May I Have Your References, Please?

Last week I had four last-minute Autumnal weddings come my way in two days’ time, three for September and one for early October. I certainly look forward to working with each of these couples!
At the same time, I was amazed by the fact that three out of the four couples had found their way to me after having the unnerving experience with their previous officiant not only pulling out at the last minute, but also not providing any suggestions or guidance as to how to find a replacement officiant. It strikes me as rather unprofessional and downright rude to put people in such a difficult position so close to their scheduled wedding date. I’m rather stunned that these officiants appear to have taken their commitments to these couples so lightly.

So I just want to remind couples that when looking for an officiant for your wedding ceremony, it is a good idea to ask for references so that you can contact people who have actually worked with her or him before. Of course, I cannot say for sure that checking references would have made a significant difference for any of the couples I met last week. Each was coming from a unique situation which may or may not have been clarified ahead of time with the help of references.

But, in light of the key role that your officiant plays in your wedding day, it will likely be well worth it to take a little extra time earlier in your process of selecting an officiant to contact a several of her or his references. This way you can be assured that you have made the best selection possible.

Certainly I know that even with the best references, you cannot be 100% sure of anything. But at least you will know that you have done everything you can to be assured of the quality and reliability of your wedding officiant, so that you can have the meaningful and personal wedding ceremony you so richly deserve.