First Coast Ceremonies

did a wonderful job with our premarital counseling. His approach to the ceremony was exactly what we had hoped for, and he made sure to give us as much freedom with the ceremony as we wanted. We couldn't have asked for a better officiant!

roughout the entire experience. During the ceremony, he spoke with warmth and was very engaging. He also offered us several options when planning and helped us structure the flow of the ceremony and messages. Overall, he was organized, kind, and truly helped make our wedding day special.

nd perfectly paced not rushed, not drawn out. He took the time to understand us as a couple and delivered a ceremony that felt genuine and meaningful. We had so many guests comment on how beautiful and touching it was. If you’re getting married at the Embassy Suites in St. Augustine — or anywhere — I can’t recommend Bob enough. We’re very grateful he was part of our day.

the time to get to know us as a couple in order to build our perfect ceremony. He was collaborative and had great ideas that delivered the best message to tell our story. He even incorporated our beloved dog into his speech. He made us laugh and he made us cry. 10/10 would recommend Bob to perform your wedding ceremony! 

, making everything feel meaningful and personal rather than overwhelming. His wisdom, kindness, and calm presence helped us feel grounded and confident every step of the way. On the day of our ceremony, Pastor Bob delivered a beautiful, heartfelt service that truly reflected who we are as a couple. His words were sincere, uplifting, and deeply moving—so much so that many of our guests commented on how special and personal the ceremony felt. We couldn’t have asked for a better person to officiate such an important moment in our lives. We are incredibly grateful to Pastor Bob Hovey for his guidance, compassion, and genuine dedication. We highly recommend him to any couple looking for an officiant who brings grace, authenticity, and heart to every part of the experience.

ndations having seen and been apart of so many weddings!

ng us at ease from start to finish. Pastor Bob was not only friendly and humorous but also exceptionally professional and prompt, consistently providing the perfect amount of attention and feedback to ensure our ceremony was exactly as we envisioned. On the wedding day, he executed everything flawlessly, and we truly appreciated his natural gift for blending the solemnity of the occasion with just the right touch of humor. We can honestly say we wholeheartedly recommend his services—you certainly won't regret it!

nality to our ceremony while still keeping it heartfelt and meaningful. He truly took the time to make it personal to us, which made it feel so special. And as if that wasn’t enough, he even offered to take us on a boat ride whenever we wanted— talk about going above and beyond! If you want someone who’s professional, warm, and knows how to make your big day unforgettable, Bob is your person!

omance that eased our nerves and was always communicating with us to make sure our wedding day was the best day of our lives. We would highly recommend him!

y one of his couples! We also did his Premarital Counseling sessions, and we would definitely recommend them to all couples using First Coast Ceremonies! He made everyone feel so comfortable and honestly all our nerves melted away during the ceremony. All of our guests said it was the most beautiful wedding ceremony they've ever attended and that is all thanks to Pastor Bob!

ions, he was able to understand who we are as a couple, and to create a ceremony which blended the personal and the traditional. He was respectful of our wishes while providing helpful guidance from start to finish. His experience and passion for weddings really shine. If you are looking for someone who is both professional and personable, we could not recommend Pastor Bob highly enough.

ples! I would recommend First Coast Ceremonies to anyone and everyone!! 10/10

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riage should be performed by a man of GOD. So, instead of going the easy route, the cheap route, and paying a notary public, I searched for a minister to perform my wedding ceremony; even though I have not been grounded in church in years. The original gentleman that I spoke to was not available; then my fiancé, now husband, wanted to get married the week of Christmas. He referred me to one of his colleagues, and when we interviewed, things seemed fine, and I was excited to have found a preacher. Due to the timing, availability was difficult for many people, so I provided him a $500 deposit the very day that we met. I was excited to hear that he offered premarital counseling as I was with someone who would be willing to do that. Marriage is difficult and I thought it would be therapeutic, especially since I had been married before, but my fiance had not. We set up the first appointment for counseling and made sure that our work schedules lined up to where we would be off that night, but when the night arrived, the preacher did not. After many attempts to reach him, he informed me that he thought he was speaking to someone different and insisted that he needs emails to keep his appointments straight and we would have to reschedule, but that he would take the cost of the counseling off since he missed our first appointment. I was disappointed that we had to reschedule, but excited when the day of our first official counseling appointment arrived with him. I provided the preacher with an official Save-the-Date as well as a formal invitation for the entire event. My partner and I had actually had a misunderstanding recently and was amazingly, man enough to bring it up during the session in hopes of getting advice to prevent malfunctions in the future. My partner told his side of the story to the preacher, but when it came time for me to tell my side, an interruption occurred, and I never got my chance to say my peace. I had hoped the the preacher would remind my partner that I too need to get things off of my chest and allow me to finish side of a story, but he did not and it left me with hurt feelings. I discussed this after the meeting with my partner and we agreed that on our next counseling session, we would bring it up so that I could say my peace and we could move on. However, when the next counseling session arrived and we informed the preacher of what had occurred, and that I had had hurt feelings and wanted to say what I had missed getting to say, his response was more hurtful than I could have imagined. He began referring to me as dramatic and asking my partner if he was sure that he wanted to marry this. I was awestruck, appalled, dumbfounded, bewildered....not only did this not sound like therapeutic marriage counseling, it didn't sound like the way that a man of GOD would speak, and very simply, it did not sound like a good business practice to speak to your customers like that. At this point, the wedding was only a couple of months away and I had already given his so much money, I just moved on. He promised to send ceremony samples in an email & we discussed the need for a rehearsal. He started we should do the rehearsal on Friday evening, the day before the wedding. A couple weeks later I had to follow up to ask for the ceremonies as I had not received them. Once I did, there was a note on the top referencing potential rehearsal on the evening before the wedding. When I had my final meeting with the venue I requested the evening before for a rehearsal just as the preacher had asked. When I messaged him again to confirm the rehearsal and some final details, he notified me that he had a funeral that morning and a wedding that evening and would not be available that day at all. I rescheduled with the venue and my wedding party and we were able to set up the rehearsal for 2 days before instead. Also at this time the preacher asked about the final amount of money I owed him and he asked for the original amount still with no discount for the missed counseling appointment. I reminded him on what he told me he would take off and he said I would still owe $100. I did not have the time or mental fortitude to hunt for the contract, so I agreed. On the night of the rehearsal, I was nervous, but cautiously optimistic. I have the preacher the marriage license and the $100. My (now) husband and his family are not from here and English is not their first language. I made 2 or 3 attempts to discuss with the preacher the potential for scheduling slow downs as some cultures are not as punctual as others and the need for extra time consideration when reading our vows because of potential language difficulties, but every time I attempted to speak to him was hushed. I expressed my concerns to my, then fiance, and asked if he would speak with the preacher since the preacher seems to listen to other men (certified member of the old boys club). Come the morning of the wedding, it was one malfunction after another. Many weddings experience this as it is such a grand event and there are so many difficult moving parts and so many people involved, but the most earth-shattering turn of events never crossed my mind as a possibility. While I was running late, getting my hair done and getting dressed because of other malfunctions and delays that had occurred. A few minutes after it was time for me to have originally walk down the aisle, I start missing messages from the wedding party that the preacher is saying if we don't start soon, that he's going to leave. I spoke with my hairdresser, photographer, and venue coordinator and everyone reminds me that it's normal for weddings to start late. I asked if we could get someone to go talk to the preacher and I learn that he had booked another wedding for the same day, only 2 hours after mine. We rushed my hair styling and donning my dress and was walking out to the staging area for entrance as we see the preacher leaving. I was told he asked one of my guests to recite the ceremony and gave him the license AND ACTUALLY LEFT.

t a doubt, we would love for him to officiate our wedding. Pastor Bob truly wants to get to know you and your spouse and makes every effort to meet up with you in person — whether it’s grabbing dinner, ice cream, or taking you out on his boat! We felt like we knew Pastor Bob for years and it really made our ceremony special. We were given 3 ceremony templates and were able to add/take our whatever we wanted to make it “our own”. Pastor Bob attended our rehearsal practice and we were able to make sure everything was perfect. He did SUCH an amazing job during our ceremony and added some humor, which we loved. We could not be more pleased with our experience with Pastor Bob as our officiant!

ted for wedding planning, and his pre marital counseling was so fun and helpful! He was a joy to have as our officiant and helped make the ceremony a truly magical experience with beautiful readings and a fun sense of humor! By the end, he feels like part of the family! Thank you for everything, Pastor Bob!

Pastor John would be able to officiate our wedding. Pastor John did a beautiful job at our wedding and we couldn’t have asked for a better officiant. Highly recommend First Coast Ceremonies!

the ceremony, he was professional and confident. From the moment we met him, we knew that he would perform a perfect, beautiful ceremony that fit us. He truly made our wedding day even more special with how well he conducted the ceremony and his positive attitude throughout the evening.

ys willing to work with you to make the best wedding ceremony you could imagine! We absolutely loved Pastor Bob!

ng with Trey and felt like we knew him and Bob from the start. Both share an amazing love and understanding for the gospel and helped us bring that into our wedding and ceremony. We love them both and are so lucky to have worked with them!

riends and family as to how engaging and wonderful the ceremony was, as well. Pastor Bob helped to make our big day even more special. We very much recommend him!

remony. He really listens to what you want out of an officiant and even gives suggestions on what would work well. We could not have been happier with our experience.

ceremony options, then let us create our own ceremony from the two and whatever else we wanted to include. The ceremony went smoothly because he knew what he was doing and used the right amount of seriousness and humor. He provided us with the most perfect ceremony! Would highly recommend First Coast Ceremonies & Pastor Bob!

t like family. Pastor Bob grew up in the same area where we live in NC and after the ceremony we all realized he was our people! I can’t wait to see him again. Highly recommend! Alex and Emily

band and I completed the PMC (premarital counseling) prior to our wedding w/ pastor bob and we HIGHLY recommend!! We would suggest him to anyone and everyone!!