"Like many couples, finding the perfect minister was one of the most integral pieces of our marriage. The words spoken have deep meaning and needed to reflect our personalities, beliefs, and deep commitment to each other on this day more than any other. And so began our search for a minister for the most important day of our lives. We interviewed several very qualified and kind ministers but finally found the one when we spoke with Selena Parrish. There is an elegance to her speech, a sophistication, paired with warmth and sincerity that touched both my husband and I immediately. Selena took the time to get to know us, to know our story, to hear what things draw us together and keep our love growing and to learn what our passions are. She then incorporated those pieces of us into the most beautiful wedding ceremony we've ever heard. We appreciated her responsiveness any time we reached out to her, including a very fast confirmation response a week prior to our ceremony. And finally, she offered us a copy of the ceremony in writing so we have it forever. We thank you, Selena, for helping make our wedding day even more beautiful than we'd imagined."
-- Jennifer and Kevin Knoke, Bella Vista, AR
-- Jennifer and Kevin Knoke, Bella Vista, AR
"Selena Parrish is a wonderful minister. Her graceful spirit and impeccable attention to detail are a blessing on a day when it is essential for many fine points and diverse personalities to come together.
Selena's open mind and heart welcomed the challenge my family presented on our wedding day. My husband and I each had been married before and desired an intimate ceremony that included my two sons. Selena listened thoughtfully and presented us with vows that articulated our unique situation. Our vows blended and blessed our family in such a sweet way with the proper balance of sincerity and celebration. She even brought bubbles, which were a delightful touch at the end! Selena Parrish has impressed me time and again with her versatility. I've recommended her to friends & have seen her officiate several kinds of weddings from large formal church services to casual garden events for all sorts of happy couples treating each with respect and reverence." -- Karen & Dave Singleton, Rogers, AR "Thank you so much for all your help this past weekend. I really appreciate the way you made time for us in your busy schedule. I truly apologize for the delays we had, but I can't thank you enough for taking us to the court house and being so flexible with our wedding. From the bottom of my heart thank you for making our day so special. The vows you wrote for us were so beautiful and meant so much to us. I would love to have a copy of the vows you wrote so I could frame it.
You are such a sweet person and I thank you for officiating our ceremony." -- Katherine & Franklin Martinez, Tulsa, OK "Selena was wonderful to work with & helped tremendously working out all the details & helping us pick the perfect vows for our small ceremony. She did a fantastic job & we would definitely highly recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding officiant.’
--Natasha & Jerry Coleman, Fayetteville, AR “Selena, thank you so much for taking over at the last moment for the minister that was unable to officiate. You truly exceeded our expectations. You are a kind & unique soul; those are hard to come by these days. We really enjoyed the Crescent & our wedding! We will definitely be back!”
-- Sterling & Marissa Gregg, Tulsa, OK "Selena, Thank you so much for the incredible ceremony and your kind, gentle spirit. It was a day we will never forget. We will definitely keep in touch and look forward to seeing you soon.”
-- Philip & Gianna Dixon, Little Rock, AR “Thank you for our beautiful ceremony. We were very fortunate that you were our minister & very happy with our wedding.”
-- David & Amy Crownover, Davis, CA “Dear Selena, Dakota & I would like to thank you so much for performing our ceremony & bringing us to Winona Church. We could not have dreamed of a more beautiful place than Winona Church to begin our future together. It was perfect. Thank you for sharing your spirit with us. We will never forget you.”
-- Jodi & Dakota Crow, Memphis, TN "Jessica and I just wanted to reach out to you today and thank you for the beautiful ceremony at Beaver Lake Cottages. We felt that you made our special day amazing. The thoughtfulness and your approach to our ceremony was heartfelt and genuine and we very much appreciated it. You made our elopement feel like a small intimate wedding ceremony. We could never thank you enough for your help and for the blessings you bestowed upon us."
-- Byron and Jessica Robinson, Conway, AR “Dear Pastor Parrish – Lon & I wanted to “thank you” & express our appreciation for your beautiful arrangement of our wedding vows. We appreciated your accommodating us with the unusual 2:02 AM time frame on 2/22/02 as well! It was such a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for making our wedding so special. “
-- Lori & Lon Hobbs, Tulsa, OK "I wanted to start off by saying thank you for being our minister. We would love a copy of our ceremony. Thank you so much!"
-- Katharina & Jamie McPherson “Thank you for making our wedding day so special! You were great!”
-- Aaron & Christy Fulkerson, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Hello Selena,
I just want to say thank you again for performing our marriage ceremony on Saturday. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful and we appreciate it very much. We will have wonderful memories. -- April & Joe Wright, Springfield, MO "We very much appreciated your energy & presentation of our ceremony. Very meaningful & special for our day. Would love to have a copy. It was an honor to be married by a Parrish."
-- Michael & Linda Parrish , (& Tucker the dog, too!) 'Selena, thank you again for officiating our ceremony on Sept 22nd. It was everything Caleb and I dreamed it would be! We love the way you incorporated the "fisherman's knot" into the ceremony.
You mentioned that you could send us a word document of the ceremony. If we could get one, that would be wonderful. We found out that my sister forgot to tape the wedding so we don't have any footage of the day. Thank goodness for pictures! We would be very grateful for a transcript to have in place of the video." -- Holly & Caleb Gulick, Diamond, MO "Dear Selena, thank you so much for being our officiant! You truly made our wedding absolutely perfect. We can't thank you enough for everything you did, & we will remember it always!"
Lots of love, -- Karen & Chris Fletcher, Little Rock, AR "I couldn't have chosen a better minister for my ceremony! Selena was professional, punctual, and compassionate! I witnessed another person officiating at least five ceremonies before mine, and was so grateful I had chosen Selena!!!"
Thank you for helping make our day special, -- Becky & Brent Burleson, Tulsa, OK "Selena, thank you for being officiating our ceremony. It was great to have our special day at the Crescent Cottages. The Treetop setting was spectacular! Thanks again --"
-- Lisa & Dewayne Wilson, Conway, AR "It was by chance we came across the Crescent Hotel and the beautiful town of Eureka Springs. We had attended a friend’s wedding and decided we wanted our journey to begin in Eureka as well. My mom asked us to go to the Crescent, hoping we would decide to have our wedding there.
As soon as we topped the Historic Loop and I saw the red carpet leading up the steps to the hotel lobby, I knew I wanted my family and friends to see and feel what I was feeling. It was magical. 10 years later on the same day, at the same time, at the same place, we renewed our vows. We even stayed in the same room at the Crescent! We are so happy that the minister who married us 10 years ago, Selena Parrish, was there with us again. She rewrote the original ceremony to encompass the changes in our life, & we thank her for being a special part of our vow renewal. We love Eureka & the Crescent, & want to come back for our 20th anniversary!” -- Audra & Steven Larson, Shawnee, OK "My fiance did 100% of the wedding planning so I met Selena just moments before the ceremony. Together, they did a great job of choosing the location, managing the details, and making the ceremony special. Based on the information he provided her, Selena wrote a beautiful, original wedding script that was unique to our circumstances. We were the only 3 people at the wedding ceremony, so Selena was nice enough to serve as the photographer too! I would highly recommend her services to anyone who is making Eureka Springs their wedding destination."
-- March 10, 2018, Basin Park Gazebo |
Hello Selena!!
Thank you so much for marrying Zachery and I♡ it was so beautiful and perfect for us; an honor to have shared that moment with you! -- Nisa & Zachery Porter, Kansas City, MO “When we first came to Eureka Springs on vacation, my husband and I decided to be married later in the year at the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa. When I was choosing my wedding package at the hotel, I
checked that I wanted a female minister because I wanted something
non-traditional. At the risk of sounding sexist, I thought a female
minister would put a little more personalization and emotion into the
ceremony.
Wow, was I right! We received Selena Parrish as our minister and what she did for our ceremony was so heartfelt and genuine and authentic that my husband and I re-read our vows that Selena wrote for us every year as a sort of touchstone in our marriage. And we loved Eureka Springs so much, we moved here!” -- Maureen & Denny Alexander, Eureka Springs, AR "Hello Selena!!
First and foremost we would like to thank you for the perfect ceremony!! We wanted to be wed in a beautiful surrounding and have the sweetest ceremony to join together our families and you helped us with the perfect place and words. God provided us the most beautiful weather that day!! From our conversation's prior to the ceremony and the care you showed of how we wanted our ceremony to take place was wonderful, we knew you were the minister that God wanted us to join with. Your expertise of Eureka Springs is impeccable and it was so lovely to see how well loved you are in the community. We cannot express to the fullest our joy of working with you and the peace we felt as it all unfolded! Thank you & God Bless you," -- Jud and Kim Radford, Tulsa, OK "Hello Selena!
With our recent hustle and bustle we have not taken the opportunity to tell you how completely thrilled we are with how you made our special day so completely flawless! Well...now is that time! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!! You were perfect in every way!" -- Michael & Rose Potts, Tulsa, OK “Ms. Selena – we wanted to write to tell you thank you so much for marrying us & for making it more awesome & beautiful than we expected. You looked so fabulous in your hat & you made it perfect for the occasion of Halloween.”
-- Amber & Mikey Bowlin, Hattiesburg, MS "Selena, we are so thrilled that you were able to officiate our wedding & make it exactly what we wanted it to be. Getting married on our boat under the full moon was our dream -- & you made it come true!”
-- Deb & Randy Cawyer, Holiday Island, AR "Selena is a very sweet, caring, professional, woman. Made us feel so at ease. Thank you so much."
-- Stephanie & Tommy Foster, Joplin, MO "Selena, thank you for officiating at our wedding, it was a beautiful ceremony and exactly what we wanted. We loved the copy of the ceremony that you wrote for the wedding. Thanks again!"
-- Abigale and Bryan Lawson, Kansas City, KS “Dear Selena, we want to thank you for your thoughtfulness & sincerity of the vows that helped make our wedding day extra special! Also, the pictures you “snapped” before the ceremony are great!”
-- Vicky & Matt Klotz, Liberty, NC “Thank you SO much for the beautiful ceremony on Saturday! It was perfect. I would love to have a copy to put with my wedding memorabilia & as you said, to read and remind us of that day.”
-- Scott & Jennifer Harrison, Ozark, MO "Brian and I got married in an intimate ceremony on a beautiful November afternoon. It was still 75 degrees and perfect for an outdoor ceremony. We weren’t sure where we wanted to have it, not being very familiar with Eureka Springs. Selena suggested the East Mountain Overlook gazebo, with the view of the valley and the Crescent Hotel.
We knew we wanted to be married outside and that we wanted a secular ceremony. Other than that, we had no idea what we wanted. Selena created a personalized and eloquent ceremony that suited us perfectly. We had both a handfasting and ring exchange ceremony, both of which were wonderfully composed. Selena even included two passages that we provided to her, quoted exactly as we submitted them. Selena made our perfect day even better, and I highly recommend her services to anyone who is looking to get married in Eureka Springs, especially if you are looking for a personalized, nontraditional service." -- Julie & Brian Burnett, Centerton, AR “Selena, thank you so much for being part of our special day, & for taking the time to work out the details of our ceremony over the phone. Today you have brought together two persons who truly love each other. Bless you!”
-- Dana & Jon Martin, Los Angeles, CA "Selena Parrish performed the wedding ceremony for Flavie & I in 2008, a second marriage for us both. From the initial contact, we were certain we had chosen well.
Selena answered questions we didn’t know to ask, and put us at ease instantly. Her demeanor and situational awareness made this experience effortless and her extraordinary ability to read people made this a very happy event for everyone involved. She has earned a place in our hearts! Thanks, Selena!" -- Paul & Flavie Lear, Reeds Spring, MO "Selena, I have wanted to get married in Eureka Springs since I first visited the town when I was 16. Our intimate wedding ceremony was exactly what I've always dreamed of. Rodney and I felt comfortable with you from the moment we talked on the phone and even more comfortable in person. Thank you for everything! We are so happy to have shared this moment with you. Gratefully,"
-- Rodney & Stephanie Brinkley, Wichita, KS "Selena, thank you so much for the beautiful ceremony at Pond Mountain on Sept 8th. It was perfect for us! You were so wonderful to work with and I love the message and vows....perfection! I would most definitely recommend anyone use you as their officiant. David said it was so personal and special. Thank you so much for everything! You are a super special and beautiful lady! Thank you again for making that special day so easy and comfortable!"
-- Stacy and David Huchingson, Memphis, TN |
"It is with absolute confidence and great respect that we submit this letter of recommendation for Reverend Selena Parrish of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We offer our complete endorsement for your consideration of Rev. Parrish as your wedding officiant. We were so blessed to have experienced her dedication and devotion to marrying couples first hand. The ceremony she officiated for us was beautiful, elegant, Spirit-filled and very, very meaningful. Her loving, positive attitude encompassed everyone present at that momentous occasion in our lives. Her gentle, calm, and loving demeanor added as much to the ceremony as her beautiful white clerical robes did to the day’s photography.
Before the ceremony, we found her imminently easy to work with and always available for telephone conferences. After the ceremony, she emailed us a copy of our custom ceremony, incorporating in the vows we had written ourselves, which we now have as a permanent reminder of the sacredness of the event, as well as the commitment we made to each other. Anyone contemplating matrimony and searching for the perfect officiant would be blessed to have the opportunity to work with Reverend Parrish. She added so much to our wedding and we recommend her to you wholeheartedly”. --- Dr. and Mrs. Timothy E. Hale, Hot Springs, AR -- Hale Wedding Announcement -- "You are exactly the kind of person we were hoping to find to marry us! We loved your energy & joyful spirit & the wonderful way you included our children in the ceremony!”
-- Judy & Greg Jones, Joplin, MO “Selena, thank you for such a beautiful chapter to add to our lives together. We both were impressed with the way you tailored our wedding to fit our unique situation. Your compassionate understanding of our separation instilled a quiet sense of serenity in our souls.
We sincerely value the short time we have shared with you. Your kindness & gentleness truly enhance your ability to convey your message of Love. We are grateful for you to be the one to consecrate our marriage again.” -- Susan & Jimmy Beckley, Wichita, KS “Dear Selena -- Thanks again for being part of our wedding! You will be in our memories & prayers forever more!”
-- Allan & Melinda Thurston, Westwood, KS “Selena, this quote from Max Lucado sums it up – ‘when God made you, He must have known how much your faith would make a difference in the many lives you’d touch. Thank you for all the ways you share His love.’
You are an angel from God! Thank you!” -- Andy & Annie McClish, Denver, CO “Selena, thank you for the beautiful service you performed at our daughter’s wedding. We really appreciate it. Thanks again!”
-- Liz Tippit & Danny Flippen, Fort Smith, AR “Selena, thank you so much for sharing this moment in our lives! You were such a big part of our wish for a meaningful ceremony.”
-- Jodie & Craig Brown, Eagle Rock, MO "We just wanted to say thank you so much for a wonderful and beautiful ceremony! We truly loved it! My husband Stormy and I would love a copy of the ceremony you wrote for us. Again, thank you so very much!"
-- Laurie & Stormy Williams, Ava, Mo "Selena, Jamie and I just wanted to thank you for an absolutely perfect ending to a wonderful weekend and a great brand-new beginning -- you just don't even know how hard we struggled to get to this point. It was a wonderful and memorable wedding and we both appreciate it so much. Thanks, and lots of Love,"
-- Charles and Jamie Coleman, Conway, AR Dear Selena -- Here's the picture from last weekend. We can't thank you enough for the loving ceremony at Pond Mountain!!
-- Aimee & Randy Wobker, Tulsa, OK Dear Selena, you made our ceremony absolutely perfect! I cannot say enough about your professionalism and the research you put into our hand tying ceremony, with the special vows you made just for us!!! We were blessed to have you!
Thank you for all of your kindness! If you would please send a copy of the vows you wrote for us! We would love to keep them and have them framed!!!! -- Tiffany & Don Walters, Yukon, OK "Selena, thank you so much for making John’s & my day beautiful! Thank you for printing out our vows for us so we could follow along. You put such ease on us both & we really appreciate it. God bless you!”
-- John & Susan Jenkins, Elkins, AR "Gage and I knew we wanted to get married for the past year but could never make up our minds on what to do!
We're non-traditional when it comes to most things so it made sense to us when we finally decided on a pretty spontaneous trip to elope in Eureka Springs. We found Selena through www.eurekaspringsarkansasweddings.com and were instantly attracted to her customizable weddings. Her website, www.eurekaminister.com, has the perfect menu to see what services she specifically offers (like different ceremonies such as knot tying, unity candle, etc.) and seeing that she offers a contemporary ceremony really added to our decision. Selena was wonderful and very professional! She was more than happy to accommodate us even though we only gave her about two weeks notice. We wanted a ceremony that focused on us coming together as equals rather than any religious involvement and Selena delivered! We picked Grotto Spring as our venue - it's so beautiful! I *highly* recommend picking Selena for any couple looking to wed in Eureka Springs! " -- Carol Ann & Gage Carson, Fort Smith, AR Selena -- It was so beautiful, and perfect. It was truly a pleasure to meet you. The ceremony words were so warm and full of love. I can't imagine my wedding day going any smoother or any better. Thank from the bottom of our hearts. We are so grateful for you! The highest of recommendations! ...You're the best, Selena!"
-- Ashley & Michael Gibson, Tulsa, OK "Anyone wishing to have a wedding in Eureka Springs will do well to call Selena Parrish. We called left everything to her and she made everything happen.. she wrote and prepared a wonderful ceremony just for us, unique to our having been married to each other before, parted for 30 years, then reunited. .. guided us through the wedding, picked a beautiful site and did a wonderful job.. We were MORE than pleased !!!"
-- Mary & Richard Payne, Muskogee, OK "I wanted to take a minute to tell you all about my wonderful experience with Selena Parrish. She was the minister at our ceremony and she added so much to our wedding. Selena called us a couple weeks before our wedding, asked us several questions about our likes and dislikes, and managed to write a beautiful ceremony specifically for us that we both loved and appreciated.
We had a very small wedding, just my husband and I and the photographer on the rooftop of the Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Springs, and thanks to Selena she made it a moment we will forever remember. -- Lisa & David Bowman, Bentonville AR "Let me tell you, if you’re getting married in or near Eureka Springs, Selena is the person you should look to for marrying you. She is so wonderfully nice and patient. Our wedding party was running just slightly behind and she was so kind about it. She even helped the guys put on their boutonnières! The vows she wrote for us were beautiful and touching. She wrote some to include my 8 year old daughter in the ceremony which made her cry, resulting in making everyone cry! We couldn’t have asked for anyone better to help us start this new chapter in our lives.
Selena, we would absolutely love a copy of the vows if possible. Thank you so much for marrying us, you are so lovely." -- Brianne and Dylan Duvall, Springfield, MO |
"We knew Eureka Springs was the place for our wedding ceremony after visiting the town and experiencing the serenity inside Thorncrown Chapel. The next most important step was to find the Minister to perform the ceremony. After searching online and reading various ceremony scripts, we knew this would be a challenge to find someone to oversee such a personal and intricate aspect of our marriage ceremony.
We were ecstatic to find Eureka Minister, Selena Parrish. After the first phone call, we knew right away that our ceremony would be exactly what we wanted. We spoke about our relationship and interests and she was able to produce a script that not only reflected our personalities, but also respected the Thorncrown Chapel guidelines. She made it simple to work together to edit the script which gave us the peace of mind that our ceremony would reflect our spirits. She guided us through the process ensuring our script was approved on time by Thorncrown Chapel. She has a calm yet powerful presence that made us feel at ease during our rehearsal and the actual ceremony.
It was an honor to have her as our minister. We will always look back on the beautiful words spoken at our ceremony and be inspired by how Selena orchestrated the experience. Thank you, Selena, for writing and delivering a personalized ceremony that will forever inspire us!"
-- Brooke and Tuomas Uola, Thorncrown Chapel, November 2015. Brooke & Tuomas wedding website was super; I love their story!
We were ecstatic to find Eureka Minister, Selena Parrish. After the first phone call, we knew right away that our ceremony would be exactly what we wanted. We spoke about our relationship and interests and she was able to produce a script that not only reflected our personalities, but also respected the Thorncrown Chapel guidelines. She made it simple to work together to edit the script which gave us the peace of mind that our ceremony would reflect our spirits. She guided us through the process ensuring our script was approved on time by Thorncrown Chapel. She has a calm yet powerful presence that made us feel at ease during our rehearsal and the actual ceremony.
It was an honor to have her as our minister. We will always look back on the beautiful words spoken at our ceremony and be inspired by how Selena orchestrated the experience. Thank you, Selena, for writing and delivering a personalized ceremony that will forever inspire us!"
-- Brooke and Tuomas Uola, Thorncrown Chapel, November 2015. Brooke & Tuomas wedding website was super; I love their story!
"Selena Parrish saved my husband and I! We have been trying to plan our wedding for two years and have run into constant road blocks due to trying to get everyone in the same place at the same time and not hurt anyone’s feelings. I remembered enjoying Eureka Springs back in my college days and during a random Google search, I found Selena’s website and emailed her and she quickly answered my questions and even gave me extra suggestions. My (now) husband wasn’t too into the idea in the beginning but one random Sunday a month ago, he told me we should just do it...so I immediately emailed Selena to see what I could put together…in a month. After reading through her website, visiting her Pinterest page, and talking to her, I knew I had found the right person to marry us. Thanks to her website, I also found a place to have the wedding (Pond Mountain…AWESOME!), a place to stay (also Pond Mountain!), and a photographer. Amazingly, all the players in our plan happened to be available on the same day so, thanks to Selena cutting out all of the search time, we were able to have the wedding WE wanted on a day we could both escape from work.
I was very nervous the day of the wedding since we got into town the day of, got our wedding license, and headed to the ceremony site with no rehearsal or real plan in mind other than to “get it done”. Selena stopped by my cabin for a quick visit, and after our short chat, i felt so much more calm and ready. Her spirit and smile make you forget all the things you were worried about and allow you to just concentrate on joining your life with your partner. Even though I walked blindly (no fogged glasses in the humidity) to our little wedding party, I knew I was in good hands. Thankfully Selena let us repeat after her through out the ceremony as I could not keep the words in my head after a 4 hour drive and packing all of the normal wedding day activities into a couple of hours!
I am Pagan but I grew up in a Christian household and although my wedding party was small, I wanted my mother and aunt to be comfortable with our ceremony but also have my spirituality represented. After one phone call, Selena created a custom wedding ceremony that was even better than I could have hoped for. The vow choices and description of our Handfasting put everyone at ease and brought so much good energy to our ceremony. Her thoroughness and thoughtfulness are a blessing to anyone who gets to work with her. I have been to so many large wedding circuses where the details are lost. Selena gave our ceremony focus and purpose and brought most of the group to tears. I know my husband and I were the ones making the commitment but she surrounded us with a circle of love and light and made everyone involved feel like ONE.
I can never tell Selena thank you enough times for helping us not regret running off to tie the knot. I highly suggest that you look through her website if you are planning your wedding and book her ASAP to perform the ceremony for you. I promise your day will be even more special for having her be part of it!"
-- Brad Thomson and Rayne McKinney-Thomson, Nashville, TN
I was very nervous the day of the wedding since we got into town the day of, got our wedding license, and headed to the ceremony site with no rehearsal or real plan in mind other than to “get it done”. Selena stopped by my cabin for a quick visit, and after our short chat, i felt so much more calm and ready. Her spirit and smile make you forget all the things you were worried about and allow you to just concentrate on joining your life with your partner. Even though I walked blindly (no fogged glasses in the humidity) to our little wedding party, I knew I was in good hands. Thankfully Selena let us repeat after her through out the ceremony as I could not keep the words in my head after a 4 hour drive and packing all of the normal wedding day activities into a couple of hours!
I am Pagan but I grew up in a Christian household and although my wedding party was small, I wanted my mother and aunt to be comfortable with our ceremony but also have my spirituality represented. After one phone call, Selena created a custom wedding ceremony that was even better than I could have hoped for. The vow choices and description of our Handfasting put everyone at ease and brought so much good energy to our ceremony. Her thoroughness and thoughtfulness are a blessing to anyone who gets to work with her. I have been to so many large wedding circuses where the details are lost. Selena gave our ceremony focus and purpose and brought most of the group to tears. I know my husband and I were the ones making the commitment but she surrounded us with a circle of love and light and made everyone involved feel like ONE.
I can never tell Selena thank you enough times for helping us not regret running off to tie the knot. I highly suggest that you look through her website if you are planning your wedding and book her ASAP to perform the ceremony for you. I promise your day will be even more special for having her be part of it!"
-- Brad Thomson and Rayne McKinney-Thomson, Nashville, TN