This is all new to us. How do we go about choosing a wedding officiant?
Step 1. Check several of the possible officiants’ websites. Also, be open to recommendations from friends or family members. Focus on those possibilities that appeal to you and especially look for:
- Ability to perform the type of ceremony that you wish to have, i.e., religious, non-denominational, interfaith, spiritual, theme, ethnic, or civil/non-religious
- Qualifications
- Experience
- Flexibility in terms of location, time of day, ceremony content , and including people in your ceremony such as children, family or friends
- Recommendations or positive comments from couples who have been married by the officiant
- Additional services of interest to you that are offered by the officiant, for example, marriage preparation
- Whether or not the officiant will meet with you at no charge to get acquainted so that you can make an informed decision and choose the officiant who is right for you
Step 2. Contact the officiant(s) that interest you. Inquire about date and time availability of the officiant and fees. If the officiant is available and the fees fit your budget, set up a time to meet with him or her. If you live out of town and are making inquiries by phone, the officiant should be willing to “meet” with you over the phone.
Step 3. In making your choice of an officiant some of the things to ask yourselves are:
- Does the officiant offer the service(s) that we want?
- Is the officiant professional in demeanor and appearance?
- Is the officiant respectful of our wishes?
- Is the officiant interested in us and does he or she listen to us?
- Is the officiant willing to make suggestions for ceremony content or provide options for us to consider?
- Do we both feel comfortable being ourselves with the officiant?
- Are we relaxed and calm around the officiant?
- Do the qualifications and experience of the officiant meet our requirements?
Step 4. Choose your officiant, relax, and enjoy your wedding.
Are there any extra fees an officiant might charge?
Yes, there may be. Usually additional fees have to do with travel time, additional services, and rehearsals. If you are having your ceremony in a park that requires parking fee or a tram fee, for example, except to reimburse the officiant for the fee.
Some officiants include a rehearsal in the total fee and some charge an additional fee. Some couples opt to have a rehearsal conducted with the help of their wedding planner, for example, and prefer that they not be charged for rehearsal by their officiant. Ask about any additional fees to avoid surprises.
Courtesy of Reverend Marya O’Malley with Celebrating Life
