Finding an Officiant to Perform Your Marriage
How to find the person who will marry you - the right person for the job!
Finding the right person to marry you is an important decision – after all, they will have a huge influence on the tone of the ceremony. You'll want to make sure that you find someone who is willing to perform the kind of ceremony you are envisioning, or who has a style and belief system similar to your own. And of course, if you want to make it legal, you'll need to make sure that they are legally able to marry you in your province.
The first most basic thing you and your intended bride or groom must do is decide if you want a religious or secular ceremony. This highly personal decision will have great impact for who will marry you.
Finding a Secular Officiant for Your Wedding
A Justice of the Peace Contact the city licensing office where you will get your marriage license. They should have a list of local Justices of the Peace who are willing to perform wedding ceremonies. Start by calling the ones close to you to get a sense of their personality, then ask if you can meet with them to get a better sense of the kinds of weddings they perform.
At City Hall, finding the person to marry you is typically easy. You'll need to make an appointment and be willing to be married in a speedy fashion – no long drawn-out sermons here! Call your local city hall and they'll tell you everything you need to know.
Finding a Religious Officiant for Your Wedding
If you already have a family clergyperson, or you're getting married in a house of worship, your choice is easy. I suggest still meeting with that person to discuss the questions below and making sure you're comfortable with them.
Otherwise, you'll need to decide first what denomination best fits with your beliefs. Once you've done that, contact your local house of worship to ask if their religious rules allow them to marry people in secular settings. You might attend some worship services to get a sense of different officiants' styles, then meet with them to make sure that they are available on your date, and amenable to the type of wedding you envision. Like any important job, don't just give it to the first interviewee! Talk to a couple different people and choose the one that you are the most comfortable with.
Some questions you might ask:
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
Finding the right person to marry you is an important decision – after all, they will have a huge influence on the tone of the ceremony. You'll want to make sure that you find someone who is willing to perform the kind of ceremony you are envisioning, or who has a style and belief system similar to your own. And of course, if you want to make it legal, you'll need to make sure that they are legally able to marry you in your province.
The first most basic thing you and your intended bride or groom must do is decide if you want a religious or secular ceremony. This highly personal decision will have great impact for who will marry you.
Finding a Secular Officiant for Your Wedding
A Justice of the Peace Contact the city licensing office where you will get your marriage license. They should have a list of local Justices of the Peace who are willing to perform wedding ceremonies. Start by calling the ones close to you to get a sense of their personality, then ask if you can meet with them to get a better sense of the kinds of weddings they perform.
At City Hall, finding the person to marry you is typically easy. You'll need to make an appointment and be willing to be married in a speedy fashion – no long drawn-out sermons here! Call your local city hall and they'll tell you everything you need to know.
Finding a Religious Officiant for Your Wedding
If you already have a family clergyperson, or you're getting married in a house of worship, your choice is easy. I suggest still meeting with that person to discuss the questions below and making sure you're comfortable with them.
Otherwise, you'll need to decide first what denomination best fits with your beliefs. Once you've done that, contact your local house of worship to ask if their religious rules allow them to marry people in secular settings. You might attend some worship services to get a sense of different officiants' styles, then meet with them to make sure that they are available on your date, and amenable to the type of wedding you envision. Like any important job, don't just give it to the first interviewee! Talk to a couple different people and choose the one that you are the most comfortable with.
Some questions you might ask:
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
church/synagogue/parish/temple/house of worship? 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?
Will our non-religious friends be allowed to participate in the ceremony, including giving readings, singing, or (if appropriate) taking communion?
How do you choose the best Wedding Ceremony Venue that’s right for you? A venue that caters for your type of wedding?
It can take a while to sift through all of the venues and different locations, but to ensure you are finding the right venue for your wedding ceremony we have listed some important things to keep in mind.
When choosing a venue, there are many options available for indoor or outdoor ceremonies, including churches, registry office, botanical gardens, beaches, yacht clubs, wineries or even your own backyard.
The time of year you are planning on having your ceremony, the date and season may narrow down some of your options, so looking at weather conditions, seasonal venues and early bookings may be essential with popular spots filling up the dates in the summer months.
Time of the day you are planning for your wedding ceremony is also important to get organized, considering sunrise, sunset, tides (for beach locations) and most importantly for the best lighting for your wedding photos.
With your ceremony and the reception, do you want them both held at the same venue or at different places? Consider travelling times and arrangements to make sure you will be allowing enough time for you and your guests to arrive and have an enjoyable day.
Try not to be more than 20 minutes away from ceremony to reception if you opt to have them at different locations. Choosing a venue for both can make things a lot easier, as people can enjoy a wine or two and don’t lose time travelling.
Your guests, how many people will be attending and will the chosen venue be able to accommodate that amount of people comfortably. Transport, at what distance will you and your guests be travelling to arrive at the ceremony venue, do you need to hire extra cars, buses for transport or extra accommodation to stay near the ceremony venue?
Do your research of your ceremony venue before deciding, do a walk through on the grounds, gardens, dining rooms and churches. Take photos to document the way the areas look and for ideas of which may be more suitable over other venues.
Consider where you will be saying your vows. Since photos are also a very important part of your wedding day, choosing a venue that has surrounding gardens is great, as you only have to stroll down to take the photos you want.
Get a quote from each venue to compare notes with other venues ask as many questions as you may have. Ask how many quests they can accommodate or whether they cater for receptions. Lastly, always ask for a written contract to ensure everything you have discussed is in writing and finalized.
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?
Will our non-religious friends be allowed to participate in the ceremony, including giving readings, singing, or (if appropriate) taking communion?
How do you choose the best Wedding Ceremony Venue that’s right for you? A venue that caters for your type of wedding?
It can take a while to sift through all of the venues and different locations, but to ensure you are finding the right venue for your wedding ceremony we have listed some important things to keep in mind.
When choosing a venue, there are many options available for indoor or outdoor ceremonies, including churches, registry office, botanical gardens, beaches, yacht clubs, wineries or even your own backyard.
The time of year you are planning on having your ceremony, the date and season may narrow down some of your options, so looking at weather conditions, seasonal venues and early bookings may be essential with popular spots filling up the dates in the summer months.
Time of the day you are planning for your wedding ceremony is also important to get organized, considering sunrise, sunset, tides (for beach locations) and most importantly for the best lighting for your wedding photos.
With your ceremony and the reception, do you want them both held at the same venue or at different places? Consider travelling times and arrangements to make sure you will be allowing enough time for you and your guests to arrive and have an enjoyable day.
Try not to be more than 20 minutes away from ceremony to reception if you opt to have them at different locations. Choosing a venue for both can make things a lot easier, as people can enjoy a wine or two and don’t lose time travelling.
Your guests, how many people will be attending and will the chosen venue be able to accommodate that amount of people comfortably. Transport, at what distance will you and your guests be travelling to arrive at the ceremony venue, do you need to hire extra cars, buses for transport or extra accommodation to stay near the ceremony venue?
Do your research of your ceremony venue before deciding, do a walk through on the grounds, gardens, dining rooms and churches. Take photos to document the way the areas look and for ideas of which may be more suitable over other venues.
Consider where you will be saying your vows. Since photos are also a very important part of your wedding day, choosing a venue that has surrounding gardens is great, as you only have to stroll down to take the photos you want.
Get a quote from each venue to compare notes with other venues ask as many questions as you may have. Ask how many quests they can accommodate or whether they cater for receptions. Lastly, always ask for a written contract to ensure everything you have discussed is in writing and finalized.
Officiants, Clergy & Ceremony Venues
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Copyright © 2013-2014 WeddingConnections.ca
The information on Wedding Connections website is not to be rented, exchanged, sold or given to any other entity without our express permission. Wedding Connections Wedding Professionals offer services and products that can be beneficial to you in planning your weddings or outdoor weddings, such as: photographers, ceremony and reception sites, outdoor weddings venues, rehearsal dinner venues, caterers, jewelers, videographers, wedding planning, culinary services, wedding cakes & bakers, bridal gowns, weddings consultants, consultants and planners, florists, equipment rentals, lighting, invitations, gifts & favors, bridal party attire, wedding gowns, men's attire & tuxedos, limousine & transportation services, bridal registries, honeymoon & destination weddings venues, health & beauty and new home services. Many of the vendors are equipped to handle outdoor weddings. Wedding Connections does not sell or trade our membership lists to anyone that is not in the BC Lower Mainland and area Weddings vendor on this website.
Copyright © 2013-2014 WeddingConnections.ca
The information on Wedding Connections website is not to be rented, exchanged, sold or given to any other entity without our express permission. Wedding Connections Wedding Professionals offer services and products that can be beneficial to you in planning your weddings or outdoor weddings, such as: photographers, ceremony and reception sites, outdoor weddings venues, rehearsal dinner venues, caterers, jewelers, videographers, wedding planning, culinary services, wedding cakes & bakers, bridal gowns, weddings consultants, consultants and planners, florists, equipment rentals, lighting, invitations, gifts & favors, bridal party attire, wedding gowns, men's attire & tuxedos, limousine & transportation services, bridal registries, honeymoon & destination weddings venues, health & beauty and new home services. Many of the vendors are equipped to handle outdoor weddings. Wedding Connections does not sell or trade our membership lists to anyone that is not in the BC Lower Mainland and area Weddings vendor on this website.
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