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Attributes highlighted by couples

Marriage License & Certificate
Seasoned Professional
Officiant
Great Planner

About this vendor

Mark F Bidlake
Mark F Bidlake
Owner

4 years in business

We speak English and Spanish

Just me

Special Moments Services is a wedding officiant company located in Plainfield, Illinois. This company is focused on creating and delivering the best in professional officiant and ministerial services for weddings, elopements, renewal of vows, baptisms, funerals, and celebrations of life. Wedding officiant Mark Bidlake draws on a rich experience in public speaking and in wedding services and is looking forward to helping you make your day special.

Services Offered

Special Moments Services offers its services to couples planning interfaith and non-religious ceremonies, civil unions, and vow renewals. Mark will also happily attend and lead you in a ceremony rehearsal ahead of time, ensuring that everyone feels confident on the day of your event. Additionally, Mark offers pre-marital counseling services to couples who wish to strengthen the foundation of their relationship before walking down the aisle.

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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)?

$100

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
Buddhist
Catholic
Earth-Based
Episcopalian
Evangelical
Lutheran
Methodist
No Denomination
Orthodox Christian
Presbyterian
Quaker
Unitarian

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

Less than 30 mins.
30-60 mins.

In which states are you licensed?

CA
CO
FL
IL
IN
IA
MI
MO
OR
TX
WI

What languages do you speak?

English
Spanish

Still have questions?

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

Wedding couple

Reviews of Special Moments Services

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

Review summary

Powered by AI

Mark is highly praised by couples for his exceptional officiating services at weddings. From meticulously crafting heartfelt and personalized ceremonies that reflect each couple's unique love story to seamlessly incorporating multiple languages, such as Spanish and English, Mark creates unforgettable moments. Reviewers appreciate his professionalism, attention to detail, responsiveness, flexibility, and ability to make the ceremony run smoothly while adding personal touches. Mark's genuine care, warmth, and dedication shine through in his work, making him a top choice for couples seeking a special and meaningful wedding experience. Highly recommended for his outstanding services that go above and beyond expectations.

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.

Mark is highly praised by couples for his exceptional officiating services at weddings. From meticulously crafting heartfelt and personalized ceremonies that reflect each couple's unique love story to seamlessly incorporating multiple languages, such as Spanish and English, Mark creates unforgettable moments. Reviewers appreciate his professionalism, attention to detail, responsiveness, flexibility, and ability to make the ceremony run smoothly while adding personal touches. Mark's genuine care, warmth, and dedication shine through in his work, making him a top choice for couples seeking a special and meaningful wedding experience. Highly recommended for his outstanding services that go above and beyond expectations.

Shanda
Shanda Sent on 11/04/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Outstanding!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 — An Incredible Officiant Who Made Our Day Unforgettable!

We cannot say enough wonderful things about Mark! From our very first meeting, he made us feel completely at ease and truly took the time to get to know our story. The ceremony he crafted was heartfelt, personal, and perfectly reflected who we are as a couple.

On the wedding day, Mark was calm, professional, and radiated such warmth—it set the perfect tone for the entire celebration. So many of our guests came up afterward to tell us how beautiful and meaningful the ceremony was. It felt genuine, intimate, and uniquely us, which is exactly what we hoped for.

If you’re looking for someone who goes above and beyond to make your ceremony special, look no further. Mark was a true highlight of our wedding, and we’re endlessly grateful for the memories he helped us create.

Thank you again for making our day so extraordinary! ❤️
Tracy
Tracy Sent on 01/04/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Bi-lingual wedding dream come true

In September 2025, we got married and the ceremony at our house was led by Mark. We could not have picked a better officiant or human being to communicate the many important things that were, and are, important to us.
Mark drove out to our house to meet with us and see the venue- I’m sure it was over an hour away. He was patient walking around the yard, brainstorming the ceremony, and listening to us interact as a couple. When we sat down to discuss the ceremony that he had drafted, he took plenty of notes, asked for clarifications, and was no-pressure about things we hadn’t thought through yet or weren’t interested in. There were several touches of his own input that we loved and incorporated; some poems to choose from, introducing by name and location all the people who were online, recognizing those who changed plans with just a few months’ notice, and asking that phones be turned off so we could all be mentally present during the ceremony. Even during the ceremony, some things weren’t planned and he was so cool about adding in my mother in law’s speech, sharing the mic, and just being so calm and confident that everyone else relaxed, too.
By far, my favorite aspect of the wedding and the reason I fell in love with Mark’s approach even before we met him, was the way he seamlessly led a dual-language ceremony in Spanish and English. It was so important to me that no one feel left out, that we were all in the same moment hearing the same words at the same time, that people from halfway across the world and next door all felt like their presence was integral to the day. I also didn’t want a canned ceremony where one paragraph in English was followed by the same in Spanish, from a flow standpoint as well as the fact that there were several bi-lingual guests. Mark found a way to reiterate in a different language, without sounding redundant or boring. After the ceremony, Mark stayed, ate, laughed, danced, talked with guests, and was genuinely interested in being there and enjoying the party itself.
Mark, you helped make the day one we will be proud of, happy to remember over and over, and a one-of-a-kind day that we 3 created together, then so eloquently brought everyone else into. Thank you for choosing to be with us and share your time and talents at our wedding!
Tracy & Oliver
Natalie
Natalie Sent on 11/03/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Caring Officiant

From the first encounter with pastor Mark, my husband and I were so happy to hire him as our officiant. We collaborated really well in creating a ceremony of our dreams. We had a lot of ideas for ceremony and Mark was able to tie in every single thing that we asked for and more! It truly felt like the most personal reflection our love story and Mark was a huge part of creating that! He was very communicative throughout the planning process and showed up and prepped as much as possible. He really cared about making our day as special as we could possibly have it. He also followed up after our wedding day to confirm that our marriage license was mailed via certified mail. Please know if you book with Mark, that you will be in very good hands.
W
Waldemar Sent on 10/06/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Great job My Mark

Mark was excellent and knows his profession.
Highly recommended to everyone.
C
Carlos Sent on 10/05/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Highly recommend working with Mark!

We had a wonderful experience working with Mark as our wedding officiant. He was attentive and quick to respond to all of our questions from the start, making the planning process stress-free. He was flexible and collaborative, working with us to create a ceremony that felt authentic and meaningful. Mark delivered the ceremony beautifully—he had great presence, his delivery was clear, and he kept our guests fully engaged. We also loved how he incorporated some Spanish into the ceremony, which was a very special and meaningful touch. We couldn’t have asked for a better officiant and would highly recommend Mark to anyone planning their wedding.
M
Mark Sent on 10/04/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Mark is a great pick.

Mark was all we could ask for as a wedding officiant. Mark was clearly very passionate about what he does. Mark is very concerned with making the wedding service exactly what YOU want. Mark was very personable during our sit downs, and was willing to do as many drafts as it took. If you want the job done right, go with Mark. 
C
Crystal Sent on 10/01/2025
5 out of 5 rating

experienced and caring

He went out of his way to make our wedding special. We couldn't have asked for a better officiant. He made sure that we were happy with his services and added personal touches to the ceremony. It couldn't have gone any better.
P
Patrick Sent on 09/30/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Mark is a great officiant

I knew from the second we met Mark,
he was the right choice. He did a fantastic job at the ceremony and he is really great with his words and very professional. I would recommend anyone to use Mark as he is very budget friendly, a genuine person and easy to work with.
Maribel
Maribel Sent on 09/05/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Kind, Professional, Responsive

Mark was an amazing officiant. We were looking for somebody who would make our ceremony unique and centered around our love and love story and he did just that. He was always very responsive and profesional to our needs and expectations, we absolutely loved to have him and would hire him again.
J
Justin Sent on 06/30/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Personalized Ceremony & Great Officiant!

Mark helped us create a ceremony that was beautiful, memorable, and tailored to us. He gave great advice on crafting all the parts of the ceremony and was very open to any of the ideas that we had. He was willing to make all the things that we wanted to happen work. He was very responsive and timely, and answered all of our emails and questions. We recieved MANY compliments on our ceremony and Mark's speaking itself!
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Awards

37
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2026 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2025 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
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Team

Mark F Bidlake
Mark F Bidlake
Owner

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This vendor will travel up to within 100 miles

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