What To Do After You Get Engaged:Research Wedding Planners and Officiants for your Ceremony!

If you’ve gotten this far in my series of posts on ‘What to do after you get engaged’ you know that wedding planning is no joke. ​

There are so many little details to dream up and boxes to check off to pull off the perfect day that at times it gets overwhelming. But, ladies (and gents if you are reading this), you should know that every minute you put into planning is worth it. That does not mean, however, that you will not to enlist help - which brings me to my first point…

FIND A WEDDING PLANNER

To a lot of brides, hiring a wedding planner feels pretentious and unnecessary. But, girl, let me tell you something.  A good wedding planner is like a good haircut. TOTALLY WORTH IT!


When researching wedding planners, one thing you should know right away is that there are a wide variety of different options and services available.  Many wedding planners offer a number of packages so that every bride, no matter her budget, can afford to hire expert help for her wedding day. All-inclusive services, month-of services, day-of services, and detail services are all options I have seen brides use and enjoy.


A good wedding planner will know exactly what you need before you even know you need it.  And, because they know how to work a budget like playdough many brides find they are able to have their dream wedding (even when they thought they couldn’t) thanks to a wedding planner.  Right in Oklahoma City, there are many AMAZING wedding planners I would highly recommend, including Borrowed Charm​

Once you have found a wedding planner that fits your fancy, there’s one thing left to do…

HIRE AN OFFICIANT

Because there are about as many different types of officiants as there are pizza, you are going to need to know what you want when you are going into the search.  In my mind, officiants fall into two camps, religious or non-religious.  So, either you want someone to conduct your wedding ceremony that holds the same religious beliefs (no matter what they are) as you, or you don’t.  Once you have decided which camp you reside in, you can begin your search!

If you choose to go the route of finding a religious wedding officiant, your search should be rather easy.  If you belong to a local church (or your parents do) often times one of the pastors at the church will be able and willing to perform your ceremony.  It is important, however, to ask in advance (like way in advance) so the officiant is able to save the date!

For those of you who are not going the religious route, you should know that almost anyone you want, yes anyone, can perform a wedding ceremony for you.  Today there are numerous sites online where your friends or family members can obtain the licensure they need to make your marriage official.  

If you aren’t religious or don’t have a friend or family member who you would like to perform the ceremony I have met a couple of absolutely AMAZING officiants during my time as a photographer that I would highly recommend. Chris Gray and Serindipity Nuptuals are some of the best I've met!

With a wedding planner by your side and an officant in place, there’s not much left to do besides buy the dress and walk down the aisle - the hardest parts of planning are over! Congratulations!