Mary Esther Officiants + Premarital Counseling

Reverend Don Goodrum-Wedding as You Wish

Christian wedding minister for the FL panhandle

from Pensacola to Fort Walton to Destin to Panama City, FL

Service area

5.0

Praised by couples for:

Officiant

Great Planner

Seasoned Professional

We had a wonderful experience with Don as our wedding officiant! He was incredibly responsive, helpful, and easy to work with throughout the entire process. He made everything simple and stress-free, and it was an absolute pleasure having him officiate our ceremony. We really appreciated his kindness and professionalism and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for an officiant!

Melek S.

5.0

We originally were supposed to get married in Destin in October 2023 but unfortunately my husband’s mom unexpectedly passed away. We kept pushing off getting married. We planned a trip back to Destin the first week of October 2026 and we decided we wanted to elope a week before our vacation. We went through and read reviews for several people but something about Don stood out to me. I sent Don a message and he quickly got back to us. Even with such short notice, Don was eager and willing to help us! We scheduled a phone call where Don talked us through everything! Don went over the ceremony, our wishes/wants, location, how to get a Florida marriage license- including details on the process and where to go, attire, everything! Don was never annoyed and was genuinely happy to help! While we were in Destin we found out we had to evacuate for Hurricane Isaias. Don was also aware and called us and worked through a plan with us. We decided the next morning we would get married on the beach before we had to evacuate. Don was extremely flexible and was able to preform our ceremony a day early. Don did back to back ceremonies driving from Panama to Destin. He did not rush our ceremony. If it weren’t for Don we wouldn’t have been able to have our ceremony and would have pushed it back even more. There are not enough good words to say about Don. I highly recommend him!!

Mandy B.

5.0

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.

25+ years in business

Speaks English

Just me

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

6-Time 'Best of Weddings'

2026.2025.2024.+3 more.

Hall of Fame

Earned by winning 'Best of Weddings' four or more times.

Join couples who chose award-winning vendors for their wedding

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.

5.0

out of 5.0

129 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.

Reviewers rave about Don as an officiant: professional, personable, and highly responsive. He is flexible with last-minute changes, helps with marriage license and planning, and delivers heartfelt, personalized ceremonies that run smoothly. Many praise his calm presence, clear communication, and strongly recommend him.

Search reviews

Amber H

Highlighted review.

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)

Melek S

We had a wonderful experience with Don as our wedding officiant! He was incredibly responsive, helpful, and easy to work with throughout the entire process. He made everything simp...

le and stress-free, and it was an absolute pleasure having him officiate our ceremony. We really appreciated his kindness and professionalism and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for an officiant!

Any questions?

Mandy B

We originally were supposed to get married in Destin in October 2023 but unfortunately my husband’s mom unexpectedly passed away. We kept pushing off getting married. We planned a...

trip back to Destin the first week of October 2026 and we decided we wanted to elope a week before our vacation. We went through and read reviews for several people but something about Don stood out to me. I sent Don a message and he quickly got back to us. Even with such short notice, Don was eager and willing to help us! We scheduled a phone call where Don talked us through everything! Don went over the ceremony, our wishes/wants, location, how to get a Florida marriage license- including details on the process and where to go, attire, everything! Don was never annoyed and was genuinely happy to help! While we were in Destin we found out we had to evacuate for Hurricane Isaias. Don was also aware and called us and worked through a plan with us. We decided the next morning we would get married on the beach before we had to evacuate. Don was extremely flexible and was able to preform our ceremony a day early. Don did back to back ceremonies driving from Panama to Destin. He did not rush our ceremony. If it weren’t for Don we wouldn’t have been able to have our ceremony and would have pushed it back even more. There are not enough good words to say about Don. I highly recommend him!!

Britney B

Our original wedding date was scheduled for October 9, 2026. With a category 3 hurricane heading towards the Panhandle, my husband and I had to move our entire wedding to October 8...

th. This was extremely stressful but with the help with our wedding coordinator and Don being so understanding and flexible, we were able to make it all happen. From the beginning, Don was extremely kind, professional, knowledgeable, and answered all of our questions throughout the process. We can’t thank Don enough for making our wedding so special and memorable! All of our family and friends thought Don was the best. Thank you Don for everything!! We highly recommend Don!

Shannah B

Don was absolutely amazing! He was so kind and patient with us. His words were something I will never forget and he just made our day even more special. I highly recommend him to a...

nyone needing someone to marry them. You will be so glad you picked him i promise!!

Eric S

We couldn't have asked for a better officiant for our wedding! He was incredibly personable, professional, and had a wonderful way of speaking that made our ceremony feel both mean...

ingful and memorable. His personality and presence were a great addition to such an important day in our lives. One detail that particularly stood out to me was his awareness of the smaller aspects of a wedding ceremony that can often go overlooked. After officially pronouncing us husband and wife and inviting us to share our first kiss as newlyweds, he naturally stepped off to the side, allowing our photographer to capture that special moment without anyone in the background. While this might seem like a small gesture, I believe it speaks volumes about his experience, professionalism, and understanding of how to help make a wedding ceremony run smoothly. It's those little details, along with his excellent personality and delivery throughout the ceremony, that really made us appreciate having him as our officiant. We would absolutely recommend him to any couple looking for someone who is both personable and knowledgeable about what makes a wedding ceremony special!

Maritza B

Don helped us out on our last minute beach wedding ceremony. Very nice vows and prayer ☺️🙏🏼

carissa j

I cannot recommend Don enough to be your wedding officiant. Don helped us through the entire process, from planning to educating us beforehand, to preparing everyone the day of our...

wedding and ensuring everything goes smoothly. He provided a lovely service to us and ensured to center God during our ceremony. He truly is a professional and we are very blessed that we found him!

Paige C

Fantastic! We loved the ceremony and how well put together it was. Don is very good at his job and took the time to explain everything and asked lots of questions to make sure we g...

ot everything we wanted

Ebony M

Don was wonderful! Efficient and had great communication. We had an elopement on the beach and we are so happy that he was apart of our special day. Make your day easy and book Don...

Tammie C

Don did amazing as our officiant! It was a perfect day!

Makenzie R

Don Goodman was absolutely wonderful as our wedding officiant. From the very beginning, he was kind, professional, and genuinely invested in making our ceremony special. He took th...

e time to get to know us and created a ceremony that felt personal, meaningful, and true to our relationship. On our wedding day, he helped create a warm and relaxed atmosphere while still making the moment feel incredibly special. His words were heartfelt, and he delivered everything with such grace and sincerity. We received so many compliments from our families about how beautiful the ceremony was. We are so grateful to Don for being such an important part of our day. If you’re looking for an officiant who is caring, thoughtful, and truly passionate about what he does, we highly recommend him!

Kelly S

Don Goodrum officiated our wedding in Florida. He did an amazing job. He was very efficient with communication and had great professionalism. Overall, it was a wonderful experience...

Jennifer G

💒💗just married! June 1!! Reverend Don was professional and made us feel very comfortable for our big day. He communicated well ahead of the wedding date. He kept in close conta...

ct the days leading to our ceremony. He has a great personality and calming presence. Great review, highly recommend! Jen and Jeff

Jayson S

Don did an outstanding job officiating our wedding. To be honest, we didn't spend a lot of time planning the ceremony itself. My wife spoke with Don on the phone for a short conve...

rsation before the wedding, and that was about it. Because of that, I wasn't really sure what to expect. What impressed me most was how thoughtful and personal the ceremony felt despite the limited preparation. Don took the time to understand what was important to us and delivered a ceremony that reflected both of our personalities and exactly the type of wedding we wanted. Nothing felt generic or scripted. On the day of the wedding, Don was professional, organized, and made everything feel easy. He guided the ceremony naturally and struck the right balance between being meaningful, personal, and relaxed. One of the things I appreciated most was that Don didn't make the process complicated. We were looking for a simple ceremony that still felt special and authentic to us, and he delivered exactly that. If you're looking for an officiant who can create a personal and memorable ceremony without requiring months of planning and meetings, I highly recommend Don. Thank you again, Don, for helping make our day exactly what we hoped it would be.

Michelle V

Don was a great officiant! We knew exactly what to expect day-of because of his exceptional communication leading up to our ceremony, and we received many compliments from guests a...

bout how wonderful he was. I would recommend Don without hesitation.

Megan R

Did a simple elopement for us on the beach! He made it short and simple just like we were wanting.

Lauryn A

Don was amazing!! We were from out of state and didn’t meet in person until the rehearsal dinner the night before!! Our ceremony was beautiful. Highly professional, affordable & co...

uldn’t have asked for a better officiant!

Jamie B

BEAUTIFUL CEREMONY! WITHOUT KNOWING US, REV DON KNEW US! GOD IS GREAT! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Kristy D

We are so grateful to Reverend Don for marrying us. From our very first phone call, he took the time to truly understand what we were hoping for in our ceremony. He listened though...

tfully, asked meaningful questions, and make us feel completely at ease. He touched base with us before the ceremony, which gave us peace of mind. On the day itself, he was punctual, calm and very professional. The ceremony was what we had envisioned - heartfelt, personal and beautifully delivered. Thank you Reverend Don for making our day so special.

Jenna C

We had Rev Don Goodrum as our officiant for our wedding ceremony. He was so easy to communicate with; we always had fast responses from him (same day, usually less than 10-15 min a...

t most). He was always respectful of our time; he let us pick the meeting cadences leading up to the wedding and reached out as expected for all our touchpoints. The ceremony itself was perfect for us - duration, message. Several guests even told us how much they liked his words. He includes a lot of services for his pricing- he filed the marriage license for us and even conducted premarital counseling. Highly recommend!

Ian W

My officiant dropped out last minute and don could not have been more understanding and accommodating for us. Despite getting just 2 days of notice he did our rehearsal and our cer...

emony and he did a fantastic job. He has great stage presence and really knows how to speak to a crowd. Thank you Don! You really came through for us in a stressful moment and I couldn't be more appreciative.

Amy K

Don was the Best! From beginning till the end. He contacted me through email & text before the wedding. He provided all info needed for my big day. Great personality which de...

finitely helped the day go smooth. I would recommend Don for any wedding! You won’t be disappointed

Lisa H

On our wedding day, Rev. Don Goodrum delivered the ceremony beautifully, heartfelt and full of warmth. We are so grateful for the time, energy and love that made our wedding d...

ay so unforgettable. We would wholeheartedly recommend Don Goodrum to any couple looking for someone who truly cares about making their wedding so unforgettable. He is a quick responder, which I really appreciated being an anxious bride-to-be. We also appreciated his helpful tips after the ceremony as to how to handle our licensure afterwards. We will use Don Goodrum again for any future vow renewal plans.

Bambi V

"We had the most perfect, low-key wedding thanks to Weddings As You Wish! From the start, we knew we wanted something simple and intimate, and he understood our vision completely. ...

The ceremony was beautiful and personal—the officiant, Don Goodrum, wove our love story in so seamlessly. We wouldn't change a thing and are so grateful for a perfect, simple, and unforgettable day."

Karly R

Don was absolutely amazing! We loved how he made our ceremony so personal. Everyone at our wedding loved him as well and was super impressed with how he led the ceremony. He even m...

ade the drive to Orange Beach to us from Florida! Awesome all the way around!

Ashlee G

Don was wonderful! He helped us navigate getting our marriage license, printed our vows, and drove over an hour in the rain to marry us on the beach. He spoke beautiful words of en...

couragement and made our day truly special.

Jennifer P

We did a destination wedding where all correspondents were done through email and phone. Everyone made everything easy, flawless, and PERFECT!! Don Goodrum performed the most intim...

ate and special ceremony I could have ever imagined! Even though we had only known each other through phone and email, we felt Don had been our minister for years. He continues to be available to us for any counseling and relationship needs, which shows how much he cherishes his role in our wedding and unity. Don will forever be a part of our marriage and family!

Alisha W

Don was absolutely amazing! We planned a very last minute elopement on St. George island and he made everything happen! He was nice and very prompt and we had a beautiful sunrise w...

edding!

alla e

Don was so kind and easy to work with! Our preferences were respected and the ceremony went off without a glitch. Would 100% recommend

Madison O

I would highly recommend Don. The ceremony was excellent and we received numerous comments on what an amazing job he did!

Kadie W

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 fir...

st and not just a job!

Emily F

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 v...

ery organized.

Maegan G

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 org...

anized 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

Don was professional, kind and punctual! He made us feel so comfortable on our big day. 10/10 recommend his services

Lindsey M

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

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

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

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 h...

is service.

Maurice B

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

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 beauti...

ful. We highly Recommend Reverend Don.

Andrea L

Rev did a great job! He was professional, communicated effectively and made our day very special. Thank you Don!!

Jonathan L

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 tim...

eline 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

Beautiful ceremony.

Molly H

Don was so kind and generous! He was the perfect officant for us!

Mary Grace S

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 tol...

d 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

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 wa...

s 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

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 duri...

ng our ceremony. Would highly recommend Don!

Lisa D

Reverend Don Goodrum was incredible! Such a nice intimate service on the beach for our 25th wedding anniversary vow renewal!

Kameron H

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 hi...

m more!! Thank you Don!

Contact

(850) 217-8727

Curious to learn more?

Reverend Don Goodrum-Wedding as You Wish'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.

Reverend Don Goodrum-Wedding as You Wish

About this vendor

Review Summary

Wedding vendors in Mary Esther

Why use The Knot to message vendors?