Community Highlights: Meet Valise Jackson of Weddings by Valise & Notary Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Valise Jackson

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
What started my entrepreneurial journey is simply that I had lost my job and was needing to support myself financially. I had been getting about one interview a month. However, I had been a real estate closer back in 2004 so I began marketing my services and got a business rolling in 2012 The real estate market was busy and I was managing financially so I decided to stop looking for a job and strike out on the path of entrepreneurship. As the years progressed I also provided other services to many companies and in 2016 began the pathway to the wedding officiant business. It is so special being part of a couples wedding day and sharing in their joy and love.

After several years as a wedding officiant I decided to expand my services by offering coaching and a mentorship program for new emerging officiants.

I have written three books How to Create a Successful Wedding Officiant Business, How to Write a Personalized Wedding Script and Business Forms and Sample Contracts for the Wedding Officiant Business. I will be working on taking all three to national platforms but currently I am selling these as a pdf and have had quite a bit of success. Also, I am available as a speaker to motivate anyone that needs to step out of their box and embrace a new and improved future and life. In 2022 American Marriage Ministries published three wedding scripts that I wrote on their website, which was quite an unanticipated honor. I am a multiple year award winner on Wedding Wire for my officiating services.

Diversification is key in the success of a small business and I have embraced it over time and continue moving into different arenas of business.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This journey has been far from smooth. I literally started from ground zero and it was filled with challenges and triumphs. My entrepreneurial path began in 2012 as a full-time notary public/signing agent and expanded in 2016 to include my wedding officiant services. I officiated my first ceremony on my birthday July 20, 2016. What a unique birthday gift. On this journey I have faced numerous struggles and obstacles, but each has been a valuable lesson that has shaped my personal and business growth. I have had to change and adapt because each year has been different from the previous one. The challenges were worth it and I have reach a place in business that I never anticipated but look forward to what the future brings. Because of my resiliency I have grown my business and attained a level of success I never anticipated, such as, when I officiated the 1,300 wedding this year.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Weddings by Valise & Notary Services?
Weddings by Valise & Notary Services offers notary public, wedding officiant, business coaching/mentoring and speaking services. The business has evolved and grown over the years to hone in on my personal strengths and to help others grow by sharing the hard knocks I have learned from over time. I take great joy in the many five-star Google Business Reviews that customers/couples have left after using my services. Many bring me tears of happiness because I gave them a moment they will remember for a lifetime as their wedding officiant. To each and every customer/couple I offer southern hospitality and a sense of warmth. I really enjoy when I get to travel to another part of the state to officiate a wedding. Traveling is my passion. I am hoping to travel for a destination wedding one day. This year I had the honor to officiate a wedding for a couple from Graz, Austria and have also officiated for couples from Canada and Switzerland who made their way to Nashville, Tennessee

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important thing I have learned on this journey is the ability to adapt to a changing environment. It is important to be flexible so that the couple or customer receive the friendly the high-quality service they expect. There are many moving parts in my business and I work a non-traditional schedule so I never know what my day may bring. I may wake up with an open schedule for the day and have a last minute elopement or notarization for a customer. I stay ready for the phone to ring.

Pricing:

• $75 Vegas Ceremony
• $95 Just Make It Official
• $125 Elopement
• 250 and up for formal wedding

Contact Info:

• Website: https://valisejackson.wixsite.com/weddingofficiant
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valisejackson/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valise.jackson
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ValiseJackson
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiydSpRRNyyFpHtC2zMOr1g
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=wedding+officiant&find_loc=Lewisburg%2C+TN+37091
• Other: https://www.google.com/search?q=Weddings+by+Valise+and+Notary+Services,+Notary+Public+%26+Wedding+Officiant,+Ordained+Minister