Rev Liz Grimes

 

Jac describes Liz as a feisty workaholic. Liz loves working with people. No matter what she is doing, she gives it her all.  She immerses herself into causes close to her heart.  And don’t tell her No!  She will prove that it can be done and she will do it!

 

​In addition to her work as a wedding officiant, Liz has been active in social justice work most of her life. As a teen Liz was a hospital volunteer and worked on the Greensboro Youth Council developing activities for the teens of her city. In the 1970’s Liz was an Advanced First Aid instructor through the American Red Cross, teaching first responders lifesaving skills, even though no one would hire a woman to actually do what she was teaching others to do.

 

She has served as an advocate for children in foster care, and adoptive families, serving on national boards working to increase awareness and services to children.  In addition to being an adoptive mother, Liz and Jac have also parented 64 foster children over the 32 years they were licensed foster parents.

 

She has been a longtime advocate for people living with HIV and LGBTQ rights. She was a founding Board member of the Piedmont Area Response Team, an organization to provide support to families living with HIV/AIDS. She is currently serving as treasurer for Alternative Resources of the Triad, sponsor of Greensboro Pride.

 

In addition to her commitment to making the world a better place, Liz loves camping and being outdoors. She and Jac were off road racers in their early marriage (before children), spending most weekends camping and enjoying the company of others with like interests. Her favorite campsites always overlook water, either a lake or the ocean.

 

She has a real passion for the work she does and creates a close connection to the couples she works with. She has a real knack for blending nontraditional elements into a ceremony that otherwise looks very traditional. She also loves to help couples create an offbeat, quirky or themed wedding that reflects their commitment and values. She has a closet full of Renaissance inspired clothes for themed weddings.

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Liz is also active with local government. She is serving on the Steering Committee for Participatory Budgeting, a process to encourage citizen involvement in community spending for neighborhood projects.

 

Liz Grimes has been officiating weddings since 2013 when she moved from serving congregations to working directly one on one with couples and families. She loves working with families to bring children into the ceremony and make them an integral part of the day’s events.  She can accommodate children of different ages and needs into one smooth ceremony. 

 

When asked who her ideal wedding couple is she says, “My ideal couple sees the ceremony as the reason for the celebration. They want a ceremony that is just as special and unique as they are! “

 

​She holds ordinations from All Faiths Church of Vancover, Washington and the Church of Spiritual Humanism. She attended Guilford College and is a credentialed religious educator through the Unitarian Universalist Association.  Liz is a member of the American Humanist Association, Triad Bridal Association where she serves on the Executive Committee, the American Association of Wedding Officiants, the Association of Bridal Consultants, the International Association of Professional Wedding Officiants and the Church of Spiritual Humanism.   ​

 

When not performing wedding ceremonies, Liz enjoys spending time with Jac and their dog, Pal, camping.  She also enjoys time with her children and grandchildren.