Special Moments Services

Pricing

Prices start at $300

About Special Moments Services

Special Moments Services

When you give me the honor of serving as your officiant or pastor, I owe you the very best service. It’s your wedding! And you deserve a ceremony that is perfect for you! My role is to listen, to understand the love you share and your vision for your wedding, to offer ideas and possibilities, and to support your decisions. I will work hard to write the perfect ceremony just for you, and to deliver it beautifully.

What sets me apart from other officiants is the extra effort and care I put into creating a ceremony that you and your guests will feel is perfect. I was raised the son & grandson of Methodist ministers. I've attended services of a variety of faiths, and traditions. I am ordained non-denominational Christian; I believe no single church or faith tradition has a monopoly on God or our paths to Him. My career spans the Americas, Europe, and Asia, exposing me to many cultures. I've learned flexibility and appreciation of different beliefs & lifestyles. I love getting to know couples, and helping them make their wedding exceptional.

In three words: Creative, Flexible, Supportive

Best of Zola 2026

Services

Ceremony types

  • Commitment Ceremony
  • Elopement
  • Interfaith Ceremony
  • Legal License Signing
  • Multicultural Weddings
  • Non-religious Ceremony
  • Religious
  • Vow Renewal Ceremony

Religious affiliations

  • Buddhist
  • Catholic
  • Christian
  • Interfaith
  • Secular
  • Spiritual
  • Unitarian

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 5.0

5.0 out of 5

8 reviews

  • AB

    Alison B.

    Rating: 5
    •Jul 19

    A joy to work with!

    Mark was wonderful to work with from our first contact. He was very organized and easy to communicate with. We were so thankful to have someone there who knew all the details of crafting a ceremony. He tailored our ceremony perfectly to our preferences and made it feel very special. Many of our guests mentioned how much we loved the ceremony and chatting with Mark afterwards. We could not have asked for anything better and would absolutely recommend!

  • TD

    Tracy D.

    Rating: 5
    •Jan 4, 2026

    Mark Bidlake

    In September 2025, we got married and the ceremony at our house was led by Mark. We could not have picked a better officiant or human being to communicate the many important things that were, and are, important to us. Mark drove out to our house to meet with us and see the venue- I’m sure it was over an hour away. He was patient walking around the yard, brainstorming the ceremony, and listening to us interact as a couple. When we sat down to discuss the ceremony that he had drafted, he took plenty of notes, asked for clarifications, and was no-pressure about things we hadn’t thought through yet or weren’t interested in. There were several touches of his own input that we loved and incorporated; some poems to choose from, introducing by name and location all the people who were online, recognizing those who changed plans with just a few months’ notice, and asking that phones be turned off so we could all be mentally present during the ceremony. Even during the ceremony, some things weren’t planned and he was so cool about adding in my mother in law’s speech, sharing the mic, and just being so calm and confident that everyone else relaxed, too. By far, my favorite aspect of the wedding and the reason I fell in love with Mark’s approach even before we met him, was the way he seamlessly led a dual-language ceremony in Spanish and English. It was so important to me that no one feel left out, that we were all in the same moment hearing the same words at the same time, that people from halfway across the world and next door all felt like their presence was integral to the day. I also didn’t want a canned ceremony where one paragraph in English was followed by the same in Spanish, from a flow standpoint as well as the fact that there were several bi-lingual guests. Mark found a way to reiterate in a different language, without sounding redundant or boring. After the ceremony, Mark stayed, ate, laughed, danced, talked with guests, and was genuinely interested in being there and enjoying the party itself. Mark, you helped make the day one we will be proud of, happy to remember over and over, and a one-of-a-kind day that we 3 created together, then so eloquently brought everyone else into. Thank you for choosing to be with us and share your time and talents at our wedding!

  • AS

    Anne S.

    Rating: 5
    •Nov 16, 2025

    Amazing job!

    Mark did an amazing job officiating our wedding! He took his time and cares about making your day special and memorable!

  • ND

    Natalie D.

    Rating: 5
    •Nov 3, 2025

    Caring officiant

    From the first encounter with pastor Mark, my husband and I were so happy to hire him as our officiant. We collaborated really well in creating a ceremony of our dreams. We had a lot of ideas for the ceremony and Mark was able to tie in every single thing that we asked for and more! It truly felt like the most personal reflection of our love story and Mark was a huge part of creating that! He was very communicative throughout the planning process and showed up and prepped as much as possible. He really cared about making our day as special as we could possibly have it. He also followed up after our wedding day to confirm that our marriage license was mailed via certified mail. Please know if you book with Mark, that you will be in very good hands.

  • WS

    Waldemar S.

    Rating: 5
    •Oct 7, 2025

    Great Job Mark

    Mark from Special Moments Services did an excellent job officiating our wedding ceremony. From the initial email and text communication, we could tell he was professional and experienced. He smoothly guided us through the entire process, ensuring our ceremony went off without a hitch. As an ordained minister, Mark knew exactly what to do to make our special day memorable. We highly recommend Special Moments Services to any couple looking for a great officiant who will take care of all the details.

Preferred vendors of Special Moments Services

Venue
The Herrington Inn and Spa
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Starts at $1,000
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The Odyssey Venue
Rating: 3.7 (3 reviews)
Tinley Park, IL
Starts at $74
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Venue
The BRIX on the Fox
Rating: 5.0 (15 reviews)
Carpentersville, IL
Starts at $4,900
Venue
Century Memorial Chapel at Naper Settlement
Naperville, IL
Absolutely! I work with every couple to personalize your ceremony. Even my "just come marry us" elopment ceremonies are tailored to your basic preferences. And my fully custom-written ceremonies give you opportunities to contribute to the ceremony creation as much as you wish. I create an initial draft based on consultation with you, and you can edit/add/change until we have a final ceremony script that you are very happy with. My scripts also include your processional and recessional details, giving you and your bridal party a written go-by, helping everyone do their part.
Yes. I've worked with couples whose marriage was a complete secret, and we kept it that way, and with couples whose guest knew they were already married and they wanted to recreate the wedding experience with them. It just involves a few subtle wording changes.
I did my first wedding about six years ago. And since leaving the corporate world I've been doing weddings for the past three years on a regular basis.
I've done about 50. This year I have another 30 booked. And while I have ample experience with weddings of all shapes and sizes, I approach my relationship and attention to each couple with a fresh set of eyes.
Yes I am happy to do rehearsals. I price them separately, and the fee depends on the day of the week, time of day, and travel distance. I strive to be a great value for my couples...by scripting the processional and recessional details into the ceremony, being available for a final virtial walk-through of the full script with the couple, and by arriving early for the ceremony, a separate-day rehearsal can be avoided; this saves the couple $.
I do offer premarital coaching and counseling, "Helping Build A Strong Foundation for a Lasting, Successful Marriage". It is not required.
Yes, I do ceremonies fully in Spanish, all in English, or a blend. The degree to which a couple wishes to weave spanish into their ceremony often depends on the bride and groom's language capability / comfort, and that of their guests. I could also weave in a bit of French or Geran into an English ceremony. I have also worked with couples to make translations of the ceremony available to family. Once we did a PowerPoint on a big screen with the full wedding ceremony in English and Mandarin, side by side. And I've spoken a few words in Nepali to family that was face-timing into the ceremony from Nepal.

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