Key Points for Choosing Your Wedding Officiant  If you don't have a home church, don't attend services regularly or, for that matter at all, then sorting through all the wedding officiant directories can feel a little overwhelming. Here are a few tips on the key points to take into consideration when searching for the wedding officiant that's right for you. The Basics of Selecting a Wedding Officiant.  It will put your mind at ease to know, that...it is very rare indeed that you'll run across a wedding officiant that truly sucks. Even if you were blind folded and throwing darts at a wedding officiant list as a means of selection, you'd likely be just fine, no matter where the dart landed. The truth is, most officiants are very professional and strive intently to meet their clients ceremony desires and needs. What greatly behooves the wedding couple to understand, is that...the officiant search is really much more about finding the right wedding officiant for who you are as a couple. That's all together a horse of a different color. That said, let's break it down into manageable steps toward finding the wedding officiant that's right for your wedding and who you are as a couple. The search is on, here are the best practices on selecting a Wedding Officiant.  Let's begin by marginalizing and minimizing the most common overwhelm factors. First do a quick online search...this will take you to several national directories. Directories are helpful in locating wedding officiants in your general area. With a quick examination of the local wedding officiant "directory profiles" will give you a quick overall feel for the officiants in your area. Pick at least three that stand out to you. Now here's the important part...begin "visiting their websites", don't just stop at the local directories profiles and try to select. Profiles are just snap shot presentations, not anywhere near the whole picture...delve deeper. Too often brides rush through this process. It's important to take the time to visit the officiant's sites, get a feel for who they are and what they are about through their actual websites. The websites will speak volumes about the officiant and many provide helpful tips, ideas and links specific to your area, as well as trusted vendors they have worked with throughout the years....this is a bonus! Take your time and engage, don't rush through the process.  After viewing the officiant's website, pick three that most appeal to you. Now that you have made the preliminary selections, make appointments with your chosen wedding officiants to speak with each one. Most officiants offer a free phone consultation for inquiring couples. Now...here's important part! Avoid rushing through this process. Engage in a real conversation, actually talk with the three officiants you have selected, and don't be afraid to share details about how you envision your wedding ceremony, and if you aren't sure..."cause it's not like you get married everyday, is it?" ...then ask each officiant for their suggestions. Be sure to take note of not only their suggestions, but more importantly, how you felt during the conversation. Here's what you'll be looking for during each visit. I suggest using the 1 to 5 point rating system to help you with the selection process...5 being the highest and most desirable.
Being able to truly connect and relate well with your wedding officiant will make all the difference in the success, overall flow and presentation of your wedding ceremony from start to finish. The fee should always rate last as a factor in your wedding officiant decision and rating process. Realistically, the wedding officiant will always be the least expensive wedding of all of your vendor fees and the one you should never consider fudging on to save a few dollars. An experienced and skilled Wedding Officiate can and will influence the mood and feeling of your entire wedding in ways you could not know or fully appreciate. If you are focused solely on the fee amount, you won't be able to hear and see what they themselves will bring to your wedding ceremony experience. Instead, focus primarily on the quality of the connection and they way you feel when you communicate with them. Get in touch with your inner guidance on this one and follow it! See You At The Altar, Rev. Allie
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Wedding Wisdom from Those Who Know!  Too often, the line between the Marriage Ceremony and Wedding Reception Celebration are blurred and the need for clear division between these two events is not always observed. As a result, many couples are literally duped out of what should be the grandest and most significant life altering moment they will ever experience in their lifetime. The moment they become husband and wife, yet, too often, when planning their wedding, the greater focus falls on the wedding reception. Sadly, most young couples weddings will miss this boat entirely and it won't be sailing back this way....Ever Again! So why does this occur so frequently? The answer is actually so simple that it's often overlooked. It's allowing yourselves to get caught up in a commercialized attitude that encourages young couples to place their primary focus on the reception event. Think of it in this way, your reception will last a few hours, your marriage is to last a lifetime. In the end, after all the guests have gone, the bride and groom will be left to their own to look back on their moment of marriage, sometimes with a sense of lack. Recalling the moment of marriage without any real focus or intent, the Ceremony. When couples view the ceremony as a mere formality rather than the most significant moment of the entire wedding event, they unwittingly cheat themselves. The ceremony is the foundation of your marriage...period! If your intent is to have a lasting, loving stable marriage...make your Wedding Ceremony the main focus of your wedding day. Couples placing primary focus on the reception party details over the ceremony should be considered a huge red flag where the future of marriage stability and relationship health is concerned. In fact, divorce rate statistics show us that couples that glibly gleam over the Ceremony Event are far more likely to divorce than couples that place great importance and self preparation for the Ceremony itself. Embrace the notion that the purpose of a wedding reception is to celebrate your "the moment of your marriage" with family and friends.  How It Works ...
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