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VIP July 2016

Tips for pre-wedding meetings with officiant

E-CO, on May 18, 2016 at 3:20 PM Posted in Planning 0 3

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This may make me a complete dumbass, but I was unaware before WW about professional officiants. Every single wedding I've been to had some sort of a clergy person officiate. We are not religious at all, so we asked (pre WW!) a close friend and colleague to marry us. He's really invested in the role and we can't excuse him now that I know about professional Celias. He's a judge with a background as a trial lawyer & is nicknamed the Mayor of his town. He is a great speaker and a likeable guy. He has been like a mentor to me and has gotten to know FH pretty well, and loves us as a couple. That said, the threads about friendor officiants made me nervous. We have a few more prep sessions with him and I would appreciate any tips on what I should ask for, what I should tell him, and the best way to prepare for a ceremony we and the guests will love. Thanks!

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Latest activity by Nancy Taussig, on May 19, 2016 at 11:36 AM

Nancy Taussig · on May 18, 2016 at 4:14 PM
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Is he able to officiate because he is a judge?
Has he done any other weddings?
Is he willing to do the type of ceremony YOU TWO want?
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VIP July 2016
E-CO · on May 18, 2016 at 4:26 PM
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@Nancy, this is his first wedding. In Colorado you essentially need to sign a marriage license and don't need a licensed officiant. But he is going to marry us in his judge capacity, because I like the formality of "by the power invested in me" at the end. He's expressed a desire to structure the ceremony any way we want. The first few meetings involved a lot of questions about us as a couple, why we're a good fit, what the marriage means to us. He requested to open with an acknowledgment of our guests and how far they traveled, and how important they are to us. , which I thought was great. That's as far as we've gotten. The vows and reading are the subject of the next session.
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Nancy Taussig · on May 19, 2016 at 11:36 AM
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I think it will be fine. He is legally authorized. Although he's only officiated 1 other wedding, he's a public speaker. And he sounds willing to work with you on the ceremony wording!

In your case, I don't think this friendor is a bad idea.
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