Thinking of Having Your Friend Officiate? Hold Up!

Okay, so you’re considering letting your wild and crazy bestie or a beloved family member officiate your wedding. Sounds like a cool idea, right? But before you go all in, let’s pump the brakes for a second.

First off, this isn’t about getting more business—this is about saving your wedding from potential chaos! Picture this: the ceremony of your dreams, but oh no, your friend forgets the vows, misplaces the rings, or worse, stands right in the middle of your first kiss photo. Yikes! And trust us, once those moments are gone, there’s no do-over.

Wedding vendors and planners have seen it all. They often start with, “OMG, you won’t believe what the friend officiant did…” and it’s never a good story. From not using the microphone (hello, can anyone hear me?) to forgetting key parts of the ceremony, it’s a recipe for disaster.

And here’s the thing—if your friend bails last minute (it happens more often than you think), you’re left scrambling to find a pro at the 11th hour. Luckily, our professional officiants can step in, create a beautiful ceremony on the fly, and make it look like they’ve been part of the plan all along.

But why go through the stress? Think about it—would you trust someone who’s never touched a hairbrush to do your wedding hair? Nope. Would you let someone DJ your wedding without a speaker? Absolutely not. Would you choose a florist who was allergic to flowers to design your florals? Never! So why leave the most important moment of your life to an amateur?

Let’s be real—your friends and family should be enjoying the day with you, not stressing over whether they’ll nail the ceremony. Give them a role that doesn’t require years of experience, like being in the wedding party or doing a reading. That way, everyone has fun, and no one’s left feeling like they bombed the big moment.

OMG, if your friend doesn’t know how to do the ring ceremony properly it will look so amateurish and awkward. What if they drop the ring?

Imagine this that the guests are standing thru the whole ceremony because your friend forgot to tell them to be seated. (I did this on the 2nd wedding I performed as I had no clue what I was doing).

And consider the logistics—do they know how to work a mic, guide the DJ, or position everyone for the best photos? Probably not. The last thing you want is awkward photos or a ceremony that’s all over the place because your friend didn’t know the basics.

What if something unexpected happens? A pro knows how to handle emergencies with grace, while your friend might just panic. 

And at the end of the ceremony will your friend forget to step out of the kiss shot (even though they were told numerous times) and their face will be forever imbedded in your photos. You will have to photoshop them out.

Plus, the legal part, the marriage license—one tiny mistake could mess up your legal status. Why take that risk?

Sure, having a friend officiate might sound fun, but when it comes down to it, a professional officiant can make your ceremony amazing, stress-free, and exactly what you’ve always dreamed of. It can be the “Better Than Friend” experience.

Let us show you how incredible your ceremony can be with a Great Officiant!