Your wedding day is a day that has been dreamed about for a long time. It’s a day to gather your closest friends and family to witness the moment you marry your person. It’s your perfect day.

 

You hire a professional photographer to capture everything.

You hire a professional florist to decorate and adorn your day.

You hire a professional caterer to feed the people you love most.

You hire a professional DJ to provide some music, so you can let loose and celebrate.

You hire a professional planner to help pull everything together and coordinate the day.

 

You hire out the most important pieces of your momentous day. So, what about the ceremony itself? Should you hire an officiant? And if so, why?

 

Most wedding ceremonies last less than 30 minutes. A tremendous amount of planning goes into those few minutes, and one of the most important jobs during that time belongs to the officiant. It's natural to want someone you grew up with, or a close family friend, to fill that role. It can feel like it should be them, since they're the one doing almost all the talking.

But there's more to it than reading a script and saying, "You may kiss the bride." A professional officiant handles far more than that, and most of it, you've probably never even thought about.

 

A good Officiant will look at your wedding ceremony like a production. They are outside of the emotions of the day and have your desires for the ceremony in mind. They are in complete control from the moment the ceremony starts until the end. Here are some of the things a professional Officiant will handle:

 

• Working in tandem with the planners to get everything needed for the ceremony set up.

• Working with photographers/videographers to make sure they can get the coverage needed.

• Making sure the couple is always centered for pictures being taken.

• Communicating clearly with the bride and groom before ceremony and explaining everything that will happen and how.

• Taking away any confusion about when it's time for the couple to respond. (Ex. Giving cues, like a tap on the elbow, when it’s their turn to say, “I do”.)

• The marriage license process from beginning to end. (Including mailing it back into the county clerk’s office.)

• A professional speaker. There won’t be “um’s and uhh’s. A professional will be prepared and can keep your guests engaged and can adjust on the fly based on the nature of the crowd.

• They get out of the way. They aren’t in the middle of the “kiss” picture, nor are they in the ring exchange, personal vow exchange and recession photos.

• Clearly communicate instructions to guests on where to go after the ceremony.

 

Is all of that really something you want to put on your friend? Your family & guests are there to celebrate your day with you. They should be able to relax and not have to worry about performing a ceremony. Most importantly, you should be able to relax and not have to wonder about what will be said or happen during your 30 minutes. You shouldn’t worry about anything to do with your ceremony.

 

Your focus should be on being present in the moment. 30 minutes isn’t a long time. You deserve to remember every minute.

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Hire the professional.