Meet Stephanie Verrier Martinez | Certified Wedding Planner & Officiant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie Verrier Martinez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I started my own business, I considered a few things…

First, how could I help people?
I started this business as an officiant who wanted to give couples an affordable option to get married their way.

Why?
When my husband and I got married, we wanted an affordable option but couldn’t find any. We were married at the courthouse with just our son and one witness.

I knew I wanted to help people to celebrate their love in a way that was within their budget. I started offering ceremonies at a very affordable price…

Now, we have a team of officiants and have moved into wedding planning. We offer small packages and discounts for intimate weddings. We will work with each couple’s budget to ensure the couple can have a beautiful and memorable event at a cost they are comfortable with.

What should our readers know about your business?
As a business owner, you know that there are many people offering the same things you do. I’m always so honored when people choose our business over someone else’s. There are truly so many amazing vendors in our city that it’s humbling to be amongst them. I set our standards very high and make sure we give more than is offered in our packages to each client. That means we are available for our clients not just as their officiants, planners or photo-booth company. We offer moral support and guidance on a variety of things. I check in with each couple often and am ALWAYS available on my cellphone.

I, also, remain teachable. I am currently enrolled in a class for my Master Wedding Planner certification. I have taken a variety of courses, worked alongside some of the best planners, florists and vendors in the industry and always try to learn from them.

Has it been easy to get where we are today?
That’s a hard question to answer. When you do something you love… it isn’t work. But, when you’re a parent it can be difficult to balance everything.

It took some time, but now I do have great people on our team who can help and for that I am grateful. With 6 officiants, we know that any wedding ceremony is always covered in the event of an emergency. We also have amazing assistants who are ready for anything and can execute any wedding flawlessly in the event there is an emergency and I am unable to be there.

Being able to trust people with your business and vision can be hard, but the right people make that easier.

There are a few things I’d like the world to know about my brand and story… First, I believe ALL love is beautiful. It is so magical to learn the story of each of our couples. From our beautiful double brides who met as nurses working together, to our handsome grooms who met in college or our couples who swiped right to forever on tinder.
We have had the opportunity to learn about love and celebrate each love story in such a unique way. It inspires us and motivates us to keep growing.
Our brand will keep evolving as time goes on but, at its core, it will continue to be a lover of love, so excited to celebrate the love of others.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are so many amazing places to see in the area! First, we’d make sure to visit the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk. It’s always fun and there are so many great places to eat or have a drink. GG’s Waterfront is nearby or Etaru is a short drive… both are amazing choices for seafood with a view.

Without the kids we’d head up to The Funky Buddha Brewery and get a tour. Their flights are amazing and you get to try such a great variety of their beers. The food is to die for!!! Make sure not to skip the Bison Burgers!!! Fun fact: When we finally did get our ‘dream wedding,’ it was here!

For some great bites to eat in Miami we would head to Dos Croquetas for finger foods and the coolest spin on croquetas we’ve seen!!!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my husband Carlos. Without his support, our business wouldn’t be where it is today. He has spent countless hours listening to me practice ceremonies in English and Spanish, taking over with the kids so I can attend meetings or events and more… He continues to be so supportive with each new idea or direction I’d like to pursue. From just officiant service to now this business that offers a variety of services, he helps with every step of the way. You’ll may see him assisting at events, overseeing our photo-booths and even performing ceremonies when necessary! He is my partner in every sense and I am eternally grateful for him.

Website: www.StephanieVerrMar.com

Instagram: @StephanieVerrMarWeddings