Today we’d like to introduce you to Venessa Cratic-Dillard.
Venessa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Thank you for having me. My journey has been shaped by faith, family, service, and a desire to leave a meaningful legacy. I am a wife, mother, grandmother, U.S. Army veteran, caregiver for my father, and a woman who believes in operating with love, integrity, and intention.
Academically, I hold an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree, and a master’s degree in Business and Organizational Leadership. Professionally, I am a licensed Life, Accident, and Sickness insurance agent in both Georgia and Florida, a notary public, and an ordained wedding officiant through the Christian Leaders Alliance, a subsidiary of the Christian Leaders Institute, where I am listed in their worldwide directory.
Spiritually and community-wise, I am very active at Grace Baptist Church in Stockbridge, Georgia, where I serve in student ministry, the Voices of Grace choir, outreach ministry, and the bookstore ministry. I am also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star (chaplain of my chapter), the Heroines of Jericho, and the Daughters of Isis.
Service is a central part of my life including my work as a substitute teacher for Henry County Schools ESS, primarily at Hickory Flat Elementary School. It gives me the opportunity to encourage and inspire children, and hopefully leave the kind of lifelong impact my own teachers left on me.
But at the heart of everything I do is my passion project: Uniquely You Wedding Ceremonies.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Life is full, and balancing my roles of mother, wife, grandmother, caregiver, educator, veteran, and entrepreneur hasn’t always been easy. But my faith grounds me. My community supports me. And serving others brings me joy, purpose, and peace.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Uniquely You Wedding Ceremonies ?
I’ve always loved weddings. The joy, the emotion, the beauty of two people committing their lives to one another. One day, I felt a light switch flip. I kept asking myself, How can I leave a legacy? How can I do something that people remember forever?
Growing up, several teachers left lasting footprints on my heart:
• Mrs. D’s, 4th grade – Her compassion and generosity shaped me.
• Ms. Brown, 6th grade – A strong-minded Black woman who taught seriousness, dignity, and integrity.
• Ms. Leary, 7th grade – She reinforced discipline, self-respect, and remembering where we come from.
Their impact is one of the reasons I value legacy so much and why I pour that same energy into substitute teaching today.
Wanting to give people meaningful memories led me to become a wedding officiant. I pursued formal training, became ordained through the Christian Leaders Alliance, and created Uniquely You Wedding Ceremonies a business that gives couples the freedom to design their ceremony their way. Every ceremony is heartfelt, unique, meaningful, and crafted with love.
What sets Uniquely You Wedding Ceremonies apart is the fact that
I focus on connection. I don’t do generic ceremonies. I take time to learn each couple’s story, their personalities, their vision. I offer:
• Flexibility
• Creativity
• Heartfelt delivery
• Professionalism
• A calming, warm presence
• A ceremony shaped specifically around them
What sets me apart is my ability to make every couple feel seen, celebrated, and honored.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my fondest childhood memories is the summers I spent with my grandmother. Every year, she ended the season with a special tradition: a bus excursion trip to Daytona Beach for all her grandchildren. The moment the bus pulled up to the coast felt magical. We’d start the day with breakfast at a little pancake house, then rent a hotel room so we had a home base for our adventure.
The beach was our playground sunlight, sand, waves, and the carnival that filled the air with music and excitement. I can still remember the cotton candy melting on my hands before I could take the second bite. My grandmother always packed a full picnic for the ride: fried chicken, sandwiches, chips, and sodas. We’d eat on the bus going down, and later gather in the hotel room for another meal before the long ride home.
It was a simple tradition, but it meant everything. Those trips weren’t just vacations they were moments that shaped my childhood, filled with love, family, and the kind of joy you never forget.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Photography Credits
Eric G. Dillard
