It’s a very nice experience when you have someone close to you officiating your ceremony.

Those moments you will remember and cherish forever. There are certain things to consider when bringing your own officiant. When we plan a wedding, we allow 15-20 minutes for the ceremony. This time is the best to keep people engaged. If its hot outside, this amount of time won’t cause the guests to be in the sun for too long. If your minister causes the ceremony to run too long during a sunset wedding, you risk running out of good light, which is essential for photography. Also, the sand ceremony, the seashell ceremony, telling people when to stand, directing the bride on how to stand in front of the altar, and instructing when to give away the bouquet are all performed by the minister, so if you’re bringing your own, please make sure he/she knows how to perform all this. I’ve seen weddings when the ceremony was very short, not very engaging with the people and just plain. For a wedding to be a success, there are many small things that can contribute and are absolutely necessary.

For example, if you are late, you are cutting yourself short on wedding photography. If you are scheduled for a sunset wedding, even being 10 minutes late can make a big difference.

Traffic is always bad on Saturdays, so plan to arrive at least 30 min early. This is an absolute necessity. Peak season brings busy streets as well.