Nonconformist Nuptials

Serves Burnsville, MN

35244

Not yet available

1 employee

18 years in business

$300

5.0

This pro accepts payments via Cash, Check, Credit card, PayPal, and Square cash app.

Next Service

Hours

Sun 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Mon 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Tues 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Wed 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Thurs 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Fri 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Sat 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Credentials

Background Check

Cynthia Korpi
Completed on 7/9/2019

Introduction

Are you getting married soon? Do you get queasy at the very thought of having a ceremony that's so off-the-shelf common that you could simply change the names of the participants and you'd be ready to go? If the mere idea of this cookie-cutter approach to your wedding -- one that blurs into an easily forgotten "Dearly beloved..." haze -- gives you hives, you're the right person to go the Nonconformist Nuptials route. A nonconformist is one who refuses to be bound by accepted beliefs, customs, or practices. If you want a deeply spiritual (albeit not affiliated with any specific organized religion) or secular wedding, vow renewal or commitment ceremony (known hereafter as the Pinky Swear-emony®), Sid Korpi is your dream officiant. With nearly four decades of experience in public speaking/acting, professional writing/editing and party planning -- not to mention nearly six decades of experience being a genuine nonconformist, she has all the skills and the legal power vested in her by the state of Minnesota to help you write, plan and pull off a singular, unique-to-you ceremony people will buzz about for years to come. Her fee is $300 to write* and deliver your guaranteed unique-to-you ceremony and mail your signed wedding certificate to the Hennepin County (or other Twin Cities area) Government Center. * She will extensively interview you and your betrothed in order to write your ceremony for you to your specifications. * Meeting the day before the wedding for a rehearsal -- optional but recommended for any but the smallest, simplest of ceremonies (for an additional travel expense fee) Call Sid Korpi to set up a time to meet at her home on West 7th Street in Saint Paul. There's no charge, and the meeting usually takes about 90 minutes. It's just to see if you are all kindred spirits. Your wedding is too important to choose anyone but the perfect-for-you officiant (All parties reserve the right to respectfully decline to proceed if there is not a meeting of the minds regarding the substance of the ceremony). Decide to go with Nonconformist Nuptials and a nonrefundable $100 deposit is all that's needed to reserve your wedding/other ceremony date and will be deducted from the balance, which is due the day of the ceremony. Read what recent Nonconformist Nuptials clients have had to say. "Sid, thank you so much for everything! We were so blessed to have you as part of our special day! Sid, you did an amazing job! Thank you again." - Jake and Stacey (Adelmann) married by Sid Korpi on September 21, 2007 "All of my family just adored you! Thank you for the wonderful job you did. You really made our ceremony more personal and enjoyable. Thank you Sid. I could never thank you enough!" - Heather Marie Anderson, married to Ryan Anderson on May 2, 2009 ''We are so happy that Sid was able to officiate our wedding ceremony. She offered us many creative ideas and helped edit our ceremony to make it more 'us'. It was great to meet with her ahead of time. We really were happy with our decision to have her participate in our wedding.'' - Kristi Coley-Stephan, married to Dave Stephan on May 29, 2009

Q&A

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

My $300 price reflects time spent interviewing the couple in order to write a completely unique-to-them ceremony. The end result is a memorably different event that reflects the couple's personality and energy. I am known for injecting humor (with the couple's permission), and that always helps keep audiences awake.

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

I offer a free, no-obligation first meeting to conduct a 90-minute-or-longer interview. If we all feel there is a good fit, I take a nonrefundable deposit of $100. The balance is due at the ceremony. I can attend a rehearsal for a small additional charge.

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

Besides being a born-and-bred nonconformist myself, I am an award-winning author/journalist and actor. (How many officiants do you know who can boast having won "Best Actress in a Zombie Movie" for "Attack of the Moon Zombies"?) With 35 years of experience in those areas, I am very comfortable speaking publicly and know how to work a room thanks to my years of improvisational acting with the Murder Mystery Co. I make sure your ceremony is both meaningful AND entertaining.

How did you get started doing this type of work?

I went to a friend's wedding that was so blandly "same-old, same-old" that I rebelled against the idea that the most meaningful day of someone's life should be reduced to an officiant's swapping out names and re-reading some trite and tired ceremony. I wrote my own wedding ceremony years later and had a sympatico officiant deliver it. People were so impressed by the creativity and individuality expressed in my ceremony, I decided to provide the same for others who want to stand out in a crowd.

What types of customers have you worked with?

I've worked with young couples, well-seasoned couples, same-sex couples, folks celebrating 50 years together, people who want a commitment ceremony that's perfect for domestic partners (the Pinky Swear-emony®), people of differing faiths (such as Buddhist and Jewish), people with a more spiritual than religious bent, people who have included their dogs as ring bearers (that was me actually), people in another state who wanted me to write their ceremony so a friend of theirs could read it, etc.

Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?

There are so many! There was the couple who planned an outdoor wedding in the winter to be followed by a snowball fight. The bride's bouquet was a tree branch with marshmallows on the twig tips that were later used to make s'mores. There was another couple who wrote out their Pinky Swear-emony® on numbered index cards and had all their friends and family read them aloud in order so everyone was part of the experience. There was the couple who gave all their guests kazoos and had them play the theme from "The Muppet Show" as a recessional song. I adore people with more creativity than cash, who think outside the gunny sack ("outside the box" is too cliché). It usually takes me a week or two to get the rough draft of the ceremony written because its content has to bubble up in my subconscious mind first. Couples have 100% editing control. I am not "married" to my words.

What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

If what you dream of is a somber, religious ceremony, by all means approach your minister/priest/rabbi/etc. I really want to work with people who know they deserve to be remembered for a meaningful wedding with humor and personality expressed in storytelling—Their love story!

What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?

When you contact me, I can email you a list of helpful questions to consider before we meet so you can have gathered your thoughts. Don't be fooled by other companies that promise individualized ceremonies when all they really mean is you can pick one out of a book of options. With Nonconformist Nuptials, you can be certain NO ONE ELSE has heard your ceremony before.