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Justice of the Peace Michael Backer

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5.0
(30)best-of-weddings

Central MA, Greater Boston, and North/South Shore

About This Vendor

Justice of the Peace/Officiant

All faiths welcome, Christian, Jewish, Inter-faith customized and personalized ceremonies are my specialty. Casual to formal wedding ceremonies are no problem for me. Same gender weddings are welcomed. Your wedding day is special and your ceremony should reflect who you are also. Non-religious ceremonies and non-denominational ceremonies can easily be crafted for your wedding day.

Details

Ceremony Types
Commitment Ceremony, Elopement, Interfaith Ceremony, Non-Religious Ceremony, Religious Ceremony, Second Wedding , Vow Renewal Ceremony
Religious Affiliations
Baha'i Faith, Buddhist, Christian, Orthodox, Protestant, Interfaith, Jewish, Conservative, Reform, Muslim, Pagan, Secular, Spiritual, Unitarian, Wiccan
Wedding Activities
Wedding, Ceremony
Awards and Affiliations
2021 Best of Weddings Winner

Justice of the Peace Michael Backer Reviews

Share your thoughts with other couples
Reviewed On 11/22/2020 by Jason V
If you want the perfect ceremony, I recommend hiring Michael Baker. He is warm, friendly and a wonderful person to work with. Michael created a thoughtful, customized and personal service for my wife and I that everyone at the wedding loved. ...
Michael was incredibly organized throughout the entire process and made sure the ceremony was something we didn't have to worry about. He was also incredibly helpful during the rehearsal practice and day of the wedding. I cannot recommend working with him enough.
Reviewed On 10/26/2020 by Megan D
Mike was the perfect addition to our ceremony. My husband and I decided to elope and have a private ceremony. Mike really captured us, keeping the ceremony to fit us perfectly. I couldn't have asked for a more special day :) Thank you for ...
being a part of it Mike!
Reviewed On 10/22/2020 by Rachael B
Michael was wonderful. He made us comfortable and worked with us every step of the way so we were involved with the entire ceremony and what was going into it. I would recommend him to anyone.
Reviewed On 10/18/2020 by Shenae S
Mike was absolutely fantastic! He made our wedding feel so much more intimate. I was running late for the ceremony and he never made me or our ceremony feel rushed. That was very much appreciated. He's a great and personable guy. If you're look...
ing for a JP to add love, warmth and humor to your wedding then I would strongly suggest booking Mike.
Reviewed On 10/11/2020 by Joanne C
Mike was great!! We pivoted from a large wedding to a small corona wedding, and he was able to help us out in a short span of time. Important: Mike has this binder that includes lots of choices for each part of the ceremony, and all you have to...
do is pick what you want - this makes it so you know what's coming, but you can choose the parts that resonate the most with you. He also sends you a questionnaire about your spouse so that your ceremony is even more personalized. He was in touch by email to check on the final touches, too. Our wedding day, although capped at 15 people including Mike and our photographer, was awesome--a lot of that was due to Mike's professionalism and ability to project his voice so that our Zoom attendees could hear, too :) We would definitely recommend him!!!
Reviewed On 10/11/2020 by Ann D
We planned our wedding within a month's time due to relocation and we needed to find someone asap. JOP Michael Backer was responsive and explained all his services clearly via email & then a phone call. We did not get a chance to meet in person...
prior to the wedding, but the day of the service he arrived before the ceremony, explained everything in detail to Darryll and was lighthearted and fun during our ceremony! Our guests were very pleased & entertained by his presentation of the ceremony and we highly recommend his services! Thank you Michael for adding our special day on such short notice to your calendar of events :)
Reviewed On 10/08/2020 by Sherri B
Mike Backer was wonderful to work with. He made the process simple and easy, he asked intuitive questions and he radiated warmth at the ceremony. His guidance and advice was immensely helpful and we're happy to recommend him highly!
Reviewed On 10/03/2020 by Jennifer F
Mike was a blessing to find in this crazy time of 2020 wedding planning. Our original officiant backed out because of health issues and when we reached out to Mike, he responded immediately and we made plans to meet him in person. He was perso...
nable and kind and put us both at ease. I appreciated his thoroughness at explaining and offering any options we had in mind for our ceremony. And he made sure to send us the draft with any changes requested quickly. On our wedding day, he kept the mood light and respectful and put everyone at ease! Highly recommend him!!
Reviewed On 9/30/2020 by Ann R
Micheal was amazing. He was personable and had a great sense of humor. He made our wedding so very special.
Reviewed On 8/12/2020 by Amanda W
We found Michael Backer as a recommendation from our DJ, and after reading some reviews, reached out to set up a meeting. He was very prompt and responsive in setting up a meeting with us at his home office. We can’t stress enough how well Mich...
ael dealt with the ever-shifting plans we had due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions being enacted; as we postponed our large ceremony a year, our “minimony” consisted of different readers, a different audience, and a different location, all of which he handled superbly. In terms of personalization, Michael does an excellent job of getting to know the couple. We initially discussed what the feeling of the wedding was going to be; he captured our “traditional, but not stuffy” request perfectly. Michael also had us each fill out a two-page questionnaire to answer. He was able to pull bits from the responses, and sprinkle them in to create a level of personalization in the ceremony that felt like he was a longtime friend who was presiding over the ceremony.  In terms of customization, Michael offers an unbelievable amount of choice. His approach is to offer a plethora of options for each part of the ceremony, all contained in a binder to be pieced together to form the ceremony. The selections in the binder span a huge range of traditions (Celtic, Norse, Native American) and religions and he was happy to incorporate readings that we found online and small changes to wording throughout the ceremony. He was very open to cracking an inside joke at the beginning of our ceremony and was mindful of all the wording we requested (we did not want any references to the bride being given away, etc.). We submitted an outline and Michael promptly sent back a complete draft ceremony for review. At our wedding, he brought us a commemorative copy of the ceremony, had printouts for each reader, and took care of mailing in our license very quickly. Overall, we would not hesitate to recommend Michael as an officiant and we look forward to working with him again next year for our vow renewal!
Reviewed On 10/20/2019 by Kathy I
I'm literally tearing up right now writing a review for Mike Backer thinking about how perfect our wedding ceremony was. We had a fall wedding at the Cyprian Keyes venue in Boylston, MA and booked Mike as our officiant based off the recommenda...
tion from our coordinator at Cyprian Keyes as well as all of the recommendations online. My husband and I live in Virginia and Mike was able to skype with us, mail us his binder (more on this magical book later!), and work with us to meet in person once before the rehearsal when we visited Massachusetts. Mike is personable, professional, and made us both feel at ease when thinking about our ceremony. We knew that we wanted an outdoor ceremony by a justice of the peace (we’re from two separate religions and this was a good way to compromise on our families’ traditions), but still wanted the ceremony to be special, last at least twenty minutes, and be personal to us as a couple. Mike sent us a magical binder that is literally the best thing in the world – seriously you can spend two weeks googling ideas for your wedding ceremony and get stressed out or you can use Mike’s binder and be actually happy. We took our binder with us to dinner one night and read through it, circling everything we liked over chips and guacamole. We sat down again with it a week or so later and narrowed down to the sections that spoke to us the most and sent the choices to Mike. He made some suggestions to add a few more things and re-order a few things to make sure it was the length we had in mind and flowed well. We loved the rose ceremony he recommended and decided to write our own second reading with Mike’s encouragement that this was our wedding and should be exactly what we wanted. We wrote our own vows and had two readings done by our sisters – Mike printed out what we each were going to say in big font and had it laminated so we didn’t have to worry about having notecards or anything and our sisters didn’t have to worry about carrying anything except their flowers. Mike was in charge for our rehearsal the evening before the wedding and walked us and our wedding party through what was going to happen. We were ready and excited, and just when it couldn’t have been more perfect, it was – Mike had had us both fill out questionnaires about ourselves and our relationship (separately) and send them to him. He took our words and our stories and put them in our ceremony. I had so many family come up to me after the ceremony and tell me that it was so beautiful, and they felt like they actually knew my husband and I better after listening to our ceremony. Mike gave us a take-home keepsake of our ceremony as well, which is beautiful and something we will be able to take out and read on our anniversary. I cannot recommend Mike enough and so thankful that he was a part of our wedding day.
Reviewed On 10/20/2019 by Emily M
Having Michael as our Justice of the Peace was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. Michael didn't know us at all before we contacted him for his JOP services but you wouldn't know that from the personal and engaging ceremony he p...
erformed. Michael takes the time to sit down and get to know you before committing to anything. His ceremony options are extensive and we felt like our ceremony was truly unique to us as a couple. I really appreciated the efficient and involved dress rehearsal; we felt prepared and excited for the big day. After the ceremony we had guests tell us we had one of the best ceremonies they had ever seen. True to mine and my husband's personalities, Michael kept our ceremony light with jokes and laughter and he kept it moving along. Michael was also very quick and responsive with our email communication, I never had to chase him down. I would go back to Michael in a heartbeat (though hopefully I won't have to!).
Reviewed On 11/29/2018 by Nicole G
Michael helped us create our own customized ceremony. He was responsive, helpful and organized. He walked us through the marriage license process and our rehearsal! He was absolutely amazing and everyone raved about his ceremony. We would reco...
mmend him without a DOUBT to couples, especially people who want to custom but don't know where to start! He provides a HUGE binder of all types of ceremonies and works with you to create the perfect ceremony for your special day!
Reviewed On 11/28/2018 by James H
Mike Backer was an exceptional Justice of the Peace for our wedding and we could not be happier with the professional services he provided. Firstly, Mike has an extensive and very well-organized binder that allows couples to customize a ceremon...
y out of a selection of various passages and templates. For the rehearsal, Mike was flexible and helpful in ensuring everyone knew where they should be and what they should be doing. During the actual ceremony, Mike had just the right blend of sincerity, humor, and thoughtfulness that made our wedding unforgettable. When the maid of honor fainted during our first kiss, Mike handled the situation gracefully and I'm very glad he was our JP during what could have been an awkward situation. I highly recommend that you consider Mike for your wedding!
Reviewed On 11/28/2018 by Jenna D
Mike Backer was the best JP we could have asked for! He was easy to work with and quick to answer our questions. He gave us a binder so we could pick our entire ceremony which made it feel more personal. At the rehearsal he was calm and made...
us feel at ease. Our ceremony was perfect with just the right amount of humor. Several guests commented on what a great job he did. We highly recommend Mike!
Reviewed On 11/21/2018 by Tim S
Michael is great! Our wedding was a month ago and from start to finish he guided us through this very scary and exciting process. His method of approaching the ceremony is efficient and smart. He is a very down to earth guy and adds the perfect...
amount of humor. He can do all sorts of different ceremonies as well. We had compliments from the guests about him. I can definitely recommend Michael to anyone thinking about hiring him. Awesome all around!!
Reviewed On 11/21/2018 by Katelyn N
Mike was great! He was extremely organized and very responsive to emails with questions throughout the planning process! He can customize any type of ceremony you would like(All in the binder he provides for you) Many of our guests asked us if...
we knew Mike personally because he added such a personal touch to our ceremony. Mike also added a bit of humor, which eased our nerves! I would highly recommend Mike to anyone!
Reviewed On 11/14/2018 by Rebecca U
I am not one for a religious ceremony and was nervous about finding an officiant. However, when my husband and I met with him we instantly felt at ease. He had us laughing in the first minute. Not only is he funny, but he also takes great pri...
de in making sure that you have the ceremony that best fits you. He is thoughtful about each choice and suggestion that you make whether religious or not.
Response from the Vendor on 11/16/2018
Thank you Rebecca and Chris for your kind words and 5 star review. Mawage. Mawage is wot bwot us togeder.... Happy Thanksgiving to you and your extended family. Sincerely, Mike
Reviewed On 7/20/2018 by Stephanie K
My husband and I are beyond happy we used Mike as our Justice of the Peace! He always responded quickly to emails and was very accommodating when scheduling meeting times - whether it was our very first meeting together or our rehearsal the ni...
ght before the wedding. We had no idea where to start when doing a ceremony, but thankfully Mike gave us a binder full of information and ideas and let us create something that was special and unique to us. Mike was always there whenever we had questions and he made sure we knew exactly what was going on and how things worked. My husband and I both felt extremely comfortable talking to Mike and expressing what we would like and Mike made sure things were done exactly how we wanted them and made sure everything flowed smoothly. Mike was wonderful and professional to work with and made the whole experience relaxing and fun! After the ceremony at our wedding, we had so many guests come up and tell us how much they loved our Justice of the Peace and how that was the best ceremony they ever sat through! We are so thankful we found Mike and can't express how much all of his hard-work means to us! Thank you for making our big day even better, you were the absolute best!!
Response from the Vendor on 11/16/2018
Thank you Stephanie and Mark for your thoughtful and positive 5 star review. You, your family and wedding party were a delight to work with and fun as well. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your extended family. Sincerely, Mike
Reviewed On 10/18/2017 by Patty J
Great JP. He was funny, had lots of suggestions to make our day perfect and answered emails quickly. I would highly recommend Mike.
Reviewed On 10/16/2017 by Tarym D
Mike did a phenomenal job at creating our perfect ceremony! He was so organized and easy to work with from our initial meeting to our wedding day! You can really tell he lives what he does! Mike made our ceremony perfect and about us which is e...
xactly what we wanted! He is so sweet and funny!
Reviewed On 12/30/2016 by Denise G
It was an absolute pleasure having Mike Backer as our JP. He was personable, funny and dependable. He was also very flexible with our desire to create a custom ceremony that fit our style and allowed our dog to be included! Mike’s extensive e...
xperience, attention to detail and thorough preparation ensured our ceremony was just perfect. It’s been months and our guests still talk about how funny our JP was, how he really painted the perfect picture of “us;" that was exactly the experience we wanted. If you’re considering Mike for a JP, just have a consultation meeting and you’ll be convinced. Thanks Mike!
Reviewed On 4/11/2016 by Courtney A
We are so pleased with our decision to hire Mike Backer to conduct our wedding ceremony. With Mike we were able to customize all components of our ceremony with ease, as he provided us with a large binder which included so many options for ope...
nings, remembrances, vows, readings, prayers, etc. We wrote our own vows but Mike framed them with beautiful words, which he clearly projected to the audience with passion and joy. He also proactively informed our photographer of his decision to step out of the frame of vision for our first kiss, and instructed myself and my husband to hold the kiss for X amount of time to ensure the photo is captured. He had the wedding party laughing at the rehearsal, and interacted with the audience the day of the wedding before the ceremony began which set a lovely tone. Our ceremony was beautiful and Mike was such a big part of it.
Reviewed On 12/06/2015 by Carolyn S
Mike Backer was everything we could have wanted in our JP. He is professional, helpful, funny, and kind. From our first meeting he was always available and responsive via email to any questions we had. Several months before your wedding, Mike w...
ill provide a binder which includes a variety of original material which will serve as a guide for you to use to piece together the custom ceremony you want. There are at least about a dozen different options for each particular part of the ceremony, and Mike is always willing to help you edit his material or write your own to fit what you are looking for. We produced our ceremony over the course of 5 or 6 emails with Mike during which we made changes and edits and Mike responded quickly and with helpful suggestions each time. One area in which we were particularly thankful for Mike's work was the marriage license. He provided us with information about the necessary actions and deadlines throughout our process which really made us feel like we were on top of everything legally related. The binder Mike provides will also have plenty of info on the marriage license. The day of the wedding, Mike delivered our ceremony with the perfect balance of sincerity and humor. He also conducted the wedding rehearsal very professionally, answering any questions anyone may have had and demonstrating a veteran mastery of the practical matters during a ceremony, such as how quickly the party should enter, how to place your hands when applying the rings, and how and when he would step aside to be out of the way during photographs. We had many of our friends and family tell us that our ceremony was the best they had ever seen, including those of their own children! In short, if the knot allowed me to rate 6 stars I would, if you are getting married do yourself a favor and give JP Backer a call. You will be glad you did!
Reviewed On 10/19/2014 by Amanda P
Mike was such a kind and accommodating officiant for my wedding. I was actually planned my wedding from out of state, which required me interviewing and hiring my vendors over the phone, email or Skype. Mike was always available to jump on a ca...
ll or Skype if I had any questions about the ceremony or marriage license. (He was quick at responding via email, too.) As other reviews noted, Mike does send you a binder of examples for your wedding ceremony. My groom and I worked through it a few times, picking out what we sort of or definitely liked and altering it to really reflect who we are. Mike then created a draft from that, helped us with our vows, and offered his own thoughts (which he confirmed with us) on the script. Mike's delivery and demeanor throughout the ceremony I found to be relaxing - as a very emotional bride, I was quite thankful! He spoke with emotion, kept the audience's attention, and kept the focus on me and my groom.
Reviewed On 2/03/2014 by Kelly W
Michael provides you with a binder that has everything you need to create your personal ceremony. He is very thorough and provides marriage license and name change information. Your ceremony can be 5 minutes or thirty. He's very flexible and pr...
ofessional from beginning to end.
Reviewed On 7/21/2013 by Jennifer D
We were both a little nervous and he eased our nerves the day of with his smile and sense of humor. He was very helpful in his meetings and planning and kept us on a timeline. He gave us a binder which allowed us to pick out exactly what we wan...
ted for our introduction, readings, declaration, etc. which is what we wanted... we wanted it to be fitted to our personalities and our relationship, and there were so many options that we were able to put together a ceremony that was very fitting to us. We wrote our own vows and he helped us with that as well. Everyone laughed and everyone cried, which was exactly what we had hoped for. He is so professional and a great JP, we are so happy we worked with him!
Reviewed On 7/14/2013 by Desiree M
Michael Backer was excellent. Mu husband & I both guests had a lot of good things to say about him as well. I would recommend him to anyone.
Reviewed On 2/04/2013 by Allyson G
Mike was such a professional, with just the right amount of comic relief. He made us feel very comfortable with from our first meeting. He gave us so many options for writing out our ceremony and we knew we were in good hands. He also was a gre...
at guy to have on the spot when tears came during the vows! I would highly recommend using Justice Backer for a wedding.
Reviewed On 9/12/2011 by Danielle Y
Edit Review Mike officiated our wedding this past May (2011) @ Point Breeze in Webster Mass, and we were nothing but pleased with him! He was such a big help with putting together a ceremony that was exactly what my husband and I wanted. He ga...
ve us plenty of options and opinions but never pushed us one way or another. He helped us with our rehearsal...making sure we were comfortable with what we were doing before it was over. He has a great personality, sense of humor and was always there via phone/email if i ever had a question or concern. He was there bright and early on wedding day, looking very professional and ready to perform :) When all was done he presented us with a beautiful copy of our "marriage license" (Not the official one, but a copy just to have) and an entire print out of our ceremony on paper with a wedding style background. This was all in a folder, nice and neat. A great keepsake. My husband and I are so thrilled that we found Mike and would gladly recommend him to anyone who needs a JP from Massachusetts!! Thanks Mike!

Contact Info for Justice of the Peace Michael Backer

11 Reservoir Drive, Southborough, MA | Central MA, Greater Boston, and North/South Shore
(508) 481-7338

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