Welcome back to Fantasy Sound’s Creative Partner Spotlight! This month, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on one of our favorite officiants in the Tri-Valley, Chris Thielen with Personal Weddings by Chris! Chris has been a pastor in the Bay Area for over 30 years and has been helping couples say “I do” for more than 25 years. With hundreds of weddings under his belt, he has spent over two decades perfecting his craft and gaining experience performing a wide range of ceremonies.
Chris truly believes in making the planning process fun and stress-free, and his warmth and kindness reflect in every wedding he touches. Let’s dive in and learn more about Chris’s journey and what advice he has for engaged couples!
Photography: Focused Journey Media
Tell us a bit about your professional background. What brought you to the event industry?
I started doing weddings in the late ’90’s, mostly for friends here and there. Realizing how much I enjoyed it and the need for skilled Officiants in the area, I started putting my name out for venues to give to couples. I’ve done about 800 weddings over the years, and I love that every one is different.
Photography: Usman B Photography, Ashley Maxwell Photography, Apollo Fotografie
What do you love most about your job?
I love to be a part of everyone’s best day. To be around others who are so happy for the couple and help create a celebratory feel is very rewarding. Getting to work with so many different people from a variety of backgrounds and tailor their ceremony to fit them is a blast.
Photography: Jasmine Lee Photography, Tyler Vu Photography
What’s the most memorable reaction you’ve experienced from a couple on their wedding day?
I love to see Grooms tear up while reading their vows and to see Brides have the dream wedding they’ve been thinking about since they were little girls.
Photography: Amanda Wei Photography, OurStory Media
If you could share one wedding planning tip with an engaged couple, what would you tell them?
Enjoy the process because you only want to be engaged once! Don’t let the details and logistics of planning the wedding make you so stressed that you forget to appreciate the one you’re doing all this for & with. It’s way more about the Marriage than the Wedding. Decades, not just one Day!
Thank you, Chris, for sharing your story and for continuing to make weddings special for your couples! To learn more about Chris’s work, you can visit his website or follow him on Instagram at @personal_wedding_by_chris.
Photography: A Girl and A Camera Photography, Adam J Clark Photography
