HAVING A FRIEND OFFICIATE YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY

It isn’t a decision to be taken lightly, and many duos face the choice of hiring a professional – religious or non-denominational – or asking a close friend or family member to preside over the nuptials. But what does that really mean for your service?

I  strongly believe that you should hire professional wedding vendors for every aspect of your wedding and especially for the ceremony. I understand why a couple would consider asking a friend to be their wedding officiant, but before doing that I want to give them my advice. This is based on being a professional wedding officiant with many years of experience.

As you can see, there are many cons to asking your friend to officiate your wedding. It's a lot of work and pressure to officiate a wedding ceremony, and it can also be very stressful, especially for someone who isn't experienced.They may claim to be fantastic public speakers with lots of experience, but you cannot really guarantee that they’ll be able to do everything correctly or handle anything that might go wrong. They could just freeze up when the time comes. It’s possible that they were president of the debate club in college, but how will they react if your cousin’s rowdy children start making noise? If a belligerent guest attempts to stop the wedding? Rather than putting your friend in this position, just hire an experienced professional. 

I understand the importance of this significant moment and that's why I manage all of the details of the ceremony so you can just let go and be present with your beloved. With me or another experienced wedding officiant, you can relax, take a deep breath and focus on what's important rather than worrying about the speed of the processional, or whether or not the microphone will work, or if your friend remembered to make sure the best man has the rings, or if they'll say the correct words to make your marriage legal, there’s always a possibility you’ll end up unofficially married. 

If you don’t hire a professional, it means all of the additional legwork comes down to you and your sweetie. You’ll have to take the time to write out a script and review it with your officiant/friend, as well as obtain all of your legal marriage documents yourself. It can put added stress onto you, and when you’re under duress, you are more likely to make a mistake; whether it be with another aspect of wedding planning, or even with legal forms or your marriage license.

This being said, hire a professional.

Sincerely

Rev Charles Hall