Over the past twenty years of being a wedding officiant, Peter Jones, London Wedding Minister, has been a part of hundreds of weddings – and still he says he never tires of announcing the newlyweds. He also makes it his goal to craft a ceremony that will be unique and memorable for each couple – whether it's non-denominational, rooted in religious traditions or somewhere in between. Ceremony structures are open and flexible and with Peter's experience, he's bound to have some great ideas up his sleeve.

With packages that range from quiet elopement to help with planning and rehearsing every ceremony detail and the option of taking wedding preparation and marriage coaching courses (at very reasonable prices), we wouldn't be surprised if brides end up loving London Wedding Minister – in fact, many already do. And so does The Ring. We met with Peter and were instantly attracted to his easy going, relaxed personality that could perhaps calm even the most stressed out bride. Let us tell you more...

Personally speaking...

Peter is an Ordained Minister through The Canadian Fellowship of Churches and Ministers. He studied and graduated from the Masters Theological Seminary. He has been performing wedding ceremonies for twenty years!

We asked Peter what made him want to be a minister, and, other than a pure love for weddings, he told The Ring, "There are many in society today who no longer attend or belong to a church but still prefer a minister to officiate at their special life passage events... As a non-denominational minister and wedding officiate, I am able to assist this important need." This is especially great because Peter adds that many couples are finding that Judges and Justices of the Peace are less inclined these days to perform wedding ceremonies compared to the past.

Pronouncing you as husband and wife...

Peter performs birth celebrations and dedications, funeral and memorial services, pre-marital coaching and marriage renewals; but he says that over the past twenty years it's weddings that he's most often involved with. In fact, he told us that he's been a part of hundreds of weddings. And though Peter is nine years away from retirement, he says that he loves weddings so much that he'll continue them long after he retires.

We have to assume that part of his love for weddings and marriages come from his own love story as he and his wife, Liz, have been happily married for twenty-nine years... and now that they're finally empty nesters, they certainly have even more time for one another. Aside from that, Peter also loves the uniqueness of each wedding he performs. "Although many of the components are similar, no two weddings are ever the same," Peter told us. "I love the variety that each presents. My greatest thrill (and I never tire of it) is that at the end of every ceremony I get to say, 'And now Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. ..." What a romantic!

Having so much wedding experience has also given Peter the opportunity (or privilege, as he says) of performing all kinds of wedding ceremonies, "from very traditional to backyard family gatherings... and everything in between." Well, maybe not everything. Peter says that he hasn't been in a hot air balloon as he has a bit of a fear of heights, "therefore anything with bungee jumping will probably be out as well," he added. But, that doesn't mean he doesn't have lots of other alternative ideas for non-traditional weddings. Picture this... Peter says that some day he would love to perform a ceremony in Grand Bend with the celebration party first. At the end of the evening everyone would gather on the beach for the ceremony as the sun sets behind Lake Huron. "Any takers out there?" asks Peter.

Prices & packages

Officiating personalized, non-denominational wedding ceremonies is what Peter says he is best known for in the industry. "Non-denominational is perfect for the couple looking for a spiritual ceremony, if not a religious one," he told The Ring. Helping each couple through the process of evaluating and choosing from so many ceremony components and options out there is what he says he does best. "Then, after organizing, filtering and on occasion, some last minute tweaking, together we craft a ceremony that will be unique and memorable to them."

Mark and Roxanne Sibley had Peter perform their July 2008 outdoor ceremony and summed up their experience with him in one word: "Excellent!" They told The Ring, "Peter was very helpful in all aspects of the ceremony. Neither one of us had ever been married before, so he helped us go through the 'steps' as they were going to occur from choosing the right type of vows down to the processional." They both agree that it was nice to have someone with different experiences to help them out.

Ceremony structures are open and flexible with London Wedding Minister and he'll always ask you what you want. "I will usually ask a couple if they don't mind some humour in the ceremony. Most don't," Peter told us. This caring and calming manner is one reason that Peter thinks brides choose him to officiate their wedding. We couldn't agree more as we were immediately comfortable with him when we met – he has an easy going, relaxed personality that we think would make even the most stressed out bride take a deep breath and just enjoy the process of getting married.

Mark and Roxanne would agree that Peter is relaxed and casual, which they say helped their ceremony go very smoothly. "Peter made us feel relaxed and like there wasn’t a ton of people watching us. It was as if it was just the three of us there. He was friendly and extremely helpful and he made sure that our children were involved with us."

Peter says that his very reasonable prices are also probably another reason that brides come to him. The average bride spends $350 with London Wedding Minister – a reasonable price to have a personalized and meaningful ceremony.

London Wedding Minister offers three ceremony packages. All packages include a ceremony at a location of your choosing.

The Bronze Wedding Package, at $250, means you provide the license, rings and witnesses and Peter will marry you wherever you want. The Silver Wedding Package is $300 and includes a twenty page ceremony planning information packet and one planning session. For $380, the Gold Wedding Package consists of the planning information packet, two planning sessions and a rehearsal (if your wedding party is more than six people). With this package you can completely customize your ceremony. If you book your ceremony between Monday and Thursday, it's $50 off any package.

In his experience, Peter told us that these packages generally fit with the needs of his couples. "Usually one of these is what a bride and groom has already envisioned to suit the size and particulars of their wedding." He added, "More and more couples are choosing to incorporate a bit of tradition in their ceremonies – whether that tradition is rooted in religion or in their family, they are using it as a tribute to their family but also to personalize and make the ceremony meaningful for them." Which is why, even though there are pre-set packages, Peter will meet with each couple at least once and customize the package to suit their particular traditions, desires and needs.

London Wedding Minister also offers Wedding Preparation Courses and Marriage Coaching – both of which are not mandatory. Peter told us, "These courses are great for both engaged and married couples. Wedding prep courses are only a few hours for a couple of sessions."

Walking you through your wedding

Call or email to see if Peter is available for your wedding day. He recommends booking three to six months in advance (especially if you're booking the Gold Package). But, if he's available within less time, he's more than happy to step in and marry you. And he can do two to three weddings per day, so don't be afraid to contact him to see if he's available.

If Peter can perform your wedding ceremony, book an appointment to meet with him and he'll come to you – either for coffee or at your house. Before you meet, Peter sends you a questionnaire to fill out and send back. This questionnaire gives him a chance to get to know you a bit before you meet. "I always like to find out why they want to get married and what kind of ceremony they would like. Christian? Spiritual? Or something completely custom to them," Peter told us. He finds that most people want to have a spiritual component to their ceremony. Peter also has a wedding planning guide to help you with planning your ceremony, including advice on etiquette and a variety of ceremony and vow options.

If you're ready to commit when you meet Peter, he can take care of the booking right on the spot with a $100 deposit required to book. If you've booked the Gold Package, you get a second planning session, which can be held at your convenience. Peter says most people choose to do it within a month of their ceremony so as to give them a chance to be comfortable and familiar with their vows and still leave lots of time for the rest of the wedding planning details.

Also with the Gold Package, comes a rehearsal at a pre-determined time and location. Then, on your wedding day, Peter arrives at the location thirty minutes before the ceremony begins to make sure that everything is in place. Your remaining package balance is also due on the wedding day. Immediately following the ceremony, Peter will provide you with a Record of Solemnization and take care of all necessary government documentation.

Details, details, details

• Peter recommends booking with him 3 to 6 months prior to your wedding.
• Peter can do 2 to 3 weddings per day.
• A $100 deposit books your date with London Wedding Minister.
• Your remaining balance is due on the day of the wedding.
• Peter will provide you with a Record of Solemnization and will also take care of all necessary government documentation.

In other words...

"Our choice to ask Peter to marry us was an easy one. His ability and willingness to incorporate our requests for a mix of modern and traditional aspects for our ceremony along with his own special touches, created a wedding ceremony that we will remember forever." - Jim & Melanie Lumsden

"After attending Elizabeth's parents' 25th marriage renewal and seeing the special touches Peter had incorporated into the ceremony we knew we wanted him to be our officiate. Prior to our wedding we met with Peter for several coaching sessions, which really helped prepare us for marriage and we would highly recommend them. At our wedding, Peter performed our ceremony and set the tone for a wonderful day of celebration. We had so many friends and relatives tell us that our ceremony was one of the most beautiful they had ever heard. Thank you Peter!" - Ian & Elizabeth Calder

To start planning your personalized ceremony...

Email or phone Peter Jones, London Wedding Minister, to book an appointment. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 519-245-6273. Peter also has a website you can visit at www.londonweddingminister.ca.