Howard Pendley, Ph.D.

117 photos

Customers rated this pro highly for professionalism, responsiveness, and work quality.

Read reviews that mention:

• ceremony・152

• wedding・132

• officiant・89

• officiate・89

• perfect・63

• special・61

• beautiful・47

• marry・29

• vows・21

• elopement・18

---

Haleigh L.

3 weeks ago

·

Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

We feel so fortunate to have had Howard officiate our wedding. He is professional, friendly, and has a great heart. He met with us prior to wedding day and spent some time getting to know the two of us (which I very much appreciated). We had endless compliments from friends & family on how beautiful the ceremony was! We highly recommend him officiating your wedding :)

Details: Wedding • Non-denominational (mentions God) • 51 - 100 guests • Help writing vows will not be needed • English • Officiant will be needed at the rehearsal

Wedding Officiant

Hannah B.

Jun 15, 2022

·

Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Howard Pendley was an amazing officiant and we truly could not have asked for anyone better! He replied to all of my messages so quickly and answered all of my questions. He took the time to pray for my grandfather who has been ill. Howard invited my now husband and I to lunch prior to our wedding to get to know us and take time to go over everything. Although we were unable to make time to do this due to my grandfather's health, he still made sure we had everything we wanted for the ceremony. He presented our vow books since we decided to write our own vows and he spoke about our sand pouring ceremony. He made everything run so smoothly and he was patient with my very long vows! He also traveled from Savannah GA to Hilton Head SC to marry us. We are very thankful that we found Howard! To put it short, he is professional, responsible, great value and so kind and sweet! If you are looking for an officiant, hire him! He will tailor your ceremony to be however you like!

Details: Wedding • Non-denominational (mentions God) • 51 - 100 guests • Help writing vows will not be needed • English • Officiant will not be needed at the rehearsal • Officiant does not need to be present at rehearsal

Wedding Officiant

Cheyanne T.

Jun 4, 2022

·

Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Thank you mr Howard for being mine and my husband’s wedding officiant, such a kind person. It was beautiful and sweet and even tho we was late he was early and I appreciate you so so much. Definitely recommend you to anyone ❤️

Details: Elopement • Christian • 20 guests or fewer • Help writing vows will not be needed • English • Officiant will be needed at the rehearsal • Date and time has not yet been chosen

Wedding Officiant

Starnell W.

May 24, 2022

·

Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Howard was fantastic. He was punctual for the ceremony, despite the weather. He interacted with our mothers, who became quick fans of him. If you are in need of a officiant for your wedding- Howard should be your only option. Thank you Howard for your professionalism- we were very pleased!

Details: Wedding • Christian • 20 guests or fewer • Help writing vows will be needed • English • Officiant will not be needed at the rehearsal • Officiant does not need to be present at rehearsal

Wedding Officiant

Amanda S.

May 16, 2022

·

Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

I highly recommend Howard to officiate your wedding. He made our experience personal and you would have never known that we had only met him prior to our wedding. He was amazing and helped make our day perfect!!

Details: Wedding • Christian • 20 guests or fewer • Help writing vows will be needed • English • Officiant will not be needed at the rehearsal • Officiant does not need to be present at rehearsal

Wedding Officiant

FAQs

• What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?

  Although I do have standard prices for my services, everything is negotiable. For local weddings, I have a very competitive flat rate. If I must travel beyond Chatham County, the fee will increase to compensate for mileage and/or travel expenses.

• What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

  After being contacted by new customers, I do my best to convert them from clients to friends, and from friends to family. Whenever possible, I want to meet in person with the couple in order to get to know them, and to give them the opportunity to get to know me. It also allows me to find out the couple's preferences regarding their wedding ceremony. As Savannah is a popular destination for weddings--and people come here from all over the world--it's not always possible to meet with them in advance. In that case, we must do our work by telephone and e-mail. I don't require deposits; I just trust folks to do what they say they're going to do. I don't use contracts; all they do is give us the right to sue each other. I don't sue my clients, and none of my client has ever sued me.

• What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?

  I have been officiating weddings for more than fifty-five years. I am an ordained minister with college and seminary degrees including B.A., M.Div., and Ph.D., as well as three-and-a-half years of additional chaplaincy training. I was a parish pastor for 25 years. For the last 25 years, I have worked as a chaplain in hospitals, prisons, substance abuse recovery, and, for the past 10 years, in hospice.