Today we’d like to introduce you to Ericka Davis.
Ericka, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a Jackson, MI native by way of Las Vegas, NV since 2002. At the age of 15, I chose to leave home. I have a story like many other girls but that we will save for another day. At the age of 17, I ran from Michigan to Las Vegas after surviving an abusive relationship. I spent the next six years homeless, on drugs and collecting one misdemeanor after another until I served jail time.
When I felt life and myself giving up, I chose to remember the God that had always saved me. In 2005, I enrolled in medical coding and billing school and got my first apartment on my own. I will never account my life to luck because I know it was more than that. It was a village of prayers and an old saying I will never forget- Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.
In 2010, I opened Expertise Legal Documents & Notary in Las Vegas and established my entrepreneurial grounding. During the early years of my business, I specialized in simple notaries, tax preparation and legal document preparation such as name changes, divorces and child support matters. Over the next seven years, I built a business that was professional, reliable and highly referred. But as any entrepreneur knows you must expand.
In May of 2016, I decided to pursue my passions full-time and left my corporate job to take training from Notary2Pro to become a signing agent. This allowed me to take my notary business to the ‘next level’ and open myself up to working with debt settlement firms, mortgage companies and anyone needing specialized notary services. Also during this time, I completed my Bachelors of Arts in Communications with Southern New Hampshire University.
In November 2016, after the encouragement of many friends and family knowing my love for speech writing and orator I sought out my ordination to become a wedding officiant. This is where I fell in love. My duties as a wedding officiant include ministerial services for weddings, vow renewals and commitment ceremonies. In the next year, I will offer premarital and post-marital counseling.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One thing that I’ve learned is that if comes easy or too smoothly then we don’t appreciate the path. So no it has not been smooth but ask me if it’s worth it and that’s a different discussion.
After having spent nearly 16 years in Las Vegas, NV myself and my husband, Mark relocated to Houston, TX July 2018. My best friend, soulmate, partner and love have been together since May 2010 and have been married since December 2012. My deep passion and commitment for family led to the immediate decision to relocate to support her mother-in-love who is in her end years of severe dementia.
The biggest hurdle right now is establishing my company in a new environment and meeting other reliable and professional vendors. Coming from the West Coast to the South has been quite the adjustment but I love my new city and all that it has to offer. I keep God and family as my primary focus so I know that all things will fall into place.
Expertise Services and Weddings – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
What can I say… I LOVE love. Expertise Weddings was founded on the principle that ALL couples have the right to be married. We do not discriminate and are open to everyone. We operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week and offer expedited filing of marriage license certificates. Again, my duties as a wedding officiant include spending time getting to know my couples, finding out the likes and loves and dislikes of each spouse-to-be, ideas of their dream ceremony, writing and producing the ceremony, completing the marriage license and I file all licenses on behalf of my couples.
In 2018, I was able to bring associate officiants on board. Minister Shoshana Rose Calvin leads the Las Vegas office and is absolutely amazing. She is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese which brings another dynamic to the team. The goal is to continue to build, brand and empower.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My clients are my family. I treat everyone as a member of my unit. The bond I have with my couples is amazing and irreplaceable. Some of my best moments are simply saying, ” I now pronounce you…”. Another fond memory for me as a young entreprenuer is winning the 2018 The Knot Best of Weddings and Wedding Wire Couples’ Choice Awards. These awards are some of the highest in the wedding industry and such an honor to obtain in my first year. Aside from by career my business advocates for the homeless and less fortunate with respect to legal needs and volunteer whenever and wherever possible.
I love to travel the world, eat amazing food and spend time with my husband, bonus son-Taye and rescue dog, Houston. Through life and love and now marriage I have a total of 5 bonus children – Rodrick, Jessica, Markisha, Mark and Taye and seven grandchildren- Kelsey, Rodrick III, Carson, Aubrey, Iyani, Brayden, and Lauren.
Pricing:
- Expertise Friends & Family Ceremony-Officiant Only $300
- Expertise Simple & Sweet Ceremony-Officiant Only $200
- Expertise Quickie Elopement-Officiant Only $150
- Expertise Say & Sign-Officiant Only $100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.expertiseweddings.com/
- Phone: 725-696-3536
- Email: inquiry@expertiseweddings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ExpertiseWeddings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExpertiseWeddings/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/expertise-weddings-and-events-houston
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR-nHBqM8wAuMp4wNU5a6pQ
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
