Tips for Choosing A Wedding Officiant

Choosing an officiant for your ceremony is very important, you want to make sure that they are a right match for you and your ceremony. Here are some things you should consider when choosing your officiant.

Are You Having a Religious Ceremony?

This is one of the things you need to consider when looking for an officiant. If you are Catholic then you should look for a priest to be the officator. Or If you are Jewish and you choose to get married in a synagogue, you will have to look for a rabbi. If you are having a Traditonal Muslim wedding ceremony then you must be married by an Imam. When choosing, you don’t have to go with the first person you meet, go with someone that both you and your spouse like.

Meeting Your Wedding Officiant

Don’t feel like you have to go with the first person you meet. Just like how you met the person you are marrying, you most likely went on a lot of dates before finding the one. This is also similar to finding the person you want to officiate the wedding. You may have to go to multiple churches, mosques, synagogues and places of worship before you find the person you want for your wedding. Try to schedule meetings with multiple potential officiants.

Match Your Ceremony Style

When planning your wedding, all of your heart goes into it. So when it comes time for the ceremony itself, you want someone who aligns with your style. If you are having a religious ceremony, find someone that aligns with your faith, but also with your style. If you want a serious and traditional wedding, find the officiant that will do that for you. Or if you want a light hearted wedding with a few light jokes, find the officiant that can deliver that kind of ceremony for you. Every officiant is different and has a different style 

Public Speaking

When choosing an officiant, keep in mind that they will have to do public speaking. If they are not comfortable speaking to a large crowd of people then they probably are not the person for the job. So even if they are the perfect match for you, you feel completely comfortable with them and they align with your religious ceremony, if they can’t do public speaking. You will have to choose someone else. Your officiant must be able to project their voice for all to hear.

Do You Want Someone You Know Or Someone That You Don’t

If you decide to have a secular ceremony, then you have more options of how you want the wedding to go. You can choose to have a civil officiant, friend or even a family member. 

If you choose to go the route of having someone that you know officiate the ceremony there are pros and cons to that. Having a friend or family member officiate your wedding will allow it to be more intimate. They will also be able to share jokes, and personal stories about the couple. This is also more cost-conscious. You don’t have to pay them (unless you make a deal with them). However, they may not be experienced with officiating weddings, and not know how to start or even be uncomfortable with speaking in large crowds.

If you choose to go with a civil officiant, they have experience officiating weddings. They know which questions to ask, and how to execute a perfect ceremony. However, it won’t feel as intimate since they don’t know you or your partner. It can also put a dent into your budget.