Justice of the Peace Michael Backer

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.

being a part of it Mike!

ing for a JP to add love, warmth and humor to your wedding then I would strongly suggest booking Mike.

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!!!

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 :)

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!!

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!

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.

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!).

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!

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!

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!

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!!

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!

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.

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!!

xactly what we wanted! He is so sweet and funny!

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!

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.

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!

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.