"Brian and I can not begin to express how wonderful it was to have you officiate our wedding. The whole experience was such a pleasure. Your creative ideas and hard work made our special day truly unique and rich with love and laughter. Throughout the evening and beyond, our friends and family were so touched by hearing our 'story'. They truly felt a part of the experience. Everyone I talked to raved about our ceremony being 'the best' they have ever attended! You put all the pieces together and made it wonderful.

"My favorite part, however, was watching my wedding video later and seeing you and Brian in a private moment before the ceremony in which you offered kindness and encouragement, and he spontaneously hugged your or possibly clung to you in terror. I am not sure which!"

— Tina & Brian, The Glen Club, Glenview

“We can honestly not thank you enough for providing such an amazing wedding ceremony. You told our story so beautifully and had the whole room laughing and crying all at the same time. Our parents were not thrilled that we were choosing to get married outside of the church, but they completely understood after they saw how personal and romantic the ceremony was! Countless people have told me that it was the first wedding ceremony where they actually paid attention the whole time because you made it so interesting. We strongly believed that our ceremony should be about our story with the readings and songs that we wanted. You delivered exactly what we asked for and then some. Thank you for making it the most perfect moment ever!”

— Melissa & Travis, Westin Lombard Yorktown Center, Lombard

2 years after their wedding, they said… “Our wedding has become the wedding everyone else compares new weddings to, as in ‘This wedding is nice but it doesn’t compare to Beth & Todd’s wedding!’ I can not count the number of times someone has said this to us! The ceremony was even better than what we had anticipated because of how you incorporated ‘our’ story into the ceremony. You told our story with love, finesse and humor. You were very easy to work with and made the whole planning process and ceremony a lot of fun. I highly recommend you.”

— Beth & Todd, Mission Hills Country Club, Northbrook

“I spent 15 years as an executive in the Boy Scouts of America in New England. One of the best parts of this was learning how to tell a good story around a campfire or at a special event.  Therefore, I feel somewhat of an expert at this and am qualified telling you that you did a great job at Chris and Rosey’s wedding. Everyone loves a good, well told, story and what better time to tell the story of a couple finding each other than at their wedding. Everyone at the ceremony was actually listening, laughing and nodding in agreement. It made a wonderful event also a fun event.”

—Terry, stepfather of the bride, Century Memorial Chapel, Naperville

“We both extend our sincere thanks to you for everything you did for us. You shared our story of love with our friends and family wonderfully. Everyone complimented us on the beautiful and heartfelt ceremony. They thought it was so unique how you shared with them the details of our courtship, love and all the wonderful reasons that led us up to our wedding day.

“Steve’s mother could not say enough about you — how you listened to her about the details that were important to her to the friendly kiss on the cheek.

“Again, please accept our sincere thanks and appreciation for a job well done.

“We hope in years to come that we will be as happy as you are in your marriage with your bride.”

— Debbie & Steve, Grazie’s Ristorante & Banquets, Des Plaines

“Reverend Phil Landers was the PERFECT choice for our wedding on 1/23/10. He took the time to meet with us for a couple of hours where he learned all about us and our beautiful story of meeting, falling in love, and the proposal. The best part was that he REALLY cared and enjoyed learning about us so that he could convey that emotion to our guests at the wedding. Rev. Phil was very professional in that he was very fast at responding to any questions we had, reminding us when payments were due, showing up to scheduled events on time, and helping in any way that he could. He ran our rehearsal and I attribute a perfect ceremony to how he managed the rehearsal and made sure everything was perfect. Our wedding coordinator at the ballroom where we got married said that she sees a lot of people who come in and officiate a wedding who just don't care. This is not the case with Rev. Phil Landers, and I would recommend him to anyone. Our guests were roaring with laughter throughout the whole ceremony which made the whole thing very personal and special. Rev. Phil will create a very unique wedding for you that your guests will be sure to enjoy. Thanks Rev. Phil for creating a beautiful wedding ceremony for us - it made our day just that much more special. 5 stars!!”

— Nina & Bill, Grand Ballroom at Union Station, Joliet
from a  WeddingWire review
read their funny proposal story on Rev. Phil’s blog

“I honestly do not even know where to begin when speaking of Rev Phil.....He is just truly AMAZING!! From just our first few email's back and forth way in the beginning, I knew I would be hiring Rev Phil for our wedding ceremony. Rev Phil was always quick to respond to emails and phone calls and always went out of his way to make things easier on me. He is reliable, professional, fun, warm hearted and so much more, everything we were looking for in the person to peRform our special day ceremony. He makes you feel right at ease from the moment you meet for your ‘get to know you’ session. He takes the time to really get to know you without feeling rushed and is an amazing listener, as we had a long story to tell and he captured every moment we spoke about when he told our story during our ceremony.....he actually told it better than us!! 

Rev Phil arrived to our ceremony location in Chicago the day after Christmas with plenty of time to go over any last min things we needed to talk about. He took the time to meet my other family members and put them at ease at a time they really need an outside person to do so. He welcomed guests and was able to strike up a conversation as if he had known them for years. 

Please look no further. I guarantee Rev. Phil will make your wedding ceremony so special. Everyone still talks about how unique our ceremony was as not everyone knew our entire story and future plans. I feel very lucky to have found Rev Phil and feel very excited for those of you who have yet to meet him......You will be amazed!!”

— Jennifer & Greg, Allerton Hotel, Chicago
from a  WeddingWire review

“To be an effective review I will tell you why I gave Reverend Phil 5 stars in each category.

Quality of Service: Our ceremony came with a 10 page personalized to how my husband and I wished our perfect ceremony to be. You get to add or remove as many readings as you wish- for a long and tearful or short and sweet. There will be NOTHING in your ceremony- either done or said that you don't know about ahead of time.. and NOTHING you don't want in your ceremony and EVERYTHING you do. Mine was perfect. There is no other adjective I can use other than perfect. 

Responsiveness: Whether you call or e-mail or send a letter through the USPS Reverend Phil is going to get back to you a.s.a.p. I do not recall once getting his voicemail and if I did he called right back. Whenever I sent him an e-mail he replied within 48 hours, usually 24 (unless it was a weekend). Occasionally we had a e-mail instant messaging session happening when editing my ceremony. Performing ceremonies is his job therefore making himself available for you is his priority and he handles it without a hitch. 

Professionalism: First, performing ceremonies is his job, to be honest, I expected at some point for him to get me confused with another bride or my venue wrong or anything. That never happened. He always knew exactly what day I was getting married and at what time. I can't say he never gets confused- I just know he never did for me. Second, he has his profession modeled to an art form. There is absolutely nothing non-professional about Reverend Phil. When you meet him, if you chose to, you will be met with an extremely genuine and professional person. Finally, the day of- you will find no other better suited and prepared to handle the chaos that is getting guests to their seats in a timely and respectable manner. 

Value of Cost: Yes his prices may seem high compared to other officiants. But if you don't take anything else away from this review- take this: IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY. My husband and I were not thrilled with the idea of spending, what we thought, was such an exorbitant price just for someone to say, "do you? do you? Kiss... your married" but we are so grateful we didn't change our minds. We both believe we are extremely fortunate to have had Reverend Phil officiate our wedding and would never think even one cent was not worth the beautiful and perfect ceremony we had. If we ever renew our vows- Reverend Phil will be the first person we call... hopefully he hasn't retired! You will not be disappointed or regret a single cent. It truly is worth the cost- and then some.

Flexibility: I put together my wedding in less than 9 months. I changed my date three times. I changed the time of the ceremony on the final date twice. At none of those changes did Reverend Phil say to me, "I cannot preform your ceremony". Granted you work with Reverend Phil to make sure he is available, but even when I changed the ceremony time- after he had other ceremonies already scheduled later and earlier on my day- he still had the flexibility. I do not think many other brides were as indecisive as me... and Reverend Phil shone every time.

In short: Reverend Phil is there to make sure you have the ceremony you want —the wedding you always dreamed of. He believes the day is yours — not his. He makes sure the day is yours — just how you always imagined. Ultimately, a small price to pay for perfection — I think.”

Brittani and James, Danada House, Wheaton
from a  WeddingWire review

“Rev. Phil was amazing. He made my special day just perfect. He is a warm, sweet, thoughtful person and really just a nice guy. I cannot thank him enough for all he did for us. I recommend him to EVERYONE!”

Rachel & Joe, Catigny, Wheaton
from a WeddingWire review

“Reverend Phil made our wedding ceremony perfect and one we will never forget! Our wedding ceremony was by far the most important part of our wedding (as it should be for everyone!) and he exceeded our expectations! We met with him during a “get to know you session” and before we left we were 100% confident that he was the one we wanted to perform our ceremony. His approach was unique in that he shares “your” story, how you met, how you got engaged, and your plans for the future. We loved that because with all of the guests at our wedding, probably only about 25% knew all of the important details that led to our engagement and the big day! We also loved the fact that he sends you a FULL script to review before your wedding. That way you know exactly what is going on, because lets face it, the day of your wedding, your mind is spinning! It was nice to feel at ease knowing the flow of the wedding ceremony before hand! I would highly recommend Reverend Phil to anyone looking for an exceptional wedding ceremony, and one that you and your guests will never forget!”

Erica & Ryan, Chandler’s Banquets, Schaumburg
from a  WeddingWire review

“Rev. Phil was wonderful to work with. He met with me for 3 hours, and we discussed how my husband and I met, how we fell in love.... all the little details about our relationship and our love. The wedding ceremony was so personal and so one-of-a-kind. He shared our story with the entire congregation, which made it so much easier to not have to explain how we met to 100 people on our wedding day :) I would recommend Rev. Phil to anyone who wants a unique, incredibly personal, one-of-a-kind wedding ceremony.”

Leigh & Donald, Dynasty Banquets, Hammond
from a  WeddingWire review

“Katie and I live in Colorado Springs and we had our wedding in Chicago. Trying to get everything set up through our busy schedule here was quite a task. Rev. Phil was patient with us and helped us manage things from afar. Even though getting to that point was a difficult road, as soon as the music played and the ceremony started it went smooth and perfect... Our wedding was perfect... Rev. Phil had not a small finger to do with it but a whole hand. Thank you... Rev. Phil...” 

Katie & James, Holiday Inn Mart Plaza, Chicago
from a  WeddingWire review

“Thank you for a beautiful ceremony and for getting the large bridal party organized!  We all had a great time and I've gotten lots of compliments on your service.”

— Pam, mother of the 18 year old bride, Chateau Bu’sche, Alsip

“Rev. Phil was great! His attention to detail was perfect. We feel so lucky to have had him be part of our wedding.”

— Nicole & Paul, Odyssey Country Club, Tinley Park
from a  WeddingWire review

“Awesome! Tells your own personal love story. We got a number of compliments on the ceremony due to Rev. Phil!”

Sherry & Derreck, Herrington Inn, Geneva
from a  WeddingWire review

“Thank you for the book as well as the wonderful ceremony that you performed for us! It was wonderful and perfect! We have had so many people tell us how much they enjoyed our ceremony and loved hearing our stories.....THANK YOU! If we know of anyone that needs someone to marry them it will be our pleasure to pass along your name and information.”

— Leslie & Tim, Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Chicago

“Rev. Phil did a wonderful job! Many have commented to me about ‘Our Story’ It is very obvious Rev. Phil truly loves being involved with marriages, and makes an effort to make everyone seem unique.”

Katie & Stu, Makray Memorial Golf Club, Barrington, from a WeddingWire review

— Jill & Justin, Illinois Beach State Resort, Zion
(read the entire Yelp review)

— Kristyn & Marcus, Odyssey Boat at Navy Pier, Chicago

— Karen & Steve, Chevy Chase Country Club, Wheeling

— Sherrie & Josh, Patrick Haley Mansion, Joliet

— Mica & Dave, Eaglewood Resort & Spa, Itasca

— Tracy & Christopher, Armour House at Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest

— Marie & Jim,  Armour House at Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest

—Amy & Erich, Tamarack Golf Club, Naperville

— Jen & Mike, Abbington Banquets, Glen Ellyn

— Kris & Marty, Chateau Bu-Sche’, Alsip

“We just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the wonderful job you did on our ceremony. We can’t tell you how many people came up to us that evening and in the days up to now complimenting your presentation. The way you phrased our story was great. As we hoped, people laughed and cried all at the appropriate times! Thanks again for making the ceremony a huge success.”

5 years later… “Ted and I just celebrated our 5th anniversary. He popped in the video of the wedding. I totally forgot how wonderful everything was, you did a great job.  I just wanted to drop you a line saying hi and let you know I still recommend your services.”

— Laurie & Ted, Stonegate Banquets, Hoffman Estates

"After working with you on many ceremonies at the Eaglewood Resort and Spa, I finally had an opportunity to be a guest at a wedding where you were the officiant at the ceremony.

"I have always found your ceremonies to be warm and insightful. After watching your perform the ceremony at my friend's wedding, everything I felt from you was true. You truly create an atmosphere of calm, warmth and light humor. I appreciate how well you know the couples you marry.

"I look forward to recommending you to any couple that is looking for someone of your nature to perform their ceremonies."

— Michele Zurlo, former Director of Catering, Eaglewood Resort & Spa, Itasca

— Christina & Todd, Four Points Sheraton, Schiller Park

— Julie & Brian, Danada House, Wheaton

— Jennifer & Andy, Century Memorial Chapel at Naper Settlement, Naperville

— Vanessa & Mike, Bond Chapel, University of Chicago, Chicago

“We got many, many compliments on the ceremony itself and we wanted to convey that to you.  We heard more compliments on the ceremony and our vows than we did about the reception.  Everyone was impressed that a non-religious ceremony could be as fun, beautiful and moving as ours was.  Everyone loved the story of how we met and how we got engaged. The ceremony was a hit for all.  We just wanted to let you know that and say thank you.”

— Jen & Bill, Barn of Barrington, Barrington

— Gena & Bryan, Seville Banquets, Streamwood

I have even received the Hollywood Walk of Fame's "All-Star Reverend" plaque from a couple who got married in Chicago but work in Hollywood!

"We want to thank you for a wonderful ceremony. Everyone really, really loved your service. It really was perfect. Much of our family didn't even know those stories. So, thank you so much. As long as we live we will always remember our wedding day and how special you helped make it."

— Melissa & Doug,  W Lakeshore Hotel, Chicago

— Amy & Richard, William Tell Holiday Inn, Countryside

— Kathleen & Mike, Cancer Survivor’s Garden, Grant Park, Chicago

— Julie & John, Mesón Sabika, Naperville

“We just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate your efforts in making our ceremony so special! We appreciated you getting us a complete script to view and it’s fun to have it as a keepsake! We received many compliments on the uniqueness of the ceremony and everyone just loved how you made it so personal. Thank you again!”

—Amie & Bryan, Eaglewood Resort & Spa, Itasca

— Renee & Todd, Hilton, Lisle-Naperville

— Nicole & Eric, Architectural Artifacts, Chicago

— Lana & Jim, Westin Michigan Ave., Chicago

— Jean and Rod, Burnham Harbor, Chicago

— Laura & Craig, Park Hyatt, Chicago

“We both wanted to say ‘Thank You’ so much for everything. 

—Lisa & Chester, Schram Memorial Museum & Chapel, Glenview

—Carly & Greg, Bolingbrook Golf Club, Bolingbrook

—Melissa & Steve, Bartlett Hills Golf Club, Bartlett

— Camela & Raymond, Chicago’s First Lady yacht, Chicago

— Jennifer & John, Pazzo’s at 311, Chicago

— Michelle & Gabe, Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook

— Anne & Andy, Hotel 71, Chicago

— Daiana & Ed, Hyatt Regency Woodfield, Schaumburg

— Rose & Tim, Eaglewood Resort & Spa, Itasca

— Stacey & Dan, Independence Grove, Libertyville

— Jaime & Nick, Hyatt, Lisle

— Lisa & Todd, Wyndham (now Westin) Hotel, Itasca

— Michelle & Dave, Marriott, Schaumburg

—Karen & Andy, Mill Creek Golf Club, Geneva

—Ralph & Jeannine, Bird Haven Greenhouse, Joliet

About the 3 hour planning meeting:   “You definitely relieved any anxiety on whether or not our wedding day would go smoothly. We both agreed that with your warmth and kindness we felt as though you have been our Reverend for years and years!!! We could not possibly conceive how any couple who met with you would not have you marry them.”

— Heidi & Dan, Danada House, Wheaton

About the 3 hour planning meeting:    “I felt at ease the second we met you. Your attention to detail and planning to make our day special allows for us to relax!  There are so many things to worry about while planning a wedding, and because of you, we will not be worried about our ceremony whatsoever!  Thank you.”

— Molly & Tony, Century Memorial Chapel, Naperville

From a review: “I liked Phil from the minute I listened to his voicemail. He called the day after we sent him an inquiry on his website. My husband liked Phil from the first visit to his website. Phil has lots of reviews, suggestions, information (including pricing), and even video clips of ceremonies he has performed.

What else we loved:

• He is laid back (i.e. not a stodgy minister) yet professional, and he somehow manages to create a wedding ceremony where we were all laughing yet it was still very reverent.
• He is open to your personal selections on readings and even posts suggestions on his website. We chose a poem, an excerpt from an essay, and a Bible passage that he worked beautifully into the flow of the ceremony.
• Phil was always on time. He sent us a rough draft of the script when he said he would. He made all the changes we wanted. He emailed us a final script the week before the wedding and showed up early on wedding day to meet everyone, see the set up, go over the script, and even calm down this bride when she was alone in the dressing room pacing. (Thanks Phil!)
• Most importantly, you could tell that he really cared.

If you need a wedding official, please do yourself a favor and call up Rev. Phil!”

— Erin & Brian, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago
from a  Yelp review

“Thank you for the beautiful ceremony you conducted for us. Thanks to your personal direction and detailed written step-by-step service, everything went smoothly.  Our guests were impressed with your presentation and wonderful personality. Everyone asked if you were a ‘friend of the family. We both responded that all of the time you spent on the phone, e-mails, and in person at the wedding certainly made you a cherished part of our family now. We couldn’t have been happier.”

— Bonnie & Bob, Martinique Banquets, Burbank

“I just wanted to thank you so very, very much for officiating our wedding! You really stepped in when I was ready to break down after our first officiant got very ill two weeks before our wedding! I cannot express how truly personal and interesting you made our ceremony. All of our guests remarked on how smoothly you spoke and the personal quality you gave to the ceremony. Even the little old Greek ladies commented that this was the first wedding they enjoyed attending in years! That is saying A LOT! I could not have asked for more. I was very nervous the first time I spoke with you on the phone, but you really put my mind at ease, and having the script to rehearse really made it easier to relax and let myself enjoy the moment. I will recommend you to any future brides I come across!” 

—  Kristen & Matt, Chateau Bu’sche, Alsip

— Jo & Jim, Park Ridge Country Club, Park Ridge

— Lynette & Jimmy, North Pond at Lincoln Park, Chicago

— Liz & Marcin, a home in Elmhurst

“We want to thank you so much for making our day so very special.  My sister-in-law commented it was the best wedding ceremony she had ever attended.  You made it so personal and touching, and there was so much love in the room!  I am still giddy when I think about the day!!”

—Mary & Brent, Signature Room, 95th floor, John Hancock, Chicago

“Let me tell you if you are looking for someone to do your wedding this is the guy you want. He is the best, he is a people person and everyone loves him before during and after the wedding. If you have any doubts, use him and you won’t be sorry.”

Dawn & Brian, Meson Sabika, Naperville
from a  WeddingWire review

“Thank you very much for making our wedding day perfect. You fit right in like family… just the way we wanted it to be. Your interpretations of our love for each other was unforgettable.”

— Terrie & Brian, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Burr Ridge

“Mike and I just wanted to say thank you for making our wedding day spectacular!  We couldn’t have asked for it to turn out any better.  We very much appreciate all of your help in making it happen.  Everything was truly magnificent! “

Belinda & Mike, Metropolitan Club, Chicago

“Love Rev. Landers, he is a great person, he made the ceremony so wonderful!!!”

Dawn & Caleb, Four Points by Sheraton O’Hare, Schiller Park
from a  WeddingWire review

“You made our wedding a wonderful event for both of us. Thank you.”

— Diane & Ron, Medinah Country Club, Medinah

2 years later… “I can not believe it is almost two years since you officiated our wedding. We think of you often and have wonderful memories of our day. You made everything perfect.”

— Sharon & Danny, North School Park, Arlington Hts

“Thank you so much for helping to make our wedding day wonderful.  We appreciate your willingness to try something new. The wedding passages were beautiful and you were an important part of our day.”

— Chris & Mike (with his daughter), horse-drawn carriage ride on Michigan Ave., Chicago

— Mary & Dick, Hyatt, Lisle

“I just wanted to give an extended thank you. The ceremony turned out beautiful thanks to you! I really appreciate all that you have done! You have made our day very memorable and cannot thank you enough! I appreciate everything you have done and other people should know how wonderful you are!”

— Kim & John, Bolingbrook Golf Club, Bolingbrook

"This note is to thank you for making our day meaningful and special. You have that God given, innate ability to communicate well and make those in your presence comfortable and at ease."

— Sveta & Jon, Millennium Park, Chicago

“Rev. Phil was amazing. He made my special day just perfect. He is a warm, sweet, thoughtful person and really just a nice guy. I cannot thank him enough for all he did for us. I recommend him to EVERYONE!?”

— Kym & Steve, Chandlers’s Banquets, Schaumburg
— from a Google review

“I just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know how much Jennifer and I appreciated you officiating our wedding.  You spoke with charisma and eloquence and I got a lot of compliments on your style.  Your delivery was perfect and it was exactly what we were looking for.  We would be more than happy to refer you to anyone we know that is looking for a padre.” 

— Jennifer and Christian, Katherine Legge Memorial Lodge, Hinsdale

“Just wanted to tell you thank you so much for doing the wedding. Everything went great.  Just wish I could have made [the temperature] a little warmer.  Everyone that attended thought that you did a great job as did we. Well, again, thank you for everything it was wonderful.”

— Jason and Melissa, outside of the old Water Tower (in November), Chicago

— Shelly & Ralph, Royalty West Banquets, Willow Springs

— Sue & Jim, a home in Rolling Meadows

Maria & Jackie, House of Blues Hotel, Chicago

“I just wanted to thank you again for everything. The wedding was perfect. I’m so glad we found you for our ceremony.”

— Carrie & Mike, a home in Chicago

“Jeff and I thank you so much for officiating our wedding. My family was asking how I got hold of you and they were even saying that you made it more memorable.”

— Mae & Jeff, China Chef, Morton Grove