Today we’d like to introduce you to Rev. A. Benae Colbért.
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?
I’ve often joked that my life has been shaped by contradictions—part hippie, part Texas girl, raised among a delightfully oddball cast of relatives. Somewhere in that mix, the spiritual, grounded, and slightly whimsical woman I am today took shape.
As a kid, my imagination was my playground. While other little girls were diapering their dolls or grounding their Barbies for bad behavior, I was busy officiating full-scale Barbie weddings—often featuring unwilling family pets as the wedding party. Those tiny, chaotic ceremonies planted the earliest seeds of what would eventually become my calling.
In 1994, I attended a unique commitment ceremony in Austin — something I’d never witnessed before. The minister’s ability to hold space, honor the moment, and make everyone feel seen struck me right in the soul. I remember thinking that moment was both beautiful and magical. A quiet wish took root: to one day create moments like that for others.
Fast-forward a few years when friends asked me to officiate their wedding. It felt right—like something I’d been preparing for since the Barbie-and-pet era—so I became ordained. What started as childhood make-believe grew into a genuine vocation, and I’m grateful every day to walk alongside couples as they begin one of the most meaningful chapters of their lives.
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?
It definitely hasn’t been a perfectly smooth road—more like a winding one with plenty of bumps, surprises, and moments of doubt along the way.
When I officiated my very first wedding, I was so nervous. I’d been ordained, I’d prepared, I knew exactly what I wanted to say… and yet right before the ceremony began, I remember thinking, “Who am I to stand up here and do this?” That little voice of imposter syndrome still visits me from time to time, even after all these years. I’ve learned to see it as a reminder that I care deeply about what I do.
I also juggle a few brain quirks that make this job an adventure: I’m dyslexic, I have anomic aphasia (which means sometimes the words don’t come), I have ADD, and my short-term memory occasionally takes spontaneous vacations. Now, pair that with the expectation that I speak clearly, stay organized, and guide people through one of the most important moments of their lives. There were definitely years where I worried I’d stumble or blank—but I’ve built systems, rituals, and a solid sense of humor that keep me grounded. Oddly enough, these challenges have made me more present, more thoughtful, and more intentional with every ceremony I craft.
Another challenge has been the changing landscape. When I was first ordained more than twenty years ago, there were only a handful of officiants in Austin. Now there are hundreds—wonderful folks, but it means I can easily get lost in the mix. I’ve never been one for aggressive marketing, and advertising has become so expensive that it doesn’t feel like a fit for me. So instead, I’ve stuck with what feels true: organic connection. I like the idea that the couples who find me do so through fate, serendipity, or some gentle nudge of the universe. It makes the connection feel meaningful.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Absolutely—my work today is really the culmination of everything I’ve done throughout my life. Before I ever officiated a wedding, I spent decades building a career in storytelling.
I started in Journalism and went on to earn degrees in Communications, which set the foundation for understanding people, messages, and the power of well-crafted words. From there, I moved into Marketing and Advertising project management, where I spent more than 35 years helping brands find their voice and connect with audiences in meaningful ways. I lived through the entire evolution of the web—from static HTML pages to the wild world of social media and digital content—and became completely fascinated by it. Over time, that fascination grew into a second identity as a digital creator. I loved blending creativity, strategy, and emerging technology to bring stories to life.
When I retired from that chapter of my career last year, it felt like the perfect moment to pour my energy into the things I’ve always been passionate about but never had full-time space for: officiating weddings and hosting my podcast. Now I get to spend my days doing work that feels soulful and deeply human. With weddings, I specialize in writing ceremonies that are personal, warm, meaningful, and infused with a sense of reverence and joy. I’ve become known for my ability to listen deeply, understand a couple’s story, and transform it into something that feels theirs authentically—not scripted, not cookie-cutter, not “insert couple name here.”
As for my podcast, it allows me to keep my love for storytelling and communication alive. That’s where my inner storyteller gets to run wild. I get to explore ideas, talk to fascinating humans, and indulge the part of me that has always been a curious communicator, which is at the core of who I am.
What I’m most proud of is how all these threads—journalism, communications, advertising, digital creation, spirituality, and storytelling—have woven together into something that feels uniquely mine. I think what sets me apart is that blend: the polish of a lifelong communicator, the creativity of a digital storyteller, the grounding of a minister, and the heart of someone who genuinely loves being invited into people’s most meaningful moments.
How do you think about luck?
When it comes to “luck,” I’ve never been the kind of person who wins lottery tickets, radio contests, or front-row seats just by calling at the right moment. In that sense, I’m not lucky at all—and honestly, I’ve never expected to be. Traditional good luck has never really shown up for me in those ways.
What I do believe in, though, is something a little quieter and much more meaningful: serendipity. To me, serendipity is the art of finding something valuable or beautiful without actively searching for it—a happy, beneficial coincidence that nudges you in the right direction. It’s being guided by the world around me, staying open, paying attention, and trusting my Mandalorian inner voice when it whispers, “This is the way.”
That perspective has played a much bigger role in my life and my work than luck ever has. The best things that have happened to me—opportunities, connections, couples who find me at exactly the right moment—never come from winning something. They come from being open to possibility, listening to intuition, and following those gentle, unexpected threads that seem to appear at just the right time.
I don’t rely on luck for my business; I rely on alignment, timing, and the sense that the right people find me when they’re meant to. In my experience, those serendipitous moments are far more powerful and far more reliable than any lottery ticket could ever be.
Pricing:
- I offer an Elopement or “Short ‘n Sweet” Wedding for $100
- Weekdays: $200-300
- Weekends: $250-350
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ceremoniesforlife.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revbenae
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RevBenaeColbert
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benaecolbert/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@abcolbert
