Your Galveston Wedding Minister!

Six Ways to Prepare for a Wedding

Your wedding ceremony is the most important part of your wedding day. Your officiant should fit into your day as perfectly as the bride and groom. This compiled list of questions you should ask your officiant is important in your search to find not only a qualified officiant but one that works well with the you.

Is the officiant available on the day you've chosen, at the time you'd prefer? This is important especially when narrowing down prospective officiant
Can the officiant travel to the site? If you are having a wedding at a location other than the officiates church, this is very important. Some officiates may have location restrictions so make sure to ask about your location.
What are the fees and what is included? You should find out pricing for services and travel and what each includes. Some churches charge things like cleanup, separately.
What type of pre-marital counseling is required, if any? Different officiants require different counseling, if any so ask. Also make sure you ask about pricing.
What restrictions do they have? Due to certain religious and personal preferences, certain aspects may have certain restrictions. For example, the officiant may not allow certain music or certain songs.
How much of the ceremony are you allowed to write yourself? Some officiants will only use one ceremony with minor changes. Others will let you write the whole thing with them so long as they are allowed to review and make any changes with you before the wedding day. Most will give a sample ceremony that you can make changes to.
How long do they anticipate the ceremony to last? This is good for booking the reception vendors and setting a timeline.
Where can you reach them to answer questions or give advice? Get all their contact information and hours of business.
Do they have any suggestions? When weddings are your business, you're bound to pick up hints and tricks. Ask and see if they have any suggestions.

If you are getting married in the officiant's church...

Can you view the ceremony site? Go through the site and take notes about the layout. Also ask about occupancy restrictions as well.
From what times do you have access to the site? This is important if you want to decorate or you need to clean up so you can schedule accordingly. Make sure to get the times and dates in the contract.
Is there a place you can get ready before the ceremony? It's always nice to set aside a brides room so the bride and bridesmaids can prepare for the ceremony and have a place to relax.
Is there a room parents can take their children during the ceremony? Having a room parents can use for restless kids is a good idea to keep everybody happy.
Are there any restrictions for photographers or videographers? Some sites do not allow photographers or videographers at all, some do not allow flash photography and some restrict photographers and videographers to the back of the church during the ceremony.
Are there any special site restrictions? Some sites do not allow birdseed, rice or rose petals to be thrown. Make sure you know all their restrictions.
When does the rehearsal take place? Any ceremony can look good on paper but in real life it's nice to have a practice session to make sure everyone's on the same page and the logistics flow smoothly.