Congratulations, someone has asked youyes, youto officiate their big day.
Now, the question at hand ishowto officiate a wedding.
These days,the dressis custom,the cakeis boutique, and even the napkins are bespoke.
Margarita Annabe and Ilya Goncharov’s wedding weekend in Lake Como.
It makes sense that the couple would want to handpick the person leading the I do’s as well.
Read ahead to check that you are set to help the happy couple tie the knot.
If this is your first wedding as a marriage officiant, you’ll need to get ordained.
You may have heard that you’re able to get ordained online.
Luckily, itispretty simple to make that happen.
In some cases, you may need to register specifically with a state’s officiant registry.
In some cases, a couple may have gotten legally married in advance of the wedding ceremony.
If this is your situation, you don’t technically have to get ordained to officiate.
But you absolutely should still properly prepare your speech for the ceremony.
Once you commit to leading the wedding ceremony, theres no turning back.
Have a meeting with the couplebetter yet several meetingsto discuss whats expected of you.
How long do they want the marriage ceremony to run?
Do they want to deliver their ownwedding vows?
What kind of tone are they hoping for?
Dont forget to check the facts either.
You could have sworn they met by an exoticbeachfire, but was it actually a tiki bar in Chinatown?
Theyll give you a roadmap, so you dont hit the open road alone.
They dont want you to wax poetic about marriage or bring in a quote of the day.
Theyve asked you because they know you, and more importantly, because you know them.
And that is what the weddingceremonyneeds to be about: them!
Whats your favorite story about the two of them?
When did you know their path was going to end in marriage?
What you might lack in decades-long marriage wisdom, you make up for with special stories about the couple.
Survey the crowd ahead of time.
What makes them good together?
What would everyone in the room say about them?
Whats the sweetest thing one did for the other?
Gather the data and make sense of it.
Then, plot it out.
When it comes to a wedding officiantspeech, start with the specific and transition to the broad.
The audience will want to know who you are and why youre up there.
So, start by introducing yourselfbrieflyand explain why you were chosen or how you know the couple.
Then, share those two or three specific stories you brainstormed or crowd-sourced.
And lastly, zoom out.
What does a marriage mean?
Why is it meaningful that everyone is there today?
Put their love story in a greater context.
A wedding day is forpearls, so bring your wisest ones.
But dont go overboard.
This isnt the time to recreate your college improv games.
Dont draw more attention to yourself than absolutely necessary.
When in doubt, stick to the color palette and guest dress code.
So, see to it you give yourself the time to draft and edit your words.
double-check to know how you will perform your speech and ask the couple about their preferences.
Practicing your public speaking is also essential.
Run through the celebrant speech with a few close friends.
If you want it to be a surprise, try it out with someone who didnt get the invite.
Itll alleviate pre-wedding jitters and increase self-confidence.
And remember, the couple trusts you; now its time to trust yourself.
Solidify the Logistics
Weddings haverehearsalsfor a reason.
Take a moment to double-check the marriage certificate a day or two prior to catch any mistakes before filing.
