Saturday, August 13, 2011

Backyard Weddings: How To Find an Officiant

The officiant is pretty much the most important part of any wedding, almost as important as the bride and the groom. After all, without an officiant, you don't have a wedding; you just have an awesome party.

Finding an officiant is somewhat easier when you're having a traditional church wedding; after all, he or she usually comes along with the church. Luckily, in most places it isn't too difficult to find traveling officiants who will come to your location of choice. A quick search for "officiant" plus the place where you intend to get married is likely to turn up a good list. Not all officiants are reverends or priests, but if you're looking for one of a particular religion, you can use that to narrow down your search.

Remember, though, that hiring an officiant is just like hiring any other type of service personnel: you need to do your best to make sure that you pick someone who will be a good match for you and your wedding. After all, this person will be present during one of the most important days of your life. Try and ask around to find out if people you know have heard good things about the person you're interested in choosing, and make sure that you get references. Calling or meeting up beforehand and performing an interview can be another good way to see whether an officiant is right for you.

Alternately, there are some cases in which you can get a friend or family member to officiate, if he or she is approved by the state. Research to find out what the rules for officiating are in your location. And if worst comes to worst, and the officiating is a disaster, at least you'll have a fun story to tell!

Source: Flickr.

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