A dream deferred led Jennifer Allen to begin officiating celebrity weddings as her experience of not having her dream wedding motivated her to help others achieve theirs.
As the founder of “Just Elope,” a Dallas-based company specializing in elopements and popup weddings, Allen channels her passion into creating memorable ceremonies for couples.
You might recognize her from high-profile weddings she has officiated, such as rapper and TV personality Da Brat’s marriage to entrepreneur Jesseca Dupart featured on the WE reality series “Brat Loves Judy,” or from Season 3 of Netflix’s popular series “Love Is Blind.”
In a conversation with CNN, Allen shared that she and her now-husband, Tavarous Allen, were eager to marry in 2010 before his military deployment. “He said, ‘We should get married before I leave,’ and I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’” she recalled with a laugh. “I thought our only options were to either go to Vegas or City Hall, and we couldn’t afford Vegas, so City Hall it was.” The experience left her feeling that their wedding was “underwhelming” before her husband left just hours later.
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This lack of options inspired Allen to create a business for couples who, like her and her husband, have dreams of a special day that might be limited by their resources.
She believes that even those who plan a grander celebration for later deserve to make the most of their current moment. “One of the things that I always tell our couples when they say we’re going to do something small now with a big wedding later, I always tell them, you gotta look at it like losing your virginity,” Allen explained. “If you lost your virginity in the back of a pickup truck and you had sex the next time in a hotel room, it does not change the fact that you lost it in the back of a pickup truck.”
Jennifer Allen now officiating celebrity weddings
Her candid approach, attention to detail, and commitment to her clients’ wishes have earned her a reputation that has allowed her to assist over 400 couples.
Her work also led her to officiate the potential wedding of “Love Is Blind” Season 3 contestants Sikiru “SK” Alagbada and Raven Ross, where Alagbada chose not to marry on the show.
Allen finds joy in crafting weddings ranging from her $500 package to more elaborate celebrations for clients like Jaqui Rice Gold, CEO of G.O.A.T. Fuel and daughter of Hall of Fame football player Jerry Rice.
“I tell people our business is not necessarily for the budget buy, because she’s a prime example of somebody that could have had a multimillion-dollar wedding if she wanted to,” Allen said. “But she booked her package, paid her deposit, made her final payment 30 days before, and used all of our references for her dress, hair, makeup, and the rest.”
SOURCE: CNN
