Time is one of your most valuable possessions, yes? Everybody on the planet has things to do and planning your wedding is one of those to do’s you most likely must participate in.

 

Un-canned must be planned

If you want a ceremony that’s not canned, then your officiant has to find out what’s important to you, what preferences you have and present you with some options to choose from. Some of your precious time will need to be devoted to the wedding planning meeting. 

But how much time?

 

Exchanging Vows Only Does NOT a Ceremony Make

If you’re just hoping for a vow only ceremony this won’t matter. I don’t even call this a ceremony. It’s a transaction where the officiant legitimizes and your witnesses confirm you know what you’re doing by entering into a legal contract with your partner / mate. That means having a planning meeting isn’t really necessary.

 

Ceremony with Substance

BUT if you want a wedding ceremony that has substance, or some story and laughter, to inspire a few tears of joy or even tears in remembrance of someone who can’t be with you, questions have to be asked and answered. Information and preferences must be exchanged.  

So, get ready to set time aside by getting an answer from a potential officiant from our series of 10 interview questions is#7 — How much time will it take to plan our ceremony?

Because to have an un-canned, reflective of what makes you two you — you’ll need to plan. But how much time the wedding planning meeting will take is the question you need answered.

Will a wedding planning meeting take hours or just 15 minutes? How many will we need? How do we meet up?

 

Alternative planning media

Some officiants have alternatives attending a physical meeting. Don’t hesitate to suggest your own options.

We’ve all become adept at video meetings so why not with your wedding planning meeting? Questionnaires and materials can be sent in advance so you can look over questions beforehand and spend less meeting time thinking about answers.

 

Back in the Old Days

Before Facetime, Skype and the like, I required my couples to meet with me in person. If couples can make a trip to try the cake, they can travel to meet me too. And back then it was a sign of respect for the process. 

But gas got more expensive, task we had to do increased, and I too ran out of time. (We won’t mention the pandemic, like it’s a given, right?) Especially when it came to accommodating a wedding planning meeting with THE LAST MINUTE couples. (There’s always a few in every season!!)

So alternatives on our phones and computers were developed and most of us can say, they work pretty well.

 

More Questions about wedding planning meeting time

While time frames are on your mind, you can ask this question about a wedding planning meeting:  How long does a typical ceremony which has the kind of content I’m looking for, and includes my ___ (number of) attendants to walk in and out – how long do you estimate the entire ceremony will take? If they have no idea, then decide how much uncertainty you want to contend with.

 

Other vendors depend on the ceremony time frame

Time frames are important too because other vendors have to plan around the ceremony schedule so ice doesn’t melt for those margaritas, the black bean burger doesn’t turn into a rock and the cake doesn’t slide apart in the heat because it got put out too soon.

 

The Entire List of 10 Questions to Ask A Potential Officiant

Get the entire list of 10 Questions to Ask A Potential Officiant instead of How Much Do You Charge by clicking here: 

10 Questions to Ask a Potential Officiant

 

You’re heartily invited to contact me and ask me any of these questions (or more!) I’ve got great answers for them all and would love to talk with you about creating AND delivering a masterpiece ceremony for you. Let’s have some fun!

Contact Us HERE