American Weddings Blog

It took more than just complex rigging and experience to make Ethan and Tiffany Fowler’s zipline wedding a memorable event. They might have figured out a way to get Tiffany’s dress into the sling, and they might have successfully transitioned the couple from their harnesses to the ceremony, but it wasn’t until Bradley Brown, the adventure park’s manager, got ordained online that the whole affair came together. 

The couple made headlines last month when news outlets got wind of their original and daring wedding ceremony at Keystone Safari, and adventure park in Pennsylvania that features a zipline course. Here at American Weddings our first thought was, “this sounds like something one of our ministers would do.”

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Now that you know what to say and do as a wedding officiant, it's time to look the part.

Attire should always be discussed with the couple to make sure everyone is on the same page with expectations. Many couples will say, “Just be comfortable,” or “Wear whatever you’d like,” but you should still get as many details about their wedding as possible to determine what you will wear.

For example: Is the ceremony location indoor or outdoor? What will the weather be like? Is it a laid back, bohemian-feel event - or will there be chandeliers, tuxedos and cocktail dresses?

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Hey Couples: whether you are hiring a professional officiant, or asking a friend or family member to officiate your wedding, regular communication is critical. Your officiant’s job is to lead the ceremony, and the better you communicate with him or her, the more powerful and memorable your ceremony will be!

In practical terms, this means that a certain amount of communication between the couple and the officiant should be scheduled right from the beginning. Regardless of who you pick, make sure they are committed to regular communication. Make sure they understand their role -- which is helping to translate your vision into words. 

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It’s been more than half a century since we put a man on the moon, but in some parts of the US, same-sex and interracial couples are still routinely discriminated against. It’s also un-American.  That’s why months after getting ordained by American Marriage Ministries, Tim Hooker found himself in demand to officiate weddings for couples that were turned away by mainstream churches in his area. 

I visited Tim earlier this year to talk about his experiences. Driving into Cleveland Tennessee, the first thing I noticed was that there were a lot of churches. It seemed like there was one on every corner, but they weren’t of much use to same-sex or interracial couples looking to tie the knot.

“In Southern Appalachia, the ministers probably weren’t going to do it,” Tim said. 

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Hi Raquel! Tell us about yourself:

I live in Queens, New York, with my wife. I'm an office manager for a private investigation firm and I also run my own handmade business, Máquina 37. My company is named after my 1937 singer sewing machine, which I use to make custom look-alike cloth dolls and other sewn products.

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