Jacksonville Officiants + Premarital Counseling

First Coast Officiant

Ceremonies for All

Jacksonville and Surrounding Areas

Travel area: Within 100 miles See details

Deals

Custom discountPermanent

Hero Discount - $50 off

Claim Deal

Russ Wilson

ORDAINED PASTOR

Typically responds within 24h

Weddings by First Coast Officiant in Jacksonville, FL Love is love, and all people deserve the opportunity to celebrate it. As an ordained pastor for more than 17 years, I've had the honor of officiating more weddings than I can count. While some of those were for family members and others for close friends, every single one was a special day that I was fortunate to be a part of. Choose a Seamless Experience Weddings don't have to be stressful. Let me help make yours as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Whether you want a traditional religious service, a secular ceremony, or something beautifully in between, my goal is to help make your wedding day exactly how you envision it. Personalized Ceremonies As an author, I know how to craft a ceremony that truly tells your unique story. As a husband and father, I know how important building lifelong memories is. Let's work together to create your dream day. Background I am originally from Louisville, KY, and earned my Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Cincinnati Christian University. I married my best friend, Leah, in 2011. Today, we share our home with our two daughters, two dogs, a parakeet, and a few chickens.

Speaks English, Spanish

Small team (2-10 members)

Details

Ceremony Types

Elopement

Interfaith Ceremony

Non-Religious Ceremony

Second Wedding

Vow Renewal Ceremony

Planning

Se Habla Español

Religious Affiliations

Christian

Secular

Wedding Activities

Wedding

Ceremony

Any questions?

Meet the team

Russ Wilson

Ordained Pastor

Russ has over 17 years of experience officiating weddings and crafts a ceremony that tells your unique story.

5.0

out of 5.0

7 reviews

Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Review Summary

This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.

The officiant was personal, professional, and highly recommended for crafting heartfelt, customized ceremonies that reflected each couple's story. He was flexible with changes, bilingual when needed, offered virtual meetings, calmed nerves on the day, and handled legal paperwork promptly. Couples praised his warmth, organization, and ability to make ceremonies feel intentional and memorable.

Search reviews

Madison K

Highlighted review.

4/24/2026

I cannot recommend Rusty enough as the best officiant! From the beginning, he was helpful and patient and even went out of his way to do a virtual meeting (Due to us living out of ...

town) with us to get to know us and discuss our ideas and make sure that our ceremony was everything we wanted it to be. He answered our questions in a timely manner and gave helpful feedback to create a ceremony that felt intimate and authentic to us and our personalities . He did not make us feel pressured to include anything that we didn't want to and was adaptable to changes as needed to make it personal to us. Rusty even went out of his way the day of to make sure he was there to calm our nerves even when last minute we had to move our wedding reception inside due to the weather not cooperating with our original plans. He adapted with ease and gave us the reassurance that everything would still be ok. He is a big part of why our special day is one that we will never forget . After our ceremony he also took care of all needed documentation in a timely manner to obtain our marriage certificate and kept us informed every step of the way. I definitely recommend Rusty for anyone who is looking for a wedding officiant.

Response from First Coast Officiant on 06/15/2026

Madison, you and Eric were a delight and I am so grateful I got to be a part of your day. ...

Thank you for your kind words! I wish you and Eric many long and happy years together.

Carina B

6/04/2026

We absolutely loved having Russ officiate our wedding. From the beginning, he was incredibly helpful, supportive, and kind throughout the entire process. He made everything feel sm...

ooth, organized, and stress-free, which allowed us to truly enjoy our special day. His words during the ceremony were heartfelt and meaningful, and he truly made our wedding day even more special. We are so grateful for everything he did and would highly recommend him to any couple looking for someone caring and professional to officiate their wedding.

Response from First Coast Officiant on 06/15/2026

Muchas gracias por tus palabras amables, Carina and Jonathan! I was blown away by you two,...

and thanks for trusting my Spanish for such an important day. Que tengan muchas dias felices juntos!

Any questions?

Ryan H

6/01/2026

Russ was incredible professional and flexible with the many changes we had to plan for our wedding day. I cannot recommend him enough!

Response from First Coast Officiant on 06/15/2026

Ryan, you and Abby were champs that day. Despite the rain and thunder, it was one of the m...

ost beautiful and fun weddings I have had the benefit of participating in. You guys are amazing.

Lambert L

5/16/2026

We absolutely LOVE Rusty! He was so personable from the beginning and incredibly efficient with everything we wanted and needed before our big day. We didn’t give him much time but...

Rusty came through and delivered BEAUTIFULLY. My husband speaks Spanish so it was really nice to have our officiant speak both our native languages. He followed through with everything we asked for and we truly couldn’t be more grateful he was there for us on our big day. Thank you Rusty. You are spectacular at what you do!

Response from First Coast Officiant on 05/21/2026

Thanks Lambert! You and Daniel were awesome. Grateful for your kind words.

Krista K

5/12/2026

We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding officiant. From our very first conversation, Rusty took the time to truly understand us as a couple—our story, our personalities, and wh...

at this day meant to us. The ceremony he crafted felt incredibly personal, heartfelt, and genuine. His presence was calm, warm, and professional, which helped ease any nerves we had leading up to the ceremony. Rusty guided us through the entire process with clarity and care, making sure every detail was just right. If you’re looking for someone who will go above and beyond to make your ceremony special, personal, and memorable, we wholeheartedly recommend Rusty. They played such an important role in making our wedding day unforgettable.

Response from First Coast Officiant on 06/15/2026

Krista, there are few days I remember as well as yours and Alex's. I felt like my own litt...

le sister had asked me to officiate her wedding and I couldn't have been more honored. I think of you guys often and am grateful for your place in my heart.

Bradley H

5/07/2026

Rusty performed the wedding ceremony for my wife and I in 2014. Prior to the wedding day he took the time to get to know our interests and personalities. He learned our story a...

nd was able to incorporate those aspects into the ceremony making it feel unique and special to us. He did a great job, and we still talk about how well the ceremony went every time we watch our wedding video. We would recommend him to anyone.

Jeff H

4/24/2026

We couldn’t recommend our wedding officiant enough. From the start, he really took the time to listen to what we wanted and made sure the ceremony reflected us, not just a generic ...

script. Our venue and setup were a little different than the norm, but he adapted seamlessly and handled everything with confidence. What stood out most was how personal and meaningful the ceremony felt. It wasn’t dry or routine. It felt intentional, thoughtful, and genuinely connected to our story. If you’re looking for someone who will actually make your ceremony feel special instead of just going through the motions, he’s the right choice.

Response from First Coast Officiant on 05/21/2026

Madison and Eric, you guys rock! All the best to you for a long, happy marriage.

Service area & Contact info

Travel area: Within 100 miles

Additional charges may apply

(150) 220-38251

Curious to learn more?

Start the convo

*=Required

Use this secure form to reach out and share your wedding vision.

First Coast Officiant

Russ Wilson

Ordained Pastor

Typically responds within 24h

First Coast Officiant's photos

Why use The Knot to message vendors?

Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure.
Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place.
Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go.
For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.

First Coast Officiant

About this vendor

Review Summary

Service area & Contact info

Wedding vendors in Jacksonville

Why use The Knot to message vendors?