photomuse.com/blog

My Wedding Checklist

1. Reception Venue √

2. Ceremony Venue √ (same location as reception)

3. Band/Music √

4. Photographer √√

5. Florist ~ allllmost there

6. Asked wedding party √

7. 1st draft of Guest List √ (hate this part)

8. Accommodation ~ In Negotiations

9. Transportation between hotel and venue  ~ Jeff’s supposed to be on that….emphasize “supposed to”

10. Invitations and Save-the-dates - Nope. Not at all, definitely need to get on that. (Truthfully, would like to slap the person who decided we need TWO sets of invitations)

11. Dress √ (will be coming in soon then alterations)

12. Jeff’s Tux - That’s on the To-Do List but we have a style in mind.

13. Wedding Party Attire ~ In progress, getting closer. (More difficult then I thought….we have 8 bridesmaids and 9 groomsmen)

14. Gifts for Wedding Party and Wedding Favors for Guests - Brain hasn’t even ventured there yet.

15. Wedding Officiant - Need to find one.

16. Wedding Bands (aka rings) - We got time.

17. Honeymoon - We’re like kids in a candy story. We want to go everyyyywhere.  Need to start narrowing it down.

Ok.  Looks like a normal bride’s checklist, right?  Ok maybe at first glance, but does anyone notice a very important component of my wedding that seems to be near the bottom of the To-Do List??  Hint: #15 – aka WEDDING OFFICIANT.  Doesn’t that seem odd?? Someone who will be physically performing the ceremony to which I will be marrying the man of my dreams is #15 on the list??  A wedding is about marrying the person you love….which takes place during the ceremony. So, then shouldn’t the officiant be at the top of our list??

Couple weeks ago, I thought I had found the perfect wedding officiant to perform our wedding.  Since Jeff and I don’t want a very religious ceremony, she seemed perfect: a minister who concentrated on the love and the uniqueness of us as a couple.  She would incorporate a little religion and tradition (which I would like) andddd she speaks Italian! (My parents were born in Italy and Jeff and I are Italian, so this was definitely a pro.)  The problem then?? Her price was VERY high and a lot more then I expected.   When discussing this situation with one of Jeff’s cousins however, he made a really good point that I never thought of before:  Brides are willing to pay all this money and give attention to detail for the venue, the reception, the flowers, the band, the food, etc. but then the person who is actually PERFORMING your wedding is given little attention and is at the bottom of the To-Do List?  “Wow,” I thought.  “You’re right.”  The officiant’s price is definitely still too much for us and we won’t be using her because of it, but this concept is very valid and has led me to think about the officiant in a new way -  He/she deserves more priority then the flowers, the music, etc.

But I know I’m not alone out there.  I know I’m not the only bride who miss-prioritized my wedding officiant.  Looking on lots of wedding blogs and forums, this seems to be a trend for a lot of brides.  There’s always a lot of description of the event’s details (i.e. dresses, flowers, favors, etc.) but the actual ceremony is never really described in detail, and the officiant doesn’t always get a shout out?  Why is this? Have we brides lost track of what’s important and let the little nuances of the wedding get the best of us?

~ Elissa