If there is a wedding ceremony, there will be someone overseeing that ceremony whether it is your preacher, an officiant, or a friend. This blog will give you some food for thought as you ponder which one is best for you.
Obviously if you are involved in a church and you have a relationship with your pastor, considering them is a given. Having a preacher that knows you and often has even performed some sort of counseling is a huge plus and this is very traditional and highly recommended. That said, sometimes trying to schedule your pastor can be a challenge especially if your venue is out of town or out of state. Beyond the scheduling, you then may have additional costs to transport and lodge your pastor.
If you are having a religious ceremony, then it is difficult to imagine not using your pastor (rabbi, clergy, bishop, etc.).
Reality is that hiring an officiant can be an easy choice for your ceremony needs. There are several officiant sites where these “officiants for hire” can be hired. Most venues, like ours, has a recommended list of officiants so that you can hire someone who is proven to be professional and has been recommended. This is always a smart move to read reviews and get recommendations on such an important aspect of your ceremony. Good officiants are good to weave in a religious theme if desired or to intentionally avoid any religious theme. One of our best officiants is a pure delight to listen to know matter which wedding he oversees. I won’t say he is “entertaining” but he makes the ceremony very interesting to listen to. Again, read read read reviews to make sure past clients are pleased with any officiant that you hire.
We began seeing family or friends overseeing the “officiant” role about eight years ago. There are several ways that they can become “officiant for a day” with very minimal money spent and usually on-line in a quick way. Good or bad, this is just where we are with what is now allowed. In many ways, having a family and friend oversee the vows and ceremony can be very good. Just as a close pastor can make a very meaningful ceremony, so too can close family and friends. I will say that a few times we have seen this go very badly. When I say badly, it had more to do with stage fright than anything. I am sure these failed friends meant well, were kind to be willing to help out, and had high hopes of performing well, but some did not. Some froze and left out key elements of the ceremony like the vows and the wedding rings. So, as you ponder going this route, look for someone who has no problem in front of a microphone and in front of a crowd. This is too important of a feature in wedding day to let it go awry.
~ Margie
