300 Weddings
I have officiated over 300 weddings in my life. From the title, you may have thought I merely attended a plethora of weddings. But no, this is just the number of times I stood up with happy couples for that important juncture in their lives. So I’m going to spend a few weeks talking about weddings and marriage.
An officiant really doesn’t do or mean much in the grand scheme of things. Photographers and caterers work much longer hours on the wedding day. Coordinators take on a larger responsibility, working to keep the heavenly yet hectic event on the tracks. They have to manage personalities, expectations, and an array of ever-blossoming dramas. My job, by contrast, is to say a few pleasant things to the beautifully dressed couple and announce where the reception is.
How is it possible that I put on a suit to orate encouraging phrases at so many hitchups? Location, location, location. I live in beautiful north central Washington. This part of the state is littered with tall shapely mountains, green trees reaching their branches toward the sky, and fair weather undeterred by too much rain or heat. Simply put, there are many breath-taking places to get married around Leavenworth.
After getting a license to officiate my first wedding, I was put on an officiate list for several locations around the area. When couples check out one of these special venues, if they don’t have any of the chess pieces already lined up, they receive a list of vendors ready to help. That is how most of my weddings get booked. I got contacted by a couple who found my name on a list. For my most frequented wedding local, their small and intimate wedding package almost guarantees they are going to use all the preselected purveyors recommended by the coordinator.
Emails come from these couples, and I have templates already created so that I can respond quickly and accurately to all their inquiries. We usually communicate through email, although I always offer to talk over the phone or meet up in person if they are able. Most often, I greet the couple 15 minutes before the ceremony. It’s like the most formal Vegas wedding in the world. “Nice to meet you, have any questions, ok, let’s do this thing.”
The whole process felt a little awkward and nerve-racking at first. I had to learn what questions to ask, and how to put everyone at ease. I also deciphered the most efficient way to accomplish all my tasks. After checking in with all the necessary people, I would grab the wedding certificate and license and begin filling out everything before the ceremony. That way, we could do the signing right after the service with the photographer before they pointed their camera at different family combinations.
Year one, I officiated three weddings. By the fifth, I had over forty during that calendar year alone. Eventually I slowed my pace to about one or two a month. As the years rolled by, I realized how large the number had gotten. It’s wild to reflect how many times I have asked two people some variation of the following question, “will you promise to spend your life caring for this person and loving them as much as you love yourself?”
Most of these moments are beautiful. Some are a little wild, like the time the wind blew over the arch, hitting the groom on his head (causing it to bleed), during his vows. A few of these ceremonies carry special memories, including three sisters I got to officiate for. Although it’s been a while since I had my name on the vendor lists, I have been considering going back. You know what’s even crazier than officiating 300 weddings - how about 400?
