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Weddings

About

Your Custom Ceremony has been creating moments and making memories since April 2010! Your wedding is cause for celebration and so Chris Dickens combines his background as a stand-up comedian with his experience as a pastor and wedding officiant, to bring both the fun and the reverence that your wedding ceremony deserves.

Every ceremony is created from scratch and is tailored to each couple's desires so that your wedding is as unique as you are. Chris invests the time needed to get to know you as individuals and as a couple so that Your Custom Ceremony can deliver a service that reflects your desires, values, and beliefs.

Having been featured in Vogue, Black Brides, and BRIDE magazine, Chris Dickens' services have been sought by couples all over the U.S.

Experience

Chris has been officiating custom and unique wedding ceremonies since April 2010. Your Custom Ceremony serves all of Southern California, including Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, the Inland Empire, San Diego, and beyond. With a degree in Theology from Vanguard University, Chris Dickens has been working in ministry since 2008. A black wedding officiant, Chris grew up in the cultural melting pot of Cerritos, CA. Having studied multiple faiths and practices, he is comfortable officiating multicultural and most interfaith weddings. If you are looking for a funny wedding ceremony, a romantic wedding ceremony, or a combination of both, look no further than Chris Dickens and Your Custom Ceremony.

Services Offered

In addition to custom wedding ceremonies, Chris Dickens and Your Custom Ceremony also provide premarital counseling and other select services.

  • Christian Weddings
  • Non-religious Weddings
  • Interfaith
  • Multicultural
  • Vow Renewal
  • Civil Ceremony
  • Beach Wedding
  • Military Wedding
  • Destination Wedding
  • Elopement
  • Premarital Counseling
  • Ceremony Rehearsal
  • Ceremony Coordination
  • Black-owned
  • Veteran-owned
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Frequently asked questions

Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?

No

What is the starting price for ceremony rehearsals?

$500

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

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Agnostic
Anglican
Baptist
Catholic
Episcopalian
Evangelical
Jewish
Lutheran
Methodist
No Denomination
Orthodox Christian
Presbyterian
Quaker
Unitarian

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

Less than 30 mins.

In which states are you licensed?

AL
AK
AZ
CA
CO
CT
DE
FL
GA
ID
IL
IN
IA
KS
KY
ME
MD
MI
MS
MO
MT
NE
NJ
NM
NY
NC
ND
OR
PA
RI
SC
SD
TN
TX
UT
WA
WI
WY

What languages do you speak?

English

Reviews of Your Custom Ceremony

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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Chris is highly praised as an officiant for weddings, with reviewers highlighting his engaging, personalized, and memorable ceremonies. His ability to tailor the ceremony to the couple's story and preferences, along with his professionalism and humor, received glowing feedback from multiple reviewers. Guests appreciated the special touches he incorporated, making the ceremonies fun and heartfelt. The pre-marital coaching sessions offered by Chris were also valued by couples, further enhancing their experience. Overall, Chris is enthusiastically recommended for his exceptional services and contributions to making weddings special and unique.

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.

Chris is highly praised as an officiant for weddings, with reviewers highlighting his engaging, personalized, and memorable ceremonies. His ability to tailor the ceremony to the couple's story and preferences, along with his professionalism and humor, received glowing feedback from multiple reviewers. Guests appreciated the special touches he incorporated, making the ceremonies fun and heartfelt. The pre-marital coaching sessions offered by Chris were also valued by couples, further enhancing their experience. Overall, Chris is enthusiastically recommended for his exceptional services and contributions to making weddings special and unique.

Elise
Elise Sent on 02/05/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Beyond Excellent!

This review is LOOONG overdue -- if you want an officiant who make your wedding memorable, an officiant who will ease all your nerves on (and leading up) to your wedding, then Chris is it! From the moment we had our initial consultation, we knew we had found a great fit. Having a Black officiant was important to us and finding Your Custom Ceremony was worth the search!

Chris was so easy to work with. Every step of the way was a breeze. Communication was clear and prompt. Chris was patient, and made himself available for any and all questions we had. He also offered so many great ideas and suggestions to make our day unique to us.

We also opted for YCC's pre-marital coaching sessions and truly found such value in them. Highly recommend!! We explored many avenues that couples will encounter throughout married life and Chris helped to equip us with the tools to overcome the obstacles we may face.

By the time our wedding day finally arrived, it felt like Chris was just an old friend, coming to celebrate with us. He arrived early to conduct final checks, met with the bride and groom to be as well as the rest of the vendor team. Once the ceremony began, Chris commanded the room; he was funny and heartfelt. When he spoke, everyone listened. He lead our ceremony flawlessly! We had an unplugged wedding, but Chris gave our guests an opportunity for a 60 second photo-op, true paparazzi style! And everyone loved it! Once the 60 seconds were over, all devices were put away and the rest of the ceremony could continue with 100% focus and 0 distractions.

So, no matter what your wants or needs are re: an officiant, Chris is your guy! He made our wedding - plain and simple. He exceeded our expectations and for that, we cannot thank you enough, Chris! Truly was the best day ever :) THANK YOU!!
Jessica
Jessica Sent on 05/10/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Bowen Wedding 2025

Chris did an amazing job creating our custom, wedding ceremony. I appreciate the due diligence and consistent communication through out the process. My favorite part was the homework and seeing the homework come to life at the ceremony. I appreciate the licensing process made simple and easy.
Maleka
Maleka Sent on 02/05/2025
5 out of 5 rating

The BEST part of the ceremony!!

Ok!! I'm a wedding vendor and I heard Chris at another wedding and knew I needed him at my wedding. My wedding was 2 years away and Chris was kind of enough to hold the date for me!!

And when the day came Chris had the crowd entertained and reminded them to not have their phones out during the ceremony but did give them a 60 second photo opportunity during the ceremony. And after the wedding the one thing our guest said they loved was the ceremony.

Chris makes sure your ceremony is not boring but memorable for you and the guests alike. If you are thinking about hiring Chris, hire him. You will not regret it!!
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Awards

206
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2025 Winner
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 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner

Professional Network & Endorsements

3 Endorsements
Waveform Events Entertainment & Lighting Waveform Events Entertainment & Lighting Wedding DJs

All of us here at Waveform Events LOVE working with Chris of Your Custom Ceremony. The key to his success is right there in the name. Custom. It's never a routine with Chris, never a formula. He takes the time to get to know all of his couples, and works with them to design the ceremony exactly as they have envisioned it. The result is a moving, personal experience that each couple will cherish in their memories. He's a pleasure to work with as a dj, always ready and happy to go over the ceremony with us, so that we know the proper music cues and sound levels, and can help him create a seamless event. If you want a ceremony especially tailored to your lifetime dream, look no further than Chris of Your Custom Ceremony.

Water Tree Studios Water Tree Studios Wedding Photographers

Chris is a pleasure to work with. The depth that he goes to get to know each couple and their story really shows in the very personal and warm ceremonies he performs. I give him 5 stars for his ceremonies. They engage and touch all who attend your big day.

FM Productions FM Productions Wedding DJs

"We see a lot of wedding officiants, but Chaplain Chris and Your Custom Ceremony impressed us. He was engaging, funny, but still very professional. The way he talked about the bride and groom we thought that he was a friend of the family, but it turned out he'd only known them a few weeks. Chaplain Chris really gets to know his couples and that makes for a great ceremony"

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