Selecting an Officiant

An easy detail to overlook in planning your wedding might be selecting your officiant. With all the other big decisions to make, it is easy to forget that you have to find someone to actually marry you. Some girls simply assume that it will be the pastor of the church they’ve grown up in; maybe he married her parents and even baptized her as a child. It is important not to forget that you still have to book the pastor – he has a schedule too!
Besides working out the scheduling, there are a few other things that you will want to discuss with your officiant of choice…things that need to be worked out before you book him or her.


~ Will there be a charge for his services? If so, what are they and how will that number fit into your budget?


~ Is experience important to you? How many couples has he married over the years?


~ If you want to personalize your wedding (write your own vows, have someone other than your father walk you down the aisle, etc.), discuss these changes with your officiant. Some will only perform traditional services.


~ Do you and your groom need to attend premarital counseling in order to book your pastor or clergy member? How do you feel about that?


~ Does he have a backup in the event of an emergency?


~ If you are not getting married in his church, will he still perform the wedding? Is he comfortable with the alternate location you’ve chosen?


~ Even if you don’t have an officiant in mind yet, these are things that still need to be talked about. You may be more or less willing to compromise with his preferences depending on how important his presence is to you.