Wedding Officiant Where to Find a Good One

Most people tend to ignore the choice of wedding officiant when they get married.  The person you choose to officiate your wedding can make the day a joy and the ceremony fun and enjoyable.  You should meet the person officiating your wedding ahead of time, talk to them about what the expectations are and then carry out the wedding rehearsal to ensure that everybody knows what they will be doing on the big day.  Additionally, this is a great opportunity to ask questions and discuss any anxious thoughts that the couple may be having in regards to their wedding day.

You need to figure out the kind of ceremony you want before you can find the person who will be officiating.  Do you want a religious ceremony or a civil one?  If you choose to go with a religious ceremony the person officiating will need to be an ordained minister of your faith.  This means that it can be an imam, a priest, minister or a rabbi.  This person is recognized  by both the religion they are affiliated with and the state.  A civil ceremony on the other hand will require a person that is certified by the state to carry out this function.  They can be the mayor, county clerk or a justice of the peace. 

If you choose to have a professional wedding planner assist with planning your big day he or she will usually have a list of people that can officiate your wedding.  They may be people that he or she has worked with in the past, which means that she or he will know which ones are easy to deal with, fun to listen to and the like.  Another way that you can find a great wedding officiant is to ask your friends and family who officiated for them and how it went.  Recommendations are always a plus. 

It is important that you realize that most people who officiate over weddings tend to have busy schedules.  Call and book them as early as possible to make sure that they slot you in on the day you will be celebrating your nuptials.  If you can talk to them a year in advance that would be great, then go ahead and meet with them 6 months to the wedding and then about ten days to the big day.  Knowing that you have booked a person to officiate your nuptials will put your mind at ease and if there is a requirement to go for premarital counseling it gives you the opportunity to do so.

Most people are not sure how much they should interact with the wedding officiant prior to the wedding.  Well, it is good manners to invite him or her to your rehearsal dinner as well as the reception.  However, this is not a requirement.  Etiquette demands that if you do invite them to these events send them a formal invite and let it include a spouse if they have one.  Make sure that the person officiating your wedding is seated in a place that shows honor to them.  You can have a special table or seat them at the parent's table.

When you meet the person officiating your religious wedding ceremony he or she will want to know why you are getting married.  This is usually to check if you truly understand what you are getting into.  We all know that marriage is hard work and not all lovey dovey.  Ask any questions you may have and make sure to find out what they charge for officiating a wedding.  This should not be a huge amount though and is often looked upon as a token of appreciation.