5 Reasons For Hiring A Professional Wedding Officiant
Deciding who should officiate your wedding can be one of the most overlooked boxes to check when planning a wedding.
Sometimes this is the case because couples feel they have limited options for an officiant. Other times because the ceremony seems to be an afterthought to the reception. Either way, when it comes to your wedding day, the officiant can either make or break how people remember the entire celebration.
Because of this, asking a friend or family member to obtain an instantaneous certificate online, granting the person legal rights to wed, may seem like an easy solution. After all, they know you and think about all the money you could save. Right?!
At first glance, this logic seems to make sense. However, upon further inspection, pulling the internet trigger may not be the best idea.
Officiating a wedding, the most important day of your life is no small task. There is a lot of preparation, pressure, and public expectation that goes into making your biggest day memorable.
“When it comes to your wedding day, the officiant can either make or break how people remember the entire celebration.”
Here Are 5 Elements You Should Expect From Your Wedding Officiant:
1. Professional Public Speaker
All eyes may be on you, but all ears are on your officiant. Public speaking is a big fear for most people. Many people begin to break out in sweat and hives just thinking about the act.
This is why you want someone to exude comfort and confidence on your most important day. Not only will this put you at ease, but it will set the tone for your family and friends as well. And like with any given public address, you need a great script to guide you.
Writing a ceremony and delivering a ceremony are two sides of the same coin. Each has a purpose and needs to feel polished. If you only have one without the other, the experience could wind up being cringe-worthy.
For example, the words written down may have deep meaning, but you’ll never feel that if they come out awkwardly. On the other hand, the person may be impeccable in delivery, but their words fall short or tell too much.
In both cases, the ceremony suffers.
Because of this, you want to find someone who is confident and polished in their ability to speak publicly.
2. Knows How To Implement Your Wedding Vision
When it comes to your day, everyone seems to have an opinion. From the color pallet to flower arrangements, decor, dress, and more, it can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and invasive at times.
A good officiant should listen to your wedding wishes and see how they can make them come alive.
Do you have a special element like a poem, unity candle, or song? Will a family member or friend pray or speak comforting words on your behalf? Are there any ceremony elements you want to add? Or loved ones you would like to remember?
If so, your officiant should be able to walk you through where these would best fit. As well as make the transitions in and out of these moments seamless.
It is your day, so make sure your officiant makes room for your desires.
3. Create A Personal Feel
You may have heard perception is reality. And this is true. Our perceptions in life often dictate the realities we experience.
How long your officiant has known you then becomes irrelevant.
Relational equity as a qualifier for your officiant has little value on your wedding day. A better qualifier is whether or not they can tell your story well. Having someone who can craft a ceremony that fits your wishes, is delivered on time, and is honest while honoring your journey will make your day much more personal.
After all, it’s about the two of you - not the three of us.
“How long your officiant has known you then becomes irrelevant.”
4. Able To Adapt To The Unexpected
When it comes to live events, you can always count on things popping up. Whether it’s a groom dropping the rings, brides forgetting vows, or static interference with a mic: stuff happens.
Like most things in life, it’s not what happens but how you respond to these moments that matter most.
A good officiant can respond to the unexpected by having multiple tools at their disposal. Experience, humor, wit, sincerity, and a slew of other qualities are necessary for an officiant to have and operate confidently. These qualities allow your officiant to redeem a potential disaster and turn it for good.
A great officiant needs to be like a good Boy Scout; always prepared.
“ It’s better to leave a review than a friendship.”
5. Guides You Through The Process
You want to feel confident and comfortable on your big day. Because of this, you want an officiant who will guide you through each step of the ceremony.
Good communication is needed to accomplish this. You want to work with an officiant that is easy to communicate with. The word “easy” here is a junk drawer term translating several ways; including, but not limited to clarity, promptness, and consistency.
Trying to track down information or be left wondering if your officiant will show up can add anxiety and stress to any couple. Having an officiant who communicates in a way that leaves you comforted and at peace will only add to your experience. Setting clear expectations, or operating with a level of grace, can help ensure you and your officiant are on the same page and eliminate feelings of confusion.
What is easy for one person may not feel that way to the next. The important part is that communication with your officiant feels easy for you.
Your wedding ceremony is a celebration of your love. Choosing who will commemorate this sacred moment is simpler by filtering your decision through these core elements.
After all, it’s better to leave a review than a friendship.
