Help Your Officiant Help You.

6 Tips for Helping Your Officiant Deliver the Ceremony of Your Dreams:

1.  Spend lots of time with your officiant getting to know him or her.  Several meetings in person are important.  Have at least one meeting at the site of your ceremony so that you can practice feeling at home there, together.

2.  In between in-person meetings, talk on the phone or exchange email about your wedding in general.  By giving your officiant an overview of the style and plans for your wedding, he/she can better tailor the ceremony to fit with the overall tone of the day.

3.  Right up front, tell your officiant everything you know you want from your ceremony -- and anything you know you definitely DON'T want.

4.  Send your officiant a picture of your wedding dress, and let him/her know if you're groom is wearing a tux, a suit or another variation on the theme.

5.  Ask any question on your mind about your ceremony, no matter how stupid or embarassing it may feel.

6.  Ask to see an outline of the ceremony prior to your wedding day so that you will have a clear understanding of the ceremonial elements and how they all will fit together.