05/09/2024
Why a Great & Experienced Officiant Matters
Hi everyone! Hope you're having an amazing day!
Wanted to make a post that'll hopefully help in your decision making process when it comes to hiring the right officiant for you and your big day! After having the pleasure of officiating 59 weddings and counting, there are so many things that I've experienced, seen, and heard and this is why I'd like to share with y'all why it's important to spend money on a great officiant.
When it comes to budgeting for an officiant, please don't leave it for last. While there are several great and experienced officiants, there are so many who claim to know how to officiate yet either show up late, cancel last minute, mess up the entire script, don't know how to act when things don't go to plan, show up drunk (yes, this has happened LOL), don't communicate well with the other vendors that are important to making your special day run as smoothly as possible, etc..
This is why when someone is charging you a very low price to do your wedding, while you may be thinking you're getting a great deal, you oftentimes are getting exactly what you're paying for only to find out the day of your wedding. This of course is not to say that every low price you get is going to be bad, but it's definitely worth doing your research ahead of time. There are no do-overs on your wedding day and a bad officiant can ruin your entire wedding in a snap.
For example, my base rate is $350 and while my time spent at your wedding will certainly be less than other vendors on the day, what you're paying me for is experience. You won't have to stress that I'll arrive on time, you won't have to baby me, because after the many weddings I've officiated, and I don't mean this arrogantly, I know exactly what to do and what's expected of me. This is your day and I'm there to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible when it comes to my role and duty.
Some things to consider before you hire your officiant are:
Are they comfortable speaking in front of crowds and have they done a wedding before?
Do they take time to get to know you and your fiancé?
Are they communicative with you?
Do they have a legit contract to protect both parties?
Bottom line, please be sure to budget accordingly for your officiant. Could you possibly get by with a less expensive alternative? Of course! But I've seen too much and heard too many stories of great couples who've been robbed of their special day because they didn't set aside the proper funds for their officiant. Remember, less isn't always more.
This article is great!!
Written by: Qualified Covenant
Ryan Huff is a fun, personable, and experienced wedding officiant who will get to know you and your fiancé and help make your special day unforgettable with a totally custom ceremony script combined with a charismatic personality. He looks forward to connecting with you soon!
