Plan Your Wedding With Help From A Professional Wedding Officiant

 The American Association of Wedding Officiants has over 1000 members who combined do thousands of weddings each year. From most all areas in America and a few in Canada they join together to help couples find the best location, flowers, and other services for their wedding. Before you begin contact the association for names of officiants near you or use this blog for information from check list to songs, and some ceremony samples too. Having a well trained professional officiant as your contact will make the process go smoother. Send an e-mail today to Chaplain Jerry Schwehm, Moderator of the AAWO at Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/WeddingOfficiants/ for contact information on an officiant near you. Read more at the AAWO Facebook page, and read over links to officiants in your area. Destination weddings are our specialty. Remember selecting the person who does the ceremony is really the most important step.

Questions to ask about your wedding Officiant.

Important Questions to Ask Your Wedding Officiant Before You Book The Wedding

Are you registered to perform weddings in my location?
How long have you officiated weddings?
About how many weddings you do per year?
What training have you had?
Will you go to my location to do a ceremony?
What type of ceremonies will you perform?
What are your rules as to photography ?
Is pre-marital counseling required?
Do you have ceremony samples?
What are the fees charged?

If it is possible see the officiant performing another wedding. Ask if they are members of any religious or professional organization, like the American Association of Wedding Officiants.. Some officiants have no formal training but just got ordained on the web to perform weddings. Be selective and get references if possible. Be sure to know if who you contact is an officiant in your state and not a referral agency who sends your request to an officiant for a fee.

When To Book Your Wedding Officiant?

Let's face it basically marriage is a written contract executed before a registered official. Most states require a couple to declare before a recognized official they want to be married and sign a "contact" before witnesses. History, culture, and tradition adds to it with formal ceremonies, certain music, and apparel but without the signed contract before an official and witnesses a couple does not get married. Often couples ask me when should they schedule a ceremony with me. After years of doing weddings six months seems to be a good time to secure the services of a wedding officiant. All too often couples call me a week before a wedding after they have booked the hall, band, and food. I ask them what is the most important element in getting married, good food and music or a competent officiant who knows what to do and how to conduct a ceremony, execute the documents and be sure they are legally married? Sometimes I get called after they get a license as the license office gives them instructions on how to get married and about the need to have the paperwork completed by a registered officiant. Generally that is way to late to start a search for a competent officiant but if I am not already busy that day I will do the wedding.
My best advice is always consult a Clergyman, Judge, Justice of the Peace as soon as you have picked a date. The official can help you with what is the essential element in getting married and six months before the wedding is a good time to start that process.