When to Hire Your Wedding Officiant: Timing & Checklist

You wouldn’t hire a baker or florist before locking down the person who will actually deliver your wedding ceremony and sign your marriage license, right? Right? 

 

You can’t get married without a wedding officiant, after all! 

 

(Meanwhile, the worst thing that can happen if you forget to book a baker might be settling for a grocery store ice cream cake? It could be worse…)
 
Unfortunately, many couples do wait until the last minute to choose their wedding officiant. This can lead to unnecessary stress or a ‘bad fit’ on the wedding day – getting married by someone who doesn’t align with your style or values.

 

Related: Why You Need to Choose Your Wedding Officiant Early

 

That’s why it’s so important to book your officiant early in the wedding planning process! Keep reading for expert suggestions on when to hire your officiant, plus a simple checklist to keep you on track. 

 

 

When should you choose your wedding officiant?

 

We recommend that you book your wedding officiant right after choosing your wedding date and securing your venue. This could be a year before your wedding, or a month before your wedding – it all depends on how long you plan to be engaged. (Couples in the US are engaged for an average of 15 months, and spend about 12 months planning their wedding.) Once you have a wedding date set, it’s time to find a wedding officiant! 

 

If you’re having a friend officiate your wedding instead of hiring a professional, it’s still a good idea to stick to this simple schedule to give them plenty of time to get ordained online, register, and prepare for the ceremony. 

 

• 5 Great Reasons to Ask a Friend to Officiate Your Wedding
• How to Officiate a Wedding for the First Time

|* ordination-button *|

This time frame gives you the best chance of securing your first-pick officiant, and enough time to interview several different officiants if you don’t already have someone in mind. 

 

Which brings us to a simple checklist for hiring a wedding officiant…

 

 

Checklist for Hiring a Wedding Officiant

 

▢ Choose a wedding date

 

▢ Lockdown your wedding venue

 

▢ Decide which type of officiant you want: Friend Officiant, Professional Officiant, Local Clergy

 

▢ Think about close friends or relatives who could officiate

▢ Ask loved ones or your venue to recommend a professional officiant

▢ Ask your house of worship for a recommendation

▢ Check officiant reviews & specialties online (check directories and vendor resources like Wedding Wire, Offbeat Wed, The Knot, Style Me Pretty, etc.)

 

• Take This Quiz to Decide Which Type of Wedding Officiant You Should Choose
• Choosing a Wedding Officiant: What (or Who) Are Your Options?

 

▢ If you’ve chosen a friend officiant, make sure they get ordained online and complete any registration requirements as soon as possible

 

• Get ordained online free with American Marriage Ministries
• Minister Registration Requirements by State
• Propose to your wedding officiant: “Will You Marry Us?”

 

▢ Schedule a consultation or first-planning session with your chosen officiant 

(if you’re still not sure who you want to conduct the ceremony, set up consultations with several officiants to find the right fit – this is standard practice and they shouldn’t mind talking with you)

 

▢ If required, meet with your chosen officiant to sign a vendor contract or put down a deposit on services

 

Once these steps are complete, you’ve got yourself a wedding officiant and can move onto the other fun and meaningful parts of planning a wedding! 

 

 

(Photo by trenchophotography on Unsplash)

 

 

More Helpful Tips on How to Plan a Wedding & Choose a Wedding Officiant: 

 

 

• A Simple Wedding Planning Checklist & Timeline for Busy Couples

 

• Helpful Advice for Wedding Planning with ADHD

 

• Choosing Your Officiant Early Can Offset Arguments During Wedding Planning!

 

• This Wedding Planning Book Uses Numerology for a ‘Marriage by the Numbers’!

 

• How to Choose an Officiant & Why a Friend Might Be Best

 

• Need a simple wedding officiant script? We’ve got dozens to choose from!

 

 

(Photo by Benita Elizabeth John)

 

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