We were lucky to catch up with Keri recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Keri, thanks for joining us today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

Weddings are expensive. According to a report by CNN most couples are spending an average of $29,000 per wedding and even more in major cities. A lot of people are looking for ways to save money on their budget – DIY for decorations or flowers, smaller guest lists, or having a friend get ordained to perform your wedding. This last part isn’t just a money-saving tactic; many people think there is no way a total stranger can know them as well as a friend or family member. I am here to prove that wrong.

I have now been in business for nine years and married over 350 couples. I have yet to have a couple tell me that I didn’t capture the essence of who they are together, and most comment that their wedding guests thought I knew them because of how personal I make everything. At Flower City Nuptials we pride ourselves in writing Couple-Centric Ceremonies – they aren’t cookie cutter. Each love story is unique,and we craft our ceremonies to showcase that. What we offer, as well as many professional officiants, is our background. A family member or friend may know you better, but when hiring a professional you are getting someone who is a polished speaker. We can handle the unexpected: a baby cries, a boat is docking and the engine is loud, it starts raining in the middle of a ceremony, or when the couple forgets the rings. We know how to coordinate with other vendors so your ceremony is seamless. We show up – I can’t tell you the number of times I have been contacted with “My uncle/brother in law/cousin, etc. was supposed to marry us but….” We are under contract; we’ll be there. Lastly, because we have been a part of many ceremonies, we can recommend rituals, readings, music or even the movement of the ceremony that best works for you.

Keri, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I intially got started officiating weddings just like a lot of other people: friends of mine were getting married and they wanted someone “not boring” to preside over their wedding. Jokingly, I said, “I’m not boring.” They said “You’re hired.” And the rest is history. I expected my experience to be one and done but several months later I received an email saying they were looking for an officiant and the bride’s godmother was at that first wedding and recommended me. I said yes and didn’t even know what to charge; for my friends I did it for free. My mom said to charge $50 – enough to cover gas to and from the rehearsal and wedding. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t nervous; I am an accomplished public speaker, but I wanted to give them an experience – there is no “do over” for their wedding. It went off without a hitch,and I was addicted; I loved hearing people’s love stories – how they met, what made them fall in love, and how did we get to this moment: the wedding. I love standing witness for couples in one of the happiest days of their lives. I love being the calm in the storm for couples who are nervous and hate being the center of attention. I continually tell my couples, “I’ve got your back.” I will never make them feel alone or uncomfortable while I am with them. And truly, once they see their person walking towards them, everything else, including me, disappears. They don’t believe me until it’s their day and after they’re like, “You were right.”

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think with me, what you see is what you get. Everyone deserves to have a spectacular wedding, and so I treat all couples the same regardless of budget. Their love is no more or less magical than someone else’s. It is also sad to say that even in 2023 there are still vendors out there that won’t work with the LGBTQIA community. I am a fierce ally and try to make it as obvious as I can that FCN is a safe space.

Additionally, I try to be fully transparent. I never hide my pricing, I don’t hide the ceremony from the couple – they can make changes or additions up until a week before the ceremony, and I don’t hide my process. I know I may not be the best fit for everyone and it’s better for all involved to know that sooner rather than later.

Lastly, I have worked hard to foster vendor relationships. Helping when I can, giving them shout outs, tagging vendors in my social posts – this costs nothing and means everything. Knowing and working well with other vendors only makes the couple’s day even better. And I love showing up and seeing one of my vendor-friends is there too!

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Katie, the other officiant at FCN, is truly one in a million. When COVID happened, so many people were rescheduling. I knew when the rescheduling couples set a new date plus the new couples finding me, I couldn’t meet the demand as one person. I posted an ad and had some great candidates and some not so great. I had Katie write a sample ceremony and her skill in crafting a couple-centric ceremony and her demeanor showed me she was the one. Because of COVID we didn’t meet in person for the longest time – until we did a photo shoot for the business; we had only communicated through emails, texts, and video chats. Katie is truly invaluable and maybe one of the only good things to come out of 2020.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.flowercitynuptials.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowercitynuptials/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flowercitynuptials/

Image Credits
Kniley Photography, Megan Dailor Photography, Ciao Bella Studios, Jessy Herman Photography, LeNovel Photography