Why You Should Hire a Professional Officiant
Hiring a professional officiant for your wedding can make all the difference in creating a smooth, meaningful, and personalized ceremony. Whether you want a traditional service or something completely unique, a professional brings experience, confidence, and the ability to craft a ceremony that truly reflects your love story. They’ll guide you through the process, help ease any nerves, and ensure everything flows seamlessly on your big day, so you can focus on what matters most—enjoying the moment.
Nashville Wedding Officiant Wes Howard gave us a little more insight into why it’s so important to have a professional and experienced wedding officiant. You can see Wes above, at Tess & Drew’s wedding, being a seasoned professional and stepping out of this special moment. Read on to hear why it’s so importnat to hire a professional wedding officiant.
Wes Howard Weddings
Your wedding day is a day that has been dreamed about for a long time. It’s a day to gather your closest friends and family to witness the moment you marry your person. It’s your perfect day.
You hire a professional photographer to capture everything.
You hire a professional florist to decorate and adorn your day.
You hire a professional caterer to feed the people you love most.
You hire a professional DJ to provide some music, so you can let loose and celebrate.
You hire a professional planner to help pull everything together and coordinate the day.
You hire out the most important pieces of your momentous day. So, what about the ceremony itself? Should you hire an officiant? And if so, why? Most wedding ceremonies last less than 30 minutes and a LOT of planning goes into those precious minutes. One of the most important jobs of that 30 minutes is the Officiant. It’s natural to desire someone you grew up with or a family friend. It almost feels like it should be since they are the one who will do almost all the talking during your ceremony!
But there’s a lot more that goes into it than just reading a script and saying, “You may kiss the bride.” A professional officiant will be doing a lot more than just that, and most of the things they do, you probably haven’t even thought about. A good Officiant will look at your wedding ceremony like a production. They are outside of the emotions of the day and have your desires for the ceremony in mind. They are in complete control from the moment the ceremony starts until the end.
Things a Professional Officiant Will Do
• Work in tandem with the planners to get everything needed for the ceremony set up.
• Work with photographers/videographers to make sure they can get the coverage needed.
• Make sure the couple is always centered for pictures being taken.
• Communicate clearly with the bride and groom before ceremony and explain everything that will happen and how.
• Take away any confusion about when to speak for the couple. (Ex. Giving cues, like a tap on the elbow, when it’s their turn to say, “I do”.)
• Handle the marriage license process from beginning to end. (Including mailing it back into the county clerk’s office.)
• Have the skilled of a professional speaker. There won’t be “um’s and uhh’s. A professional will be prepared and can keep your guests engaged and can adjust on the fly based on the nature of the crowd.
• They get out of the way. They aren’t in the middle of the “kiss” picture, nor are they in the ring exchange, personal vow exchange and recession photos.
• Clearly communicate instructions to guests on where to go after the ceremony.
Is all of that really something you want to put on your friend? Your family & guests are there to celebrate your day with you. They should be able to relax and not have to worry about performing a ceremony. Most importantly, you should be able to relax and not have to wonder about what will be said or happen during your 30 minutes. You shouldn’t worry about anything to do with your ceremony.
Your focus should be on being present in the moment. 30 minutes isn’t a long time. You deserve to remember every minute. Hire the professional.
Learn more about Wes Howard here and more about Mint Springs Farm Wedding Venue here.
