Description
WHO IS AL TAYLOR?
- I married the love of my life, Sherry, when I was 19 (my parents had to sign for me because I wasn’t of legal age)—51 years and counting…and they said it wouldn’t last.
- I have served in pastoral positions in churches as well as para-church organizations throughout Texas, although my ministry began at my home church in Kansas.
- I was President and Founder of Mission Southeast, a crisis ministry in SE Dallas that provided food, clothing, and household goods to those in need.
- I was Chaplain for the Dallas Police Department for 12 years.
- I was a professional clown for many years (before it was creepy to be a clown, and no, I did not run away to join the circus). I simply used clowning in the midst of the “circus of life” to help people learn to laugh, and to see that most people wear a mask of some kind to either hide from life or to cope with it. I learned from the greatest clown of all, Red Skelton, that the difference between a clown and a comedian is that “a comedian does funny things but a clown does things funny!”
- In my early years I was mistaken for Kenny Rogers, Glen Campbell, and George Goble (what a combination!), but nowadays, people think I’m Colonel Sanders.
- My favorite dish is my wife’s Southern Fried Chicken—hmmm…maybe that’s why I look like Col. Sanders—too much chicken maybe?
- Sherry and I loved to ride roller coasters in our younger days. We’d ride just about anything repeatedly as long as they didn’t turn her upside down—then her screams were deafening!
- One of my favorite memories is as a small boy at the “Pretty Prairie Kansas Rodeo.” I was peering between people’s legs trying to see Gene Autry and his horse, Champ. He saw me and had me lifted over the fence and placed me on Champ sitting next to him (if we only had cell phones then!).
- I love to watch any old western starring Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, John Wayne, or Clint Eastwood. (I still watch them today because they remind me of my dad.) Scrooge with Albert Finney is my favorite movie because it is all about redemption and second chances.
- The man who had the greatest influence on my life was my father, with his genuine goodness, kindness, gentleness, and strong work ethic. I only hope to be even half the man he was.
- What gets me through life and the toughest of days is God’s presence in my life and His gift to me of my wife, Sherry, and my family, who have been a source of strength and encouragement to me. Sherry made me weak in the knees when I met her, but today, when life makes my knees buckle, she is there to give me the strength I do not have to stand on my own. I am blessed!
Tom and Bailey Talbot –
Rev. Al Taylor was wonderful! After one month, our guests are still talking about how personal he made our ceremony, including interesting facts about each of us. He took the time to get to know us, discussed our ceremony options, and communicated back and forth regularly to finalize all the details. He drove an hour and a half to our wedding and arrived early to make sure everything was ok. Thanks to Mother Nature, our ceremony started an hour late. But Al mingled with our guests and kept them informed of what was happening. We had to go to plan B and move everything inside and improvise. Once the ceremony began, everything ran seamlessly from beginning to end! That was thanks to Al! We would recommend him to anyone!
Wedding Wire Bride –
We are so glad we booked a LoveNotes Officiant. Al Taylor was very nice, very knowledgeable and easy to work with. We are not religious and wanted a completely secular wedding. We also wanted to include my husband’s children. With Al’s guidance and invaluable suggestions, we were able to have a ceremony that included all members of our new family and honored our beliefs of love and marriage. We would have been clueless without him at the rehearsal. He knew everything to do and I knew we had made the right choice then! We are so happy with our wedding ceremony and definitely recommend LoveNotes and Dr. Al Taylor.
Wedding Wire Bride –
Al Taylor was such a wonderful officiant! He was professional, passionate and very polite, and we felt a genuine connection with him. He was punctual, organized, and quickly replied to emails or calls. He gracefully blessed our wedding, went with the flow and smoothed everything over even when I messed up during the ceremony. Al is so cool; he even grabbed a cart to help bring in the food when it was late to the reception. He’s a standup person and did a 10/10 job. He’s also a sharp dresser!
Jackie and Brandon Jones –
LoveNotes was highly recommended by our wedding coordinator and also by friends whom Al Taylor married last year. Dr. Al was wonderful and eager to learn about us individually and as a couple, which was very important to us. We did premarital counseling with him, which was a great opportunity to get to know each other better. Dr. Al quickly became more than our officiant; he became a friend and mentor also. Our wedding ceremony was nothing short of perfect. We customized our ceremony and it was executed exactly as we had hoped and prayed for. We are so grateful for Dr. Al. We couldn’t have picked a better officiant and also, friend. Thank you, LoveNotes and Dr. Al!
Wedding Wire Bride –
Our ceremony was perfect and it would not have been without Al. Planning a wedding from a different state was difficult; however, planning the actual ceremony could not have been simpler with the help of the LoveNotes book and Al. He walked us through everything we needed to do step by step. At the rehearsal, he stayed as long as needed (in spite of the rain), so everyone was ready for the wedding. Al arrived 2 hours early at the wedding to make sure the ceremony would go off without a hitch. He even started a few minutes early due to the coming weather, and we finished just before the rain came down! We were truly blessed to have found such a wonderful, caring Officiant for our wedding day, and we highly recommend him for yours!