How to book a wedding officiant
There is a lot to organise at your wedding. Guests, decor, food……the list goes on. You may just overlook one of the most important details. Arranging the person who is actually going to marry you!
So how do you go about us. Here are our 3 steps to booking your wedding officiant.
1. Decide on your ceremony type
You probably already know the type of wedding ceremony you want, but you may not have considered the structure and style of the ceremony. Consider the following:
- Music or no music?
- If music, what kind?
- Traditional vows or writing your own?
- Readings? Bible verses? Quotes? Poems?
These are all things that you are best to think about right at the beginning. That way you can run these past any potential officiants to see whether they can accommodate your choices.
2. Choosing the right person. Speak to them on the phone(or even better, in person)
It is important that you actually speak to the person before the wedding, rather than just emailing them. A verbal conversation tells you a lot about a person and you will probably know right away if you have natural chemistry with the person. Ok, so you may never see this person ever again so does it really matter? That’s up to you and you may not be too concerned about this. If you do have natural chemistry with the officiant however, this can be pivotal in transforming the ceremony from good to great!
If you already know somebody that you would love to perform the ceremony, this is even better and makes your job a lot easier. Contact them immediately so they can reserve the date if they are still available.
3. Get advice from others on who to choose
If you don’t know anybody who could perform the ceremony, the next best option would be to ask your friends and family if they know anybody. Maybe you were at a wedding and you liked the officiant who conducted the ceremony? You may feel more comfortable to go with somebody who conducted the ceremony for some of your friends or family? Especially, if they have been recommended to you.
If you get no suggestions from family and friends, the next option would be to browse some wedding directories and look at reviews. This is less personal so make sure you call any potentials and speak to them over the phone before agreeing to anything.
Oh….and I almost forgot! Make sure they can legally marry you! You don’t want to miss that! Check the rules of wherever you live and ensure they have the required certifications to perform the ceremony.
Once you have booked your wedding officiant, here are the questions you should ask at your first meeting