Looking for an evangelical Christian minister that is right for your Gulf Coast Alabama, Mississippi, Florida wedding?

I officiate over 150 beach destination and local weddings each year, including vow renewals, simple, formal, quickie, elopement, beach, home, park, traditional, casual, at our chapel, around Mobile, Dauphin Island, Point Clear, Fairhope, Fort Morgan, Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Alabama or Gulfport, Biloxi, Mississippi or Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Florida locations.

I am a church ordained, seminary trained, Baptist minister with 30 years experience across three denominations, as a pastor and as a hospital chaplain, and now serve as pastor of West Mobile Bible Fellowship, a simple church ministry that gathers on Sunday morning’s at our West Mobile Wedding Chapel.

Our chapel is located in Mobile, Alabama and that is also where I frequently meet with couples for wedding planning assistance, premarital counseling, provide marriage coaching ministry, and lead a monthly bridal planning class for area DIY brides.

If you choose me to have the honor of officiating your ceremony, you’ll get my help in several other ways, without additional costs, so your destination wedding or elopement can be as stress-free as possible. My Bridal Testimonials page will give you the scoop from other brides, too.

I have had the honor of officiating over 1300 weddings along the Gulf Coast, including consultation and coordinating services that otherwise would have added additional cost to the budgets. After officiating so many weddings, both small and large, simple to extravagant, outdoor to indoor, with every possible kind of family dynamics you can imagine, I will be available to answer your planning questions, help with bridal party coordination, or even to take photos with your camera – no additional fees.

I will freely share my experience and destination planning tips with brides who book me. I believe that a casual, yet attentive, wedding can offer a more intimate ceremony with lasting memories and I want to make that planning process convenient and less stressful, for you!

Entertaining…  

A few years ago while standing on the beach with a wedding party, I was asked by a guest what denomination I was with. Just as I answered “Baptist” a friend of the wedding party who had previously attended one of my weddings, said “He’s Parrot Head Baptist!”

From time to time, I’m still accused of that, but it really means that I’m not your typical stuffy-stressed-got-to-save-the-world kind of minister (I do get stressed and I do believe the world needs saving, but I’m thankful that my Lord is working on that and I want to cooperate with Him, but the beach reminds me to just chill-out and enjoy the moments He’s given us).

And you have to remember, I’m not only a minister but I am also a banquet comedian, and since I am a father of four children whose ages span 16 years, all I can do is pray and laugh.

As you may know, most pastors require you to be a member of their church or make 12 trips to their office to talk about your ex-spouses complaints, problems with your past, issues with communication, bla, bla, bla,…but I’m guessing you’re not looking to get married by the Pope or seeking sainthood status before your honeymoon.

You probably just want the dignity of an ordained Christian minister to add an authentic touch to the moment, while being meaningful and respectful to your day, with a dash of humor and some fun!

I have been featured on radio programs, magazines, and on several national television programs, including Fox News, Christian Television Network, and a special Valentine Day Event feature on ABC’s Good Morning America when I officiated a 450 couple vow renewal ceremony, hosted by Lucy Buffett, Jimmy Buffett’s sister, at Lulu’s Restaurant in Gulf Shores, Alabama. You can see a clip at my Video page.

Easygoing…

I’ve officiated weddings with budgets that have ranged from $50 to $50,000. I’ve had them at restaurants, parking lots, churches, barns, bars, dance clubs, hotels, homes, Walmart’s, McDonalds, truck stops, interstate rest areas, city parks, the beach, a small island, and even on the U.S.S. Alabama battleship (I’ve turned down underwater scuba and deep sea fishing trip weddings).

I’m very comfortable officiating for various church backgrounds, too. I pastor an interdenominational church and served for several years as a Hospital Chaplain. I also have a diverse personal background, I grew-up Catholic, and become Protestant, after a miracle conversion experience (personal testimony) and have served in ministry as an ordained minister and pastor with Adventist churches, Methodist churches, Nondenominational churches, and have been with Southern Baptist since 2000,

It was while working as a hospital chaplain that I began to receive requests to officiate weddings for couples coming to the beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama. I had to put up this web site to help curtail the phone calls that were interrupting my patient visits! While my talent as a banquet comedian should assure you of my ability to work last minute changes and adaptations, my background, education, and experience as a local church pastor and chaplain assures you of my commitment to a professionalism you count-on.

Photography Options…

If you bring your camera, I will be happy to take some photos of you both for no charge. Also, if you hand me your camera before I leave, I’ll take some photos of your whole group at no charge  I can take some on your phone, too so you can upload to your Facebook and prove to your family and friends back home, that you did it!

If you are looking for some quality digital photography options, please visit our Photography page to see about our $150 or $250 options. My daughter Kitti Durkac is a florist in Mobile who helps with photography options and my eldest daughter, Stephanie Fowler, is a professional photographer who offers a special digital photography package when I am booked to officiate your wedding.

Planning Assistance…

The fee for my services is for my time, getting in my schedule, and receiving assurance that I will certainly be there to make your wedding ceremony happen - legally and lovingly! The little extra bonus that you get for giving me the honor of officiating is planning assistance, rehearsal help, photography options, and a lifetime of pastoral availability!

I am the author of the “Simple Wedding Ceremony Planning Guide” and will gladly add or customize your ceremony, although most couples go with the Traditional Ceremony, which is not too long, not a Baptist revival nor a Roman Catholic mass, it’s a nice blend of spiritual and romantic, but not an over-kill on either.

I will come to your location of choice, rather than asking you to come to my spot on the beach, I’ll go to where it is convenient for you – your home, your condo, hotel, beach house, public beach, etc. At the beach you have parking access areas or the beach just outside where you are staying is usually the best spot.

Everyone on the beach respects a wedding and if you are down at a busy time, you’ll hear a loud applause when the groom kisses the bride. If it is a rainy day, which is not that often and usually passes quickly, but if it is a rare bad rain day, there are a few public gazebos where I’ve done a few weddings, before.

I offer, but do not require premaritial counseling. I do not require any specific church or faith affiliation, nor do I care if you have been married 6 times before, been living together for 32 years, or are soon to be the next octo-mom. I have no objections to officiating for couples of mixed-denominations, mixed-race, or mixed-minds. If you are a female bride and a male groom with a marriage license, I can officiate.

 

Please Check My Availability!

After you surf around, read some testimonials, see my officiating fees, view some videos, and feel comfortable with the prospect of me officiating your wedding, visit my 1) Check Availability page. If I am available and can officiate your wedding, I will ask you to go to my 2) Book Me page. Once you book me we will be on a countdown to your wedding day and you’ll be able to get my planning assistance as much as you’d like or need. If you have any questions please contact me!