Choosing your Wedding Officiant:   While some brides choose their wedding officiants second to choosing their venues, many wait until much of the theme or vision of their wedding is fully developed. By then they have a good idea of what they want their special day to look like. They can imagine walking down the aisle in that special dress with only his eyes seeing her…and then everything about the ceremony often stops there. In our years of working as wedding officiants, couples know what they don’t want more than what they do want. So it is important to find someone who will give direction to this process as well as lend their experience.

Planning your ceremony means choosing the right person to work with the two of you. Consider these things:

• How was your first contact? Did he/she answer your email or phone call quickly and professionally?
• Were you given the option to meet with the person who will be officiating the ceremony?
• Do you feel comfortable and can you talk with this officiant easily? Do you feel heard?
• Does the ceremony process feel easy?
• Was the officiant  willing to honour your desire for any additions you would like to include in the ceremony. And if a rehearsal is important to you will he/she be willing to oversee it? You need to feel confident that you will get the ceremony you want.
• Is he/she ordained and licensed to marry in your province?
• What will he/she wear? If your tradition is seeing your officiant/minister in a robe, ask if he/she has one?Similarly if you do not want robes, do you have that option?
• Will the officiant provide you with a contract or receipts? Thinking about the contract, remember to bring all of the important facts to your meeting: the venue, address of the venue and the time of the ceremony. Often the officiant has planned his/her schedule around the time and location of your ceremony before your first meeting. Also if changes are made contact your officiant and discuss the changes formally. Do not assume he/she is available if you move your venue or change the hour of your ceremony.

Whether you and your fiance are still looking for an officiant this bridal season or the next, may you find exactly the right person to lead you in your vows and care for your ceremony…and enjoy this next adventure of your lives as a married couple!

Use ”Google” for your Wedding Needs! Tonight is the night you must find the next thing on your wedding list.   The net is great for finding all of the vendors who don’t have actual store fronts but have products and services that you need. Don’t just search aimlessly for them through your search engines though. Use them strategically to save yourself time and eventually money too!

There are communities of vendors who are on Twitter . Put in a search for weddings, marriage, specific vendors such as wedding officiants. Follow Vendors who will point to sales and goods through their tweets. These same vendors blog their ideas and their products on their own website. 

Also, look on websites/blogs such as WordPress  and Ezine Articles and put in your search there.  Ideas are so plentiful on these sites and these are just a few other sources where valuable vendors are discussing new ideas and showing their wares.

Another place to consider are all of the wedding websites/blogs like Offbeat Bride, Weddinggirl and Weddingwire. If you live in the Golden Horseshoe, Hamilton Wedding Helper and Niagara Wedding Helper are excellent for providing wedding vendors in your area.

Leave those wedding magazines in the stores.  Invest some time on- line and and  in a couple nights with your computer and you can have your needs met at your finger tips. You might even dazzle your friends with the new ideas you have found.