Chicago Wedding Vendor Officiant Interview
Chicago Wedding Vendor Officiant Interview with Jill Brown of www.chicagochoiceceremonies.com
In this Chicago Wedding Vendor Officiant Interview we chat with Jill Brown as she shares her views on being a wedding officiant.
What first inspired you to officiate weddings?
Giving couples a choice in the way they celebrate their love first inspired me to officiate wedding ceremonies. As a spiritual seeker, I realized that organized religion had a perceived hold on the format and rituals of the marriage ceremony. I knew there were many ways to express and celebrate committed love between two people and I wanted to give a creative voice to those couples looking for something different.
What inspires you today?
I am in awe of the couples I work with. The depth of their love and commitment to their ideals, beliefs and to each other energizes me to create beautiful nondenominational and nonreligious ceremonies for couples who identify as “spiritual, not religious”, agnostic or atheist. Love transcends these labels!
What do you love most about your job?
I love everything about my work, well, except for the marketing aspects! The initial phone call with a couple is like tasting a piece of quality chocolate. I anticipate a sweet treat and a surprise flavor as the conversation progresses. The face to face meeting is where I learn the big picture and small details of the relationship that I use to write the love story segment of the ceremony. I enjoy identifying each couple’s relationship “theme” and designing an original ceremony specifically for them.
What are your favorite aspects of a wedding ceremony?
Watching an excited bride or groom walking toward his or her expectant bride or groom is my favorite aspect of the ceremony. I have the very best vantage point in the room! The hope, joy and belief in their love is electric and the future seems magical. Calmly guiding them through the ceremony and pronouncing them married fills me with a satisfaction as no other work I’ve ever done. The unbridled joy and yes, a bit of relief the couple shares as they begin the Recessional is the other aspect I love to witness!
What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?
Do what you love to do! I love the following quote by Howard Thurman:
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
What advice to you have for our readers?
I want engaged couples and even other wedding vendors to know that options and choices exist in the style of wedding ceremonies that are possible. Nonreligious ceremonies contain all the cultural elements that compose the emotional arc that a wedding should contain to honor the solemnity of the occasion and celebrate the joy and love of the couple. The ceremony sets the tone for the entire event. I encourage couples to interview Officiants until one resonates with them and work to create a personalized celebration of their love and their life together!
Thanks Jill for the chat. It’s great to get to know you.
Jill Brown can be reached at:
Jill Brown
Life-Cycle Celebrant, Wedding Officiant,
Custom Ceremony Designer
773.929.2840