With Valentines Day around the corner, love is in the air—and so is excitement around a benefit for the Provincetown Film Society, which had filmmaker, part-time P’town resident and ordained Universal Life Church minister John Waters pitching in to officiate the wedding of one lucky couple as party of the Film Society’s fundraiser.
Reports LGBTQ Nation:
Waters will serve as minister for the couple that submit[ted] the highest bid in the winter fundraising auction that benefits one of his favorite causes, the Provincetown Film Society.
“This is a once-in-a-life chance for you and your partner to be married or your vows renewed by the legendary writer, director, and Provincetown ‘filth elder’ John Waters,” the auction listing states.
“John will officiate an intimate, private ceremony for up to 10 guests including the married couple, ensuring the moment is personal, unforgettable, and delightfully offbeat. If you’re tying the knot, John will even provide a 10-minute premarital counseling session beforehand, because he takes marrying couples seriously.”
The writer and director of 16 films, including Pink Flamingos” and Hairspray, and author of books including Shock Value and Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder, Waters has permanent residences in Baltimore, New York and San Francisco, but he’s spent every summer since 1964 in the Cape Cod beach town and is a strong supporter of the film society.
The ultimate multi-tasker, Waters has been certified to perform weddings for years but is selective about the ones he takes on. He became an ordained minister in order to officiate the wedding of Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder when Depp was 26 and filming Cry-Baby in Baltimore, but the ceremony ultimately didn’t take place. One recent wedding that he officiated was the Nov. 16 marriage of Jackass and A Dirty Shame star Johnny Knoxville and costume designer Emily Ting (also attended by their dog, Bucket.)
“John hasn’t married many, but the ones he has, have lasted, and he wants to continue that track record,” the auction listing says. …
This is the sixth year that Waters, 79, has donated a marquee item for the film society’s fundraiser. He led a tour of Provincetown sex haunts in 2021; cooked up a “Dinner at the Dump” in 2022; hosted a “Soiree at the Sewer” in 2023; spent a night in jail with four superfans in 2024, and offered a collection of signed memorabilia in 2025. Each year, he aims to come up with experiences and items that are new and different from any others in the auction. In all, his donations have raised more than $60,000 for the film society.
Read the complete LGBTQ Nation story here.
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