Unusual weddings call for unique preperation! What's in your officiant emergency kit? 

 

 

Not every wedding officiant has a wedding day emergency kit, but they should! An officiant's 'emergency kit' is a box or bag filled with disaster-dodging supplies, things like safety pins, tissues, stain-remover wipes, and even fake wedding rings... Supplies that help save the ceremony when something unexpected happens.

 

And a few officiants go above and beyond…These experts officiate weddings in unusual places, which means they need unique additions to their emergency kits. 

 

Here are a few of our favorite unexpected items you might not have thought of, which will certainly come in handy in a pinch! 
 

 

A wedding officiant with a great emergency kit is basically a superhero in disguise!

 

 

• Veil weights

 

Expert Officiant Bethel Nathan never leaves home without veil weights, especially when she’s officiating a windswept ceremony on the steep, sunny cliffs outside San Diego. Veil weights and hijab magnets (which come in a variety of shapes and colors) can keep dress hems in place and prevent veils from blowing in the breeze. Your photographer will thank you, too!

 

♡ See Bethel officiate a windy wedding at Sunset Cliffs here

 

 

• Bear Spray

 

If you’re hiking five miles through winding trails and dense trees to officiate a forest wedding, the last thing you want is a bear lumbering in to crash the party! Officiant Jimmie Berguin officiates a lot of elopements in the wooded Pacific Northwest, and always packs bear spray (sometimes called bear mace)… just in case. 

 

♡ See Jimmie officiate a forest elopement in the Northern California Redwoods (home to many black bears and other fun wildlife)

 

 

• Citrus gum

 

Citrus flavored gums are especially good at eliminating dry mouth and the effects of dehydration, Officiant Jimmie Berguin tells us, even better than other common chews. And given the number of times he’s hiked up Mount Rainier for an epic outdoor elopement, we believe him! Any citrus flavor will do, so grab a few of your favorites on the way to the ceremony. 

 

♡ Read this interview with Jimmie by VisitRainer.com, about adventure weddings in Mount Rainer National Park 

 

 

• Cleaning wipes and toilet paper

 

Officiant Cherise Klosner is known for officiating stunning forest weddings and elopements at state and national parks… but bathrooms at parks are definitely NOT known for their cleanliness. She never heads to a park wedding without cleaning wipes and t.p. – and neither should you. 

 

♡ Read more about Cherise in this feature interview with Canvas Rebel Magazine

 

 

• Ring warming pouch

 

Ring warming ceremonies are an easy, inexpensive way to add a feeling of community and warmth to a simple wedding. That’s why Officiant Bethel Nathan always keeps a ring warming pouch in her emergency kit for couples who want to add a last minute unity ceremony. 

 

 

Building your first officiant emergency kit? 
Check out the articles below for tips and tricks! 

 

• What to Pack in an Officiant’s Wedding Day Emergency Kit

 

• The best Officiant Wedding Emergency Kit we’ve ever seen

 

• How a Fake Wedding Ring Can Save the Ceremony

 

 

• Summer Survival: 10 Items to Add to Your Officiant Wedding Emergency Kit This Season

 

The Officiant’s Essential Wedding Day Emergency Kit List! See the full list here.
 

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You might also like: 

 

• The Anonymous Officiant: And Then The Fire Broke Out…
   
• 876 feet in the air: Officiating an adventure wedding on the New River Gorge Bridge
   
• “I’m so nervous I could puke" - A wedding ceremony mishap and a quick-thinking officiant!
   

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Meet the Experts

 

Bethel Nathan
Business Elevation Coach, Officiant, Speaker, Educator

Bethel is a successful business owner, award-winning officiant, and WeddingPro Educator, and she knows how to build and run a successful wedding industry business. She’s married over 1200 couples during the past 14 years, and has earned over 450 5-star reviews as Ceremonies by Bethel. Combining her background in both large Wall Street investment banks and small businesses with her experience building her own wedding officiant business, Bethel also enjoys helping other wedding industry businesses grow and prosper as a business coach, industry speaker, and educator under Elevate by Bethel. 

 

Take Elevate by Bethel's Business of Officiating Course

Find Bethel online: Instagram / Facebook / WeddingWire / The Knot

 

 

Jimmie Berguin
Officiant, Educator, Hype Man

Jimmie has made a name for himself in the wedding industry and on social media (Officiant Jimmie) by officiating visually compelling wedding ceremonies that resonate with couples who want something exciting and different. He’s also become the face of AMM's Professional Wedding Officiant Certification course, raising the profile of wedding officiants across the country and promoting officiant best practices. 

 

Find Jimmie online: Instagram / Facebook / Adventure Elopement Officiant Spotlight

 

 

Cherise Klosner 
Officiant, Business Owner, Storyteller

Cherise is the passionate owner and lead officiant of Another One Ties The Knot. Cherise discovered her calling in the world of wedding officiating in 2018 when she officiated her very first ceremony. From that moment on, she fell in love with the art of storytelling and its power to unite couples in love.

 

Find Cherise online: Instagram / Facebook / Website / WeddingWire / The Knot

 

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