Couer D’Alene, ID, is home to Simplicity in Spirit, a dedicated wedding officiating business. Owner Jennifer Hackenbruch is an ordained minister with Interfaith Ministries. She loves to work with you, developing a perfect custom ceremony that represents your unique personality and tastes as a couple.
Jennifer attended the New Seminary of Interfaith Studies in New York and was ordained in 2008. Following a workshop on wedding ceremonies, Jennifer fell in love with the concept of creating beautiful, tailored ceremonies. Jennifer honors all faiths and beliefs, going above and beyond to help you express your love and commitment in your unique way.
Once you’ve completed your initial consultation with Jennifer, you will have several personal sessions to get to know each other and discuss your ceremony wishes. Jennifer will then get to work crafting the perfect, personalized ceremony, making any desired changes until it’s precisely as you want it. You are free to include any personal, cultural, or traditional elements you like: Jennifer’s goal is to ensure that your ceremony represents you in all ways. You can reach out to her today to schedule a consultation.
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Woman-owned Business
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Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
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Buddhist
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Interfaith
Pagan
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Premarital Counseling
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Reviews
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5
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38 reviews
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9/10/2024 • Carina G
We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding officiant! She was incredibly thorough, taking the time to get to know us and personalize the ceremony to fit our preferences perfectly. From start to finish, she made sure every detail was just right. Her speech was so heartfelt and meaningful that we will treasure it forever. We’re so grateful for her role in making our day unforgettable. Highly recommend!
1/20/2024 • Allyson F
We had such a great experience with Jennifer! She was incredibly flexible with our notoriously late wedding party, and she wrote such a lovely ceremony for us. It represented our love and connection so perfectly, and our guests were just as impressed as we were. Thank you so much!
11/24/2023 • Jessie W
Jennifer was such a pleasure to work with. Her process of getting to know us as a couple through multiple meet-ups and tailored homework assignments made it so she could craft a beautiful ceremony that honored our values, distinct personalities, and goals for the wedding. She helped our ceremony ride the fine balance between ritual solemnity and goofy fun. She does an excellent job pulling together multiple visions, even if they are seemingly at odds. Ultimately we ended up with a ceremony that felt like a sweet, personal reflection of “us.”
If you’re wanting an officiant who can help you navigate the plethora of possibilities for your ceremony, Jennifer is an excellent choice. We highly recommend her services.
Response from the Vendor on 11/24/2023
Thank you Jessie for your sweet words. It was a joy working with both of you. I appreciate how you made me laugh and how easy it was to work with both of you. ♥️
Any questions?
11/20/2023 • Cory C
My wife and I were extremely grateful to have found such a professional and caring officiant for our wedding. Jennifer took the time to really get to know us and incorporated a lot of our individuality into the ceremony beyond even what we imagined. She made sure that the final product fit our visions and was open to any suggestions we had. She is warm, friendly, and personable. She is easy to talk to and really felt like a natural part of our wedding. We were skeptical about hiring a stranger, but couldn't be more pleased. She did a wonderful job and we would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an officiant for their wedding!
Response from the Vendor on 11/20/2023
Thank you so much for the sweet review. It was a joy to work with the two of you. Your ceremony was the perfect ceremony to end my 2023 season on. 🤗
11/18/2023 • Erika O
Jennifer was amazing! She really cared about our story and took the time to get to know us. She was on time and wonderful!
Response from the Vendor on 11/18/2023
Thank you Erika. Working with the two of you was a joy and your venue on the river was stunning. I was blessed to be a part of it. ♥️♥️♥️
11/16/2023 • Diane D
We loved Jennifer and the wedding ceremony she put together! We wanted a barefoot beach ceremony and she did an excellent job. I would highly recommend her!!
Diane and Patrick
7/24/2023 • Morgan D
Jennifer officiated my husband and I’s small vow ceremony that we held for immediate family, and it was so perfect and sweet. In getting to know us she asked thoughtful and down to earth questions, which reflected beautifully in her writing as she told our love story during the ceremony. She was also very open and eager to include anything specific that we wanted, such as bible verses. She was very professional but also personable and awesome to work with. Thank you Jennifer! :)
Response from the Vendor on 11/16/2023
Thanks for the sweet review Morgan. I loved your ceremony and working with the two of you.
6/16/2023 • Marisa D
I was very nervous and overwhelmed, to say the least, going about the legalities of getting married . From the moment I first spoke with Jennifer, I was immediately put at ease! Though I still asked her LOTS of questions, and she answered all of them (even the silly ones) completely and with such poise. She was wonderful all throughout, calm, understanding, knowledgeable, creative and very pleasant to work with. She has a sort of easing, calming spirit about her. My now husband and I are both so thankful for all she did for us! You couldn’t and won’t find a better person to marry you :) Thank you again, Jennifer!
Response from the Vendor on 11/16/2023
Thank you for your sweet words Marisa. It was an honor to work with you and walk with you during this process.
3/06/2023 • Elizabeth N
Jennifer is an incredibly thoughtful and empathetic officiant. We wanted a special and unique ceremony that reflected us as a couple and she worked with us to make sure we had a beautiful ceremony. Almost more than the ceremony itself, we appreciated our sessions with Jennifer leading up to our wedding where she asked us questions and helped us reflect on our relationship, past, present, and future. Amid all of the busyness of wedding planning, it was so special to have a few hours to appreciate each other and feel excited about the future together. And when it came time to create the ceremony, you could tell that she used our time together to create something that reflected who were are as individuals and a couple. If you are looking for a special, unique, and thoughtful ceremony I would highly recommend Jennifer!
Response from the Vendor on 03/07/2023
Thank you Elizabeth for your sweet words!! I so enjoyed working with the two of you. The best part was when the hummingbird swooped the two of you!! Wishing you the best. ♥️🙏🏾
1/01/2023 • Joseph Z
Jennifer officiated our wedding this June, 2022. She was amazing in every step of the process. She spent the time to really get to know us to make the ceremony feel personally special. I was thankful that Jennifer was so open and interested in what marriage meant to us, helping us shape our unique ceremony without assumptions or judgements. I would recommend Jennifer to anyone getting married, she's just the best!
Response from the Vendor on 01/01/2023
Thanks Joe!!! You and Morgan were the best to work with. You made my job easy. I am blessed to have gotten to know you and officiate your ceremony! ♥️♥️♥️
12/30/2022 • Haleigh I
Jennifer with Simplicity in Spirit helped make our wedding so special! My husband and myself are from Florida and our destination wedding in Sandpoint, Idaho on Schweitzer mountain was absolutely perfect for us, all of our vendors were just so amazing. Jennifer was with us from the beginning helping create a wonderful ceremony reading and memory that I would say was 10/10.
We met with her on several virtual meetings that were flexible to meet our schedules and the three hour time difference during the process! She was incredibly professional and personable all at the same time. This was beyond expectations to be able to connect with her, being that the standard from my husbands family was not having our great aunt (who married all of his brothers) not officiating due to location.
She made our day so special and also provided some pre martial counseling questions that helped us prepare for more than just the momentary event ahead, lifelong advice and stories were shared.
I will leave the rest of the wonderful surprises she gave us throughout the process up to you when you book her as your officiant!
Response from the Vendor on 12/31/2022
Thank you Haleigh for you review. I so enjoyed working with you and Jack. Definitely one of my favorite ceremony experiences! So much love for you!!!
12/11/2022 • Jennifer L
Jennifer went above and beyond to make our wedding day special. She got to know us, and our values, to customize the perfect ceremony. She also completed an 8-hour hike to perform our ceremony on top of Scotchman's Peak! Our wedding was perfect thanks to Jennifer's efforts.
Response from the Vendor on 12/11/2022
Thank you so much for the review. Yours is a wedding, and hike, I will never forget! I wish you both the best and am so happy I could make your wedding ceremony dreams come true!!
12/09/2022 • Savannah M
Jennifer took the time to get to know us and exactly what we wanted for the ceremony. Even when we were unsure of all the pieces of the ceremony, Jennifer guided us in creating the perfect ceremony.
Response from the Vendor on 12/09/2022
Thank you Savannah. Working with you and Michael was an honor. I enjoyed getting to know the two of you. I wish you a lifetime of love, growth, and happiness.
Warmly,
Jennifer
12/05/2022 • Libby G
We are so grateful to have found Jennifer to officiate our wedding. She was incredibly accommodating to us and our wishes to have a very small ceremony. She took the time to get to know us as a couple and even walked us through some valuable premarital exercises. We felt our desires were respected and considered and she gave us a ceremony that felt true to us as a couple. Would recommend.
Response from the Vendor on 12/06/2022
Thanks Libby. I appreciate your kind words. I loved working with you and Nate. It was a joy. I wish you both the best. ♥️🙏🏾
12/05/2022 • Jacob B
Jennifer did an amazing job with our ceremony, so much so that several people commented on how beautifully it was done.
Response from the Vendor on 12/05/2022
Thanks Jacob! I loved your ceremony and working with you and Emily!!! I am glad your guests enjoyed it.
12/05/2022 • Kathryn M
Jennifer was simply amazing! She added her experience and charismatic personality in helping us make our wedding a truly special ceremony! She took all of our wishes to heart and aided us in incorporating each- poems/readings, prayers, sacred ceremonies- into exactly what we wanted to express our love and gratitude for our day with friends and family. Thank you!!
Response from the Vendor on 12/05/2022
Thank you! I loved your ceremony and all that it included. It was beautiful, spiritual, sweet and represented both of you perfectly!
12/04/2022 • Clarissa S
When we got engaged, we dreamed of finding the perfect officiant and Jennifer was so beyond what we could have hoped for. She made our wedding day so special and a treasured memory for both of us. Jennifer is kind, confident, and radiates a peaceful presence. She has a natural gift for guiding couples throughout the premarital counseling and wedding ceremony in such a way that it's clear she was meant to do this. She was a wish come true. We were impressed with her from the first time we spoke and it was truly a blessing to have her as our officiant. She created such a unique and tender ceremony for our special day and it meant so, so much to us.
One of the things that makes her so special is her genuine love for people and magical gift for making a wedding even more beautiful than you could've dreamed. She was perfect for us, an absolute joy, and we cannot recommend her highly enough.
If you are considering hiring a wedding officiant, you can't go wrong with Jennifer. She's incredible!
Response from the Vendor on 12/05/2022
Thank you Clarissa! It was wonderful working with both of you. We were a perfect fit!
12/04/2022 • Brittanie P
Jennifer is an amazing person and truly exceeded our expectations. We were blessed to have her officiate our wedding. She listened to our wants and needs to make our wedding a spiritual, intimate, and beautiful day. She actually even was our photographer ❤️ thank you Jennifer you’re amazingly beautiful.
12/04/2022 • Nicole G
Our wedding was everything we could have asked for working with Jennifer, she made our ceremony exactly as we imagined, she is a beautiful soul and very happy too have found her before our special day!
Response from the Vendor on 12/04/2022
Thanks Nicole! I enjoyed working with you and Nick. You made my job easy! I continue to wish you both all the best and many years of happiness and growth!
7/03/2022 • Nicholas B
Jennifer made our day so special. She met with us for 3 times for more than a hour each time to really get to know us and our story. She put together a ceremony that fit us perfectly and I got many compliments from family and friends on how meaningful and special they thought it was. Most of all she really helped us to understand and express our love to our friends and family on such a great day. Thank you so much!!
-Nick and Kelsey
Response from the Vendor on 07/05/2022
I loved working with the two of you. You made my job easy. It was a joy to witness your and Kelsey’s love story thus far. Thank you for choosing and finding me. ♥️♥️♥️
4/02/2022 • Jamie M
Jennifer was an absolute gem! She took the time to get to know us as a couple and built those elements into the ceremony. She was easy to communicate with and made the process simple. She really tailored the experience to us and worked well with our other vendors. I would highly recommend her.
3/28/2022 • Denise L
Jennifer is wonderful and unique. My husband and I were so fortunate to have found someone like Jennifer to assist us in our wedding preparations and to be our officiant at our wedding. First of all, Jennifer is open minded. We felt that our genuine needs were respected. She is so open to hearing what her clients have in mind for their wedding. She is also helpful. She doesn’t' leave you on your own. She had plenty of guidance suggestions and examples to choose from when selecting your ceremony details. She is direct, safe, and wise. One fascinating part to Jennifer's service is her interview process. It is lengthy, deep, and detailed. My husband and I felt more in love after each interview, and we walked away from these interviews with a better understanding of each other and the commitment we were about to make. You cannot go wrong with Jennifer. She's the best!
3/08/2022 • Madeline A
WOW! Jennifer is the most beautiful soul. Her HOURS spent in our pre-marital period getting to know us were so unforgettable. She asked us questions about ourselves and our relationship that even after 5 years, we had not really touched on, or thought about. Her presence made our day so very perfect. When we were up there, saying our vows, I truly felt like we had a friend there supporting us. My now husband and I still talk about Jennifer and how much we loved her. We wish she offered marriage counseling and couples therapy! She was so calm and centered in the moment. Attention to detail and communication were on point. We will be reaching out to her to renew our vows when the time comes!
3/03/2022 • Andrew B
Jennifer was an amazing officiant for our wedding! She spent time getting to know us before hand, gave suggestions and examples of vows, and really helped us feel like we were going to have a truly personalized ceremony. On the big day, she was punctual (whew!) and professional, while clearly displaying warmth. I never plan on needing another officiant, but if I did I would work with her again!
5/03/2019 • Amy A
If I could give Jennifer two reviews, I would, because she married my husband and I twice. In 2018, my fiance's mother suffered a stroke. She was moved to hospice on a Thursday. We felt that we wanted her to be there for our wedding. We were able to obtain a marriage license the next day but needed someone to officiate. The nurse at the hospice had suggested the Chaplin there. We reached out to Jennifer and she met with us that evening. She navigated us through a sea of emotions and overnight, put together a perfect and personal ceremony. We were married that Saturday in mom's hospice room. We lost her the next day.
A year later, we had a traditional wedding. We could think of no one better than Jennifer to see us through the ceremony again. This time, she was able to provide counseling prior to the wedding. Our discussions were incredibly thought-provoking, and as much as I knew about my husband, I learned more. We were faced with tough questions in the best way possible.
We flew Jennifer from Idaho to Ohio to perform our second wedding. She put together an entirely new ceremony for us. And again, it was just perfect and tailored to us. We can't thank her enough for being part of this complicated journey.
2/18/2019 • Heather M
From our initial meeting to our wedding day, working with Jennifer was a dream come true! We did not know Jennifer prior to finding her website, but by the end of our wedding planning adventure we felt like Jennifer truly had a sense of who we were as a couple. People often ask for wedding planning advice and every time my recommendation is to put time and energy into crafting your ceremony. This is exactly what Jennifer’s service provides through the pre-marital counseling sessions. Each session was meant for Jennifer to get to know my husband and I better as individuals and as a couple. These session were by far my husband and my favorite part of our wedding planning experience! Each session truly brought us closer together and helped Jennifer to craft the perfect ceremony that was personalized and meaningful.
Our wedding day was hands down the best day of our lives. Jennifer's professionalism and attention to detail in every aspect of the ceremony had all of our guests in awe. If you’re looking for a wedding officiant, we highly recommend Jennifer!
2/15/2019 • Beth P
From the moment we first talked with Jennifer, she was warm, open and we immediately felt comfortable and excited that she was who we had chosen. Jennifer took the time to get to know us as a couple and her personal commitment to her process is to be commended. She definitely exceeded our expectations and not only did she help make our special day amazing, she became a part of our love story.
2/15/2019 • Rebecca M
We were blessed to have Jennifer be a part of starting our forever. She seemed to know what we wanted to say before we did and it was amazing. She was always calm and positive and provided us new ways to look at things while planning our ceremony. We'd for sure pick her if we were to do it all over again!
2/13/2019 • Aleta L
Jennifer was amazing and we can highly recommend her services. She made our ceremony memorable and original and touched all involved.
Response from the Vendor on 02/13/2019
Thanks Aleta and Andy! Your wedding will always hold a special place in my heart. Many blessings!
2/13/2019 • Lance M
Jennifer really took the time to get to know us as a couple before our wedding. She was also very flexible with the details of the ceremony and was able to help make our ceremony unique and special to us. I would recommend Jennifer to couples who want their special day to be specifically tailored to them.
Response from the Vendor on 02/13/2019
Thanks Lance and Meagan. I enjoyed working with you. I loved the sweetness of your ceremony and the setting. Wishing you both the best of everything!
2/12/2019 • Kailey J
We found Jennifer on The Knot and are so glad that we did! From the first time we met her we could tell that she truly wanted to know and care about us. We met three times before our wedding where we were able to share our story with Jennifer and work with her to create the ceremony of our dreams. We loved that we were able to give all of our input and she did not read directly from any sort of script. I highly recommend working with Jennifer and taking advantage of being able to meet with her prior to your day!
Response from the Vendor on 02/13/2019
Thanks Kailey and Logan. I really enjoyed working with you. Your ceremony was perfect. Thank you for working with me. I wish you many blessings in all that you do.
2/06/2019 • Kelsey S
Murray and I had a wonderful experience working with Jennifer leading up to and on our wedding day. The first day we met with her we knew she'd be a great fit. She is full of life and has an uplifting personality, very easy going and was willing to work with us without hassle to make our dirt bike wedding come true. Travelling into the woods, Jennifer rode in our friends side by side up the mountain where we tied the knot in front of beautiful Lake Pend Oreille.
She took time from her busy life to tailor our ceremony and it couldn't have turned out better. Thanks for making us feel so comfortable while working with you Jennifer, you are truly a gem!
Response from the Vendor on 02/06/2019
You are so welcome! It truly was a pleasure working with you both! Your ceremony was so much fun! Riding up the mountain in the side car was a blast! I will always remember it!
2/06/2019 • Caitlin O
Jennifer came highly recommended to us by our wedding planner and she was so easy to work with. At each of our meetings and throughout the phone conversations we had, Jennifer made it very clear that this was our day and our ceremony should be designed as such. She worked closely with us in allowing for us to choose our vows, readings and pronouncement. Any changes we requested were not met with hesitation and done exactly how we had asked. I would highly recommend Jennifer as a wedding officiant for all types of ceremonies... she just loves love!
Response from the Vendor on 02/06/2019
I do love love! Thank you so much for working with me! It was a pleasure.
2/05/2019 • Jan B
I would highly recommend Jennifer to couples that are getting married. When I first met with Jennifer it felt as though we had known each other for a long time. It was like we were friends that had met again. Jennifer is warm, thoughtful and personable. I feel blessed to have found Jennifer. She made our wedding vow’s personable, memorable and special. Thank you Jennifer for marrying us.
Jan & Tom
Response from the Vendor on 02/05/2019
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It was a joy to work with you. Many blessings.
2/05/2019 • Timothy H
Jennifer was the perfect pick to be our minister. We are spiritual people but not religious and Jennifer accomodated are beliefs and made wonderful suggestions for a ceremony from her experiences. Additionally, Jennifer really helped us in getting to know each other more deeply with insightful questions and conversations. We highly recommend Jennifer.
Response from the Vendor on 02/05/2019
Thank you Tim and Felicia. It was an honor to work together.
2/04/2019 • Kathi Y
Jennifer officiated at our wedding last June and did a WONDERFUL job of listening to us, making time for us and making certain our requests were met. We had a simple, low key ceremony and Jennifer was the perfect person for this.
Response from the Vendor on 02/05/2019
Your wedding ceremony was so beautiful and simple. It was my pleasure to officiate your ceremony and to work with you. Thank you Kathi and Joel.
2/04/2019 • Ashleen S
Jennifer worked so closely with me and my husband to create a beautiful ceremony that truly reflected our love and who we are as individuals coming together. She helped facilitate all the action so our ceremony ran smoothly from the rehearsal through to the reception. Jennifer officiates with love and grace, and is able to incorporate all faiths and beliefs into a beautifully personal ceremony. I would recommend her 100% anytime, to anyone who wants a personalized ceremony lead by the best!
Response from the Vendor on 02/04/2019
Thank you Ashleen! It was a joy to work with the two of you. Many blessings.
2/04/2019 • Tori A
As soon as we met Jennifer, we knew she would be an excellent officiant for our big day. She was warm, friendly, humorous, and accommodating of our hectic schedule and the commute distance. Jennifer got to know each of us by asking great, deep questions about our relationship and families. Surprisingly, my fiancee and I even learned new things about each other's childhoods. Jennifer gave us superb marriage advice and guidance along the way, easing our nerves and anxiety about the wedding preparations and next steps on our journey. We talked for hours like old friends until a ceremony speech was ready. She listened to what we wanted and envisioned for our day and she made it possible. My husband and I envisioned tying a sailor's knot as a nod to his passion for sailing and the obvious "tying the knot" reference. Jennifer wasn't familiar with the significance of this particular knot but she did research and incorporated our wishes flawlessly into the ceremony. We got to read over the script and make adjustments and comments until it was perfect. Jennifer's warm heart and spirit gave our wedding all the love and happiness we could have ever asked for. She was a blessing to have as part of our day.
Response from the Vendor on 02/04/2019
Thank you Tori and Andrew. It was an honor to work with the two of you. You made my job easy!
Contact
Coeur d'Alene, ID | Inland Northwest: Idaho, Montana, Washington
I am an Ordained Minister in Interfaith Ministries. I attended the New Seminary of Interfaith Studies in NYC and was ordained in June of 2008. I did not go to seminary to become a wedding officiant. After attending a workshop on creating wedding ceremonies I fell in love with the idea of joining couples in marriage. This work is more like play for me, even though I take it very seriously. Each person and couple is unique. One-size-fits-all approaches and ceremonies, do not work for me. Together we will develop custom ceremonies tailored to your one-of-a-kind uniqueness and needs.
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