Wedding Officiant

Your wedding date is nearing and it’s time to meet with your officiant to go over some of the finer details of the ceremony. Here are 5 questions you should ask.

1. Can you help us in registering our marriage?

Registering your marriage can be a monotonous task depending on your local laws and the complexity of the process. Most officiants have performed weddings for many couples so are very familiar with the process and should be able to inform you of all the necessary steps.

2. Are we able to have a rehearsal?

You may not feel you need a rehearsal and just want to wing it on the day. If you want to put your mind at ease however, it can be a good idea to have a quick rehearsal in the last few weeks before the wedding so that it is fresh in your mind. If they are not able to accommodate this, they should be able to go over the structure of the ceremony over the phone. You can write this down so that you have a clear picture of how the ceremony will pan out.

3. How long will the ceremony normally last?

Following on from question 2…..ask how long the wedding ceremony will last? This is important to know as it will determine the timing of events to follow. Once you know the duration of the ceremony, add it to your wedding day timeline.

4. Can we customise the ceremony?

If you don’t want to go with the standard wordings, you may be able to customise certain aspects of the ceremony such as the vows. The other important areas of customisation are song and reading choices. Ask what is/isn’t allowed as there are certain restrictions depending on the type of ceremony you are having.

5. Would they like to attend the meal?

Since they play such an important role in your wedding day, it’s always polite to ask your officiant if they would like to stay for the meal and reception. If they do, that is another person you need to account for when finalising numbers with the caterer. Remember to add this to your wedding guest list spreadsheet.