“The whole purpose of the ceremony is to transform a room of people into a body, an extension of the couple before them.”
— Chelsie Patrick
✦ Meet Chelsie Patrick ✦
Some creative people paint masterpieces on canvas. Others write books, compose music, or decorate extravagant cakes. Then there are people like Chelsie Patrick, whose creativity comes to life through one of life’s most meaningful milestones—helping couples begin their marriage with a ceremony that truly reflects who they are.
This month’s spotlight feature is especially meaningful to me because Chelsie isn’t just someone I admire professionally—she’s the woman who officiated my own wedding in 2023.
My husband and I knew from the very beginning that our wedding wouldn’t be traditional. We were married on Halloween dressed as vampires, handcrafted nearly all of our decorations ourselves, and even had a brain as our wedding cake. It was wonderfully unconventional, completely us, and honestly… we weren’t sure we’d find an officiant who would fully embrace our vision.
Then we met Chelsie.
Instead of questioning our ideas, she celebrated them. She even dressed up for the occasion, becoming part of the experience rather than simply standing at the front of it. She understood that our wedding wasn’t about following tradition—it was about telling our story. She helped transform our ideas into a ceremony that felt authentic, joyful, and unforgettable.
That experience is exactly why I wanted to feature Chelsie in Behind the Creativity.
Behind the Creativity is a monthly spotlight series that explores the many ways creativity takes shape in everyday life. Through thoughtful questionnaires, I invite artists, makers, educators, entrepreneurs, and creators from all walks of life to share their experiences, inspirations, challenges, and creative journeys. My hope is to celebrate the countless forms creativity can take while reminding others that creativity isn’t reserved solely for galleries or studios. It lives in classrooms, kitchens, workshops, wedding ceremonies, small businesses, and anywhere people create with purpose.
For Chelsie, creativity isn’t simply about writing beautiful ceremony scripts. It’s about listening deeply, understanding each couple’s story, and creating an experience that feels unmistakably theirs. Whether she’s officiating a traditional ceremony or a themed wedding like ours, her passion shines through every word she speaks and every relationship she helps celebrate.
✦ Opening / Introduction ✦
1. Can you introduce yourself and share how Patrick Professional Weddings came to life and what it has grown into?
My name is Chelsie Patrick and my business, Patrick Professional Weddings, came to life the day I officiated my first wedding for friends. It was after the ceremony that everyone had expressed so much delight in the way the service had turned out. People stopped me to say how wonderful the ceremony had been and asked if I did it professionally. So many folks asked me this that I had to ponder if maybe it was worthwhile to do on the side. I was a stay at home mom with no other current dream than to be the best wife and mom I could be. This thought processing took me down the rabbit hole of “what if”. I already had experience from my teenage years as a wedding planner with several friends and family. I just had a good idea of what people wanted/needed to have at their wedding to ensure it’s a day they never forget (in a good way). Now it’s a whole network of people, people I’ve worked for and with. It’s given me so much insight into the lives of others and offered perspectives that have only helped me and my business grow more effectively and point-driven. Now I’m a go-to vendor for many planners in the area as well as with venues across the state, even as a “full-time-part-time” gig.
✦ Origin & Journey Into Weddings
2. What first pulled you into officiating weddings, and how did that path begin to take shape for you?
After that first wedding I officiated for in 2021, a spark started in me. I always have had an eye for fashion, design, and anything that proves to be a creative outlet. I loved the writing process and pulling together all of these separate puzzle pieces about people with the idea of putting both guests and couples in a romantic and intentional mood. I just began building my portfolio by offering my services at a highly affordable rate. I started to put my website and facebook page together and started putting the information out into the world that I was available to do this. I’ve been soaring ever since. This is still a side hustle as I work at an elementary school Monday through Friday. Spring, Summer, and Fall are my busiest seasons.
3. At what point did you realize weddings weren’t just something you helped with—but something you were creatively meant to lead?
I think after I started interacting with other planners and the difference in methodology turned me onto my own path. Everyone does things so differently but I knew that the couple’s energy and happiness were my main priority. Making them feel heard, not rushed, paying attention to lots of their details and then trying to follow through on them without losing the joy of the process. So many people have told me about the coordinators they’ve worked with in the past being a negative experience. One of my favorite compliments is how fun yet efficient I am. I have a knack for telling everyone what to do but in a kind way. Apparently it’s an unheard of skill in my neck of the woods.
✦ Growth & Experience Over Time
4. How has working in weddings changed the way you see yourself creatively over the years?
I used to not know where to start on a massive project. I remember in my youth looking at something I would have to produce and feel so overwhelmed because where would I possibly start to piece everything together? The senior project was a nightmare by myself. Weddings gave me the start to feeling in control of something important. In turn, I felt more in control of my life. I started by breaking things down into chunks and then categorized everything by what I thought its level of importance was. This helped me realize that literally any project could be successfully accomplished this way. I am a person with a thousand ideas to try and the desire to do so much usually leaves you wondering how you can make it all happen. Since honing in on this I feel way more confident and prepared to speak publicly and to handle situations I may have shied away from in the past. Now I see myself more willing to chase my dreams and I go so much harder about it. When I have these dreams I’m already thinking of what I’m gonna do to see it become reality. I’m so proud of how far I’ve come because of the hard work it took to get here.
5. Looking back, what has been one of the most meaningful or defining moments in your journey so far?
I have a couple that can come to mind pretty quickly. One of which actually happened back in 2024. It was my second photoshoot I hosted where I worked with multiple vendors on creating a mock wedding (that totally turned into a very real vow renewal) for photographers to come and capture on camera as advertisement content for everyone. It was a day I co-designed with my wedding pro bestie, Mala (owner of Mala Bernard Photography LLC- I love a good shout-out, WHOOP WHOOP!!) We had planned an entire day basically spent around the joys we as wedding vendors love most about working in this industry. We wanted everyone to have the opportunity to branch out their networks in our local wedding community because we thought how funny it was that there are so many of us and yet still never get to cross paths because that’s life (thanks, Frank Sinatra). I can still envision the day in its entirety, like it’s seared into my heart. Taylor Swift’s Lover theme came to life in more than just visuals. The entire grounds of the venue (The Farm in Leesville off of Josh Lee Rd) was blanketed in warmth both from the sunshine and the humans working effortlessly alongside each other, all there for a good time. I remember taking the time to write every single attendee a thank you card on the seating chart that read, “and at every table I’ll save you a seat”. They were thoughts I hoped would transcend that one day into a core memory for them like it was for me. After the PERFECT ceremony, I recall standing outside the venue with my head up and my eyes closed just listening and feeling what was happening around me. Everyone had the best day, not just the couple, and that’s something I aim for. It was the most beautiful reminder of why I work so incredibly hard to make events come together with purpose and tender care. It’s amazing the way that combination always makes things turn out well in the end. It’s a feeling I carry with me into everything I do now.
✦ Being an Officiant ✦
6. What is it about being an officiant that you love the most?
I am a sucker for love. I love being up close and personal with love stories of all kinds. The way I see love is maybe through a bit of rose-colored glass to some but I also think it’s just a deeper appreciation for the meaning and design of marriage. When I stand there with a couple, I tend to fade everything else out around me. The bubble I want to put the couple in is one composed of quiet moments that feel deafening in the way they consume the noise of the world. The main focus is their bond together and the future they are walking towards. I like to highlight what makes a healthy marriage and how to keep building onto what they already have paired with a little light humor that doesn’t hurt anyone. Laughing is one of my favorite things to do; it’s right before my love of officiating. 🥰
✦ Creative Process & Ceremony Design ✦
7. How do you approach designing a ceremony so it feels like a reflection of each couple’s personality and story?
I use a questionnaire I designed to help me basically pull the puzzle pieces together. I figure out as much as I can without overwhelming them. I ask questions about how they might describe one another and for their personal love story if they want to share it. This is helpful because it lets me look past surface-level things like if they have someone walking them down the aisle and into the nitty-gritty of who they really are or might feel like in person with the one they love. I can gauge how laid back, serious, or well-written they may want the ceremony to feel. I think the bulk of the questionnaire is just a guide for me to find the right words that pull them into a moment and then hold them there. I also take their notes on literature they may want included like quotes,poems, lyrics, etc, whatever we can add that will make the ceremony most memorable for them years later.
8. When you’re preparing a ceremony, do you find yourself thinking more in words, feelings, or moments?
Literally all three. You can’t have one without the others! The whole purpose of the ceremony is to transform a room of people into a body, an extension of the couple before them. The entire audience should turn into one with the way the wording is both written and spoken, by capturing the moment in a feeling everyone gets to experience. I try to keep the ceremony wording less like a sermon and more like a show. The timing, wording, tone, intention, and follow-through is important in keeping the appropriately desired attention. This is why I do read throughs with one of my best friends, Shayla. This helps me hear how everything sounds put together, if I need to expand in some areas, if the length of it is right, etc. It’s like rehearsing for a play and every move matters!
9. What creative elements do you love incorporating into ceremonies to make them feel more personal or memorable?
I like when I do themed weddings (like Halloween, wink wink) or when the couple has ideas on what they’d like me to wear so I match their wedding colors. People love when we all color coordinate for the sake of the pictures but I also happen to be around the most beloved people of the couple so it’s like fitting right in with the family which everyone almost always tries to do. Cue the awh’s! I love family-blending ceremonies too! They usually make folks weepy and that’s a good sign that I’m doing my job right but also that everyone is feeling the sweet sentiments of them all coming together for their loved one. There’s nothing better than that. 😊
10. Do you have a personal creative style when it comes to officiating or planning? How would you describe it?
I think my style is the fact that I do treat this like a drama I’m helping the couple perform. I take it very seriously but also look to have a lot of fun while I do. I thoroughly believe that you should enjoy what you call work. If you don’t, find what makes you happy and do that thing, even if it’s just your side hustle. The vibes I bring with me because I simply enjoy my line of work is one of my key components to keeping happy clients and happy families/friends. I’m a very high-energy, happy-dancing, problem-solving, fanny-pack-wearing type and that’s just incredibly unique in my experience with this industry. 😂
✦ Emotion, Inspiration & Future Vision ✦
11. How do you balance tradition with creativity when couples want something more unique or non-traditional?
It’s all about the segue into each other and announcing what the meaning is to the couple to their audience for understanding. I follow the same sequence of orders for most ceremony scripts which is an opening monologue, discuss the meaning of vows then the exchange of them, the meaning behind the rings and their exchange, then lastly the legal I do’s followed by pronouncement. The fun of adding spins on them is when someone wants me to throw in something special like a unity candle or a Native American fire lighting ceremony during the service. I stick to what I call the skeleton of the script and it always leaves room for the added flare of the non-traditional. And I NEVER ask for objections but I ALWAYS move for the kiss. *chef’s kiss moment*
12. What do you hope couples feel or remember most about their experience working with you?
I hope they remember it being a joyous occasion that they don’t ever want to end. I hope it feels like they had worked with me before or knew me all their lives. I really value connection with people and believe that the work I do is for a sense of community. It’s heart-work keeping people happy and celebrating things and people that would’ve had no significance to me prior to being introduced as a personal memory maker. I love knowing that the way I celebrate people is unlike the way many others do and that’s what makes heartfelt reviews and sentimental moments hit home for me. I get to remember some really special times with these people that I only got to know for a small period of time and yet they mean so profoundly much to me. I hope they think the same things.
13. Where do you hope to take Patrick Professional Weddings next, and what are you most excited to explore moving forward?
I have dreamed of owning and opening my own wedding venue in the Sabine Parish area for some time now. I think it would be lovely to take my level of hospitality and teamwork to the next level with a steady location of continued practice with some of my favorite local vendors. The only way to make the wheel spin is to keep it well oiled. So, honestly just seeing where the future takes me as I keep on rolling but that’s the dream! I think I’m most excited about a world full of opportunity, to keep building beautiful relationships with people during some of the most important times of their lives, and to keep watching love win over and over again.
14. What would you say to someone who feels creatively pulled toward something but is still figuring out how to begin?
I would say sit down and think about all the things you could possibly do to bring you even one step closer to making that a reality. It could be buying supplies and testing out your vision. It could be making the jump and creating your website. It could be anything, but if you feel led to it, try it out. Test the waters and see what it could be like to play trial and error with it. Because there is a really good chance that you could be really good at it, to the point that your skill becomes something that also makes a brighter future for you and others around you as well. My main piece of advice is to simply start anywhere with the understanding you may have to tweak things as you go and give it your all, then watch what happens. Find experienced people in your area who are willing to answer your questions, Facebook groups, anything that can give you access to critical information you may need to be successful. Mentors are a gift. Having others who are interested in the same things as you will help offer silent direction as you observe them. Now you have people to help you get started and can learn more about what to expect. All you’ll have left is to ride the wave and see where you land.
✦ Closing Reflection ✦
Reading through Chelsie’s responses reminded me that creativity isn’t always something we can hang on a wall or place on a shelf. Sometimes creativity is an experience. Sometimes it’s a feeling. And sometimes it’s the ability to make people feel completely seen during one of the biggest moments of their lives.
One thing that stood out to me throughout her answers was how intentional she is. She doesn’t simply officiate weddings—she studies each couple’s story, listens to what matters most to them, and thoughtfully pieces together a ceremony that reflects who they are. She described it as putting together puzzle pieces, and I think that’s the perfect way to describe her work. Every ceremony is unique because every love story is unique.
I also loved how often she spoke about connection. Whether she’s writing a ceremony, collaborating with other wedding vendors, or dreaming about opening her own venue someday, everything comes back to creating meaningful experiences for other people. Her creativity isn’t driven by recognition—it’s driven by the joy of celebrating others.
Having experienced one of Chelsie’s ceremonies firsthand, I can honestly say that’s exactly how it feels. She made us feel heard, celebrated, and completely comfortable being ourselves. She didn’t try to fit our wedding into a traditional mold. Instead, she embraced what made it different and helped turn it into a memory we’ll treasure forever.
I think that’s the beautiful thing about creativity. Sometimes it looks like paintbrushes, pottery wheels, or crochet hooks. Other times, it looks like carefully chosen words, genuine compassion, and the ability to tell someone else’s story with authenticity and heart.
Chelsie reminds us that creativity isn’t only about making beautiful things—it’s also about creating beautiful moments. And for the couples fortunate enough to stand across from her on one of the most important days of their lives, those moments become memories they’ll carry with them forever.
✦ Connect with Chelsie✦
If you’re planning a wedding and looking for an officiant who values authenticity, creativity, and celebrating your unique love story, Chelsie Patrick of Patrick Professional Weddings is someone I wholeheartedly recommend—not just as a fellow creative, but as someone who had the privilege of saying “I do” with her by our side.