After The Ceremony Minister’s Duties And Responsibilities
As the wedding officiant, it is usually your job to round up the bride, groom and official witnesses to sign and date the official county or state marriage license, as well as the keepsake decorative certificate that most couples will keep for the rest of their lives. Often our ministers will present the couple with a copy of yourOrdination Credential or the official Wedding Officiant Certificate showing your legal status as a Universal Life Church Minister. In a majority of states, it is one of the officiant’s responsibilities to return the properly completed, signed and dated marriage license to the county clerk or registrar. Please allow time for the photographer to record this process for the couple’s scrapbook. We have a variety of in our catalog.
Meet The Couple In Person
Youve got to meet the couple in person to make sure its a good fit on all sides. Meet with them two to four months prior to the wedding. This timeframe gives you plenty of time to plan but not enough that major changes will occur.
At this meeting, walk through their answers to your questionnaire. As an officiant, Blooms goal is to make each ceremony deeply personal. Even if youre newly acquainted to the couple, he says, you want the ceremony to feel like youve all known each other for years. Use this meeting to try to understand their relationship and why they care about each other.
Spend time going over the details of the ceremony. Once you gain some experience, you can use help the couple with other day-of details, such as the order of the procession and what a bride should do with her bouquet.
Also take this time to ask how your voice will be amplified. Unless it is an intimate wedding, you will need a microphone of some kind for the ceremony.
This meeting should last about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how much the couple needs to discuss.
STEP 5: How to officiate a wedding
Learn How To Officiate A Wedding
Oh, yeah! This part is pretty important.
If youre brand new to officiating, you could start with my post on writing the perfect 10-part wedding ceremony. And you can grab my full officiating guide here for the full gamut from meeting your couple to rehearsing to what to do on the wedding day.
Maybe you want to go all next-level, knock the one-year learning curve down to a couple of weeks, and swipe 100% of my officiating tools and ceremony scripting.
Get a VIP discount offer for my premium online course for wedding officiants called Unboring!Officiant. Youll get all the details right in your email inbox.
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What To Wear To Officiate A Wedding
Depending on the theme for the wedding you will be officiating, sometimes what you will wear to officiate would not be up to you. For this, it is a good idea to ask the couple what they might prefer you wear. If they are flexible about this, you can take your cue from the wedding. If there is no theme and no rules set in stone, then play it safe and wear formal black or something dark. In any case, here are some options for what to wear to officiate a wedding.
- If youre picking safe, then wear something formal that wouldnt upstage the couple. Whether youre a male or female officiant, a subdued color like grey, deep blue, or even black official attire would do. Definitely not white, which might clash with the bride especially in all the pictures.
- If the wedding has a theme and you decide to match it, then definitely consult with the couple. They should have some interesting ideas. Whether its a cosplay wedding, a bohemian-themed wedding, go with the flow and find what would suit the day.
- Accessorize. If you are going with the theme, for a boho wedding you could choose to accessorize with ribbons, flowers, or comfy footwear. If you are dressing formal and in subdued colors, you could decide to wear sparkly shoes and some other little bright accessories perhaps a tie pin?
How Much Should I Charge To Officiate A Wedding
A word about your fee: until you get some photos of you in action and some reviews, you might want to charge a lower, more competitive fee. Once you have a few weddings under your belt, youll be able to charge more than what others are asking.
Dont be scared to charge more than what other officiants are asking.
Remember, there are two markets out there: one market that is looking for wham-bam minimal services, and theyre not going anywhere another market thats looking for premium, top-of-the-line services, and theyre not going anywhere.
You can cut your teeth in the lower market, make a name for yourself by way overdelivering, and then raise your fee to match your premium service.
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Selecting Your Wedding Officiant
Start researching the marriage laws in the place youre getting married in. Find out if the state has any restrictions on who can or can’t marry you. From there, your officiant search can begin. You might look into wedding ministers or wedding pastors as options non-religious couples can check out tips for choosing a non-religious wedding officiant. Be sure to ask around for references. You can even chat with other couples in our online wedding forums.
Make sure you meet any potential marriage officiant in person before booking. You and your partner should feel comfortable around them, and they should get a sense of the two of you as a couple. It’s not uncommon for a wedding officiant to request several counseling sessions to get to know the couple better.
Practice Your Public Speaking
Before the ceremony rehearsal arrives, take time to practice reading through your script. Make notes about where to pause for effect and practice saying words that might get stuck on your tongue. This is a great way to get used to what you’ll be saying to minimize how emotional you may be on the wedding dayyou’ll be more familiar with the lines, so hopefully, you won’t get too choked up. Read through the script in front of a mirror to practice making eye contact with the couple and the audience. In addition, make sure the couple practices their lines and vows in advance, too.
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How Long Does A Ceremony Typically Take
There is no set time for a wedding ceremony structure and every officiant will conduct theirs differently. It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a lengthy three hours, so make sure you know what youre looking for. You can always request that your wedding officiant shorten your ceremony by cutting out a few passages and anecdotes.
Discuss What You Should Wear
All eyes will be on the coupleand also on the officiant who will be standing with them. “Plan on discussing what youll wear so there are no surprises or complaints. Even if the couple says, ‘dress any way you want,’ you need to think about your attire in the context of the role you are playing as the wedding ceremony officiantnot just a wedding guest,” Anakotta says. While you don’t want to clash with the wedding party, you also don’t want to appear overdressed , compared to the rest of the people in the ceremony photos. For all these reasons, make sure to have a frank discussion with the couple about the dress code.
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Step : Obtain Necessary Permits And Licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
State & Local Business Licensing Requirements
In most states, it is necessary to obtain a wedding officiant license. Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a wedding officiant business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBAs reference to state licenses and permits.
For information about local licenses and permits:
- Check with your town, city or county clerks office
- Get assistance from one of the local associations listed in US Small Business Associations directory of local business resources.
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
For information about local licenses and permits:
- Check with your town, city or county clerks office
- Get assistance from one of the local associations listed in US Small Business Associations directory of local business resources.
Service Agreement
Have a service contract ready and signed before putting aside time out of your schedule to officiate. Although unfortunate, be sure to include terms on how a situation is handled if the wedding is called off or other circumstances arise. Here is an example service agreement.
Certificate of Occupancy
Find A Business Mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
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Two: State Marriage Laws
Marriage laws vary from state-to-state and sometimes by county. It is important that you do your homework to ensure you are complying with the laws of the state where the couple will be married. Officiant licensing and marriage licenses are most often administered and processed through the county clerk or recorders office in the county that the wedding will take place. For more details on marriage licensing, .
Questions For A Religious Officiant
To help gauge if an officiant is right for you, consider asking them the following questions:
- How much are we allowed to customize the ceremony? Can we write our own vows?
- Will you marry us even if we are not current members of your congregation? How do we become members?
- If we are of different faiths, or one of us is not religious, is that a problem?
- One of us is divorced does your religion allow you to marry us?
- Are we required to attend any classes or counseling before the wedding?
- Will our non-religious friends be allowed to participate in the ceremony, including giving readings, singing, or taking communion?
- How will you be dressed for the ceremony?
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Start Planning The Ceremony
Planningdepends on the couple, Bloom says. After he connects with a couple, he sends them a questionnaire, asking them questions about themselves and each other, as well as how they see ceremony going. Questions for the couple could include these:
- Will you write you own vows?
- What rituals will you include?
- What role will religion play in the ceremony?
- How did you meet?
- What other stories might help shape the ceremony?
- What elements are most important to incorporate into the ceremony?
STEP 4: How to officiate a wedding
Will You Be Able To Perform A Wedding At My Desired Venue
Some wedding officiants will only perform ceremonies at particular houses of worship – usually their own. If youre planning on having your wedding at a trendy Toronto loft or outdoor setting, but your wedding officiant will not perform outside of his or her church, youll need to consider other options.
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Step : Define Your Brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you aren’t feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we’ll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.
Recommended: Get a logo using Truic’s free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker.
How to promote & market a wedding officiant business
There is usually no repeat business for a wedding officiant business. That means you will constantly need to be looking for new clients. However, providing a wonderful experience for your clients can lead to referrals for additional clients.
Use your website to drive business with content marketing and online advertising. Create partnerships with other wedding service industries like florists and event spaces who are in the position to recommend you to their clients. Promote your wedding officiant business within local groups and organizations.
How to keep customers coming back
A lot of your business may come from word-of-mouth. It’s critical that you treat each of your clients special, to encourage them to suggest your services to their friends. Always keep a few business cards on hand to give out at the ceremonies where you officiate.
How To Get Licensed To Officiate A Wedding
If you are completely committed to your friend or family member performing the wedding, then getting licensed is vital to a legal marriage. An officiant should be authorized to sign the marriage license. In essence, this individual will have to:
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How Many Couples Can I Marry In A Year As A Wedding Officiant
Some wedding officiants marry hundreds of couples per year. Many will get married with just a quick 15-minute appointment. Not all marriages require a long ceremony, and many simply go through the necessary parts of the ceremony.
Weddings can happen anywhere and can include as little or as much as the couple wants. Some will be elopements, others more formal, and even some will be traditional. If youre a wedding officiant, you can marry as many couples a year as you have time to marry.
