We will be at the bridal expo at the convention center in Columbus, OH this February 28th. The show is from 11am – 4pm. We will be there to answer any questions, book consultations, etc. Hey, if you have your marriage license, I will perform the wedding at the show (if they allow us). Go the the website for a coupon for discount admission: http://www.columbusbridalshow.com
See you there.
Today, we were awarded Wedding Wire’s Bride’s Choice Award for 2010. It lets us know we are doing things the right way. Here is the announcement:
Congratulations! We are excited to announce that Central Ohio Wedding Services has been chosen to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2010. This award recognizes the top 5 percent of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service and professionalism.
The Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through extensive surveys and reviews, which means your past clients have spoken on our behalf and selected you to receive this honor.
Your engaged and have set a date, congratulations. Many things are flying around your head while you think about the wedding. Many things are discussed: the dress, tuxedos, wedding and reception venue, catering, flower arrangements, the cake, photographer, etc. But wait, aren’t we forgetting one person. The person who sets the tone of the ceremony and (don’t take this the wrong way) makes the whole affair a wedding. Let’s face it, without the wedding officiant (minister, judge, etc.) no one is going to be married (officially). It becomes just a big party.
DON’T WAIT
It is very important that you don’t wait to hire your wedding officiant. Many officiants start booking a year in advance. Especially for the peak months of the summer. It is currently December. In Ohio, June, July, August, September are the peak wedding months. If your wedding falls in one of those months in Ohio, you should already be searching for your officiant if you haven’t already booked one. These months go fast and if you really want to get the person you want book them now. If you are using your church minister or priest, check with the church to make sure they will be available. During non-peak months, you still should start to look at least 6 months out if not sooner. If you hire them early enough, your wedding officiant can be a source of suggestions on vendors who they have worked with in the past. Don’t lose out on this wealth of information.
HOW MUCH
Many people base their decision on how much the officiant cost. This is the wrong way to shop. You may pay a cheaper price but you may also get a ceremony that you didn’t expect. If you are going to look at the cost of the officiant, do this first. Take the prices for all your separate wedding professionals, and venue. Look them over. Now look at the fee for the officiant. Many will find that their officiant is on the lower end of the cost if not the lowest. In Central Ohio (2009) the average cost for an officiant for just the ceremony was about $200. Rehearsals may have cost extra as they take just as long as the wedding in some cases. One thing to take advantage of is if the officiant takes payments. Some only need a small deposit to book your day and time with the rest due on the wedding day or just before. Doing this, the fee will not look so big as you pay some now and the rest 6-12 months later.
LICENSED TO PERFORM WEDDINGS
In Ohio, your officiant must be licensed by the Ohio Secretary of State. Each officiant by law must show their license if asked. Even though they are ordained by thier church or organization and authorized by the same to perform wedding ceremonies, they still must have a license to solemnize weddings from the government If you want to be sure you will be married once the ceremony is over, ask to see their license. Remember, this is for Ohio only. Check with your State for local marriage and officiant laws.
Remember to select an officiant that you are comfortable with as they are going to be the one who guides the wedding in a way that reflects your beliefs and desires. If this person cost a little more than you thought, talk to them and work out a plan. Hire that person because they took all worry from you about how the wedding ceremony will flow. Start your search online at google, yahoo, or any search engine. Try a few keywords if you are from Columbus Ohio (or just call me….lol).: wedding officiant, Columbus Ohio, wedding minister.
Good Luck
-Rev. Joe Henry
Central Ohio Wedding Services (Wedding Chapel, Officiant)
Well Turkey day is over and the end of the year is near. Remember, we do have a chapel available in our office and can have you married as soon as you get your marriage license. I think I heard that the court house was backed up until January. So if you want that wedding before the end of the year, give us a call. Take a look at our main page and chapel page for details. We also officiate weddings of any size at the location of your choice.
I was surfing around the Internet and found an interesting ad. It was for an officiant offering his services to the community. The only issue I had was when they stated that “We are the best in the business!”. Now I have been doing this for over 10 years and I will never state that I am the best around. I have many weddings under my belt but there are those who have been doing this longer than myself. I did do some research and the minister is fully qualified (education, ordination, licensing). Only they were only licensed to perform weddings in late Spring of this year. Maybe they were licensed in a different State or other organization. But plain and simple, check out your officiant before you commit to them. Ask questions, when were they licensed, what is their wedding experience. Do they have any references or testimony. Make sure your officiant is on the level before you make your decision.
I get many people who try to do their wedding rehearsal by themselves (no coordinator or minister present) but do not know the order of the ceremony. Some do a very good job but many times I find I need to change things on the day of the ceremony. I usually show up early the day of the ceremony and go over the wedding with the bride and groom separatley if I was not present at the rehearal. Usually, there are minor issues that need to be ironed out, sometimes it is more. Here is a link to a sample wedding rehearsal performed by one of the ministers from Foothills Chapel in Colorado. It is not a full rehearsal but it will give you a sense of what needs to be discussed and perhaps will help you make your decision on hiring a professonal for your rehearsal. Remember, if you have your minister conduct the rehearsal, you will still need someone in the back to coordinate the party on your wedding day as the minister will be in he front during the ceremony.
Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTKNHJ2OTIQ
As we talk to couples while planning their wedding, we always mention to make your ceremony the way you want it. Make it memorable for you, the bride and groom. I recently found an interesting news article about a couple who did just that. Take a look and see how they enjoyed their new beginning.
We are now working toward building our chapel and garden. We have looked into this for quite some time and now we are moving forward with our plans. The name of our church will be: First Light Affinity Chapel. Although we are a Christian Church, we welcome everyone from any faith. Once we are fully operational, we will still support the community and offer our wedding services illregardless of denomination or religious affiliation. By doing so, we hope you may become a future member, contributor, or volunteer.
For now, we are in the planning stage and need donations to meet our goal. Even though a church is already considered a charity and does not need to file with the IRS, we prefer to get the determination letter to soothe the minds of those who want to contribute lump sums that are…lets say “generous”. Once we receive our 501c3 letter from the IRS, we will post here and let you know. In the meantime, you can donate with faith. Small contributions add up so if you would like to help us now, send $1, $5, $20; whatever you can spare.
You can go to http://www.centralohioweddings.net/firstlight.htm and find out more.
Some advice on the Unity Candle. Outside wedding..Unity Candle..not a good Idea. Unless you have something to block the wind, the flame will go out. Think Sand Ceremony, Rose Ceremony, Hand Ceremony. Any alternative to make the most out of your outdoor ceremony. Inside ceremony.. the Unity Candle is not a problem as long as your venue allows open flames. The alternative ceremonies work indoors as well.
Ok, we are back. Have been very busy but that is the way it is in Ohio during the summer. This is why I want to talk about the wedding venue. Just about every wedding is held inside in Ohio during the Fall, Winter, and Spring months as usually, we have no choice due to it getting a little cold during these months. During the Fall, the outside venues are still used until November. Summer is a different story. Many plan their weddings outside during the summer months but forget having a backup plan for bad weather. One idea on selecting a venue is to make a list of the positives and negatives of the venues you like and make a decision based on this list. You look at: are there multiple weddings being held, if so, what are the chances of decorating; will it be comfortable for the guest as some elderly may not be able to sit in the heat too long; having an inside tropical theme wedding; consider makeup and body heat; is the air conditioning working for an inside venue; how far away is the reception; is there ample parking; and is it easy to find.
The list can go on and on but my thoughts are that if you are make everyone comfortable as possible. This way they show up to the wedding and not just the reception. But still try to keep it in the idea you want for your ceremony
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