Truly, I cannot even begin to say how wonderful Fr Jef is. I contacted him years ago to officiate our wedding and unfortunately he was booked that day, but then COVID happened and pushed everything back of course. He was available for our second date of choice, but then that got pushed back too so we tried a third time. We spoke over text/email, and I felt a connection. That connection grew stronger when we spoke briefly on the telephone, but once we met Fr Jef in person, I had zero doubt that he was the officiant for us. He is kind, caring, has a tangible warmth, and above all is just a terrific person. He is professional but still can absolutely joke around and have a great time. He is also absolutely hilarious. His attention to detail is second to none. I am not sure what his middle name actually is, but my guess would be punctual because he is NEVER not on time which is obviously fantastic. He put our minds at ease, and we just felt safe and secure in his presence. The speech he wrote for us at our wedding was simultaneously beautiful, touching, and downright funny. I could tell everyone in attendance LOVED him. But above all, I love him. He is the right man for the job and makes every single couple feel so special on their big day. After the ceremony, I had probably 10 different people come up to me and say how wonderful they thought Fr Jef was. I said well of course he is - he's Fr Jef Johnson for crying out loud! They of course asked where I had found him, and I said that he had officiated my cousin's wedding in 2016, but I am assuming if you are reading this review right now then that means you are looking for someone to look out for you on your wedding day. Well let me tell you this: look no further. You've found the officiant for you, and it's Fr Jef. Thank you for everything, Jef! We couldn't be happier with our decision. read more

Fr Jef Johnson - Fr Jef by my side as I see my bride for the first time! - Officiants Near Me - Kempner, Texas

Fr Jef was the best officiant ever! We met him for the first time in person on our wedding day and everyone thought he knew us for years!! He made our ceremony so personal and extra special. We could not be happier with the process leading up to the ceremony and with the ceremony itself! He was professional, hilarious, and went above and beyond for our wedding ceremony. He exceeded our expectations. 10/10 would recommend! read more

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Father Jef was beyond amazing and accommodating. When we met with him, Fr Jef just seemed to have known us for years! We loved how detailed he was, letting us know what to expect the day of and also, took time to get to know us. Fr. Jef sent us a little questionnaire, to have as much detail as possible for our ceremony and it helped really personalize our ceremony! Thanks so much for making our day so special! read more

Father Jef is fantastic! We knew he was the right officiant for our wedding because he was so warm and genuine. He is very organized and made the process of selecting the pieces of the ceremony easy and enjoyable. We personally did not have any special rituals (i.e. unity candle, sand pouring, etc) we wanted for our ceremony so Fr Jef recommended we add in 2 readings which was perfect and made the ceremony just the right length. He made our ceremony personal based on questions he had us answer separately which he then took our responses and mixed them in to his sermon/talk. It felt like he knew us! We received so many compliments on Fr Jef following our ceremony from our family and friends. If you think about it, the officiant really sets the tone for the wedding. We highly recommend him to any other couples on their officiant search!! Thank you for a beautiful and special to us ceremony Father Jef! read more

Fr Jef Johnson made our wedding extra special! I loved how he allowed us to incorporate our own readings into the ceremony and that he took the extra time to make it personable. I cannot tell you how many people after the wedding asked if we grew up with Fr Jef, everyone had assumed he knew us for years! We are so grateful for Fr Jef and what special words that he brought to make our day loving and memorable. We would highly recommend him for your special day! read more

Fr Jef Johnson - Officiants Near Me - Kempner, Texas

**Note: This wedding was in the suburbs of Chicago** Fr. Jef - thank you thank you thank you for the best wedding ceremony of all time! Fr. Jef officiated our wedding in September 2023, and it was incredible. With the help and guidance of Fr. Jef, my husband and I were able to design our ceremony and ensure it had the right balance of personal and religious undertones. I grew up Catholic, and since we did not get married in the Catholic Church, it was important to my family that we had a ceremony that reflected our faith. However, it was most important to my husband and I that we had a wedding ceremony that reflected our love for each other and who were are as individuals and as a couple. Fr. Jef struck the perfect balance of both, and every single person who we have spoken to about our wedding has said this was the best ceremony they have ever attended. If you want to laugh and cry with your guests throughout the entirety of your wedding ceremony, hire Fr. Jef. Thank you so much again! read more

As many of the other reviewers said, if you want the best hire Fr. Jef. He was kind, open, and hilarious. He personalized our wedding so perfectly it was like we knew him for YEARS. We had guests floored at how warm he was and many asked if he was our regular minister. He is professional and takes pride in delivering the best for his clients. We can't wait for our wedding video to re-watch his speech. If you are looking for a minister, truly look no further. Fr. Jef is your man. Fr Jef - from the bottom of my heart, thank you for making our wedding day beyond special. You were one of the best parts of our day and we are so happy we chose you. Well wishes always! read more

Fr Jef Johnson - Officiants Near Me - Kempner, Texas

We would highly recommend Father Jef! He gave us a special ceremony that we will always cherish and can't thank him enough. Our ceremony felt very personalized with many heartfelt words, yet he also sprinkled in enough humor to relax us and remind us that this was a celebration of our love. We were the first in our families to get married outside of a church, but still wanted some of the spiritual aspects of a church ceremony. Father Jef was the perfect officiant for this as he gave us the spiritual meaning we were looking without turning it into a formal church ceremony. I am confident he can work with couples to find whatever balance of these aspects that they are looking for. You are in good hands with Father Jef! We will always have fond memories of our experience with him and our guests still give us Father Jef compliments months after the ceremony!!! read more

Father Jef is simply the best. We instantly liked him when we met to discuss obtaining his services for our wedding. He is so warm, easy to talk to, and engaging, and after our wedding I can confidently say that he loves what he does and is truly talented at it. He gave the perfect ceremony I could have envisioned for a couple wanting religious elements (one of us was raised Catholic, and we are between churches right now) and also wanting a very personal ceremony. He captured us and our relationship so perfectly, that some of the speech-givers at our reception commented they didn't have anything to add as he covered it all - ha! So glad we hired Father Jef to officiate our marriage. read more

Fr Jef Johnson - Officiants Near Me - Kempner, Texas

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We couldn't imagine anyone else officiating our wedding. Fr. Jef Johnson made it extremely special, and it truly felt like he knew us for years. We received so many compliments on the ceremony. We have a lot of members who grew up catholic like us and felt the ceremony honored those traditions for being outside of the church. read more

Fr. Jef was incredible. We got married on very short notice and Fr. Jef did not have much time at all to put together our ceremony. We told him what we wanted and answered a series of great questions he provided and he put together the perfect ceremony. We get more compliments about Fr. Jef from people that came to the wedding than any other part of the day. Highly recommend!!! read more

If you are getting married and looking for an officiant, look no further than Fr Jef! The minute my now husband and I met him, we clicked with him and I knew he would make our ceremony special. We got married last weekend and I couldn't be happier with how the day went. He was such a pleasure to work with the entire time leading up to the big day, even as we had to postpone our original date due to COVID-19. During the ceremony, Fr Jef spoke to the audience (and our Zoom guests) on a personal level by incorporating special moments of our relationship. Guests even commented that it seemed like we'd known him for years. Thank you Fr Jef for helping to make our wedding day so memorable! read more

We originally found Father Jef on Yelp and knew after reading all of the stellar reviews that we had to reach out to him. He was incredibly warm and authentic in our first meeting, and after comparing him to another officiant whom we felt did more cookie cutter ceremonies, we decided to have Father Jef officiate ours. We couldn't have been happier. My friend, after raving about the ceremony, then finding out we found Father Jef on Yelp exclaimed, "no way, I could have sworn he baptized you and knew you your entire life." That pretty much sums up Father Jef's ability to customize and create a memorable ceremony for a couple. He gave us a multitude of options on how we could tailor the ceremony, which we determined as a couple. He also sent through several questions about our relationship and history that he had us respond to separately. His ability to then combine the two into a truly magical ceremony was incredible. I would highly recommend his services for your own special day. read more

Fr Jef Johnson - Fr. Jef officiating our wedding ceremony (photo courtesy of JPP Studios) - Officiants Near Me - Kempner, Texas

We can not recommend Fr. Jef enough! He was so personable and professional from our first meeting to when he came back to congratulate us again after our ceremony. Our guests kept on giving us rave reviews on how Fr. Jef conducted such an intimate ceremony. We can't thank him enough for making everything so easy and making our ceremony so memorable! read more

My fiancé ( now my wife ) search his service thru Google. We were hesitant at first but as we read through the review he nevER missed a beat ( 5 star ). So we set an appointment and decided to forgo the full service, personal appointment -rehearsal-full ceremony . We meet and discussed the process and he is very reassuring about the procedure and how he believes what's best for our situation ( both our second marriage ). We are adamant of our pursuit to make it memorable as possible. He e mailed us questionnaire and we were encouraged to make it as detail as possible and that we should not let each other know how we addressed the questions ( this is magical during the ceremony ) so be honest on to yourself. The night of the wedding was our rehearsal. Very prompt, courteous , and professional! He make sure that everyone is in the same page at one point he acts like he is the coordinator, his approach is as intimate as We need it to be. On the day of the wedding !!!!! I forgot my vow and I end up scribbling At my phone ( he hopes I won't run out of battery ) Smorgasbord of emotions just minutes to walk the aisle he has one last word to me: " this is your day, do whatever you want ", The whole occasion came out 9.9/10. But what stands out on both the guest, to me and my wife, is the ceremony 101% satisfied, specifically the homily ( he was used to be a Priest ). Prepare for tissue : no dry eye in the ceremony/homily. Trust his approach- you won't regret it- extraordinarily done ! read more

Fr Jef Johnson - Officiants Near Me - Kempner, Texas

This review is long overdue, as Fr. Jef was one of the great highlights of our September 2016 wedding. My husband and I were a bit lost when it came to finding an officiant for our ceremony, as we don't belong to a specific church. We were looking to find someone who could bring the right amount of spiritual touch to our contemporary outdoor setting. And upon meeting Fr. Jef for coffee the first time, we knew he was our guy! Fr. Jef is incredibly personable and is most concerned about making the ceremony how YOU want it. He is great about informing you with what is typical for an outside-of-mass ceremony, but fully enables you to customize it as you wish. He has a great way of gathering detailed information on both the bride and groom, which, in our case, helped him create a truly heartfelt and personal ceremony. He makes it seem like he's known you both for years (many guests thought he had)! Overall, we echo all of the top reviews on Fr. Jef. He certainly goes well above and beyond for his fee (answering every email promptly, ensuring we all stayed on schedule, attending our rehearsal, etc.). We received so many positive comments and reactions from our guests, and we couldn't imagine having a more talented and gracious officiant! Thank you, Fr. Jef! read more

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Fr. Jef did such an amazing job officiating our wedding! It was like he knew us for years, and made the ceremony exactly what we wanted it to be. Thanks Fr. Jef! read more

Father Jef provided my wife and I an amazing wedding ceremony! His sermon was so special and well-delivered that guests gave him a round of applause after and were raving about it throughout the reception. Would highly recommend! read more

Father Jef was a highlight of our wedding day in March 2019. He provided a standard catholic ceremony outline for us to work from and customize. Since my husband was raised Catholic we wanted to make sure we had some of basics included in our ceremony without being a full traditional catholic mass. The questionnaire that we filled out allowed for Father Jef to create a very personal (and funny!) touch to the ceremony. read more

We were so happy to have Fr Jef officiate our wedding. We were both born and raised Catholic, but have been practicing in years - Fr Jef was the perfect fit for us, who wanted to have Catholic elements to our ceremony but not want a full-own Church service. We had many family and friends tell us how wonderful and heartfelt our ceremony was (and we kept it nice and short - under 20 minutes). He was super accommodating and traveled well out of his way to work with our schedule. He will do as much or as little as you want. Fr Jef is a very warm person and will make your wedding that much more special. read more

Stop. Just stop! You've clearly come to Yelp looking for a wedding officiant and I'm telling you, just stop. Right here. You've found him! I honestly feel that a 5 star rating is not enough for how amazing Fr. Jef was for our wedding. From the initial preparation, to the last minute planning (totally on my part), to the actual ceremony it seemed that Fr Jef understood exactly what we needed and what were looking for. Having only met in person one time before our wedding, it was amazing how well he seemed to know us. He truly "Got" what we were going for when it came to a somewhat religious (Catholic) but not overly religious ceremony. He gave guidance and suggestions on how to incorporate religious readings along with more personalized, non-traditional poems. He helped us incorporate meaningful things into the ceremony so everything flowed perfectly. He had us email responses to questions about our relationship and then incorporated that into his sermon, which made it seem like Fr Jef had been working with us for years (or at least our entire relationship). Honestly, my mom, my best friends, and my aunts all asked me "how long have you known Fr Jef?" Fr Jef made our wedding a memorable one. I was so excited to see multiple Facebook posts right after our ceremony "best ceremony I've been too," "One of the best ceremonies I've ever heard," etc. If Fr Jef is available for your wedding date, Book. Him. NOW! read more

I don't know what my husband and I would have done without Fr. Jef. Honestly! He officiated our June wedding, and the process leading up to our wedding day was great. I was also having intergenerational, interfaith, and intercultural issues planning the ceremony because I wanted it to be as genuine and true to who we were, and my family wanted every possible Catholic and Filipino tradition possible -- some of which I hadn't known about until a month leading up to the wedding! Fr. Jef incorporated these traditions well into our ceremony while making it a modern take and very explicable to not just ourselves but our guests...and he had done so beautifully. Our ceremony was what my husband and I wanted -- something 'short" (like 20-30 minutes) but very personable, holding onto my Catholic faith while still making it relevant to my husband's more agnostic leanings, and overall something beautiful to be recognized by all different beliefs. At the same time, my most conservative relatives - who I was really afraid of not being traditional enough for - were very pleased! I highly recommend him to really make your big day be as truly genuine and personable as it can be. read more

Fr. Jef was wonderful and made our ceremony magical. So many people approached us after the ceremony saying that it was the most beautiful wedding ceremony they had ever witnessed. We were getting married in Chicago, although we live in Minneapolis, so we had a couple phone consultations with Fr. Jef before meeting him for the first time at the rehearsal. He clearly listened to everything we said and read between the lines because he had a great idea of who we were as a couple and as individuals. He provided great guidance and examples of how to structure the ceremony and was incredibly flexible about last minute additions. It was totally customized to us, and I really appreciated that. I would definitely recommend Fr. Jef to anyone looking for a fantastic, easy to work with wedding officiant. read more

My wife and I contacted Fr. Jef just a few short months prior to our wedding day last year (not sure how I missed leaving this review sooner) after our church's pastor moved out of state (long, unrelated story). Fr. Jef came to meet us and laid out all the options available to us, discussed what we already had set up/in mind, and walked us through other areas where we were clueless. We had a "tree planting ceremony" (similar to candle lighting or wine) and he offered ideas about how to weave it into the ceremony. The questionnaire was quick and well worth a few minutes to fill out earnestly. Fr. Jef made the planning easy and enjoyable with his personality and approach. All of that said, Fr. Jef really shined on the big day. He was at the site downtown (River Roast) and ready to go, working the room, helping organize everyone with our DJ (who doubled as MC), and generally keeping the two of us calm. Fr. Jef had our vows ready to go (we wrote our own, but he suggested we send them to him) in his pocket when the time came, which kept us from nervously fumbling around with them (GREAT advice!). His message was on point, being both funny and a great commentary on our relationship. He had the room rolling and our wedding party in stitches (which made for great, natural smiles in the pictures, by the way). Overall, Fr. Jef was a life-saver; we were so lucky to find him on such short notice and in such a stressful position as ours, but we are so glad we did. Highly recommend. read more

Words cannot describe how incredible Fr Jef mad our night. It seemed as if Fr Jef really understood us from the first meeting that we had together. At first, we wanted to get married in a church but it did not fit our style of what we wanted; needless to say our parents were also not too happy when they found out we were not. We wanted a religious aspect but did not want to overwhelm our friends who were not and Fr Jef really understood this. He provided us guidance on how to incorporate religion and non-religious aspects and kept us on track for the actual sermon portion of our wedding. He provided us questions to answer which he took and made his own during his sermon. There were many people who thought Fr Jef had none us for a long time in what he said about us, the couple. He was great! If he is available for your date, then book him! Meet him! Fall in love with his work as we did! You will not be disappointed. If he gives you a chance to answer some questions, do so but remember it is fair game! Loved what he did at our wedding! read more

We decided to have our ceremony and reception at the same location and we were looking for an officiant about four months out. I did some research and contacted a handful of officiants and had a couple initial meet-and-greats based on availability. However, once I had my initial call with Fr Jef, I knew he was our guy. He setup a time to visit us at our home (or place of preference) and took the time to get to know us both individually and has a couple. He then sent us some materials to build our ceremony and also some questions about our relationship. This really made our ceremony personalized and engaging. We received numerous comments about Fr Jef and we really loved the ceremony he delivered - it was the perfect combination of laughter and seriousness. We have several photos of us and our guests belly laughing - you could sense the love and comfort in the room. Lastly, I get nothing for writing this review but I thought I would because it was such an amazing night and Fr Jef set the tone. That said, if you're looking for a way to make your occasion unique and special, look no further...this is your officiant. read more

Fr. Jef checks all the boxes, and we are so grateful that he was a central role on our wedding day. We met with Fr. Jef for an in-person meeting prior to the wedding to review what we wanted and didn't want in the ceremony and to create a personal connection with him - this meant a ton to us and showed he really cares about his couples. He emailed us a questionnaire that we each filled out separately and was the foundation of his sermon. I can't tell you how many people (of all ages) came up to us at cocktail hour and complimented Fr. Jef's sermon; he was personable, well-spoken, emphatic and timely. From start to finish it was an absolute pleasure working with him. If you're looking for an officiant who is a kind, knowledgable and enthusiastic person and is willing to add as much or as little religious tones to your ceremony, look no further! read more

Everything you read here about Fr. Jef is true! My husband and I knew that we wanted a nontraditional ceremony held at our venue, but it was still important to his parents that we have some religious and spiritual elements. It was difficult to find someone who could help us meet that balance that we were comfortable with. Additionally, my husband and I really wanted a ceremony that was personal and someone who was willing to get to know us enough to speak about our relationship on the big day. From the moment we met with Fr. Jef, we knew instantly that he would be perfect for our special day. Fr. Jef worked with us to find a good balance that was a ceremony we wanted and brought in some of the religious aspects that could please our family. He provided a booklet that was a great guide to planning the ceremony and allowed us to truly make the ceremony our own. We also loved that he sent us some very thought provoking questions to answer about each other and our relationship that we sent back so he could develop his talk as part of our ceremony. We were encouraged to be detailed and not to share our answers with each other, which really pays off in the end! When the big day came, he was calm, professional and so warm to be around which easily calmed any nerves we had before walking down the aisle. From the moment the ceremony began he was absolutely perfect. He made the ceremony so incredibly personal and has a very genuine and authentic way of making our guests feel included and a part of the day. He was charming and funny, and we could not have asked for more! Our favorite aspect of the ceremony was the moment he began his talk about us as a couple. He moved from behind the microphone, out into the aisle, prompting us to turn and face our guests. It was incredible in that moment to be able to look around and see all these wonderful people who came to share our day and soak that in. My husband and I had no idea that was coming, but it was our favorite part. We won't forget how special that was! When the ceremony was over, our guests could not stop raving about how wonderful the ceremony was. Saying often that it was the best ceremony they've ever been to and were shocked to learn that we had only met Fr. Jef over this past year leading up to the wedding. If you are considering Fr. Jef for your wedding day, do not hesitate in choosing him. He will make the day special and meaningful, and leave you and your guests with a feeling of true happiness. read more

My now husband and I had Fr Jef marry us last Friday at Salvage One. I'm pretty sure that every guest that was there came up to us during cocktail hour and dinner service to compliment how amazing and funny Fr Jef was. He made our ceremony so special by including stories about us and he was very engaging by walking out into the aisle to talk to the guests so they knew how special it was to have them there. He was also very funny and many guests have said that was the best officiant they have seen. Thank you Fr Jef for making our day so amazing and ensuring that our ceremony was unforgettable. read more

Choosing an officiant for your wedding is a very important decision! After reading the reviews for Fr Jef, and within the first 30 seconds of our first meeting with him, we knew he was the one! We felt very comfortable with him immediately, but he also has an innate ability to listen and understand people. We felt like we had known him for years, instead of just months, by the time he performed our wedding ceremony. And after having only a couple of conversations with him, plus the questionnaire he uses to help him with the ceremony, he told our story in a way that was very touching, funny and spot on! Our vision was for it to be very quaint and intimate, and Fr Jef was phenomenal. We couldn't be happier with our ceremony!!! read more

Fr Jef Johnson - Officiants Near Me - Kempner, Texas

Fr Jef was definitely the highlight of our wedding! We were looking for a personable and affordable officiant in the Chicago area and are so glad that we chanced upon him!! He did such an amazing job incorporating our "interview answers" into the ceremony and our guests raved about how funny he was! Fr Jef was exactly who we were looking for - someone who can make the ceremony personable and engage the audience. He was also very responsive and patient with us in the preparation phase leading up to the wedding. Highly recommended!!!! read more

Choose Fr. Jef!! It's truly the best decision you can make for your marriage ceremony! Choosing an officiant can be a daunting task, but we are SO grateful to have found Father Jef. When I heard Father Jef at another wedding at which I was performing, I immediately knew that I wanted him to officiate our wedding. Both my husband and I are musicians and have played hundreds of weddings. Fr. Jef is the best officiant we have ever worked with. It is clear that besides being an eloquent and charismatic speaker, he is extremely conscientious and thoughtful. He is understanding and sensitive with an open minded approach. He works extremely hard to make your wedding ceremony unique to you and he has a system to do so that really works. He patiently incorporated all the readings and details we requested at our July 2017 wedding and also gave his own talk about us that made it sound like he had known us for years. It was amazing and everyone loved it! We also did several very helpful marriage counseling sessions with Fr. Jef prior to our wedding. We only regret not doing so sooner! Not to mention, his price is extremely reasonable. We are forever thankful for all Fr. Jef did for us and hope that you will have the opportunity to have him at your wedding too! (Photo by Ed & Aileen Photography) read more

Fr Jef Johnson - Officiants Near Me - Kempner, Texas

Words cannot even begin to explain how happy we are with Fr. Jef. He officiated and provided a complete Catholic ceremony for our wedding on July 14th, 2018. He also provided us pre-marriage preparation counseling during the months leading up to our wedding. He definitely lives up to all the positive reviews. I'm both a Catholic and a traditionalist, and growing up, I dreamed/hoped to one day have the honor of getting married under the tradition of the religion I grew up with and still practice. Being gay, many told me and affirmed that this was simply impossible, and I didn't have too much luck finding anyone who would help us in the local LGBTQ Catholic groups like Dignity; but Fr. Jef made it happen. First, Fr. Jef was extremely patient with us and handled everything with a smile and a charming laugh. I was extremely lucky finding him pretty early in my search and booked him 2 years prior to the wedding. He kept our date reserved for 2 years and was there for us throughout the entire process, uncertain whether or not we were going to fall through. He was willing to meet when it was most convenient for us, he was both personal and professional from the very first time meeting him, and we felt very comfortable talking about future lives together while he offered great insight and questions to reflect on. He knew where we were coming from; when stressed, he assured us everything would be okay, and everything turned out great. In terms of the wedding, he walked us through everything, step-by-step, made the process very easy. He led a great rehearsal the day before the wedding as well as a wedding ceremony the following day with a very touching homily that got us down to a tee. He even provided a small statue of Mary for us to do the Marian Devotion during the ceremony. Again, I am so happy I was able to have a wedding ceremony that followed the Catholic tradition, and I would definitely recommend Fr. Jef, especially for Catholic LGBTQ individuals seeking to celebrate the holy sacrament of Matrimony; we're so happy we found him! read more

Fr. Jef Johnson is AMAZING!!! People actually talked about how phenomenal our ceremony was the following days after our wedding. People usually only talk about the reception, but our wedding guests loved how engaging Fr. Jef was. People actually stated that it was the best ceremony they had ever seen! Fr. Jef is wonderful to work with! He's engaging, funny, and professional. He tries to learn as much has he can about the couple. He not only asks great questions during the initial meeting but also has the couple fill out a fun questionnaire. If you want a wedding ceremony people will be talking about the next day, go with Fr. Jef!!! read more

Fr Jef did a great job of setting the tempo for our wedding that carried through far after he completed our ceremony. His service showed so much of our personalities and when speaking of the love we have for one another it truly captured our feelings for one another. His gregarious personality engaged our friends and family while he told of the commitment we had for one another. We were both blown away by his service. Afterwards, many of our family and friends commented on how amazing the service was. read more

My Husband and I can't say enough good things about Fr Jef. We live in LA and decided to get married in my Husbands home town of Chicago. As I started to hunt for an Officiant I came across Fr Jef here on yelp - after chatting on the phone and Via email we met on a trip to Chicago this summer- The meeting went great - we wanted a service that was a mix of traditional and Non. Fr Jef let us customize the whole thing. we started w/ a prayer - into 2 Non Traditional readings, into a gospel reading which lead into this homily which by far was the best part of the ceremony. He ask us both to fill out a questionnaire about each other (with out letting the other see it) He customized the whole homily to us - EVERY single person there thought that he was a family minister for years. If you are looking for someone - PLEASE do yourself a favor and make sure you get Fr Jef- WE ARE SO HAPPY WE DID! read more

Fr Jef is truly THE BEST! My husband and I wanted to do an outside ceremony, not in a church, but still wanted a priest to officiate our wedding. We came upon Fr Jef's website and were intrigued by all of the incredible reviews (not a bad one to be found!). The reviews are 100% correct! We had an introductory call with Fr Jef and then a few months later met him in person. He made us feel comfortable and that he would take our wedding ceremony as seriously as we did. As we anticipated, our ceremony went off without a hitch thanks to Fr Jef. I still have guests raving to me about how wonderful our ceremony was, especially the talk given by Fr Jef. They were amazed to learn we hadn't known him for years. Using the "homework" he gave to my husband and me individually, Fr Jef combined our answers into a thoughtful and funny homily. I HIGHLY recommend Fr Jef if you are looking for a wedding officiant! read more

Fr. Jef is simply fantastic. He officiate our July wedding and delivered the exact ceremony we wanted but in a more personal and emotional way than we ever could have imagined. While the ceremony is technically why we all have weddings, I rarely attend one that stands out as a highlight. Our ceremony was one of my favorite parts of the day. It was so special to my husband and I, and is something we'll cherish forever. I continue to play his words over in my head and my husband and I talk about it frequently. Not question, his ceremonies have high impact on a wedding day and a new marriage. Many friends and family members went out of their way to share with us what a beautiful ceremony we had. Look no further for a wedding officiant, Fr. Jef is truly amazing. read more

He was amazing at our wedding yesterday. His sermon had everyone tearing up and laughing all at the same time. He personalized everything to our love story and was soooo helpful prior to the wedding in finalizing each and every little detail. If we ever renew our vows, we will definitely be in contact with him! read more

If you are looking for a wedding officiant, look no further!!!! Everything you have read so far is 100% accurate. Father Jef is AMAZING! My husband and I were looking for an officiant, as neither of us are a part of a church, and stumbled upon Father Jef. After a quick coffee meeting, we knew he was the right officiant for us. Our wedding ceremony was unlike anything I had ever seen/heard before, Father Jef has such a way of bringing stories to life. When it was time for him to speak, right before our vows, Father Jef stepped into the aisle, forcing us to face our guests, which really helped connect with everyone and we all laughed together and it really made the ceremony so much more personal. Father Jef is funny, engaging, and has a way of keeping things light while still being completely professional. Its been a couple weeks since our wedding and our guests are still saying things like "That was the best wedding ceremony I've ever been to", "I want to go back in time and have him marry us", and "I'm seriously reconsidering the whole church wedding, just so I can have him marry us." and everyone's first question is "WHERE DID YOU FIND HIM?!?!" He is that amazing! We could not be more thrilled with the job Father Jef did, he made our wedding ceremony perfect. I can't wait to get our wedding video, so that I can watch the ceremony! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much, Father Jef! Truly amazing! read more