One of the best things about your wedding day, aside from all of the beauty and magic that your amazing Wedding Planner has helped you to create (shameless Planner plug :)), is that you are hopefully marrying your best friend.  While that is definitely true for most of our brides and grooms, “marrying your friend” has definitely taken on a new meaning in recent wedding seasons. In the 2018 wedding season, only 2 of our couples opted to have a religious figure preside over their wedding, and 2 hired a professional officiant.  Who married the rest of our amazing 2018 couples you ask? A friend or family member! This trend has caught on like wildfire as couples strive to have extremely personal and intimate ceremonies. If you are curious… we co-sign this all of the way! Here’s why…

Let’s Get Personal…

Who better to speak on your relationship than someone who has had a front row seat to watching your relationship unfold and culminate on your wedding day?!  Unlike the sometimes embarrassing wedding speeches that occur during the reception, this gives someone who knows you both very well the opportunity to speak on the evolution of your relationship as they saw it unfold in a very sentimental way.  The fact that the person who you selected to take on this huge responsibility knows you so intimately will guarantee that your ceremony is genuinely YOU.

It’s “Economical”…

What I mean is… It’s free!  At least for the most part. Friends who officiate your wedding are, in most cases, “qualified” to speak in a very endearing manner about your relationship in a way that your wedding guests can appreciate giving you great quality of service.  Sure, you’ll have to throw down for a one-time fee for them to acquire their licensing for the day and a lovely “thank you” gift, but we think it’s well worth it!

You Can Have an “Officiyonce”…

You heard me… an officiyonce!  One of my favorite moments from last season was watching my couple’s good friend walk down the aisle in a custom-made glitter kimono and crown to officiate their wedding. It was so authentically “them” that it couldn’t have been more perfect!  I’m sure that it was one of the most memorable experiences that most of their wedding guests have to date as well. If your officiant is your friend, the sky’s the limit in terms of how creative you can get while expressing yourself through their anecdotes, jokes, and fashion!