From Ordinary to Ordained to Officiant
Being asked to officiate a friend or family members wedding is an incredible honor and although preparing and delivering the wedding ceremony may seem quite daunting. The fact is that it actually can be a wonderful and fun experience. As the officiant you get to celebrate a friend or family member by speaking from the heart and showing all the guests what a great couple they are, and why it is such an honor to be with them to celebrate their marriage. However, don’t forget, the ceremony sets the tone for the rest of the wedding, and how the guests see the couple and their relationship, which means the position of officiant is very important. Here are a few couple pieces of advice that will help to make sure you have fun while delivering a beautiful and meaningful wedding ceremony.
Practice The Ceremony In Advance
The more familiar you are with the ceremony, the less nervous you will be and the less nervous you are the better the ceremony will flow and feel. Although you most likely won’t memorize the entire ceremony, we recommend aiming for a ceremony between 15-20 minutes, being familiar with the words allows you to enjoy being the officiant and makes the delivery of the ceremony much more genuine.
Remember to smile, speak slowly, and make sure you make eye contact, and connect, with the couple and guests as much as possible. As the officiant, you should be projecting beautiful, happy thoughts since everyone’s emotions are being driven by you and the ceremony. One of the great rewards you will get during this experience, if you are connecting with the couple and the guests, is that you should also be receiving the beautiful, happy thoughts right back. During a wedding ceremony, there is wonderful energy coming from everywhere.
In conclusion, if you are asked to perform a wedding ceremony, and you say yes, take it as a great honor and responsibility but also have fun and enjoy the experience!
Check out the following links for more information on how to officiate weddings:
