How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Officiant in Manhattan
Local Officiants
Photo: Archangel12, Flickr Creative Commons
Planning a wedding involves a mountain of decisions, from flowers, to the menu, to whether Aunt Ruth should sit next to Cousin Fred. It’s easy to become overwhelmed and accidentally overlook important details: such as making sure your officiant and wedding plans comply with your state’s rules and regulations.
U.S. Marriage Laws is here to help you navigate your state’s various marriage laws, from applying for a marriage license to who is allowed to perform marriages in your state. We even help you locate wedding officiants if you don’t have one picked out.
What Questions Should I Ask My Officiant?
You should always schedule an interview with a potential officiant before booking them. You want to make sure they are a good fit with you and your future spouse and that they have the experience needed. Some questions you would ask are the same as those you’d ask any other vendor (Are you available on our wedding date? What is your fee, if you have one? How many weddings have you done?), but there are other questions you should ask as well:
- Can you travel to our wedding site? If we don’t have a site, can you suggest or provide one?
- Do you have any sample readings/wordings/ceremonies we can see?
- Can we specify details of the ceremony such as music, readings and vows?
- Are you available for the rehearsal?
After the interview, you and your future spouse should ask yourselves these questions:
- Did the officiant make us feel comfortable?
- Did he/she seem genuinely interested is us as a couple?
- Does his/her style and personality fit with the wedding we want?
Never feel that you have to “settle” for an officiant. Just like any other vendor, keep looking until you find the one that works for you.
Choosing a Wedding Officiant in Manhattan
When looking for a Manhattan wedding officiant, you should be aware that the rules for marriage officiants in Manhattan differ from the state of New York’s rules. The most important difference is that officiants must register with the City Clerk before they can perform weddings in Manhattan. Click here for a full list of Manhattan wedding officiant laws.
If you want a fast, easy way to find a marriage officiant in Manhattan, fill out our simple form. We will put you in touch with up to 5 local qualified officiants at no cost or obligation to you. Take the stress out of finding an officiant; let U.S. Marriage Laws do the work for you.