How to Find the Ideal Wedding Officiant

You need just the right person to make taking your marriage vows truly memorable--an officiant willing to create the perfect ceremony that captures your personalities and beliefs.

Instructions

STEP 1: Find someone whose beliefs resonate with yours and who can speak eloquently on your behalf. You'll want to meet several times to discuss the ceremony and come to a mutual accord. Officiants can suggest vows or help you fine-tune your own.

STEP 2: Choose from a wide pool of possible religious officiants: priests, rabbis, Catholic scholars, theologians and cantors. If you hold a religious ceremony in a church or synagogue, you may need to use their officiant.

STEP 3: A judge or justice of the peace can do the honors, as can a mayor, governor, county clerk, notary, legally ordained minister or anyone who is deputized to perform a one-time ceremony.

STEP 4: Have a friend become a minister. At the Universal Life Church (ulc.com) you can fill out an online form, pay $12, and voila`! You're an ordained minister. (Check laws in your state.)

STEP 5: Budget the officiant's fees into your overall cost of the wedding. Traditionally paid for by the groom, they can run from $100 to $300 or more, with travel and facility costs extra.

What To Look For

--Ceremony you're comfortable with
--Perfect vows
--Flexible; will consider your wishes
--Willingness to create tailor-made ceremony
--Appropriate religious affiliation
--Fee and/or gratuity

Overall Tips & Warnings

--Many religious officiators require couples to undergo premarital counseling. This could be just a few questions or a series of meetings to discuss your relationship, faith and commitment to one another.

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