Behind the Scenes with Father Jerry Bellamy
Father Jerry Bellamy is a retired Catholic priest who has been planning and officiating weddings in Santa Barbara for over 50 years. He specializes in both religious and non-religious ceremonies as a non-denominational minister and also performs weddings in Spanish as well as English.
But, what really sets Father Bellamy apart is his ability to cater to his couples and to create a ceremony that satisfies everyone’s wants and needs involved—whether that be by sticking to tradition or hosting a very modern event.
Learn a little bit more about Father Jerry Bellamy’s services from the officiant himself below and find a form to contact him about your own upcoming wedding HERE.
Q - What is your favorite location to work? What is the style that makes this location special for couples?
A - I perform weddings in most every location in California, from the most grand, to the most humble. Regardless of where their ceremonies will be performed, I always meet with my couples, often months before their wedding dates. My couples come from all parts of the state/nation. We meet in the lobbies of the best hotels in Santa Barbara/Goleta. Many times, the couples have never been to Santa Barbara before. All are thrilled to have "had to" come to this wonderful city for our planning session.
Q - What is your #1 top piece of advice you give to couples before they hire you?
A - The top piece of advice I give to couples, before they hire me, is to remind them that the most important part of their wedding day is their wedding ceremony. Their ceremony is the reason for, and sets the tone of, their entire day. I urge them to hire a professionally trained/ordained officiant to work with. Some couples spend huge amounts of time, money and energy planning their menus, clothes, flowers, table clothes, invitations, professional planners and then, end up giving very little attention to the quality of their wedding ceremony. I remind them that they will have many, many parties, dinners, dances, and celebrations in their lives, but ONLY ONE WEDDING CEREMONY, to look back on.
Q - What is trending with your couples?
A - As couples face the difficulties of current economic downturns, I see so many couples focusing on the quality and value of working with a professionally trained and ordained priest, minister. They are shopping for value, not just "rock bottom" pricing. Couples realize that when a friend or coordinator suggests that they should only "budget" $500, for their wedding officiant, that the coordinator cares very little about the quality of their ceremony. $500 is a "rock bottom" fee to pay for an officiant.
Q - What are 2 things you wish couples would do for every wedding?
A - I wish couples would find the time to work on their communication skills. Many couples attend marriage preparation classes sponsored by their churches or temples. Some couples attend the Engaged Encounter weekend retreats for engaged couples. Some couples meet with professional counselors to better understand the challenges and opportunities for growth in their relationships.
Q - To date, what wedding have you done that has made the top of your favorite list, and why?
A - I have planned and performed more than 9,000 weddings during the last 53 years, after my 12 full years of formal seminary training and ordination. Among those 9,000+ weddings, many have been very high profile, and many have been very low profile. Each one is on my favorite list.
One day, I performed a wedding for a very poor couple. I celebrated their wedding at 10am, on a Saturday, at the end of an alley in an apartment complex in Santa Barbara. They wore their best work clothes. The music for their ceremony was from a portable radio. On that very same day, at 5pm, I celebrated a wedding at one of the most exclusive hotels in the area. In many ways, the contrast between both weddings could not have been more dramatic. However, both couples make my "favorite list". Both of them knew "what it was all about". Both couples had the same values. I have over 430, 5-Star reviews in one of the major wedding websites.
Photos courtesy of Father Jerry Bellamy