This has been a busy week. Which is strange since I’ve been rather lonely the past several weeks. Have I mentioned that Mr Fix It went up north for 3 weeks to work on his parent’s home? He left his newlywed wife all alone in a new house. Turns out, my daughter, Little Miss has also been gone spending a lot of time with her dad since he had some time off and she had practices going on down at his house. Easier commute.
But since I was surprised at 4 am yesterday morning by my sweet husband kissing me and coming home 2 days earlier than expected, I plan on keeping today’s post a little short so I don’t have to be at the computer too long. I did put together this little video clip which was one of my very favorite parts of our ceremony (Do I say that a lot? Are they all my favorites?).
Anyway, this was a little tidbit that our pastor shared about how he knows us and it gives you some great insight into who we are as individuals. I absolutely had no idea he was going to share the little detail he did near the end of the clip about my ‘planning skills.’ Enjoy!
Share time: Was there any part of your ceremony or wedding planning process that you took control of planning that is typically handled by someone else like a vendor or the officiant? 
TODAY’S WEDDING TIP: Ask your officiant if they will incorporate specific things about who each of you are as individuals and as a couple. If they don’t know you personally, perhaps they can have you fill out a little biography to include as part of their introduction or message? This is one reason why I truly love pre-marital counseling It gives you an opportunity to bond with your officiant which makes the ceremony that much more special.
Raw video footage courtesy of Video Keepsakes of Beverly Hills
I totally agree with you on having an officiant that knows you personally if it is at all possible! When Will and I got married, we were in Gatlinburg. Although the ceremony was sweet and well worded… it was everyone’s ceremony. There was nothing of us, who we are, how we feel. For the renewal, the man who will be our officiant has been Will’s best friend for around 20 years. That means he was there at our beginning and throughout our relationship. He is Will’s “brother from another mother” who I am also very close to. I can’t begin to imagine all the humor and life that he will be able to bring to our day. He knows more stories on us than we even recall! Not only that, but it will be so special for us to have him there in that role, assisting us in renewing our holy covenant to each other.
Again, you give me something to think about! (I’m SO glad you got married before me, and not the other way around. LOL)
My officiant is a close personal friend whom I’ve known for more than a decade, and who also happens to be a wedding planner (although I’m not hiring her in that role because I want her to enjoy herself without being “on the job” all night). I really didn’t want a stranger to marry us, so I was thrilled that she offered.
But… I’m a “planning hoarder,” too. I have a writing background, and I’m particular about what I do and don’t want expressed in my ceremony. So of course, I have labored over the ceremony wording and vows for weeks now! In fact, I just looked over the script again last night and made a few more tweaks, and I imagine I’ll continue to do that until it’s too late to make another change.
Before reading your post, I might have stressed about my friend changing it up a bit, after giving it so much thought. But now I realize that it would be better to give her some creative license, since she knows us so well. It will be fun to be surprised at my own wedding, given how much I have orchestrated myself!
I agree, having a stranger marry you would just be crazy. I don’t know how some people do it. It’s the most intimate, personal, and most important day!! Why would you want someone who doesn’t know you at all marry you?
I actually had my father marry Sean and I. Although my dad is a minister, me and my husband are not religious. My dad understood that so didn’t go on about things we’re not into. It was very hard for my dad (emotionally!) but I felt safe and comfortable with him there, especially to calm my nerves when I was having a hard time walking down the aisle!
Our officiant is a great longtime friend of my fiance’s, and I wrote the entire ceremony myself from scratch. I don’t think it gets much more personal than that!