WELCOME!

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DECISION TO MARRY THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE!

You met, fell in love and got engaged! You now desire to commemorate your love and life-long commitment for one another with a wedding. Whether you are eloping spur of the moment, having a civil ceremony, or planning to have the wedding of your dreams surrounded by your loved ones, I will produce the ceremony you envision.  My main obligation as an officiant is to create the most heartfelt, unique memory as possible that will be treasured always by you and guests alike. It gives me great joy to join forces to craft a ceremony script that speaks to you and conveys your love story. Together, we will customize and personalize a wedding that reflects your relationship, your love and commitment to one another, and incorporate elements such as unity ceremonies and/or family traditions.

FIRST THINGS FIRST!  If you are looking for a cookie cutter ceremony, I am not the officiant for you.  If you are looking for a monotone boring ceremony, I am not the officiant for you.  If you are looking for a meaningful and memorable experience, we just might be a great fit!

WHAT TO EXPECT:

So much is involved in the preparation of the wedding ceremony.  You only see the end product, but not what happens behind the scenes and what leads to the kick ass ceremony you get to experience. 

When it comes to designing your wedding ceremony – think about what goes into constructing a building – even the smallest building.  There are so many decisions about who will be involved, how the building will be designed to the customer’s liking according to the plans that have so carefully, methodically, and intricately been detailed in the blueprints and plans.  A lot of time, effort, expertise, and passion goes into the process – just like your wedding ceremony.

PRE WEDDING:

1st, our initial consultation must take place in order to begin the process.  This is the part where we begin to get to know one another and discuss your ceremony desires, needs, and vision that will represent your relationship, personality, and beliefs.  During the initial call, we will talk about a plethora of things, including whether you would like to celebrate your heritage(s), the tone you would like to convey, who will be involved and in what way, unity ceremonies, memorials, and many other pertinent details to create your dream ceremony.  I also explain the legal processes and next step instructions.

AFTER THE INITIAL CONSULTATION CALL:

I create your contract that is customized with your event information, personal and contact information.  Each contract is unique as it reflects the specific details of your wedding.

The payment structure, which is also explained during the initial consultation, will also be annotated on the contract.  It will reflect the payment terms we agreed upon.  This step is very important to both parties – time and money are very valuable; to me as well as to you!

Once the contract has been drawn up, I will send it to you for your review and approval.  Upon receipt of the signed contract and retainer, the real work begins!

I’ll send you both couple’s questionnaires to gather information about you as individuals and as a couple.  These questionnaires will be created to ensure we are able to capture things that are very specific to you as the special couple that you are.  

Do you know what makes each ceremony so unique and special?  YOU!  Yes YOU!

I take all the time necessary to get to know you on a deeper than surface level, and allow you to learn about me as a person as well.  The connection and bond that we form allows me to deliver your personalized ceremony in such a way that your guests will swear that we are old friends!

I then take what I have learned about you and combine that with your desires, vision, cultural and spiritual recognitions and beliefs to craft the ceremony that represents your authenticity and that celebrates your very unique love and relationship.

I will consult with you every step of the way; make changes, additions, or deletions as you desire.  Research will be necessary to ensure unity ceremonies and traditions are represented properly.  Collectively, building the ceremony takes approximately 6 hours.  This time may vary depending on your unique needs and desires.

There may be  other aspects of the ceremony that require extra attention and collaboration, such as vows.  If you decide to write your own vows, I will review and edit as needed.  If you decide you want to exchange vows in a different manner, as a team, we discuss, research, and conclude for the best option.

As you can see, a lot goes into the creation of your ceremony.  Please keep in mind that from initial consultation to presentation of the couple (and beyond) that we will be in communication.  

A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING:

I will send checklists for you to ensure you are prepared for your big day, up until the morning of.  It is during these few days that the ceremony is finalized, formatted, and printed.  The keepsake copy of your ceremony also needs to be created, formatted, and printed.  If you are having readers for your ceremony, I always print extra copies of the readings as well.

On the day of the wedding, I must ensure I have all the necessary items before heading to your venue.  Travel time one way in Atlanta can be at least one hour depending upon the date, time, season, and other variables that must be thoroughly evaluated and observed for days leading up to the wedding.

Upon arrival, I unload the necessary ceremony items from my vehicle.  I need to set up my items, survey the area, and ensure your unity ceremony items are properly displayed and accessible.

I will then coordinate with and introduce myself to the event staff, dj, musicians, readers, etc. to ensure we are in sync to make your ceremony as memorable as possible.

I will need to test the microphone and troubleshoot any environmental distractions or otherwise.  

And then, I will deliver your amazing ceremony!

POST WEDDING:

After you recess down the aisle, the legal portion of the ceremony is completed by me.  I sign your marriage license at the venue and keep it in my possession.  Before I depart, I will briefly explain that I will file your license and answer any last-minute questions and maybe snap a photo or 2 with you!

Once I have made it back to my office, I scan the marriage license to my records.  I mail your marriage license to the appropriate court.  Once I have the tracking information, I construct a next step email which includes name change guidance, USPS tracking information, and information about acquiring the marriage certificate.  I attach a copy of your scanned marriage license for your records and send you the email.  I also mail off the license on the next business day.

So, that is basically the officiating process start to finish.

A FINAL WORD FROM YOUR OFFICIANT:

But the real reason you chose me as your officiant is everything I bring to the table. When we go to a doctor, or a lawyer, or an accountant, we are very aware that we are paying not just for their time, but for their knowledge and skills, gained through education, training, and hands-on experience. And we look for the most knowledgeable, most skilled, because we know that helps ensure a good outcome. Same with your officiant. So, a good part of the behind-the-scenes work doesn't show in hours spent, but in the knowledge and skills your officiant brings to those hours.  I will help make YOUR day unique and special in every way possible because by the time your wedding day arrives…I will know your hearts and you will know mine.

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