How to Write a Thank You Letter to Your Wedding Officiant (With Examples)

Find the perfect wording to say ‘thank you’ to your wedding officiant in a card or letter… with samples to help you get started

 

 

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Your wedding officiant was an essential part of your wedding day: They guided you through the ceremony, helped you exchange your wedding vows, pronounced you officially married, and signed your marriage license. 

 

In fact, you might say that your wedding officiant was the most important person at your wedding! (Don’t worry, we won’t tell the other guests and wedding vendors you have a favorite...)

 

A heartfelt thank you card or letter is a perfect way to express your gratitude to a professional wedding officiant, or to the beloved friend or family member who officiated! Thank you notes have an old-school charm and can make wonderful keepsakes… unlike a quickly forgotten text or hastily-sent email. 

 

Related: How Much Should You Pay a Friend to Officiate Your Wedding?

 

What you write in your thank you will depend on how well you know your officiant, but the basics are often the same: Express your gratitude, describe what they did well and what services or efforts mattered most to you, and let them know how their presence made you feel.

 

For example, did your officiant make you feel relaxed or confident the day of the wedding? Tell them! Did they write a custom ceremony for you, help you with your wedding vows, or include a special reading? Did they keep things short and sweet, help you fill out the marriage license, or travel to be with you on the wedding day? Make you laugh, lead a beautiful prayer service, or keep calm under pressure?

 

Highlight what your officiant did well, let them know how much you appreciate them, and wish them well!

 

Below are a few short sample letters to help you get started…

 

 

Photo: CasarsaGuru / iStock

Remember how your officiant made you and your partner feel on the wedding day, then write it down!

 

Example One: Thank you letter to a religious wedding officiant 

 

“Dear [Officiant’s Name],

 

We’re so grateful that God blessed us with you on our wedding day! Your calm presence and humor made our ceremony much less stressful than we thought it might be, and we felt closer to each other and our families because of this gift.

 

Thank you with the utmost sincerity for your wisdom in the days before the ceremony. We so appreciate you sitting with us in prayer, counseling us on our expectations of married life, and helping us remember to laugh at the unexpected things that came up while planning the wedding. (God laughs when we make plans, right?) 

 

We will cherish our memories of our wedding day forever, and look forward to seeing you soon at services.

 

With gratitude, [Your Names]”

 

Example Two: Informal Thank You Letter to a Friend or Family Member Who Officiates

 

“Dear [Officiant’s Name], 

 

You made our wedding day so special! Seriously, thank you, thank you, thank you! You were so patient with us, even during all those late night phone calls and our last-minute changes. And that passage from [favorite book or poem]? SO funny! Thank you for adding that, we couldn’t stop laughing. And thanks for not listening to us when we told you we didn’t need backup snacks – we needed backup snacks, you were very right.

 

We could not have done this thing without you and we love you to pieces. We feel incredibly lucky that you married us. Ahhhh it’s official, we’re married, thanks to your amazing help! Thank you, thank you, thank you! We owe you brunch, times a hundred. 

 

Sending you all our love, [Your Names]”

 

 

Photo: insung yoon / Unsplash

 

Example Three: Thank You Letter to a Friend or Relative Who Officiates

 

“Dear [Officiant’s Name], 

 

Thank you for officiating our wedding! We’re so grateful for the beautiful words you wrote for us and the thoughtful touches you added to our ceremony – telling our ‘love story,’ describing how we fell in love, making our friends laugh, making our wedding feel personal and special. 

 

We are blessed to call you our [friend] and to have you in our lives. Thank you for your support and for all the work you did to officiate. Our wedding was more beautiful than we could have even imagined because of your help and presence. 

 

With love and gratitude, [Your Names]

 

Example Four: Thank You Letter for a Professional Officiant

 

“Dear [Officiant’s Name], 

 

Thank you for officiating our wedding. It was a beautiful day and everything we’d hoped it would be. Your attention to detail, knowledge about the marriage license, warm energy, and constant kindness made us feel comfortable, respected, and taken care of during the entire process.

 

We are very grateful to have had you as our wedding officiant and will remember this day forever, with deep appreciation and joy. 

 

Sincerely, [Your Names]”

 

 

And remember!

 

In addition to a thank you note, one of the best ways to thank a professional wedding officiant is to leave them a good review online. Online reviews are essential to a professional officiant's business, and let other couples know they’ve found the right person for the task. Include the same glowing praise in your review that you did in your thank you letter. 

 

For more tips on how to thank your wedding officiant, read: 

 

3 Ways to Thank Wedding Officiants 
(That Don't Cost You a Thing)

 

Need the perfect gift for your wedding officiant? Looking for a way to say thank you that won't break the bank? These 3 ideas are creative, easy, and free ways to show your appreciation. Read the full article here. 

 

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You might also like: 

 

• How Much Should You Pay a Friend to Officiate Your Wedding?

 

• When Should The Marriage License Be Returned?

 

• What Does a Wedding Officiant Do After the Wedding Ceremony?

 

Asked to officiate a wedding for a friend or relative, but not sure what your responsibilities as a wedding officiant are after the ceremony is over? Read the full article here. 

 

 

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