Who is Going to Pronounce You a Married Couple?
As your wedding day is starting to get closer, you are going to really want to think about who exactly you want to have officiated your wedding ceremony. There are many different people, and factors that go into choosing who you are going to want to officiate the ceremony to marry you and your significant other. Here are some things to remember when you are choosing the person who is going to oversee making your ceremony extra special for you, your significant other, and all your guests.
what is your officiant responsible for
Exactly what is your wedding ceremony officiant responsible for? They are responsible for a lot more than you would think. They work with you and your wedding planner to help create the ceremony portion of your wedding day timeline. This is important because it allows for the rest of your special day to run smoothly. The start and end times and the duration of your wedding ceremony are what are important to schedule the rest of your wedding day around. Your wedding officiant will help with all the logistics of this timing. The officiant of your wedding is also responsible for the obvious, performing your wedding ceremony. As, well as the rehearsal, the night, or a few days before you are getting married. They are going to want to run through the ceremony with you and your wedding party. This way everything runs smoothly during your actual wedding ceremony. They also will assist you in signing and filing out your marriage license. So, make sure you get your marriage license before your wedding day.
who do you want officiating your wedding ceremony?
You really can have anyone officiate your wedding ceremony. That is if they are certified to perform wedding ceremonies in the state you are getting married in. If there is someone special you want to officiant your wedding, there are ways that they can get ordained online before your wedding ceremony. Depending on where you are getting married and if you want to have a religious ceremony can help you determine exactly who you want to officiate the ceremony on wedding day. You can have a government official, a religious figure within your community, a professional wedding officiant, or a friend or family member perform your wedding ceremony. It is all up to you and your significant other who you choose to be your officiant! It's important to remember, if you would like a civil ceremony officiated by a government official, you will want to contact your local municipal court to schedule an appointment. If you are hiring a professional, be sure to research several in your area to compare rates and whether their services are in line with your needs. You’ll want to know what a fair price for the type of service you are looking for, in addition to the locale. You’ll want to note that most officiants charge extra for mileage and conducting/attending rehearsals. If you’re asking a friend or family member, make sure they know they will need to get ordained and be sure they review their legal obligations and any registration regulations. If you aren’t sure who you want to officiate your wedding, that is totally ok! Getting recommendations from people you trust is always best. Ask your planner, venue, recently married friends, and co-workers. They will all likely have an idea of someone or know someone else who may be also to help you in your officiant search.
basic ceremony details to discuss
Once you have officially found your wedding officiant, there are some important aspects of your wedding, that you are going to want to sit down and talk to them about. If you have already chosen your wedding date, ceremony time, and location make sure you tell them, so they are aware. This way they can make sure they are available to perform your ceremony at the date and time you want. You don’t necessarily want to have someone officiate your wedding if they are doing multiple other weddings on the same day as yours. You want to be their focus for the day. You are also going to want to go over the marriage laws and registration policies where you are getting married. You are also going to need to be sure to order officiant credentials and/or registration requirements if this is something applicable for your wedding officiant. Also, when you talk to your officiant you are going to walk to talk about any religious or unity ceremonies you are going to likely want to be incorporated into your ceremony. As it gets closer to your wedding date, you are going to want to ask your officiant what they are planning on wearing to your wedding ceremony. They should dress in professional attire or attire that matches the dress code that you have set for your wedding. As previously mentioned, you are going to want to discuss your marriage license with your wedding officiant. You are also going to want to have your planner involved in any conversation that you are having with the person officiating your ceremony. Your planner is going to have a lot of the information that your officiant might be looking for from you. It’s important to remember that whether you hire a pro or have a friend or family member officiate, talk about a backup plan for an officiant if something doesn’t work out for whatever reason.
rehearsal and wedding day
Along with your wedding planner, if you have one, make sure you have scheduled a time with your officiant for your rehearsal of the ceremony. Usually, your rehearsal is going to be a day or two before your actual wedding day. And you usually have your rehearsal at your wedding venue. This way everyone knows exactly where they are going and when during the ceremony. During your rehearsal, your planner along with the officiant you have hired is going to go through the crucial pieces of your wedding ceremony to do a complete run-through of the wedding ceremony so that everyone knows how to line up, where to stand, how to pace their walk down the aisle to the processional music, etc. Then on the actual day of your wedding, your officiant should be scheduled to arrive early on the day of the wedding to prepare for the ceremony and provide any additional assistance if needed. This is something that they are going to coordinate with your wedding planner. Then like mentioned multiple times before your marriage license should be completed and signed promptly after the ceremony. It’s also important to be aware of how long you have before you have to return the completed license, where it must be returned to, who must return it (the couple or the officiant), and whether it must be returned in person or by mail. These are all things that your officiant or your wedding planner will have the answers to!
pricing
Like all other aspects of your wedding, your officiant is going to vary in pricing depending on a few things. The location, time of year, date, and time are just a few things that are going to determine exactly how much you are going to be paying for a wedding. Your officiant can range from $200-500 for just the basic wedding ceremony to $500-800 for all the fancy bells and whistles for a ceremony. Depending on what you are looking for in an officiant and who you hire is going to determine exactly how much you are going to be paying your officiant.