Love doesn’t make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile. ~ Franklin P. Jones
If you’re looking to take the ride, you’d do well to have this week’s Portrait, Jaclyn Rodriguez, as your conductor. Rodriguez, known as The Officiant Jawn, recently conducted her 238th wedding on Valentine’s Day. Since starting in 2023, she’s done weddings in a prison, in pajamas and at all hours of the day or night. She averages two to three weddings per week, and sometimes several in a day all while running her health and wellness business. We spoke to the busy love bug about what started her down the path of romance. Some responses have been edited for length or clarity.
I understand that you were born in North Philly, raised in Puerto Rico until you were 8, then back to Philly. What were your favorite parts of growing up in PR?
Well, my parents met because they were neighbors. So growing up, I lived in my mom’s mom’s house, and my father’s parents were right next door. So it was cool that I could go back and forth between their homes. What I would say I loved the most was that my father and his father were farmers, so they’d have chickens and pigs and trees with mangoes and all of that. It’s still something that’s a part of me. I’m very much a farm girl, and I can’t wait to one day own a farm and have the animals and all that stuff. That’s probably one of my best childhood memories and something that I miss about living in Puerto Rico.
I’m laughing because my ex-girlfriend was Greek and when we went to visit her family in Greece. Her grandmother would say, “Do you want chicken or pork for dinner?” I’d say chicken and next thing I knew, I’d hear a loud squawk!
[Laughing] Yes! Same here. Whatever we were gonna eat, it was killed right then and there.
It was a little too fresh for me. Tell me about your younger self.
When I came from Puerto Rico, I didn’t know any English, so I had to learn the language. For the first two years, I was in public school and it was really rough, but I learned English pretty quickly. Then my mom put us in Catholic school, and I remember wanting to be a nun! I was so in love with being a Catholic that I used to clean the convent once a week, and the nuns would put the habit on me, and pray over me. I was an honor student and excelled in whatever I did. Then I went to Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls. I was in the choir. I absolutely love singing. I took Spanish. I always got a 100 in that class!
Cheater!
I know. That was an easy class. And then right after I finished high school, I found out that I was pregnant. I graduated in June of 1998 and then found out that I was pregnant and life just took a turn. It was the best thing that ever happened to me because when I held my daughter, I just knew. I was responsible for this human life now, and I’ve got to make things work. My first real job outside of things like Rita’s or CVS, was at a call center. I took calls in English and Spanish and I got paid more just because I spoke two languages. So the whole bilingual thing has kind of always been in my favor. I do a lot of wedding services in Spanish too.
What did you want to be when you grew up, other than a nun?
I remember wanting to be a teacher, or wanting to be a singer. I feel like I always wanted to just entertain or serve people. It was always about being something for other people, something along those lines.
And did you play any sports?
I did not. I was far from sports. But I sort of became an athlete later on, as an adult.
Tell me about coming out.
So, my first real relationship with a woman was, I want to say when my daughter was 4, so 2003ish. I met a young lady at a Pep Boys. She was the mechanic, and I got more than my car fixed!
I’m not going to say anything about Jiffy Lube!
Ha! So she and I just started dating and I told her I wasn’t interested in anything serious, and that I just had fun with women. And then I lost my job, and she just stepped up, paying my bills and my rent, and I was just like, “What the hell? Women do this for each other?” And I fell in love with her.
When my mom first met her, I introduced her as a friend. My mom was like, “Oh, this is great. You guys should move in together. She can help you pay rent and all that stuff.” So when I officially came out, my mom blamed herself for encouraging it. I’m like, “Lady, I’ve been queer!”
But that was my first official relationship with a woman and she and I were together for four years. The rest of my entire family didn’t care. They loved me regardless. They supported me. But my mom obviously did not respond that way. She took it really, really, really bad. Eventually, she tolerated it but then I was in a relationship with a man for a minute and she was like, “Oh, you were just confused.”
And now that I’m in the relationship that I’m in now, she doesn’t agree with it. She won’t interact with Megan at all. She probably knows now that we’re engaged because of an article in the Inquirer that I did, but she’s never interacted with her. My mom is just a very Catholic, homophobic, Puerto-Rican individual. Hopefully that will change.
Did you hear any of that homophobia growing up?
No! In fact, one of her best friends was a gay guy. So that was ironic.
What about your father?
He passed away when I was 9. A couple of months after I moved here from Puerto Rico, he passed away. He was living in New York.
Do you have any siblings?
I have an older brother. His name is Harry, and he has TMR, which is trainable mental retardation. So even though he’s older — he’s 50 — he has the mentality of a 5- or 6-year-old. He’s the cutest. He lives with my mom. They’re both in Philadelphia.
Do you think having him as a sibling is what gave you the desire to serve and to help people?
Probably, probably.
I’ve watched a few of your videos and you seem very animated and very enthusiastic in them. Who did you get that zest for life from?
Definitely my mom and my father. She would talk about the whole neighborhood knowing him and him being loved by everyone. I remember her being like that at one point in my life too, before she got sick. She’s had spinal surgery, and double knee replacements, and had to retire early. She’s been single for a long time and I feel like a lot of things have put her in a space of feeling just blah about life. But she was once very full of life. I remember her being super, super happy. She worked for the school district for 16 years, and all the kids loved her. She was everybody’s favorite teacher. So I would say I got it from both of them.
What should I know about you?
I’ve been a health and wellness coach for almost 12 years now. I work with a huge community of people helping clients with weight loss, fitness and nutrition. I have a huge community that I built online. And it’s funny because the bride from the wedding that introduced me to the idea of being an officiant was a client who came to me to lose weight for her wedding. So that’s my bread and butter. That’s what I do full-time. It’s a community of women and those are my girls. I just got hired at the Y to do a Silver Sneakers program, so I’ll be working with seniors, which I love. I love seniors.
What else? I have a 25-year-old daughter who’s my best friend. She’s my buddy and she just walked in the house! [Laughing] I was a one-and-done, I was never gonna do that again after I had one. I’m really big on community, really big on family, really big on serving. I love the church. We just got our dog Luna in April of last year. She’s brought a lot of joy into our lives, and I’m engaged to be married in September of 2026!
Nice! What kind of dog is Luna?
Luna is a Chiweenie. It’s like a Chihuahua and dachshund mixed together.
What made you want to go into health and wellness?
I was extremely overweight and I just came across this community. My cousin was doing it in Puerto Rico. I saw my cousin losing weight and was curious. Eventually, I started using the products, and then I got presented with a business opportunity. But before that, I did human resources. I like to say, “I used to be human resources. Now I’m a resource for humans!” I was able to leave corporate America and do this from home full-time. So why not? Since then, I’ve been able to do triathlons, 5Ks, half marathons, and a marathon. It’s really about helping myself and other women like me set goals and do things that they never thought were possible.
That’s great. How did you get into the officiant work?
Through two events. I was at a wedding where they started really late because the mother of one of the brides was running behind, and the person conducting the ceremony had an attitude about it. They rushed the couple and did the wedding in just five minutes. On the flip side, I was at a wedding where the bride’s father-in-law did the ceremony and it was so warm and funny that we were in tears. I thought, “I’d like to do that.” I asked him how he got into it and that’s how it started.
How much did you have to study?
I really taught myself. I say I went to YouTube University. I became obsessed with watching different officiant videos on YouTube, and learning the dos and don’ts. And I just failed forward. I just did it and did it and showed up no matter what. And it’s incredible. I get to be a part of a couple’s big day, and I think that’s super cool. In Pennsylvania, you don’t need a witness, so sometimes it can be very intimate — just me and the couple. Sometimes I think, “Wow, my signature is what makes your marriage official. How cool is that? My name, right?”
Speaking of your signature, how’s your handwriting?
It’s awesome. I went to Catholic school!
What were a couple of the more memorable weddings?
My first wedding in 2023 was a lesbian couple, and I was joking and saying, “What if I say, ‘You may kiss your Jawn’” and the bride said, “Yes! Do it!” and that’s how I became “The Officiant Jawn.” I did one where the couple had a 2-year-old daughter who was really excited to be part of the wedding. It was just the three of them and she wore a little princess outfit and Cinderella slippers. It was really sweet. I did a ceremony in a hospital with the bride’s brother in the bed. She really wanted him to be a part of it. Recently, I had a young lady surprise her mom with a poem.
I did wedding videography a long time ago and they can be emotional.
Yes, and I’ve been invited to a lot of receptions. I love when I get to party with some of the families. You can just feel the love. One that comes to mind — his name was CJ and her name was Chantelle — and everything about that freaking wedding was amazing, from the ceremony where we kicked it off, to the welcome and the intro. They had a MC/DJ combo that was like it. The venue staff was amazing. The food was amazing. Sometimes, you have weddings that are just magical. Those are some of the perks of the job. I can’t wait now for a destination wedding. That’s my goal for this year.
Who’s going to officiate your wedding?
We are thinking of having her son and my daughter do it.
Do they have to get some kind of license for that?
You can get one online or PA allows a self-uniting license. So technically, we can marry ourselves legally and they’re just performing the ceremony.
All right. Some totally random questions now. Since you’re in the romance business, best and worst date?
The worst date is anything where I am hot or sweating. I don’t want to sweat. I can’t sweat. I hate sweating.
Wait, but you run.
That’s different. If I’m looking cute and I’m sweating, that is not a good combination. Best date? Anything that involves the beach or anything that involves good food. And if it’s a combination of the beach and good food and a good drink, count me in.
If you had the time, would you rather cook in or order out?
Depends on how I’m feeling, but I’m gonna have to go with cook in.
Do you have a specialty?
No, I can cook anything. My health and wellness community knows me as Chef Jackie. But ever since I started doing weddings, I gained 23 pounds. Now I have to take them off so I’m on the same journey as my clients!
Which room in your house best reflects your personality?
My bedroom. It’s red and black, which are my favorite colors — well, red, black and white together. And there are quotes about music all around, which I love. I’m a music whore. My favorite thing to do ever is karaoke, which, by the way, is also a great date. I probably should have said that as number-1!
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Tevin Campbell’s “Can We Talk.”
Love him! If you could make a cameo appearance in any movie or show, what would it be?
“Love Is Blind”! I want to be one of the officiants on “Love Is Blind.” Suzi, make it happen! Talk to your people, Suzi.
[Laughing] I’ll make some calls. Speaking of love, how did you and Megan meet?
I met through the health and wellness company that I’m a part of. I do Herbalife and we met at a trading event in King of Prussia.
I read that some of your advice to couples is “You’re marrying them for who they are today, not who you expect them to be in the future. Don’t expect them to change.” But what’s something annoying about you that Megan would probably want to change?
Oh my God. She probably has a laundry list for you. I would say she probably feels like she’s not heard sometimes — that I don’t listen or pay attention. I’m like a dude.
So last thing, do you have a favorite motto or saying?
I do! What’s my affirmation? Everything I do pops. There you go.
I like it!
Follow Jaclyn Rodriguez on Instagram @theofficiantjawn.