Wedding Disasters! Nightmare Vacations! Restaurant Fails! Do we have your attention now?
 
If you’re still reading, that’s because we all love a good disaster story, but that’s not what we’re going to talk about today. As anyone who works in the wedding industry, or at a resort, or in a restaurant can tell you, most folks have great experiences. Almost all weddings are beautiful and memorable, most vacations are great, and almost every time I go out to dinner, I’m pretty satisfied – but that doesn’t get those clicks!
 
That’s why, after seeing hundreds-of-thousands of happy couples married by friends and family members (who happened to be AMM ministers) I still wasn’t surprised to see an article that ran on Brides.com titled, ...(continued)

Guest Column by Matt McMurphy

My path to becoming a wedding officiant was an unexpected journey, and I am so thankful for this adventure. It is a journey that only happened because of good friends, perfect timing, and my ability to comfortably say “Yes” and “I don’t know” to new experiences.

I had already been in love with weddings for about five years when I became a wedding officiant. I did not choose to become a wedding officiant originally - two very good friends chose me. When my lifelong friend Jenni and her amazing boyfriend-at-the-time Hosam got engaged, I had given them my favorite wedding planning advice, which my wife and I had received from a wedding planner we met during our engagement. ...(continued)

Just over ten years ago, I did not believe in the institution of marriage, and I never planned on getting married. Now I have been married for eight years, and I am a wedding officiant who works with couples to plan and celebrate their marriage ceremonies. What caused such a paradigm shift in a relatively short amount of time? The short answer is my wife. The longer answer is what my wife and I did together to celebrate our love with our family and friends.

I grew up believing that marriage and love were two separate concepts. Almost every marriage within my family had ended in divorce, and most of the ex-spouses were completely out of the lives of their former partners. I knew love existed and could exist between two people, but I also thought that being married and being in a loving relationship were never the same thing. ...(continued)

As President of the International Association of Professional Wedding Officiants (IAPWO), I frequently have the pleasure of meeting and speaking with professional officiants and celebrants all over the world and one of the first questions I ask is, "How did you get started performing weddings?" The answers I receive are as fascinating as they are diverse - some are seminary-trained clergy, others are retired judges or mayors, and many (like myself) got started by being asked to perform a wedding for a friend or family member. ...(continued)

In previous articles, we mentioned the need for good communication between the couple and their officiant, independent of whether the officiant is a professional or a friend or family member. We also mentioned that if your chosen officiant is performing a wedding ceremony for the first or second time, they should seek guidance. 

There’s a reason for that! 

Below, we recount some stories that folks have shared with us, to illustrate why strong communication, research, and preparation are so important. So, settle in, pour yourself a holiday cocktail, and let the drama unfold!

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