Father Jerry Bellamy

eremony. Father Jerry was extremely helpful and knowledgeable with planning our dream ceremony. We met with him a few weeks before the wedding so he could learn more about us as a couple and completely customize the ceremony to us and our desires. The wedding ceremony was amazing and we have Father Jerry to thank for it. All of our family and guests are still raving about how great he was and how it seemed as if he had known us for years. More importantly, my wife and I are still talking about how special he made our moment at the altar. I highly recommend Father Jerry for your big day.

provides a very detailed plan that’s easy to follow and helps you visualize a ceremony that meets your needs and vision for your wedding. We loved working with him and our guests raved about him! He was the star of the night!

raditional. Our ceremony was incredibly heartfelt, so many guests complimented us on the ceremony and many stated they were brought to tears. We were so happy to have found Father Jerry! He will also make you feel so comfortable, loved, and bring a smile (or laugh) to your face, We HIGHLY recommend!

who is genuine, respectful of all religions, honest, funny, and just a great conversation. 10/10!

y and I would recommend him to my friends for their wedding!

put me and my husband at ease. Fr. Jerry had many great ideas of what to incorporate into a wedding ceremony. He also provided great advice on how to ensure all parts flow together well. He was extremely flexible, and worked with us on every detail to create the wedding we both envisioned. Our wedding was bilingual, and incorporated Catholic and Mesoamerican based traditions. Fr. Jerry is bilingual. He spoke in Spanish at parts of the ceremony, which made my grandmother (who speaks little English) feel included in our celebration. Fr. Jerry’s years of experience planning, and officiating weddings helped to calm our nerves and carry out a day I will never forget.

s along with covid time was exceptional whether via email or texting. He always got back to us in a timely manner. Upon meeting him in person we felt so at ease about him marrying us. He was over our budget range but we just had to have him marry us. We worked very hard to have him marry us on 11/14/2020. Our family was so please and happy with the way our ceremony went. He accommodated our families many faith's with confidence. Thank you Father Jerry. We hope to see you again in person. God bless you and your family.

cluding close family and bridal party members. We hired Father Jerry pre-COVID due to his great recommendations and that, as a retired Catholic priest, we could combine some religious, sacred elements into the ceremony while respecting the beliefs of all guests in a relaxed, outdoor ceremony. But Father Jerry's role became much more important as it was clear that this wedding would be a combination of bittersweet and joyful, poignant yet hopeful for a return to normalcy in the future. Father Jerry spoke on the phone with the bride and groom for almost 3 hours in order to just get to know them as a couple and help them see what was most important to them in their ceremony. On the wedding day, he brought just the right amount of solemnity with a great sense of joyfulness and humor. Guests alternated between crying and laughing during the 30 minute ceremony. It was just perfect! Guests kept asking where we "found" Father Jerry. I think my son's grandparents guided us from heaven. Thank you Father Jerry.

o much love and creativity to both the planning and the performance of the marriage. Initially we were going to have a large wedding at a fancy restaurant on the beach but because of Covid-19 everything changed and we elected to have a much smaller ceremony on the sand with only our immediate families. Lucky for us Father Jerry is a professional of the highest caliber with tons of experience. He took the time to talk to us at length and get a sense of who we were and afterwards brought to us a wealth of wonderful ideas. He was so easy to talk to, a great listener and I got the sense that he was having as much fun as we were in working out every detail. He loves what he does and it shows. I truly felt that it was as important to him as it was to us that everything come together perfectly. Without his help our ceremony would not have been nearly as good. As it were, it turned out to be magical and for that we have Father Jerry to thank. As far as his role in the actual performance of the wedding, Father Jerry is a very special man and very talented at what he does. He has a charm about him that speaks to the heart and his very presence radiates love and kindness. He knows how and when to interject humor into the ceremony and at which moments to speak words of wisdom that are profound and meaningful. This all leads to an unforgettable and well balance ceremony. Years ago I saw Father Jerry perform the wedding of a relative and now as the groom one of the few things I insisted upon was that he perform our wedding. It was the best choice we made and, not surprisingly, everyone who attended our wedding couldn’t say enough about Father Jerry. He was absolutely amazing!

ictures in which he appears are incredibly fun!

to say and do in our ceremony. When we met with Father Jerry for the first time, we knew we had found the perfect compromise. As it turned out, he was the perfect choice: we heard from many guests that it was the best wedding ceremony they'd ever attended. He helped us personalize portions of the ceremony so that our relationship was always at the center, but kept the framework traditional so it felt like a "real" wedding. As a retired Catholic priest, he lent the gravity and seriousness our parents wanted, and as a marriage equality supporter, he made us feel comfortable and valued He was also willing to help us find that perfect balance of a nod to Catholicism without making us uncomfortable since we're non-religious. Father Jerry is hilarious and kind, and charmed everyone he spoke to. We would definitely recommend him to other couples!

e altar with my husband. He made it comfortable for the guests that attended the ceremony as well. I had my ceremony done in english with the reading and prayers done in Spanish. My relatives were grateful that I had some of my Spanish culture included in the ceremony because father Jerry was able to provide it for me. I had booked him a couple of weeks before the wedding since I couldn't find a priest. I was so grateful that he was able to be part of the ceremony because it turned out amazing.

ppreciated how he would give us support in planning such as giving options to pick/things to include. He was a perfect balance of guiding and also letting us have our own special twist to our ceremony. He met with us in person, was very responsive via telephone and following up. At first we felt his price was high but after meeting with him we realized he was worth it. Let me tell you he was so worth it. Everyone complimented on our ceremony and how funny he was!

ngs that were important to us and put us at such ease with his wonderful sense of humor and professionalism. Our guests raved about him and were appreciative that the ceremony reflected our families’ Christian and Buddhist faiths. We are so grateful to Father Jerry for making our day so special and memorable- we cannot recommend him enough!

nd, funny, laid back and yet, a true professional. During our initial meeting, he walked us through the entire process, explaining every step of the way. He saw our vision and brought it to fruition on the day of our wedding. He was well prepared and executed his duties with ease. Many of our guests later explained how his personality made the experience feel more engaging than any other wedding they had ever attended. I highly recommend his services and know you will not regret choosing him!

ce our multicultural and inter-religious needs as my wife's family is Pakistani Christians. Do not waste your time looking for anyone else, Fr. Jerry is the best in the business! Fr. Jerry couldn't have been more kind, genuine, or knowledgeable about the entire process. He worked with us in detail regarding the whole ceremonial process, gave us the freedom to design the ceremony ourselves all the while being a true professional, and listening to our needs. Thank you Fr. Jerry for making our wedding the most spectacular day!

de for our ceremony. We highly recommend him for your special day!

that’s what Father Jerry performed that day. Easy to work with, very delightful attitude and easy going. Thank you very much Father Jerry. We love you and will will never forget the beautiful ceremony.

ho is planning their wedding.

rry and I were the only people speaking Spanish. He chose one of the best places in Santa Barbara! All of our friends were able to attend including our dog. Jerry is amazing, I haven't met anyone like him. I remember that day laughing and crying so much at the same time. He was always so warm and close, something that was supposed to be normal in a ceremony, made it something different and uncommon. In other words, it was the wedding that I had always dreamed of.

we met him, he brought a positive energy – full of wisdom, to the planning and officiating of the wedding. His ceremonies are thoughtful in that he considers the personalities and needs of the couple and their families. For example, he asked us to write letters to one another for him to read. In doing so, my husband and I were able to be fully present – not needing to worry about nerves. Father Jerry thoughtfully planned every aspect of the ceremony from our self-selected readings; to acknowledging the importance of our guests in supporting us as a couple; to the flowers presented to our moms and step-mom; to putting my dad at ease with his humor when it came time to give me away. In short, Father Jerry is inspiring in the way he conducts himself; in his genuine concern and love for the couple, families, and guests; and in his ability to set the tone for the couple’s union. Meeting him and having him officiate our wedding was a true honor.

her Jerry conduct our wedding. Our ceremony had a perfect flow, perfect personal touches, and enough tradition to make it feel classic and timeless. We met with Father Jerry with Santa Barbara to plan the ceremony. He made some great suggestions and drew out the ceremony so we understood exactly what would happen. After our meeting, he typed up every single small detail so that our wedding planner could seamlessly run the rehearsal. It’s clear why he’s been trusted with thousands and thousands of ceremonies :) In the ceremony itself, we used traditional vows along with letters that we wrote to each other the day before the wedding. This allowed us the personal touch, but since Father Jerry read the letters aloud, it helped a ton because I was crying the entire time. My personal favorite part was when Father Jerry asked us to take a second and look out at the crowd of people who came to celebrate with us. It really helped to be in the moment. In additional, Father Jerry recommended we handed out flowers to our grandparents and parents during the ceremony, and it made for some beautiful photos hugging our grandparents that we’ll all cherish. I know this review is heavily focused on logistics, but I can’t emphasize enough the emotion, beauty and personality Father Jerry brough to the ceremony. So many guests raved about him after the ceremony, and our families continued to talk about the ceremony for months after. You plan your whole wedding thinking the reception is going to be the best part, but hands down the ceremony was the most memorable and amazing — thanks to the expertise and love Father Jerry puts into the ceremony.

how impressed they were and that ours was the best they had been to. We highly recommend Father Jerry

r guests fully engaged! People are still talking to us about how great Father Bellamy was.

could tell by that first call that he really cares about what he does and that he really cares about getting to know you. He was a perfect fit for us, as an ex-priest, because both our families are mostly Catholic. He was flexible enough to work with us at our outside venue, and we were thrilled we picked him. We visited him in Santa Barbara and spoke with him in person for over an hour about ourselves and what we wanted from our wedding ceremony. All of his suggestions were spot on, and it was clear that we were in good hands. The weekend to Santa Barbara to meet with him was one of the highlights of our wedding planning. Father Jerry was a hit at our wedding. Everyone had nothing but great comments about how great he was. He made everything stress free. Our ceremony was perfect and beautiful. Thanks, Father Jerry!

uests laughing/crying the whole time. Father Jerry’s attention to detail during our initial meeting translated into truly representing our dynamic throughout the ceremony.

patiently guided us through each step of the process, and was quick to respond to each question we had. The ceremony was touching and meaningful. We would recommend Father Jerry to anyone looking for that special touch to add to their ceremony.

essen the stress of perfecting our wedding ceremony by guiding us to pick readings and incorporating messages that reflected our personal upbringings and relationship. It is so easy to work with Father Jerry; he is knowledgeable, professional, and offers suggestions and advice to create the perfect ceremony. He truly has a way of putting you at ease during the planning process and the day of the wedding. With his guidance our ceremony was easily constructed and he helped us create memories that we will cherish for a lifetime! Father Jerry helped us create a ceremony that was warm, full of laughter, and unique. We were so pleased by how personal the ceremony was and how Father Jerry incorporated Catholic and non-denominational traditions that reflected our marriage and relationship perfectly. Our family and friends have continually commented on our wedding ceremony and how special it was. We give all of the credit to Father Jerry and his magical work. We are beyond grateful he officiated our wedding and could not image our wedding day without him!

ilies felt like we were giving each religion equal attention. Father Jerry spent a significant amount of time helping me to plan the ceremony and had some wonderful ideas. I wanted a light hearted ceremony that was joyful and full of love and he definitely delivered that. He was the perfect choice for our dual-religious ceremonies and I would highly recommend!

nd we had our dream ceremony because of him. Our guests loved him and can't stop talking about him. He is super fun! Also, speaks Spanish which is a plus. Thanks father Jerry!

e reviews they posted about him and because of his background as a retired catholic priest and yes he's the best and he will not disappoint! His humor and wisdom gave color and meaning to our already wonderful union of love as husband and wife. His message to us and the way he handled our special day will always be memorable to us and our family. Given our hectic schedule, he was able to work with us through phone and it turned out perfect! On the day itself, he reminded us to relax and would reassure us every step of the way. Overall, I would not have it any other way. Thank you so much Father Bellamy!

. Our guests really enjoyed our ceremony and made a point to tell us how unique and warm it was. We are so pleased with how our wedding ceremony turned out!   My husband is Jewish and I am Catholic, so we were clueless about how to incorporate both faiths into our wedding ceremony. In fact, the ceremony seemed like one of the biggest challenges when we first began planning our destination wedding. Luckily, we were able to book Father Jerry to co-officiate our ceremony with Rabbi Barry Tuchman. They took a lot of the stress out of planning the interfaith ceremony and were integral to helping us design a ceremony that incorporated our faiths. From the beginning, Father Jerry was very helpful in guiding us through the process. He spent a lot of time talking with us during our first phone call and then met with us in person to create a detailed plan for our wedding ceremony. Father Jerry has a lot of experience officiating weddings and gave us a lot of helpful advice regarding which aspects of the Catholic mass would blend well with the Jewish traditions. He also worked closely with Rabbi Barry to incorporate the Catholic and Jewish traditions and it’s clear that they have experience co-officiating weddings together. Father Jerry worked very well with Rabbi Barry and the two have a great chemistry together. They are both very open-minded about interfaith ceremonies and are very knowledgeable about blending faiths to create a cohesive ceremony. For the ceremony, the two stood side-by-side and incorporated their respective parts of seamlessly. Father Jerry and Rabbi Barry also both have a great sense of humor and did a great job of making our guests feel comfortable. Our ceremony was fantastic and we really enjoyed working with Father Jerry!

ring the ceremony he spoke eloquently and added so much humor & light. All of our families and friends still comment on how great of a job he did. I would absolutely recommend him to any couple. Selecting an officiant can be difficult because you want someone who knows you. Father Jerry takes the time to get to know you both. We will always remember how special he made our ceremony.

t with numerous couples (preplanning for the wedding at the hotel I believe). I loved the way he conversed with each couple he spoke to. Over the years I heard many reviews of Father Jerry from many of these couples. This is why I would always joke with him that “someday I hope you can officiate my wedding”. So after “Mr. Right” popped the question, I immediately called Father Jerry and asked him if he would do the honor of officiating our special day. He immediately said yes of course. I am so thankful that he was able to do it for us, I do not think anyone could have done a better ceremony than Father Jerry. His professional demeanor and kind personality along with his many years of experience officiating ceremonies make him the perfect man for the job.

we had discussed during the planning session or subsequently. During the ceremony, he acknowledged grandparents who were not there (we'd told him months before that all our grandparents passed on long ago) which made the ceremony feel impersonal. He seemed preoccupied with payment and receiving a tip, rather than fulfilling his role as an officiant.

Jerry was amazing. We got to meet with him in Santa Barbara which was an added bonus since it's a beautiful place. He is friendly, kind and funny. Meeting with a holly man can be intimidating, but Father Jerry makes you feel at ease. He gave us amazing advice and suggestions for our ceremony. He added an element of uniqueness. Everyone loved him and the ceremony. I would absolutely recommend him.

ally get to witness someone who knows their stuff when it comes to weddings. Fr. Jerry knew all the vendors and inside tips and tricks to make our wedding just the way we wanted it. He hooked us up with the musician for our ceremony and our ceremony location, both of which we loved. Leading up to the ceremony Fr. Jerry has lots of suggestions to personalize your ceremony based on his past experience in the field. While it may seem like you’re adding a lot, the ceremony actually flies by, typically lasting just under 30 minutes. On the day of our ceremony we were pleased by how personal the celebration was and how Fr. Jerry was able to incorporate Catholic and non-denominational traditions that reflected our marriage perfectly. All of our guests had a great time and Fr. Jerry was a huge part of making that happen.

some religious points but not too many, and we wanted it to be enjoyable. Father Bellamy far exceeded our expectations. He met with us about 5 months before our wedding for a few hours. I had a unique situation with my father passing before the wedding, and Father Bellamy knew exactly how to handle everything. He planned out our entire ceremony to our liking, and he gave us great advice. We have been getting constant praise/compliments from our guests about Father Bellamy. They all stated that the ceremony was lovely, funny and that our officiant was so great. Our wedding would not have been the same if Father Bellamy did not perform our ceremony. My husband and I are so grateful that he was part of our special day.

us at ease and made the whole ceremony planning process so smooth. It only took one meeting with him and our whole ceremony was planned, in detail from start to finsih - he took in every consideration and suggestion from us, and we loved and used a lot of his recommendations too. Father Jerry really works with you to customize tings exactly how you imagine. He's such a pro and will keep you relaxed on your wedding day. We received so many compliments from our guests that it was one of the most personal and special ceremonies they'd every been to, and afterward Father Jerry took care of all the paperwork and logistics so we could enjoy without any stress. Highly recommend.

incredible show! When we first met Jerry, he led the session from the beginning, asking us questions and then gave us several recommendations on how to craft the perfect ceremony for us. We took him up on many of them, and the end result was just perfect. Jerry also designs the ceremony to include the guests in the moment, and they sure felt like they were part of the celebration with us. We received comments that this was the best wedding they had ever attended, and we give Father/Reverend Jerry a lot of the credit for helping to set that up.

as the ability to take the stress out of it and put everyone at ease. Father Jerry is also bilingual; therefore it was the perfect combination for our bilingual wedding. Father Jerry offers a unique service that you won't be able to get from anyone else. Definitely worth the extra money!!

ts!! He is also very comedic and entertaining and had most of our guests laughing.. After the ceremony they all remarked at how much they liked him!! Jerry is the best!