Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. You’ll want everything to be perfect, and that includes finding the right wedding officiant. This person will not only preside over your wedding ceremony, but he or she will also work with you in the months leading up to your big day to make sure your vows are everything you’ve ever wanted them to be.
So, how do you find the right wedding officiant for your special day? The team at Weddings of Pittsburgh is here to help!
1. Licensed
In Pennsylvania, an officiant must be licensed in order to perform a wedding ceremony. Do you want a family member or friend to officiate your wedding? We love that idea! But just remember that they must go through the proper channels before your wedding day. This is an easy step to forget, so don’t wait till the last minute. In fact, it might save you the stress to choose someone who is already licensed.
2. Religious Background
If religion is important to you, it would be worth it to select an officiant that is ordained in your particular faith. This way you can be sure that he or she will be able to incorporate your religious beliefs into the wedding ceremony. If you’re not particularly religious, or if you and your fiancé come from different faiths, there are plenty of officiants who are open to creating a ceremony that reflects your unique relationship.
Interfaith Ceremony
More and more couples are choosing to have interfaith ceremonies, which celebrate both partners’ religions. There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing two cultures come together. If this is something you’re interested in, make sure to find an officiant who is comfortable incorporating elements from both faiths. We have done several Catholic/Jewish weddings incorporating both faiths and some of the couples personal NEW traditions.
Non-Religious Ceremony
Of course, not everyone wants a religious wedding ceremony. There are plenty of wedding officiants out there who can perform a beautiful, non-religious ceremony. Just make sure you get all this sorted out ahead of time and not days before the big day. This could avert a ceremony disaster.
3. Experience
Do you really want the officiant you pick to be their first wedding? While it’s not required, you’ll probably feel more comfortable with someone who has officiated several weddings before. They will know how to handle any wedding day hiccups that come up and will be able to keep the ceremony moving smoothly. Although we just did a lovely ceremony at Saint Mary’s on Polish Hill and a first time Priest, he was kind and easy to work with our team to show him the ropes. The wedding looked flawless! Just another reason you need a professional planner! (Insert some wedding pictures from Alexis and George the one you came to.)
4. Personality and Compatibility
On a day as important as your wedding, it’s a good idea to find a wedding officiant whose personality connects with you and your partner. You should feel comfortable around them since you will be working with this person in the months leading up to your wedding to create your vows. It can help if your officiant knows you and your partner personally, but this is not required. If you don’t know the officiant well, meeting them will help you get a feel for their personality and whether they’re a good fit for you.
5. Communication
You want an officiant that is responsive and communicative, especially in the months leading up to your wedding. After all, you will be working with this person to create your wedding ceremony, so it’s important that they are able to understand your vision and help make it a reality. If you’re not getting timely responses or if the officiant is difficult to get in touch with, it might be a sign that he or she is not the right fit for you.
6. Availability
In conjunction with communication, your officiant should be available when you need them. If you’re planning a wedding from out of town, make sure the officiant is available to meet with you via Zoom or FaceTime.
If you find that you’re getting the run around or that the officiant is constantly busy, it might be a sign that you should look elsewhere.
7. Professional
While you want your officiant to be personable, you also want him or her to be professional. This person is representing you and your partner on one of the most important days of your lives, so you’ll want someone who takes their job seriously. This doesn’t mean that they can’t crack a joke or two during the ceremony. Actually you want someone like this because this will lighten the mood for your day.
Focus on things like this:
- Are they an eloquent speaker that avoids “ums” and “uhs” in their speech?
- What is their opinion of drinking on your big day? Most professionals do not drink on the job! And some will NOT marry you if you have been!
- How will they be dressed?
- Do they have a calm demeanor?
8. Helpful
A good wedding officiant will do everything they can to make your wedding day uniquely special for you and your partner. For instance, are they asking you questions about what you want to incorporate into your ceremony? Are they working to infuse your personalities into the wedding vows? Or how to incorporate family traditions into your nuptials? Additionally, they should be ready to help when you have questions about the big day. You deserve this level of effort from your wedding officiant!
9. Flexibility
Weddings are like snowflakes – everyone is uniquely different! Is your wedding officiant interested in making your ceremony vows reflect your relationship or the traditions that are important to you and your partner? If they’re not willing to be flexible with the ceremony, then they might not be the right wedding officiant for you. Flexibility also means a willingness to adjust plans up to and during the big day.
10. LGBT Supportive
If you are a member of the LGBT+ community, it’s important to find an officiant that is supportive of your relationship. Unfortunately, not all wedding officiants are willing to perform same-sex marriages. But there are plenty of wedding officiants out there who will be more than happy to celebrate your love!
Turn to Weddings of Pittsburgh for Your Wedding Officiant Needs!
Did you know that we have a licensed officiant on our team at Weddings of Pittsburgh? We are proud to offer wedding officiant services to our clients! We understand how important it is to find the right wedding officiant for your big day, which is why we take the time to get to know our couples and their vision for their wedding.
