Questions to ask a wedding officiant before hire
Your wedding day is a bid milestone and life achievement we spend years dreaming about and preparing for. And having a great wedding officiant is super important to ensure this day turns into a dream come true.
The wedding officiant is going to be running the show, standing up on stage with you to help the wedding ceremony run smoothly. You need to have high trust in them that they’ll perform a beautiful, memorable, and special ceremony for you, your spouse, and your guests.
If you need to hire a wedding officiant I’d love to get in touch and discuss my services. Check this page here for my wedding officiant pricing. You can schedule me as your wedding officiant on my wedding officiant pricing page. Or you can call me to see my availability to officiate your wedding (786)-236-8527.
Below are 8 questions you should ask a wedding officiant before you hire him/her for you event;
How accessible are they?
Accessibility is a very great factor to be considered by any couple who wants to be joined by a wedding officiant. There are always series of rehearsals and other important things that need to be put in place before the wedding. As a couple, if a wedding officiant doesn’t stay anywhere close, ensure he or she is accessible always, in case there are changes in plans, so that he or she would be aware. Accessibility could be in diverse forms i.e. emails, texts, calls, skype, etc.
How well do they adapt in a social gathering?
Most of these wedding officiants hired aren’t always close relatives or family; hence, they should have a good social interaction skill. Ensure the type of wedding officiant you want to hire is someone who can adjust to situations around him and not just one who wouldn’t be able to handle the situation if things go south or doesn’t go as planned. Most times, wedding officiants are responsible for holding the gathering strong together. They know how and when to speak into the mic to help ease certain tensions and make the crowd laugh.
How relatable and affordable can they be?
People you would invite for your wedding should be able to relate with the wedding officiant easily. Watch out for qualities like ego, pride, anger, snobby-ness, etc. when asking them questions. The best ones always win people over at any event with a great personality that is relating and easy going.
Affordability is another thing to consider because of your budget. If you have a tight budget, go for a wedding officiant that is convenient within your price range. To see examples of what I charge for a South Florida wedding click here. My officiant rates are pretty standard and perhaps on the cheaper side considering Miami can be an expensive place for a wedding.
What is their level of experience?
It’s important to ask your potential officiant what experience they have and ask for examples of weddings they’ve done similar to the style of wedding you’d like to have. Experience is of course important so the wedding runs smooth and the officiant displays confidence in front of everyone.
But you also want a relatable officiant that is down to earth with the current times and technologies. This could mean an older officiant with 40+ years of experience may not be the best option if their personality doesn’t fit the millennial generation, for example.
How professional are they?
The last thing you’d want is a wedding officiant showing up as if they just got out of bed. Fashion is one thing a wedding officiant is recognized for.
Apart from the couple, the wedding officiant is another person everyone looks at in a wedding. He or she must be elegant in dressing. This brings an amazing aura to the wedding venue because everyone looks gorgeously dressed.
It’s recommended to ask your officiant how they’ll be dressed and ask to see photos or video of previous attire the officiant wore so that they appear professional and match your wedding attire style.
Are they welcoming?
To be welcoming is a great quality to look out for in people, especially a wedding officiant. Regardless of either of the couple’s background or past, he or she must be able to hold the ceremony without prejudice. A welcoming wedding officiant shouldn’t judge neither should they be racist.
Can they be trusted?
Sometimes, bonding with your wedding officiant helps a lot. You get the chance to discuss personal issues and share opinions, even ask some questions. In fact, this helps the wedding officiant to hold the ceremony perfectly.
However, whoever the wedding officiant would be, he or she must be trustworthy. Certainly, you do not want anyone going around discussing your personal issues and discussions with the public.
Do they have a sense of humor?
Having a sense of humor is an incredible quality as a human. If a wedding officiant has one, be very sure you are going to have a perfect wedding without people getting bored. At some weddings, people get caught sleeping or dozing; yours wouldn’t be like that if you get a witty officiant.
Conclusion
A wedding officiant controls majority of what happens on your wedding day, ensure you get the perfect person who would handle the ceremony effortlessly. Ask those questions above and go for someone who satisfies you with brilliant answers.
If you plan to have a wedding in the South Florida region, be sure to check out my services and schedule a call with me to learn more about me. I’m sure we’d work well together and I have great reviews from my previous clients I’ve been fortunate to wed as their officiant. I service the Miami, Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe Counties and have performed weddings in the Keys as well as for Bravo TV.