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    Alison P.

    We were looking for a wedding officiant who was comfortable with a secular wedding and could provide guidance on a ceremony script/outline. Spike fit these criteria and more! She is a kind, friendly, and experienced officiant who we felt comfortable with right away. She helped us to create a custom ceremony that was so meaningful to us. On our wedding day, she was punctual and professional, but always warm and welcoming. We are happy that we chose Spike as our officiant and would recommend her to anyone.

    Eija S.

    I'm a little late in writing this review (it's been almost 8 years), but I didn't want to continue another day without writing a review for Spike. We absolutely LOVED Spike as our wedding officiant. After a consultation with her in person and continued conversation prepping over email, Spike helped guide us to tailoring our vows that fit our personalities, relationship, family, and world/religious views. We are a blended family, so we wanted to make sure the kids were included in there as well. Spike made this happen seamlessly and organically. Thanks to Spike, our wedding at Chapel Dulcinea was how we envisioned it and wouldn't change a thing!

    Nichole C.

    We opted for a tiny wedding at Spike's ranch, and her services as an officiant were more than we could have asked for! Her ranch was the perfect location and working with her was a cinch; she was extremely easygoing and flexible. When it came to deciding the *magical* words for our wedding ceremony, she provided some wonderful examples, but also really encouraged us to just run with it - resulting in a very special and personal experience. We thank her for helping us make such a big day out of our little elopement!

    Brittany W.

    Spike is an amazing wedding officiant! She's so nice and easy to work with. She officiated a friend's wedding ceremony a couple of years ago and she HIGHLY recommended her. We contacted Spike shortly thereafter and Spike suggested we meet at a local coffee shop. The meeting went great and my husband and I knew that we had to have her officiate our ceremony. We didn't want to have a cookie cutter wedding ceremony in terms of what was said, and with Spike's help, were able to have a very personalized ceremony tailored to reflect OUR relationship. We wanted our ceremony to be about us -- how we met, why we love each other, our hobbies, what we expect for the future, etc. We were able to create our own vows which we wanted to be somewhat lighthearted (e.g., "Scott, do you promise to cheerfully continue to entertain Brittany's ongoing proclamations that she really thinks you two should move to Alaska?" and "Brittany, do you promise to understand and accept that Scott will always be tinkering with something even if you do move to Alaska?"). But we also kept things somewhat traditional (e.g., "With this ring I thee wed...). Although we take marriage seriously, we never take anything TOO seriously and we wanted to reflect that in our ceremony. Spike can make your ceremony as traditional or as non-traditional as you'd like, though. She'll send you several samples from previous wedding ceremonies at first We found this really helpful. We were able to tell her what we liked from some of the samples, included some ideas that we had found on our own, and she basically constructed the ceremony from there. Email correspondence was always quick and she was always very nice, upbeat, and had very helpful suggestions. Next time I get married (just kidding.), I'll totally be giving Spike a call! ;)

    Spike speaking during our ceremony
    Crystal L.

    Spike is awesome!!!! That is all. Ok, I'll write a more serious review than that one statement above. You can see why i had reached out for her beautiful word smithing skills as to crafting out our beautiful ceremony right? We approached Spike after finding many other Austin locals who've gotten married through her many times of doing so that it would be a crime if we did not hire her. So we did! We paid her after inquiring on her details of services, and then we met her in person! I know, it's rather strange to hand over a stranger lots of money, and then meet them and see what they're all about. We met her at Cherrywood Coffee, and from there we knew she was the one, just as we knew we were gonna get married! It was all meant to be and speaking with Spike put us at such ease. She listened to our humorous story of our first date at a Best Buy, and from there everything was just how a wedding should be, not of Pinterest photo bridesmaid and shoes and floral galore, but of love and respect and a caring of so strong that she could paint the picture in words spoken in our ceremony. Spike did such an amazing job, she spoke fluidly the day of, reviewed and revised our personal vows we wrote and cropped them to be short and sweet like we asked, did this in a manner that was respectful and noninvasive which is quite a skill to have as an established writer. We specifically requested for nonreligious which I saw many others have asked of her as well but wanted some traditional blessings and love affirmations. She sends over some samples of past ceremonies she's written and you work with her to take pieces of what you like/dislike and suggestions for her to work on. Side note: she revised our ceremony numerous times after we had decided they'd be "final". I know planning a wedding is stressful but with Spike, it wasn't! The money we spent to have her officiate our wedding was more than we wanted to spend, $500 on an officiant (more than what my dress cost!), but I feel now so strong that it was the right amount as no amount of money could have given us the love and warmth that we shared with her. She is just the right person and aura of all Austiny feelings, spiritual, hippie, but so so warm and amazing to share the way with words at a special momental moment like a wedding. Our wedding was meant to be fun, loving, carefree and filled with the friends and family we so closely care for. Ps. She even snapped pics of us when we were about to get married, our fried foods, loved our venue, everything about the decorations and it honestly felt like a friend who was there to celebrate with us. I only wish I could get married more times to meet with her more often (not really, wedding planning is done for me ;) ), she's that awesome! :-)

    Bounce B.

    Google made it hard to find an acceptable wedding officiant remotely when they eliminated the "not" from their search parameters. Thus, after a day of searching for Austin officiants, reading bios, and scanning vows, the only thing I knew I wanted was a bourbon neat---something to sear the words "precious," "unique," "special," and "touching" from my mental palate. Finally, in desperation, I googled "wedding officiant austin tx dynamic agnostic," and Spike popped up. Not only is Spike's website wholy free of the frilly, her homepage contains the phrase---I kid you not---"holy bone." Which is why, although my fiance was at that very moment in Austin and blissfully believing he was by-god-done with officiant interviews, I called him up and plead for one more. As beau and his mother left that meeting, his mother said, "I don't know why you didn't cut her a check right there." They then drove to drinks with a friend who would (really) not impress you as knowing much about romance or, especially, weddings. When beau recapped his day, his friend cried out, "Spike? Holy shit, you have to hire her! She's amazing." Well...he was right. Spike was perfect. She is one of those rare people who carry a portable bubble of cool and charisma. You meet her and you want to be her friend. This was a personal boon to us as tremulous engaged folk, and it also ended up lending a sort of authority and credibility to our ceremony---which was, frankly, odd enough that it could use that sort of thing. Also, to be perfectly unromantic, Spike is an amazing resource. Since she's been officiating forever and is totally hooked into the wedding-service community, she helped us find a dynamo assistant and photographer. Later, when we had a question about licensing, she wrote me a page-length essay on the (many) Texas licensing options. You might think that'd make for dull reading, but I read it once for education and then a few more times, just for entertainment. Which brings me to my final point: Spike's a crazy-good writer. More than that, she's a good critic. Not a critic like my mother, in that sweetie-what-HAVE-you-done-to-your-hair-now way; but a critic like Paul Krugman. She's smart and incisive and knows whereof she speaks. So, whether she said our ideas were good or wonky, we trusted her. Now that we've had the wedding, we know that trust was warranted. Actually, if we'd had a just-OK officiant, we'd remember our wedding quite differently. There were a lot of moving parts and Spike was just one of them. But I reckon her part is mostly why we'll remember our wedding as the funnest one we've been to, and not that day of stress, or big blurry day, or day that still causes people to ask us what was up with those vows.

    I believe this photo was taken from Spike's iPhone. She was helpful enough to send us a last minute copy before our honeymoon.
    Lisa Z.

    Late Review! Spike was our officiant this past November. My husband and I vetted several officiants in the Austin area for our wedding. We found those that got reviews nearly as recommended as Spike were actually trained by Spike! We thought that said a lot so we corresponded back in fourth with her and she was always prompt and professional. Spike has done several ceremonies/weddings/gatherings of sorts and knew exactly what to do and how to do it. She provided us several readings and guided us through the ceremony. Hiring Spike as our officiant helped to get the ball rolling and eased us on the wedding planning. After the ceremony was over we got compliments on her speech style, the readings we picked, the fact you could hear Spike outdoors because she knows how to work a mic, and we had a few let us know that the ceremony was the best part. I know that could not have happened without the assistance of Spike. Lastly, part of her service is that she will mail the marriage certificate for you. A great perk for anyone that takes their honeymoon immediately after their wedding. I have a close friend get married at Disney World last year and their officiant did not provide this service and my friends completely forgot to mail in the certificate. Their Disney wedding is now invalid! Little do you know this can be the greatest small perk in her service as well. Spike has the most and best reviews on Yelp for a reason. Do not wait to the last minute she does book up!

    Chelsea B.

    I can't really add much to what others have said...except that it's clear Spike loves what she does. She really focuses on getting to know you. This was a challenge for us because we currently live in DC and were not coming back to Austin until 4 days before the wedding. It only took about 20 minutes on Skype to realize that Spike was just the best. She asked us all the right questions (what do you two want in a wedding? how do you want it to feel?), sent us sample vows, made sure we got the license in time. Spike, you made a special yet stressful day better and less stressful. Thank you!!!!

    I think the greatest compliment to Spike's work is the fact that our guests all thought that my husband and I had been friends with Spike for years. She was able to capture our story beautifully in just the two times we met with her before the ceremony. She was so much fun to work with and instilled a sense of trust from the moment we met her. Any concern I had about the fact that we didn't have a rehearsal in advance of the wedding vanished as I listened to her and enjoyed the ceremony she helped us create. We would recommend Spike unconditionally and feel incredibly lucky for the opportunity to have worked with her.

    A candid shot of us and our pro officiant Spike moments after our super rad ceremony. Thanks, Spike!!

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    14 years ago

    Spike puts the KICK in ASS. She's the best officiant a bride or groom could ever have. And a local hero to boot. Best wishes to all.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Spike Gillespie

    Review Highlights - Spike Gillespie

    She was able to capture our story beautifully in just the two times we met with her before the ceremony.

    Mentioned in 51 reviews

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    Elope in Austin - In home ceremony. Simple and Sweet

    Elope in Austin

    (13 reviews)

    My husband I were married this past weekend and it went off without a hitch. Our guest list was…read moresmall and we had our 2 dogs in the ceremony. Everyone was so friendly and helpful! Our officiant Sally took the time a couple of weeks before the wedding to speak with me on the phone and incorporated scriptures we requested, beautifully! We got our sample photos back within a couple of days (shout out to our photographer Kiera) - we love them and she went above and beyond for our pictures. All in all it was a lovely and fantastic experience! I think my one and only negative was that the music was played from a phone, but honestly it didn't take away from our experience any, if at all. Also, they had a great option for someone to hold your phone to record zoom for virtual guests for a small additional fee! Our guests didn't report any issues!

    I was/am completely amazed by it all. Lorelei gave such a wonderful heartfelt ceremony. We were…read moreboth so glad we went this route to elope with them. The scenery was just lovely. We took both our parents and they were in love with everything. We took our toddler and she was very understanding and patient even with him running around. We received our pictures within a few days and lovers every single one of them. I'm overall glad from start to finish and will forever remember our wedding day. Forgot to add: We went with Star Hill ranch for the location. If you book here you won't regret it!

    I Pronounce You - Jess and Michelle finally got their beautiful wedding. I Pronounce you officiating.  Such a sweet celebration.

    I Pronounce You

    (20 reviews)

    Nancy is the sweetest person who truly cares about those she helps! A rare find today! Consider her…read moreif you need counseling or a wedding officiant!

    Nancy Woods only cares about the money, not the individuals she is being hired to marry…read more She will insist you need coaching, no matter your age. She is not married herself. Works from her home and refuses to meet at your home or another location. She requires 1/2 payment upfront before you ever get to have your 1st meeting. The coaching sessions were $600. She insisted we attend 6 coaching session in order for her to get to know us better. She did not ask us about our history or offer to tell us anything about her background. When we arrived at the 1st session we were handed a folder with 110 multiple choice questions within 10 minutes of our arrival and told we had 20 minutes to take the test. Crazy. We are 59 and 62 years old. We didn't need coaching our a marriage counselor. My 1st marriage of 34 years ended after loosing my late husband to brain cancer in 2023. He had a 23 month battle. He was the love of my life and my only marriage. My fiancé' only agreed to attend because I ask him. When we arrived and when we left our 1st session, we knew nothing about this woman. Ed had never spoken with her prior and was so offended by her approach. Do not use this woman's services. She only cares about the financial side not about your wedding and marriage being a success.

    Hotel Van Zandt

    Hotel Van Zandt

    (443 reviews)

    $$$

    Austin-Although we did not stay here, we went to check out the restaurants, the bar, and the entire…read morehotel. Definitely would return here if I needed a cozy type of hotel to stay at. The gal at the front desk was very knowledgeable and had a lot of good information for us. She even recommended a place for us to go and have an early lunch. Super friendly!

    Let's start with the good. Food and drinks are excellent…read moreespecially Geraldine's. Service at restaurant was also amazing. Check-in was easy and they give you a free margarita. The bad. Biggest downfall is they allow public purchase access to the pool. So if you're with your family staying here, you won't get a seat at the pool unless you get here by 9 am to snag a chair. My first day sucked because all I wanted to do was relax and get a tan. All I could do was stand around towel in hand Wasted day. Their loss because I went back upstairs, changed, and went and spent my money on Rainey st rather than at the pool. Day two got a chair but the pool area is pretty dirty. Murky pool and food drippings all over the ground. Music at pool is great and so are the food and drinks. Room was very basic. Stains all over velvet seating and sink is backing up but I'm not wasting my time to wait for maintenance, I paid to relax so trying to ignore. Over stocked mini bar, no room for your personal food/bev. So I took it all out and put it on the counter. Rainey street is walkable and gorgeous, highly recommend going down there for a stroll and some fun. To sum up, I recommend they pull public pool Access, your pool area is too small for that extra buck. And if you see furniture in the room is stained, clean it or replace it. First impressions are super important

    Central Ceremonies by Austin Weddings Unlimited

    Central Ceremonies by Austin Weddings Unlimited

    (18 reviews)

    Downtown

    Our officiant Kelly was amazing to work with. My now husband and I really wanted someone from the…read morecommunity to officiate, and while everyone we spoke to from Central Ceremonies would have been a great fit, Kelly's energy really spoke to us from the beginning, and it feels really good to have that feeling affirmed after the wedding. Numerous people commented on how beautifully she spoke. Even as I was standing in front of everybody with tears in my eyes, I had a moment when I actually thought to myself, "Damn she is killing this." Even though I knew basically everything she was going to say ahead of time, I found myself ill-prepared for how much weight her words would have when she actually delivered them. My husband and I are delighted to have shared this special moment with her. It's almost a shame that we'll likely never need her services again!

    Cam is a true professional and did a wonderful job at our wedding. We really didn't know what we…read morewere doing with writing a ceremony and he guided us and delivered exactly what we wanted. His presence is so calming! He met with us to get to know us as a couple and took that in mind when writing the ceremony. He was so professional but also had a way of really making the ceremony personalized. Our guests said great things about him and were surprised he didn't even use personally. We are so happy with Cam and would recommend him to anyone.

    Spike Gillespie - wedding_planning - Updated May 2026

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