Christian wedding minister for the FL panhandle
$250 starting price
from Pensacola to Fort Walton to Destin to Panama City, FL
Service area
Reverend Don Goodrum
OWNER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (6X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Based in Mary Esther, FL, Reverend Don Goodrum-Wedding as You Wish officiates Christian weddings throughout the Emerald Coast. For more than 20 years, Rev. Don has presided over thousands of ceremonies and been God's representative at couples' celebrations of love.
Reverend Don Goodrum-Wedding as You Wish feels called to helping brides and grooms commemorate their love before God. He was first licensed as a minister through the Southern Baptist Convention in 1984 and was ordained by the Universal Life Church in 2002. He now officiates weddings across the Florida Panhandle, including Pensacola, Panama City, and Destin.
Reverend Don Goodrum-Wedding as You Wish is passionate about ensuring that your ceremony feels uniquely you. He will work closely with you to design a day that honors your and your partner's love story and personalities. From Star Trek-themed nuptials to intimate elopements on the beach, Don has conducted a wide range of festivities. He offers traditional script templates, help with writing vows, running of the rehearsal, and pre-marital counseling.
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Prices & packages
Couples usually spend $300
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Details
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Religious Affiliations
Christian
Protestant
Wedding Activities
Premarital Counseling
Wedding
Ceremony
Awards and Affiliations
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Meet the team
Reverend Don Goodrum
Owner
For almost twenty years now, Reverend Don Goodrum has been performing weddings along Florida's Emerald Coast. Licensed by the Southern Baptist Convention and ordained by the Universal LIfe Church, he attended the MIdwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City. He moved to Florida in 1999 and began performing beach weddings in 2001. Over the years, his ministry has grown until he is one of the busiest wedding officiants in the area, performing on average one hundred weddings a year. To date he has performed almost three thousand weddings, mostly religious, and all of them very special.
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Reviews
5.0
out of 5.0100 reviews
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Review Summary
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Reverend Don Goodrum receives glowing reviews for his officiating services at weddings, with numerous couples praising his professionalism, personalized approach, and excellent communication. He is described as kind, sincere, knowledgeable, and capable of customizing ceremonies to reflect the couples' personalities. Reviewers appreciate his responsiveness, organization, and the unforgettable touch he adds to their special day, making the entire experience stress-free and beautiful. Overall, Reverend Don comes highly recommended for his exceptional services, warmth, and ability to create a memorable and heartfelt ceremony for couples.Review photos
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Amber H
Highlighted review.
5.0
6/29/2024
Don was the completion to our Weddjng day! He was so informative from the beginning, explained everything, took the time to see what we needed and desired for our big day, and felt like speaking with a longtime friend! Honestly, could not have been happier with his professionalism. He checked in advance with us to make sure everything went as expected and smoothly as possible. He was prompt, friendly, funny and kind. He captured our vision and ensured each of our children had a part to play in our ceremony. Please consider choosing Don for your important day, he will ensure it is done to your preference and make you feel completely at ease!
The happily wed,
The Hookers!! (Amber and Christopher)
Madison O
5.0
3/10/2025
I would highly recommend Don. The ceremony was excellent and we received numerous comments on what an amazing job he did!
Any questions?
Kadie W
5.0
2/11/2025
Don Goodrum was very helpful for our big day! A very kind and sincere human being. He was very professional and helped answer any questions that we had. He viewed us as people first and not just a job!
Emily F
5.0
2/04/2025
Don was very knowledgeable about the marriage process and helped make our day personal by catering the ceremony to our personalities. He was timely, easy to communicate with, and very organized.
Maegan G
5.0
12/16/2024
We couldn’t have asked for a better officiant for our wedding! Don was professional, very nice and made every effort to ensure our ceremony was perfect. Don was also incredibly organized and patient, which helped ease any pre-wedding nerves and made the process easy.
If you’re looking for someone to make your ceremony unforgettable, we recommend Don!
Taylor H
5.0
11/18/2024
Don was professional, kind and punctual! He made us feel so comfortable on our big day. 10/10 recommend his services
Lindsey M
5.0
11/17/2024
Don did a great job preparing us for what to expect the day of and delivering a great ceremony. He obviously enjoys this job, and he was perfectly professional and personable! Don also was able to keep his composure and keep to his reading even when we had a surprise Blue Angels flyover! We highly recommend Don for your big day.
Shane C
5.0
10/28/2024
Don did an amazing job as our officiant for our wedding! He was very professional, responsive to everything we asked for and just a pure delight. I would highly recommend him!
Sarah C
5.0
10/22/2024
Don was a perfect fit to our day. He was very professional and personalized everything to us. We would highly recommend him for your special day!
Lisa R
5.0
10/11/2024
Don was very professional. He was great about staying in touch throughout the process. Since we aren't local, he took our license back to the courthouse for us. Very pleased with his service.
Maurice B
5.0
10/06/2024
Absolutely did everything that we asked for made it short and sweet. He gave really good advice and pointers. It was a beautiful ceremony and he did amazing job.
Amanda B
5.0
9/14/2024
Reverend Don was extremely professional and so easy to work with. Anytime I had any questions he was quick to respond and very helpful. He helped our special day be easy and beautiful. We highly Recommend Reverend Don.
Andrea L
5.0
9/12/2024
Rev did a great job! He was professional, communicated effectively and made our day very special. Thank you Don!!
Jonathan L
5.0
8/27/2024
Don was extremely helpful throughout the leadup and execution of our big day. Allowed us to customize our ceremony to tailor our wants and needs. He even amended our ceremony timeline to accommodate for a sped-up ceremony to allow guests and the wedding party to get out of the heat and into the AC quicker while still retaining a beautiful ceremony. Highly recommend Reverend Don-Goodrum to anyone looking for an officiant in the area.
Nikki B
5.0
8/05/2024
Beautiful ceremony.
Molly H
5.0
6/30/2024
Don was so kind and generous! He was the perfect officant for us!
Mary Grace S
5.0
6/17/2024
Don officiated our wedding and did a great job! We asked Don to do a short, traditional, Christian ceremony, and he did just that! Don's communication was very professional, he told us everything we needed to know ahead of time. The ceremony was exactly what we were looking for! If you are looking for an officiant that will listen to your wants definitely hire Don!
Katie G
3.0
6/04/2024
Rev. Don provided us with a lovely wedding service, though I had several guests come up to me on my wedding day noting that he was not very professional before the service which was disappointing. In my own personal experience, he tracked me down flustered literal moments before my wedding when the coordinator was attempting to hide me before the start of the ceremony. He wasn't overly friendly to me or my bridal party about the marriage license and asked payment again which was apparently was previously discussed and taken care of with the wedding party prior.
Emilee H
5.0
5/13/2024
Don was very cordial and professional throughout the entire process, including our pre-marital counseling. He answered our questions quickly and thoroughly and did a great job during our ceremony. Would highly recommend Don!
Lisa D
5.0
5/09/2024
Reverend Don Goodrum was incredible! Such a nice intimate service on the beach for our 25th wedding anniversary vow renewal!
Kameron H
5.0
5/07/2024
Don officiated our beach wedding May 3rd 2024 and did a fantastic job. He was very professional and even came the night before for rehearsal per our request. Could not recommend him more!! Thank you Don!
Chelsey S
5.0
5/06/2024
Working with Reverend Don was an absolute pleasure from the moment we met him. He made the entire process of preparing for our big day incredibly smooth and stress-free. On the day of the wedding, Reverend Don was self-sufficient, calming, and conducted the ceremony with grace and poise.
His professionalism, approachability, and prompt communication made us feel confident and comfortable throughout the planning process. Reverend Don checked in with us when needed, ensuring that every aspect of the ceremony reflected our wishes and vision.
One of the most beautiful parts of our wedding day was the heartfelt ceremony that Reverend Don crafted based on our preferences and requests. His words truly captured the love and commitment we share, making the moment unforgettable.
We are incredibly grateful to Reverend Don for his exceptional service and for helping to make our wedding day so meaningful. We wholeheartedly recommend his services to anyone in search of an officiant who is not only professional and reliable but also genuinely cares about making your special day perfect. Thank you, Reverend Don, for being a part of our journey and for officiating our wedding with such warmth and sincerity.
Ashley W
5.0
4/23/2024
Don was exceptionally professional and easy to work with. He was easy to communicate with and arranged the ceremony exactly like we wanted. He was exceptionally well spoken and heartfelt. We got so many compliments on the him and the ceremony!
Heather S
5.0
4/19/2024
We had a lovely experience with Seas The Day Weddings and Reverend Goodrum. Would highly recommend him again! He called and emailed regularly to inquire about all our wants, needs and expectations for the day. It was beautiful and couldn't have been more of a perfect day!!
Jenna A
5.0
4/19/2024
Pstr Don was perfect! He touched on my favorite scriptures and sentiments. Made our little ceremony feel personalized and special. Highly recommend!
Piper B
5.0
3/28/2024
Don performed a beautiful ceremony for us. He was super responsive with communication and scheduling for the ceremony. He made sure that the ceremony was exactly what we had wanted. If you are having your wedding in his area, hire Don for your ceremony.
Carly B
5.0
12/19/2023
Don was amazing! He was very intentional and made it a point to get to know us as a couple prior to our wedding. He truly made our day so special! He even stuck it out in the rain during our ceremony! We can not recommend Don enough— we feel so fortunate that he was a part of our special day. He even went out of his way to file our marriage license for us! Thank you so much Don!
Ashlee M
5.0
11/10/2023
Reverend was amazing! Very responsive and helpful. Ceremony was great!
Vince B
5.0
11/06/2023
Reverend Don provided a beautiful ceremony on the beach in Pensacola he was very thoughtful towards our needs, provided suggestions that would fit our needs for the perfect day. I would strongly recommend Reverend Don to anyone who's considering getting married he will ensure your day is exactly what you want.
Lynn J
5.0
10/25/2023
Don did a wonderful job performing our wedding ceremony! He was available for questions and spoke with us before the wedding to make sure he knew exactly what we wanted. His follow up was excellent. Highly recommend him!
Allison B
5.0
10/15/2023
Mr. Goodrum was fabulous! He coordinated well with us about our wants and needs for the wedding. He ensured that he knew what style vows we wanted to do, what our cors were so he matched for pictures, etc. He followed up with is just before to ensure nothing had changed in regards to the ceremony style. The day of he was punctual and supportive. His service was perfect and had everyone emotional and proud. Words can't describe our gratitude! Thank you!!!
Madison D
5.0
10/09/2023
We are so happy in our decision to have Don marry us. He was very professional, well, spoken, funny, and kind. He was always very responsive when I had questions. He has a few examples on his website of what his ceremonies look like and you are able to mix and match the wording that you like the best. He is also very accommodating if you wanted your ceremony to be more personalized or add things in. He did a fantastic job on the rehearsal dinner night with making it very lighthearted and funny, easing our stress. And then the wedding day was a breeze!! He did a great job, and we cannot recommend him more.
Gina T
5.0
10/02/2023
Don was very good at communicating with us right from the start. He checked in from time to time to make sure everything was still as planned. He showed up on time and was very friendly and performed a beautiful ceremony. Our wedding was perfect and beautiful. I decorated everything from things brought from home and he was much cheaper than trying to purchase an entire wedding package. I highly recommend using Mr. Don. What a blessing he was to us! Thank you Don!!
Lisa F
5.0
10/02/2023
Don Goodrum was the perfect fit for us! He was very professional! He listened to our wants and needs and was able to accommodate everything we asked for. He was very prompt at responding to emails and clarified everything just to make sure he understood what was being asked. I would recommend him to everyone I know who is in need of an officiant!
Jonathan C
5.0
7/21/2023
Don did a great job of communicating ahead of time, reminding us of key milestones along the way, and the ceremony was great. I would definitely recommend him to anyone!
Thomas H
5.0
7/13/2023
Don did a great job we were very pleased with his service. He returned all calls and emails promptly and was easy to talk to. He worked with all of our ideas and plans. Thanks again Don
Michael S
5.0
7/07/2023
Don is a great guy. He answered all our questions and kept in contact with us to make sure everything was going according to plan. He did a great job performing our service and we would definitely recommend him to friends and family.
Carleigh B
5.0
6/14/2023
Reverend Don was an amazing officiant and I couldn't have asked for more from him! He worked with us from the start to finish and was available for questions at any time. We wrote our own vows and he helped us with both advice and our grammar, then he had them printed out for us too. He made the ceremony short and sweet to get our guests out of the summer heat and he truly made it a nice experience!
Lauren H
5.0
6/06/2023
It was a pleasure meeting Reverend Goodrum. He was able to make our wedding ceremony feel relaxed and personalized. He was very helpful with our vows as well. We didn't have to worry about the rings or the marriage license. Vows were typed and handed to us so we didn't have to try to memorize them or stuff a piece of paper in our clothing. Everything ran smooth!
Rene R
5.0
5/25/2023
Don came recommended by 30aglow. From the beginning Don was so helpful, patient and very knowledgeable. He was quick to respond to us, very professional but yet very personable. He gave us great advice in writing our own vows. He offered to include a sand ceremony, which we had never heard of before. It truly made our vow renewal ceremony that much more memorable. We eloped 20 years ago and didn't have a typical wedding ceremony. Don made it feel as if we were getting married for the first time. We feel that Don went above and beyond to make it that much more special.
Autumn H
5.0
4/17/2023
Don was so great to work with. He was very accommodating and easy to work with. It was important to me to have a Christian minister perform our ceremony and Don provided that. i would highly recommend him.
Whitney W
5.0
4/04/2023
Can I start by saying we chose Don based on his first email. He made the entire experience so easy!! We live in Missouri and traveled to get married on the beach. Don is helpful, flexible, reliable, and knowledgeable. Could not have asked for a better experience. So thankful he was available for a Thursday evening wedding. He also handled get the license to the courthouse asap.
Rebecca B
5.0
3/13/2023
Don was fantastic! He communicated with us prior to the ceremony, worked to add in all our requests, and made us both feel so comfortable!
Mandy N
5.0
2/06/2023
Don was great to work with! He was professional, kind and funny. Our wedding ceremony was beautiful. He made sure we had everything we needed for an out of state wedding license and knew how to get it. He walked us through every detail so we had no questions and the ceremony ran smoothly. We also greatly appreciated that he wrote our vows on a card he provided for us so we wouldn’t have to worry about carrying them. 10/10 would recommend for an amazing and beautiful ceremony.
Emma R
5.0
1/20/2023
My husband and I hired Rev Ron for our wedding last month. Rev Ron was thorough during our prep session, and understood what we wanted the experience to be like. He included a Bible verse that we requested. Our guests tell us that he was wonderful! Funny, but not a comedian, and spoke clearly so everyone could hear him well! A true professional, and we are so happy with how the ceremony came together. Thank you, Rev Don!
Noelle C
5.0
11/13/2022
Don was probably the most responsive vendor I had! He was super helpful and responsive. I’m so glad I went with him. He was also hilarious during our rehearsal and gave us plenty of great tips.
Kristi K
5.0
11/12/2022
I can not express how thankful Steven and I are for the absolutely amazing ceremony Rev Don officiated. He is so easy to work with, quick to respond, flexible, knowledgeable, professional, comforting, and all around helpful. I was extremely nervous to stand in front of everyone during my ceremony but Rev Don made my husband and I feel so comfortable. His ceremony was beautiful and felt so true to our relationship. Our parents and guests raved about how incredible the ceremony was. He guided everyone flawlessly through the few steps we had to follow and we already received our marriage license after returning from our honeymoon.
Sara S
5.0
11/02/2022
Don was amazing! He made our experience very personal. He spoke from the heart and we felt that!
Brooke B
5.0
11/02/2022
Don was easy to work with, super responsive, and did a fantastic job officiating our wedding. We received so many compliments about his speech and approach and were thrilled how everything turned out!
Jeff C
5.0
10/17/2022
Don was very professional and made sure our day was perfect. Highly recommend
Andrea B
5.0
9/28/2022
5 stars and 2 thumbs way, way up! Don is reliable, professional, personable, and kind. The PERFECT officiant. Would work with him again 100x over.
Anna G
5.0
9/08/2022
Don provided the ceremony we had both been hoping for. We were taking a risk hiring a stranger to officiate on a whim but he didn’t feel like a stranger at all. He was polite, personable, witty and made our small, quaint ceremony feel intimate and special. It was the easiest, most seamless ceremony I could’ve dreamed of.
Brenna B
5.0
7/30/2022
Rev Don traveled three hours to officiate our ceremony. He made it so so special from start to finish. His preaching was so touching and appropriate for the setting. He was so personable and easy to talk to! We highly highly recommend him!!
Breanna L
5.0
7/03/2022
Don had excellent communication from the start and helped us navigate a normally stressful event. He was very thorough, on time, and did exactly what we asked him to do. I would definitely recommend!
Bernadette S
5.0
6/15/2022
Rev Goodrum was truly amazing. He gave us such a beautiful wedding ceremony at Hilton Sandestin Golf Resort and Spa on the beach. This was my dream wedding and he certainly made it very special to us. He took his time to get to know us and made our wedding more personable. He is professional and very responsive to any questions or concern that I had. Best of all, even after the ceremony, he leaves an open door in case we need him for anything. We would highly recommend Rev Goodrum. You won’t be disappointed.
B L
5.0
6/13/2022
Don did an amazing job fulfilling our wishes for a simple, informal ceremony.
Ashley C
5.0
5/22/2022
Great job, fantastic communication, very helpful!
Brian O
5.0
5/21/2022
Beautiful ceremony! Don’s words were wonderful.
His help outstanding.
Laura P
5.0
5/21/2022
I found Don after viewing several weddings/elopements on Pinterest in the Destin area. I contacted him via phone as we live in SC and planned to elope in Destin FL. After chatting over the phone, I hired him immediately. I felt we had similar religious views and he was very knowledgeable and helpful with regards to ideas for photography, videography, flowers, etc. He communicated effectively and efficiently throughout the entire process. He asked a lot of questions regarding my vision for the ceremony and gave wonderful feedback helping make every detail perfect. I would definitely recommend him and guarantee you will be happy you did.
Brett G
5.0
5/07/2022
Don officiated our wedding and did an excellent job! Working with him was so easy top to bottom. Communication leading up to the wedding was always easy and clear! We got so many compliments on our ceremony from our guests and that is a true testament to Don and his dedication to his services! I would 10/10 recommend him for your wedding!
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Reverend Don Goodrum-Wedding as You Wish
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