hoesly - My Generation Weddings offers two kinds of ceremonies: a simple, romantic ceremony or a more personalized ceremony. For either kind of ceremony, I will work with you in person, by email, or by phone to craft the perfect wedding for you. I share drafts with you to get your feedback and tailor ceremonies to your desires; you will see the final draft before your wedding day. I also perform rehearsals and can help coordinate your ceremony. I speak some German as well.

The simple, romantic ceremony is centered on love and commitment. It includes the standard elements of a classic wedding and offers a variety of vows, readings, and phrasings. Couples can choose to write their own vows, add readings, include rituals, or otherwise shape the ceremony as they like. I have nonreligious, nondenominational, interfaith, and Christian templates I can use to begin creating your unique ceremony.

The highly personalized ceremony includes a couple’s “love story” of how you met, fell in love, and decided to marry. This is based on discussions with the couple and an emailed questionnaire. A more customized ceremony may also include expanded interfaith or multicultural traditions, rituals (such as handfasting or a sand ceremony), bilingual passages, or additional elements. Please contact me to learn more.

I perform weddings in all locations, indoors and outdoors. For weddings outside the City of Chicago, I charge a travel fee (total travel fee depends on time and distance).

Payments accepted via Venmo, Zelle, or cash.

From conducting a consultation in person, over the phone, or through email to participating in the rehearsal for your ceremony to celebrating your wedding, I will be with you through every step to ensure your wedding is perfect. If it’s a wedding or a vow renewal, or any ceremony that celebrates your unique love and commitment, I am glad to help honor your special day.

Dusty Hoesly - My Generation Weddings can officiate ceremonies that are:
Non-denominational
Spiritual
Secular
Non-religious
Interfaith
Agnostic
Catholic
Jewish
Quaker
Episcopalian
Evangelical
Methodist
Baptist
Unitarian
Earth-based
Pagan

My Generation Weddings is a wedding officiant service based in Chicago, Illinois.

Features

Just me

Experience

  • 14 years in business

  • We speak English

Links

Visit website

FAQ

Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?

No

What is the starting price for ceremony rehearsals?

$150

What is the starting price for pre-marital counseling (per session)?

$300

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

Non-religious
Interfaith
Ceremony Rehearsal
Vow Renewal
Civil Union

What services do you provide?

Premarital Counseling
Bilingual

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Agnostic
Anglican
Baptist
Catholic
Earth-Based
Episcopalian
Evangelical
Jewish
Methodist
No Denomination
Pagan
Quaker
Unitarian

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

Less than 30 mins.

In which states are you licensed?

CA
IL
LA
MS
OR
WA

What languages do you speak?

English
German

Still have questions?

Reach out about anything you didn't see answered here—no question is too small!

Wedding couple

Reviews of My Generation Weddings

This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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Dusty is a professional, warm officiant who creates highly personalized, meaningful ceremonies. Reviewers praise his clear communication, helpful guidance, and thorough rehearsal prep. His calming, attentive presence kept the day running smoothly and many said he exceeded expectations and made their wedding memorable.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Dusty is a professional, warm officiant who creates highly personalized, meaningful ceremonies. Reviewers praise his clear communication, helpful guidance, and thorough rehearsal prep. His calming, attentive presence kept the day running smoothly and many said he exceeded expectations and made their wedding memorable.

R
Rob A. Sent on 07/15/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Dusty, our fantastic officiant!

Dusty was a calming, professional presence from our very first call with him to our big day. He was always attentive to our needs and was very helpful throughout the planning process: providing us with easy instructions, fantastic suggestions, and a deep knowledge and experience of other wedding ceremonies. He was extremely thorough during our rehearsal, and really worked with our family and our coordinator to ensure we felt ready. Finally, the ceremony itself went off without a hitch in large part due to his smooth officiating, and will treasure those moments forever.

We couldn't be happier with Dusty, and cant thank him enough for being part of our special day!!!
Perry
Perry Sent on 03/28/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Superb! Guided a deeply meaningful story in a 'uniquely us' ceremony.

Dusty shows up with enthusiasm for you. He provided us with an easy and thorough questionnaire to start the process. We were able to customize parts of the ceremony we wanted done differently, and when we weren't sure, Dusty gave suggestions that were supportive and wonderful additions. He went above and beyond, crafting a ceremony that told our love story and incorporated humor and depth to set the perfect tone.
D
Darryl Sent on 07/02/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The Perfect Officiant!!

Dusty exceeded my wildest expectations! He was super flexible, accommodating, and professional. I would recommend Dusty to anyone looking for the perfect Officiant!
Madison
Madison Sent on 06/25/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Highly Recommend

Dusty made our day so special! His thoughtfulness around creating a ceremony that was personalized to us really meant a lot to us and our families. Both our families mentioned how wonderful our officiant was, and we couldn't agree more. Very friendly, warm, and calm. Highly recommend Dusty's services!
M
Michael Sent on 05/27/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The Perfect Officiant!!!

We are incredibly grateful to Dusty at My Generation Weddings for helping us set the stage for our special day!!! His preparation process was fun and engaging, and his guidance, support, and advice led us to experience our ideal wedding ceremony. Dusty is 100% authentic and brings his full self into his role as officiant. Among our guests were several clergy members of various religious traditions, and each one praised the manner in which he led the celebration of our vows. Dusty was completely comfortable helping us tailor our own ceremony to a unique spiritual, yet non-denominational modern aesthetic. We cannot thank Dusty enough for officiating the wedding of our dreams!!!
Katherine
Katherine Sent on 05/25/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Fantastic Experience with Dusty as Our Officiant

We had the pleasure of having Dusty as our officiant for our Santa Barbara Courthouse wedding, and we couldn't be happier with our choice. From the very beginning, Dusty was incredibly helpful, guiding us through every step of the process with ease and professionalism. He made our special day truly unforgettable with his warm and personable approach. We highly recommend hiring Dusty as your officiant—he will undoubtedly make your day as wonderful as ours!
William
William Sent on 05/18/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The perfect man for the moment.

When we decided to have Dusty as the officiant for our wedding, we knew immediately it was the right choice. His focus on the lead up to the wedding was always on making our day perfect. From the flow of the ceremony, helping us with our vows, and guiding us through the different parts of how our ceremony would go. He was determined to make sure our day was the most magical moment it could be.

The day of the wedding, was where he really shined. There were so many personal....memorable moments in our wedding where we were emotional, and he was a helpful, compassionate, and anchoring presence. We can truly say, there was not a better choice for an officiant at our wedding than Dusty. If you want someone who is going to help tell YOUR story, and create a magical day for you.... This is who you go to. We could not have been happier with Dusty.
K
Kevin Sent on 11/26/2023
5 out of 5 rating

A perfect wedding officiated by Dusty

Dusty helped make our wedding more meaningful and memorable for the two of us and our respective families. We opted for a more religious service, which ended up being the perfect mix of traditional and modern. Throughout the planning process, he was committed to crafting and delivering the best service for our wedding day.

Dusty thought of all the details we did not consider ahead of time, such as who was going to hold the rings, the bouquet, and the order of procession down the aisle. He had very good suggestions while at the same time accommodating our preferences.

He was very professional and timely in communications with us and our wedding planner. We highly recommend Dusty!
E
Erin Sent on 10/15/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Great experience with MGW

We were referred to My Generation Weddings through our wedding planner and was thrilled with Dusty and the ceremony he lead for us. His process and our conversations towards creating a personalized and romantic ceremony felt smooth, kind, and thorough. We were on a short timeline and he pulled through strong for us. Thank you Dusty!! Erin & Phillip
M
Max M. Sent on 08/26/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Choose Dusty!

Working with Dusty was a pleasure. Throughout our time working together, he was always on time to calls, very clear in his communication, and friendly. We particularly enjoyed working with Dusty because he got to know us as a couple, and in doing so was able to write a ceremony that perfectly reflected our story, experiences, and shared values as a couple. Additionally, Dusty has great poise during our ceremony. He spoke clearly and had an amicable tone. He created such a familial atmosphere that many of our guests asked us how long we'd known him, assuming he had been a friend of ours for years. Overall, we highly recommend Dusty. You will have a ceremony perfectly catered to your unique relationship, and Dusty will execute it flawlessly.
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Awards

137
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2021 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
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Team

Dusty Hoesly
Dusty Hoesly
Officiant/Minister

Professional Network & Endorsements

Weddings by the Sea Weddings by the Sea Wedding Planners

Dusty has worked for many times as an Officiant/Minister. He is wonderful. He contacts my couples well ahead of their wedding date and writes a personalized Ceremony for them. I have only fantastic things to say about Dusty. He is genuine, honest, and so very nice to work with. He has never been late, always dresses appropriately and I would give him 10 stars out of 10! He is caring and interested with all my couples. I would not hesitate to hire Dusty Hoesly ever! kim colombini weddings by the sea - santa barbara

Weddings by the Sea
4.8 out of 5 rating , 235 reviews
· Wedding Planners

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Location
Travel range
This vendor will travel up to within 100 miles

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