Skip to main content
Weddings
ARE YOU A VENDOR?

First Step Ministries Reviews

First Step Ministries

First Step Ministries

Schaumburg, IL
4.7 out of 5 rating, 14 Reviews
View more information

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 rating
4.7 out of 5 rating
14 Reviews
94% recommend it
Write a review
  • Quality of service
    4.7 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.6 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.6 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.7 out of 5 rating
Write a review

Awards

14
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2011 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2010 Winner
  • K
    Kristy Sent on 06/03/2016
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    We could not be happier with how Pastor B officiated our wedding! If you want professional and eloquent, this is your man. He met with us several months before the wedding to go over how things would proceed on the big day and ensured us that it would be classy, short, and sweet. He absolutely delivered on that promise. The ceremony was just beautiful. We received many comments during the reception about how wonderfully he officiated and how perfectly he encapsulated us as a couple, having only met with us once before. I would recommend him for any wedding. Thank you Pastor B!!!
  • User1015725 Sent on 11/14/2012
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    Such a pleasure to work with! From filling i for last minute changes (when my coordinator was a no show at the rehearsal), to wrangling in ethnic traditions, Brandyn was absolutely wonderful! I highly recommend working with him.
  • K
    Kristen Sent on 11/06/2012
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    Brandyn was so easy to work with and communicated quickly and effectively through email. He was flexible with meeting time and answered all of our questions. He was so easy to talk to and all of our guests commented on what a beautiful ceremony he delivered! He is definitely worth looking into!
    • illustration stars

    Are you interested?

    Send a message
  • Christine
    Christine Sent on 10/16/2010
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    There is not quite enough I can say about Pastor B... He was INCREDIBLE! Very on-the-ball and guided us every step of the way. He TOTALLY "got" my now husband and I, was very professional, but fun and not like the typical stuffy or cheesy officiant. I recommend him so highly. Very prompt at returning phone calls and accomodating every step of the way. Our wedding day was PERFECT and he had a HUGE hand in making it so. We adore him and I wouldn't dream of having anyone else officiate =)
  • Michelle
    Michelle Sent on 11/28/2010
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    Pastor B was great! He met up with us a head of time to walk through the ceremony and also get our story to make our wedding personal. His cost was very reasonable compared to other officiants and all of his proceeds go to a charity. People commented that he was great and entertaining. He made the ceremony the perfect mix of seriousness and comedy. He understood that we were casual people and didn't want it to be stuffy. He was great! We even called him at 9pm on a Sunday to ask him about the wedding license and he was more than happy to take the call. He was wonderful!
  • meganandmike2010
    Megan Sent on 04/25/2011
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    Pastor B was the first and only officiant we met with. He is just such a great person, very likable, and we knew instantly he was the perfect person for us. He uses most if not all of the fees he collects towards his charities, which just speak volumes to his character. He took the time initially to get to know us and find out as much as he could about us. He did an excellent job at our ceremony, adding in little tidbits and whatnot and making the ceremony very personable (we had a rehearsal the night before that went very smoothly too). Some other couples might appreciate this, but he didn’t give the vibe like he was reading a script, like many of the other officiants we watched videos of online. All of our guests thought we’d known him for years based on our interactions with him. We'd definitely recommend him for your special day!
  • S
    Suzzanna Sent on 06/07/2010
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    Pastor B was great!!! Very easy to arrange with and he took specifics about us (like use humor wherever you can) and utilized it beautifully!!! Again, we had to be very budget-conscious, so he was very affordable and we went with Pastor B because his fee goes back into the community--double bonus!!!! We live in California and so are not affiliated with a church in Illinois--but regardless of that--Pastor B did a GREAT job and we are very blessed that he was miraculously brought into our event planning!!!
    He's HIGHLY recommended!!!!
  • Kim
    Kim Sent on 01/05/2010
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    My husband is Catholic and I am not. We didn't want to go through all of the counseling required by the Catholic church in order for me to get married there so we decided to get married at our venue instead. I found Pastor B's website and once we met with him, we know instantly that he was for us. Like most couples, we were pretty nervous, but Pastor B kept the ceremony light and kept everyone in the room completely engaged. We couldn't have been happier with the way things went and I would recommend Pastor B to anyone who is looking for an officiant in the Chicagoland area!
  • AIMEE1220
    Aimee Sent on 07/29/2008
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    We knew we made the right choice by picking Pastor Brandyn Simmons to be our officiant from our very first meeting. He was warm, intelligent, punctual and made us both feel very comfortable. Having him at rehearsal really helped to put my mind at ease as he gave structure to what was to ensue the following morning. My husband and I were both very nervous on our wedding day and he was able to help us relax and actually enjoy our ceremony.

    First Step Ministries's reply:

    Thanks so much guys for the warm remarks! I had a wonderful time and was very honored to be a part of your big day!! The love that the two of you have for one another (and your son!) was simply remarkable. I wish you both the best in everything! - Pastor B
  • A
    Ashley Sent on 06/17/2009
    4.9 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    Pastor Brandyn Simmons officiated my recent wedding ceremony and he was amazing!

    My husband and I are NOT religious, but we wanted a beautiful ceremony done by a professional - and Pastor B delivered.

    We only met with him once, but we immediately got along. He returned any and all of my emails and phone calls quickly. When we met, we let him know a little about our relationship and how we came to be engaged, and he managed to write a great ceremony. He's funny too!

    Pastor Brandyn made sure our ceremony went smoothly, and unfortunately he had to leave immediately after - but while he was there, he kept both of us calm, and kept things on schedule.

    He injected enough religion into the ceremony to prevent our grandmas from crying over their rosaries, but not so much that it made me and my husband cringe.

    Thank you Pastor B!!
  • User1519909 Sent on 01/27/2014
    4.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    Brandyn was great to work with. We met with him a few times before our wedding, and we were very comfortable talking to him. There were a few instances where we had a hard time getting ahold of him via email, but he did end up responding and answering any questions we had. We were looking for a short, simple, personal ceremony, and Brandyn delivered exactly that. We were very happy with our decision to have Brandyn officiate our wedding, and we would absolutely recommend him to others.
  • J
    Jennifer Sent on 07/09/2010
    4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      4.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    Pastor B delivered on everything he said he would for us. He was very responsive and on time the day of the event. We even had to start a little late due to weather issues, and moved the ceremony inside. He made the ceremony fun and put us both at ease. From my experience with him, I would definitely recommend him.
  • D
    Daria Sent on 05/31/2010
    3.7 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      4.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      2.5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      3.0 out of 5 rating
    Had Pastor B actually performed our ceremony, I'm sure it would have been absolutely fantastic. He also performed a mini-counseling session for us a few months before the wedding, which was really, really nice.

    Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, Brandyn had to call in a replacement just three days before our wedding. I found out in response to an email I sent the day before the rehearsal. While these things happen, it was more than just a little disappointing to learn that the substitute would not be able to make it to the rehearsal dinner. I was promised he would be given all of Brandyn's notes about us, and to expect a call from him. We chatted briefly later that evening, and I felt pretty much 100% reassured.

    However, it seemed pretty obvious that little was done to fill Pastor Al in:

    - My first name and our last name was either incorrect or pronounced incorrectly; this distracted us (and our guests) right from the beginning;
    - The ceremony was religious to a near God-fearing level; definitely did not follow our wishes;
    - I had mentioned that I was going to have a reading performed in Polish and English, and the Pastor could only comment on how cool "that language was" after it had been done - clearly he had not been informed of certain details and it was so painfully obvious how little he knew about us.

    The ceremony was definitely still very beautiful and joyous, but I just wish the transition could have been orchestrated a bit more professionally so that I didn't have to respond to "Darina" instead of Daria the rest of the night. Fortunately, everyone was able to laugh these things off.
  • M
    Melissa Sent on 06/16/2010
    2.7 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      2.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      3.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      0.5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      4.0 out of 5 rating
    I really can't express how very disappointed I was with Pastor B. When we first met with him, my husband and I were very excited that he would be officiating our ceremony. He was very professional and he was willing to work with us to create a ceremony that was perfect for us. At first, we did not pay him the extra $150 to be at the rehearsal, but we eventually decided we would be more comfortable if he was there, so we paid him the fee. The night of the rehearsal, my husband and I were running a little late due to construction on the highways. Pastor B arrived on time, and many of our bridal party was already there. Pastor B began the rehearsal without us! The best man suggested that everyone wait for the bride and groom, and Pastor B insisted they start. My husband and I arrived 15 minutes late and when we arrived, Pastor B informed us that everyone knew what they were doing and we didn't need to rehearse anything. We asked what he had done and he said he just paired the bridal party up and had them walk down together. When we told him we wanted it done differently, he got frustrated. He had everyone go through it once, very fast, and then he told us he had to leave to be somewhere. He was only there for about $5 minutes after we arrived! Definitely not worth the $150 fee! As if that wasn't bad enough, on the wedding day, 20 minutes before the ceremony, Pastor B approached my husband and said he didn't have our vows!!! He had told us the day before he did and we didn't have to worry. My husband was obviously upset and instead of apologizing, Pastor B kept trying to make jokes about the fact that he didn't have them. Fortunately, someone in the bridal party was able to get them by going into my email and finding them. Overall we were extremely disappointed. We paid him $600 for a 5 minute rehearsal and to lose our wedding vows. I would not recommend him to anyone. He charged a lot of money and he certainly didn't earn it!