Weddings
Wedding ceremonies
You and your future spouse are unique, so why shouldn’t your ceremony be? Dr. McFadden meets with you ahead of the day and works with you to make your ceremony personal, a meaningful memory that lasts.
What to expect
Most ceremonies he officiates last 20 to 30 minutes. The length depends on the number of attendants, the number and length of readings, any songs during the ceremony and any special elements you would like added.
Most ceremonies share similar elements, but each element is shaped to fit the couple being married. He puts a great deal of effort into a ceremony that is unique to the two of you, as religious (or not) and as traditional (or not) as you want it to be.
Yes, someone with musical talent can perform before, after or even during the ceremony, and a friend or family member can give one of many meaningful readings.
Where he officiates
- Banquet halls and restaurants
- Hotels
- Country clubs and golf courses
- Parks, gardens and arboretums
- Chapels and churches
- Homes and backyards
He travels throughout Chicago’s northwest suburbs and beyond, and does not charge a travel fee for weddings or rehearsals.
Your ceremony, in order
How the planning works
Check your date
Fill in the form or call. Dr. McFadden replies within 24 hours to see whether he is free and to set up a time to meet.
Meet him
A first meeting of 30 minutes or so, in person, by phone or by video, to get to know each other and decide if he is the right fit.
Plan your ceremony
A full planning session with both of you. He walks you through every part of the ceremony with his worksheet and asks the questions that make it yours.
Choose the words
He emails you options for the vows, the exchange of rings and more. Use them, change them or write your own.
The rehearsal
He leads it himself nearly every time: 30–45 minutes, so everyone knows where to stand and when to arrive.
The ceremony
Usually 20–30 minutes, with “A Unique Relationship”: your story, told with both his serious and his fun side.
The license
You bring the county license to the rehearsal; he completes it, sends you a scanned copy and mails it.
The planning session
Both of you, one worksheet
Plan on a full 90 minutes with both of you. He prefers to meet in person, but other arrangements can be made. It is very important that you both attend, because he interviews you both: the questions he asks are what set your ceremony apart.
There is no need to bring anyone else, and most couples don’t, although now and then a couple brings someone who is central to the planning. Remember, it is your wedding ceremony, not anyone else’s.
Together you fill in his worksheet and choose the parts of the service you like. Afterwards he emails you options for parts such as the vows and the exchange of rings, so you can choose the ones that fit your relationship best, or write your own.
What makes him different
Why couples choose Dr. McFadden
There are a lot of good wedding officiants across the Chicago area, and he knows several of them. This is what couples and their guests notice.
- A passion for marriage
- Presence in the ceremony
- A deep “radio personality” voice that carries
- Enthusiasm, timing and humor at the right moments
- He connects with the couple, and with your guests
- He goes with the flow when something unexpected happens
- He reads people, and knows when the bride or groom needs a moment
- Thorough: everything in place before the ceremony begins
- A spare set of tools in his van, including a portable PA system
- No cookie-cutter ceremonies: every one is planned with you
He often tells of meeting two younger couples in the same week. Both had attended six or more weddings in recent years and found the officiants either boring or excessively dramatic. Dr. McFadden is not a dramatic person, and he does not want to be remembered as the officiant who wasted people’s time.
Booking and payment
Deposit and payment
Please ask for rates. If you decide he is the right match for you, a non-refundable $100 deposit is paid at the consultation. If you cancel, the deposit is kept and any other payments are refunded, unless the cancellation is fewer than 7 days before the ceremony. The final payment is due within 48 hours of the ceremony.
All payments are made to Final Word Connection, by check, credit card or PayPal.
He highly recommends premarital counseling. About premarital counseling.
David was absolutely perfect! He was so helpful in the planning process and gave us so many different options to choose from in what we wanted to say. Everyone raved about how well spoken and genuine he was.
He made the serious parts as serious as they should be but kept the other parts light hearted and put everyone at ease.
Not only was he very accommodating, he was emotionally checked in with us during the ceremony, and several guests said he was one of the best wedding officiants they have ever seen.
Check your date
Is Dr. McFadden free on your date?
The form is the fastest way to find out. He replies within 24 hours to check your date and set up a time to meet, in person, by phone or by video. The sooner you ask, the better.