Reasons to hire a professional officiant
1. Their EXPERIENCE.
Your hired hands bring a skilled competence to their craft. They are qualified and have training that sets them apart from someone who does something as a hobby, therefore they are invested in your wedding and want to exceed your expectations.
You want your team to have experience in dealing with unforeseen circumstances and be able to adjust on the fly so that you can enjoy this once in lifetime day without worry.
We (your professionals -photographer, DJ, cake baker, florist, wedding planner) are all problem solvers who will expectantly blend into the background so it’s you and your guests who truly shine.
As a seasoned officiant, I can herd your entire champagne swilling, beer drinking wedding party to their proper places. I can make sure the best man has the rings! I will gently coax the ring bearer down the aisle and make friends with the canine flower dog (a treat at rehearsal usually does the trick) so that she will stand on cue for the ceremony.
My speaking voice is such that everyone can understand and hear the words.
The phrases I use evoke emotion, enthusiasm, joy and context--because after all, this is a monumental threshold you are crossing. It’s an occasion like no other. Whether you want your ceremony to be lighthearted and whimsical or traditional and serious, the importance of your choice to marry is significant and momentous.
I can help you with your vows or give you suggestions or we can weave your personalities into traditional wedding vows.
For interfaith weddings there are ways to incorporate and blend traditions and customs so that all families feel represented and honored.
It sounds like a great idea to have your fiance’s charming cousin marry you or your dear Aunt who watched you grow up, or your Grandfather who can tell a good story, but it’s a job, and they most likely have a job and really, they want to be there to witness and participate and celebrate you more than be tasked with the responsibility of officiating your ceremony.
You want to walk down the aisle knowing the person marrying you has everything under control and has created a ceremony just for you.
Experience: Knowledge, Guidance, Understanding and Reliability.
2. YOUR EXPERIENCE
As professionals that means the difference between a ho-hum, heard- it- before ceremony and an occasion to remember.
After getting to know you both, I am able to suggest meaningful ways to showcase your love and bring your guests along for the ride. I’m a trained ceremony facilitator.
We can tell your love story, or not…
The elements that you choose for your ceremony can bring your ceremony to life.
There are ways to incorporate music or your favorite movie or television shows with lyrics or quotes or passages. You can even have a theme throughout your ceremony. (think Star Wars, Harry Potter)
You can include things like a Unity Ceremony-- lighting candles or pouring wine or tying an actual knot or building a cairn (one couple had an ice cream sundae unity ritual). All with complementary words that symbolize the fact that you two forces are becoming one.
You can skip the unity ritual altogether and have your rings blessed by your family as each one holds the ring and sends you an intention or blessing for your marriage. If it’s a small, intimate wedding, maybe we pass the rings around for all the guests to wish you well.
There are endless possibilities to personalize your vows. You can have custom vows that you say to each other or repeat after me traditional vows with a little sprinkle of your personalities that make them even more meaningful.
You can say vows to the children in your new family too.
You can honor those who couldn’t make it to the wedding or those who are no longer with us.
A professional officiant can give you peace of mind and a beautiful creative ceremony that you and your guests will remember always.