On Being an Officiant

I wrote this article for Weddzilla wedding blog a while back, and want to share it here. It's not a profession for everyone, and I'd say that it requires better than average writing and speaking skills. But it's sure for me and I'm loving it! Here's the article:

On Being a Wedding Officiant

Once I officiated my first wedding, I was hooked! After the ceremony, I was so elated it almost felt like I was the one who had gotten married!

It’s with this enthusiasm that I’ve embraced my new calling as a wedding minister, and it is a calling, much like being an artist is a calling, because each wedding or civil union ceremony is like a mini masterpiece, artistry inspired within the soul, unique to its couple. 

I would not recommend performing your first ceremony unless you have a very high degree of confidence in your ability. There’s little room for error in gaining their trust of you. Your couple should not be able to recognize that it’s your first wedding. In every aspect, you need to be the expert and able to answer questions and offer them information they don’t even know to ask.

I never would have been able to perform my first wedding without a network of mentors in place, who graciously shared practical information; like the importance of filling and filing the paperwork properly; what to wear; and other technical and practical aspects. Be the student who soaks up information like a sponge. Ask the questions your mentors don’t think to mention.

Your own research is critical. Know your competition better than they know themselves. Spend hours if not days devoted to this alone. Read everything you can find on weddings. Know every wedding trend and figure out how to put your own twist on it. Learning about your new profession is your full-time profession until you are ready to go live, and in my opinion, it’s not something you can do justice to unless it’s something you can do full time. I can’t imagine doing the quality of work I do if it were a part-time pastime.

Don’t neglect how you will put yourself out there. You need a web-page that needs traffic. Figure out where to spend your advertising money. Become an expert in social networking. Eventually, if you build up a solid reputation, word of mouth will be your greatest marketing tool.

Be clear on what it is you want to offer. Do you want to minister in prisons? Do you want to jump out of airplanes and scuba dive while officiating your ceremonies? There’s a niche for everyone and you need to find yours.

At any given time you are juggling multiple couples, all different and most expecting a tailor-made ceremony. Each one of them will undoubtedly make changes. Keep your documents updated and identify each by couple so you don’t accidentally mix them up. Impeccable organization is a must! Listen to your couples and ask questions. Even if they want a quick no fuss no muss ceremony, there is always a way to make it theirs alone. It’s their special day, not yours, and it isn’t a success unless they are happy.

If you bear that goal in mind, you will also be a success!