6 Secrets To Finding The Right Wedding Officiant In Los Angeles
Planning the perfect wedding has many different moving parts, and when you get started you’ll see that there is a long list of to-do items. From setting the date, choosing flowers and venue all the way to picking up your dress and writing your vows. There are thousands of details to tackle. And while some tasks may seem obvious, choosing an officiant may not even hit the list, at least not until much later in the planning process. But the person you select as your wedding officiant in Los Angeles is an integral part of the wedding and the start of your new life with your spouse. And trust us when we say, ALL wedding officiants in Los Angeles are not the same. So, here are 6 secrets to finding the right officiant in Los Angeles.
We believe that wedding officiants are love warriors that should blend seamlessly into your lives and love story. The right wedding officiant in Los Angeles should be able to naturally and effortlessly craft a wedding ceremony that is heartfelt, personal, and full of sweet and tender moments or full of laughs and quirky things - whatever your spirits and souls desire.
Tips For Finding The Perfect Los Angeles Wedding Officiant
Until We Meet
While online research is essential, you shouldn’t decide anything before you actually meet potential Los Angeles officiants in person. You may spend many sessions before the wedding with them making sure their beliefs, personalities, and spirit match yours. No wedding ceremony should be the same because every love story is unique. With this in mind, hiring a Los Angeles wedding officiant is a decision that you really want to get right. So don’t be afraid to ask for a preliminary appointment to see if you and your fiancé are comfortable. And don’t just interview one!
The person joining you together as one should be someone you’re comfortable with. One that will design and script a ceremony that is as unique as your love story. So, meet with several, get a feel for who’s right to script your love story into a ceremony.
Your Wedding, Your Way.
The Right Type Of Los Angeles Wedding Officiant For You
There are quite a few different types of officiants and the one you choose is entirely dependent on your personal preference and religious beliefs.
Religious Officiant-
As the name suggests, these wedding officiants occupy a place of respect and leadership in their respective communities and they conduct weddings either at their designated place of worship such as a temple, mosque, church, or synagogue. Religious officiants in Los Angeles can also perform ceremonies at the wedding venue. If the couple wants a more traditional wedding, they should discuss with the officiant beforehand to be sure they are aware of all the rules and so they can be granted permission and booked for a wedding either in a venue of their choosing or in the holy place the officiant suggests.
A Chapel Is A Wonderful, Spiritual Place
Civil Wedding Officiants-
These are officiants that have the power vested by the government to carry out legal weddings including courthouse weddings. The name given to these officiants may vary from state to state but it is typically magistrate, notary, city clerk, judge, and so on. Many couples may have secular beliefs and only want their marriage to be binding in the eyes of the law so a civil wedding officiant is a good choice.
Ordained Wedding Officiants-
Ordained officiants or Los Angeles County ordained ministers, can be any regular person (usually a loved one or a dear friend) that agrees to get ordained so they can marry you and your soul mate. People can get ordained online by filling out and signing a form and submitting a fee. A few states however need the form to be submitted physically so do a quick check before you choose this way forward.
Professional Officiants-
Celebrants or professional officiants usually have a state-issued license to officiate weddings and may also have considerable experience with different types of ceremonies including interfaith unions and spiritual ones. If the couple has a specific preference, they can find a professional officiant with a specialty as well. There is greater room for customization in this type of ceremony where you can include a poetry reading, a piece of music, or even a memorial speech for a parent or loved one who passed away and who you wish was here with you.
A Good Public Speaker
This may not have occurred to you but a wedding officiant needs to be a confident public speaker, and if they are magnetic and charming, then all the better. Your wedding ceremony will undoubtedly be filmed and photographed and you want your officiant to stand out and be a jovial, confident personality that adds excitement to the festivities.
Values
One of the most important aspects and secrets of choosing the right wedding officiant is whether they have the same values as you. These could be religious, social, spiritual, secular or any other kind of values and beliefs you hold dear. By reaching out to others in your group or searching on relevant forums and websites online you can find an officiant that is the right match for you. Perhaps your preference may even be something simple like having the freedom to sing at your wedding or to include changes in commonly used phrases such as ‘till death do us part, or ‘man and wife.’
Book A Trial Counselling Session
Many officiants do offer counseling sessions especially if they already know the couple but if that is something you’re interested in, definitely do a trial session before committing to a medium-term arrangement. Many couples may find after a couple of sessions they no longer want to continue or feel the officiant perhaps doesn’t share their values. To be on the safe side, have a thorough interview, ask some potentially awkward but essential questions, and request a trial counseling session if the first meeting goes well in your opinion.
Have A Schedule
Like any other aspect of your wedding, you need to work out a schedule with your officiant such as the agreed-upon number of meetings before the day of the ceremony, the agenda for those meetings, their overall fee, and also other specificities such as whether you need them to officiate virtually or in person. Many couples opt for an elopement or intimate style of the wedding so they may only need virtual services from an officiant. After finalizing the details, have a formal document drawn up for all parties to sign so that there are no issues on the day itself like double bookings and everything goes smoothly.
