Storied Weddings by Keith

You’re marrying the love of your life. Do it with your own mix of joy, tradition and style. Let’s create a ceremony that will enthrall your guests—one they’ll remember as so special, and so YOU.

Do you envision a wedding that’s offbeat, lighthearted, elegant, reverent—or a blend of all of them? We’ll work together to create a ceremony that reflects who you truly are as a couple. We can blend your families’ cultures and faith traditions while bringing in the rituals, readings and other elements that can make your storied wedding unique.

Photography by Kristen

Comments on Keith’s Officiating

“…exactly what we were looking for in a wedding officiant. He listened to the style/vibe we were going for and he delivered!”

“Joyful, authentic and inclusive.”

“He even wrote a little story about our relationship…It was so sweet and funny to hear. It was personal, upbeat and didn’t take itself too seriously.”

“Yes, I would absolutely recommend Keith! He is fantastic to work with! Check him out!”

Blue Lace Wedding Photos

Telling Your Forever Love Story

Can you guess the element of your wedding with the most impact? Telling your story. Let’s give your guests a quick look back at how you met, when you knew you really clicked as a couple, and how you decided you were in it for the long haul. If we do it right, they’ll laugh, sigh and maybe shed a tear.

Let’s Talk!

Your Forever Love Story is ready to be written! To explore whether we’re a good fit, let’s have that phone call or Zoom chat.

Get Started Now

Who’s Keith?

Keith Phelps - Officiant
Keith Phelps is a professional wedding officiant serving central Indiana and beyond. He has been described as a caring, articulate and inclusive officiant who can make your wedding one that your guests will remember with a smile.

Keith’s background as a voiceover artist and commercial actor help him create and deliver ceremonies with warmth and wit. Keith has been trained and certified by the creator of the Unboring! Wedding.

Unboring Wedding Certified Officiant
International Association of Professional Wedding Officiants

The Process

Stress-free From the Start

My goal is a memorable and stress-free experience for you. It starts with a phone call or Zoom session to explore your ideas for your ceremony and to brainstorm options. I’ll share resources and sample ceremonies and then, when we’ve identified elements such as readings, vows and rituals (handfasting, unity candle or unity sand, wine rituals, etc.), I’ll draft your ceremony.

Fine-tuning Your Forever Love Story

We’ll tweak your Storied Wedding by Keith until it feels right for you. At the rehearsal, I’ll make sure everyone knows what to do and that all the pieces are in place.

At the wedding, I’ll coordinate with your photographer, DJ, planner and other pros to make sure everything goes smoothly. After the ceremony, I’ll file the license with your county clerk to make sure it’s properly registered.

How Much, You Ask?

The ceremony that tells Your Forever Love Story typically costs a fraction of your wedding budget. The fee depends on how much of my time is involved in creating, preparing, and conducting your ceremony. Travel can add expense, and a very simple ceremony that doesn’t need a rehearsal will cost you less. A full-service wedding in the Indy area typically costs $600.

Let’s Talk!

Your Forever Love Story is ready to be written! To explore whether we’re a good fit, let’s have that phone call or Zoom chat.

Get Started Now

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

We want to write our own vows but aren’t sure we can do it well. Will you help with vows?
Sure. I’ll share examples of many different kinds of vows. You may see some you like to start you thinking about your own vows. I’m always here to help with vows or any other aspect of your ceremony.
My family wants a church wedding but I’m no longer practicing. Does the ceremony have to be totally secular or totally religious?
No! Your ceremony should be unique to you and reflect who you are as individuals and as a couple. We can honor your faith traditions—perhaps by including a reading or prayer—in a ceremony that feels authentic to you.

Many couples are from two different faith traditions, cultures or nationalities. We can include elements of both. One recent ceremony included a reading from St. John as well as invoking the four elements of Earth-based religions (earth, fire, wind and water).

We like unity candles and unity sand, but they’re done all the time. What other options are there?
There are a great many rituals that add meaning to your ceremony, and that your guests won’t have seen elsewhere. For example, there are rituals involving handfasting, flowers, wine, unity crosses or puzzles. Others, like the arras (coins), come from other cultures and can enhance a ceremony if we explain their meaning to your guests.

Look for things that reflect your interests. We can create a new ritual involving your hobby, vocation or favorite activities. The sky’s the limit, and of course we’ll let your guests in on what it means.

We were going to have a friend officiate but now think we should use a professional. Can we give our friend a role in the ceremony?
Sure. One good way to involve a friend or family member is to have them do a reading or provide music, depending on their abilities. Parents or other relatives might help with a ritual—such as planting a tree together or pouring the unity sand.
Our wedding is already over budget. Why should we hire a professional officiant when a friend or relative can do it at no cost?
For much the same reason you wouldn’t have a relative do your catering or photography—professionals are essential to a successful wedding, and there’s only one chance to get it right. You can’t expect a first-timer to anticipate everything that can come up and know how to deal with it in the optimal way.

There are many accounts of well-intended officiants delivering a disappointing or cringe-worthy ceremony or, worse, bungling the paperwork so the marriage wasn’t officially recognized. Most couples see the ceremony as the heart of their wedding and enlist an experienced professional to make sure it comes off as planned.

What happens if you get sick or have an emergency on the day of my wedding?
As unlikely as that is (as in, it’s never happened to me), we have to prepare. I have a network of fellow officiants who can step in to conduct your ceremony the way we envision it.
Do you need to be at the rehearsal?
Yes, unless it’s a very simple ceremony with very few attendants, rituals and other moving parts. The rehearsal is where we make sure everyone knows how to process in and where to stand. And we go over who has the rings and where musicians, readers and other participants will be. Rituals generally involve props (candles, coins, ropes, glasses, sand, etc.), which means we need to practice with them so that everything goes smoothly during the ceremony. And I like to get comfortable with the venue and meet your wedding party before the big day.

Preparation, experience and coordinating with your other wedding professionals are the keys to avoiding snags and ensuring that your wedding is memorable for all the right reasons.

What Our Clients Say...

“…one of the finest performers by far…extremely talented with inflection, tone, volume and timing…a delight to work with.”

“Inspired... flexible and directable... a dream to work with”

“Always professional, knowledgeable, and funny”

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