One of the things that always amazes me about weddings is the preparation and money spent. Some have a lavish wedding at a fancy hotel or restaurant. Big Bucks! Some at a rustic ranch with cows and horses. These can be expensive too depending on where they are and how fancy the amenities are. Sometimes on the beach with just a few witnesses. Nothing fancy, just the ocean, waves and the sunset.
These venues can be very romantic and just lovely. However, often the ceremony is the last thing on the engaged couple’s minds. The wedding dress, caterer, photographer and venue usually take precedence over the ceremony. I’ve even been told that they wanted the ceremony “really short” so they can just get to the reception. This makes me sad because I think the words expressed when they are joining their lives together should be the most important thing. The reception will be over in a few hours, but the words they shared should stay with them their whole lives. Maybe I’m just a hopeless romantic, but I put a lot of time into my ceremonies and hate that they become insignificant compared to everything else going on that day. If I had any words of advice for a newly engaged couple it would be; “Pick your officiant carefully. Make sure they are interested in your story. He or she should take time with you and get to know you. If they don’t, look for someone else because to them it is “just a job”!
