When Should You Book Your Wedding Officiant?
So, you’re engaged! Yay!
You probably know the venue and have already selected the photographer – you’ve got your main priorities covered!
But then what? You’ve got a laundry list of vendors to contact, meet with, and choose, And all this hassle on top of working at your day job while juggling every other priority in life.
And there are all these websites that give you conflicting, and often unrealistic, information about when to book your wedding vendors.
Your wedding planner or coordinator is your best source for this information, but there’s one vendor (aka me) who has quite a particular timeline that varies on many factors.
I used to be one of those wedding officiants who wanted couples to book me well in advance, but having been in this rodeo for over a decade now (yes, I’m getting old), I’ve learned that anything is possible if I’m available.
Though, there are certain times of the year when I’ll receive a request for a popular weekend date and think, “How could they possibly assume I was available? Couples have been requesting this date for YEARS!” and remind myself that most weddings are the couple’s first wedding. They have no idea, and they shouldn’t know, when the proper time to book a wedding officiant is, especially if they were hoping to utilize a family or friend to officiate.
Don’t worry! I’ve created this comprehensive, but not definite, fun form to assist you in booking your wedding officiant. Complete the form below to learn when you should book your wedding officiant!
Below is an example timeline of an ideal wedding plan:
12:30 PM – Bride puts on dress and bride individual photos
12:45 PM – Groom heads to first look location
1:00 PM – First look, letter reading, couple photos
2:00 PM – Bridal party photos
2:45 PM – Family Photos
3:30 PM – Family Photos done
4:00 PM – Hide away for Ceremony (eat something, drink water, have time alone together)
4:30 PM – Ceremony Starts
5:00 PM – Ceremony ends – cocktail hour begins
6:00 PM – Grand entrance with bridal party
6:15 PM – Dinner starts
6:30 PM – Speeches
7:00 PM – Cake cutting and dessert served
7:30 PM – Start Dances (couple’s first dance, father daughter, mother son, then open dance)
8:30 PM – Sneak away for golden hour photos
8:45 PM – Sunset time
9:00 PM – Return to dance floor
10:30 PM – Sparkler Send Off
Here is an example timeline for a wedding in the winter where the sun sets at 4:00 pm, and the couple wants to do their first look down the aisle.
12:00 PM – Groom and groomsmen group and individual photos
12:30 PM – Bride and bridesmaid group and individual photos
1:00 PM – hide before ceremony starts
1:30 PM – Ceremony begins
2:30 PM – Ceremony ends, guests head to cocktail hour
2:30 PM – Family group portraits
3:00 PM – Bridal party group photos
3:30 PM – Couple portraits heading into sunset
4:00 PM Sunset time, head to reception
4:30 PM – Cocktail hour ends, guests get seasted
4:45 PM – Grand March
5:00 PM – Dinner served
5:30 PM – Speeches
6:00 PM – Cake Cutting
6:30 PM – First dances
7:00 PM – Photography coverage done
The Bottom Line
Hopefully, you’re feeling a bit better now on the specifics of wedding rehearsals. The most important takeaway? Be sure to have fun during your rehearsal!
For a bonus tip, make sure you have a clear plan for who is bringing the marriage license the day of your wedding!
Now, ready to get planning? Pop over here for some advice on planning a microwedding.
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Choosing a photographer that knows lighting makesallthe difference, so I teamed up with Lulle Photo to give you some pointers on how to structure your wedding ceremony around lighting so you look good while tying the knot.
Here are four elements to consider when planning your wedding ceremony around lighting.
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Though, narrowing down which photographer to hire in a sea of photographers can be tricky, especially if this is your first time booking a professional. Even if you have previously worked with someone trained in photography, wedding photography is a whole new field, and it’s definitely not a vendor you want to skimp on.
If you’re wondering what the most important traits you should consider when selecting your photographer, Michelle from Wandermore Photography and me (Liz) compiled five elements to consider when browsing wedding photographers.
When Should You Book Your Wedding Officiant?
So, you’re engaged! Yay!
You probably know the venue and have already selected the photographer – you’ve got your main priorities covered!
But then what? You’ve got a laundry list of vendors to contact, meet with, and choose, And all this hassle on top of working at your day job while juggling every other priority in life.
And there are all these websites that give you conflicting, and often unrealistic, information about when to book your wedding vendors.