I am a Christian Wedding Minister, performing traditional and unique marriage ceremonies throughout Florida, including Pensacola, Destin and Panama City.
Your wedding is a unique beginning; it's a blending of two lives. It forever stands as a marker to the commitment of each to the other and the forsaking all others. It should reflect your hopes, dreams, and personality. Your wedding should be one you've always wanted- a ceremony completely under your control. If this is your goal, I can help you achieve it.
As your officiant, (the minister who performs the ceremony), I can help you craft the words; your vows are the spoken promise of love that you make on your wedding day. I also perform the task of actually taking your words before God , your family and friends and making them public. I'm not a wedding planner. I don't provide the flowers or the candles (see resources), I provide the voice of your commitment to each other, to God and to those in attendance.
Traditionally Southern Baptist, but Non-denominational at Heart
Raised in a Southern Baptist home, I trained at the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO. I was licensed as a Southern Baptist minister in 1984 and ordained through the Universal Life Church in 2002.
Called to a Special Task
This is not just a job; officiating weddings is not something I do to simply make a living. I consider these weddings to be my calling, and consider myself to be God's representative in these proceedings. Therefore, while you design your ceremony to include many personal touches, the only thing I insist on is an acknowledgement of Him on some level within the ceremony. I don't mean we need a huge wedding mass with complete choir and fifteen readings from scripture, I prefer my weddings to be much, much smaller and more intimate than that, but if I am to marry you in God's name, I believe you should acknowledge Him somewhere in the ceremony, if only through prayer.
I am a registered pre-marital counselor
I am a registered instructor for the marriage preparation course in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton Counties. If you choose to utilize this 4-hour course you are eligible for a discount on the initial marriage license fee. (See Resources). I take this pre-marital counseling seriously, so don't expect a simple rubber stamp approval, but if you would like to sit down and discuss the complexities of married life with an interested third party, I am available.
*Over 20 years experience and over 2,000 weddings performed
*Expert help in writing and/or selecting your vows
*Design a ceremony that fits your personality and the personality of your romance
*Optional pre-marital counseling available if desired
*Ask about our "week-of" elopement special!
Availability:
Contact for availability
Recommended by 99% of couples
Renee · Married on 11/02/2013
Oh my gosh! This review is so so overdue and I definitely should have done it a lot sooner! First and foremost, Lee and I could never thank Don Goodrum enough for being a part of our wedding! Initially, I was so nervous choosing an officiant because exchanging vows is such a personal moment. I had absolutely no idea who to ask so my coordinator suggested Don for us. A few weeks before our wedding, we spoke to Don over the phone and by the time we hung up, both Lee and I had a smile on our face! Don took us step by step through the process, sent us ideas on vows we could exchange, gave us time to write our own personal vows, helped us perfect them, and even brought copies on our wedding day so I never had to worry about bringing a copy of the vows with me. But the best part of it all, he made sure that the ceremony was special for us and spoke as if he had known us for years! There was not a dry eye in the crowd and we even got compliments afterwards how it was the BEST ceremony they had ever been to! Seriously, I could never have imagined it to be more perfect! Don.... thank you, thank you, thank to the moon and back!
Ashley Humston · Married on 10/29/2018
We had guests complimenting him!
I would recommend Don to anyone considering getting married in this region. Don was responsive to emails and was open to my ideas when we talked on the phone. I gave him some tidbits about my now-husband and I and asked him to arrange them however he wanted into the ceremony, and he did a wonderful job! I’ve never been to a wedding where anyone commented specifically on the officiant, but we had multiple guests come up to us and tell us how wonderful Don was!! Of course we loved him because it was our wedding, but it solidified how great he was when our guests noticed and spoke out too! You won’t be disappointed! (Photo credit: BJ Matthews)
Hannah · Married on 08/11/2018
Don was great! We were looking for a simple ceremony at sunrise and he definitely delivered, he took care of all the details for mapping out the ceremony and gave us guidance on writing our vows. He was excellent, super fast to respond, and so easy to talk to. That morning was perfect, and I couldn't imagine the ceremony going any better!
1 Endorsement
Always sweet and a little bit funny! Don makes everybody feel right at home.
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