Using an Amateur Officiant: What the Wedding Couple Should Know - Part 4

Be upfront about your rules and expectations:

If there are any parts of the ceremony that you are uncomfortable with, or would rather not be a part of, let it be known right away.  One of the first things I tell my couples is that I don't incorporate religion into my portion of the ceremony.  This usually is not an issue.  If the couple is using a friend/family member for the ceremony, they probably weren't interested in a very religious ceremony anyway.  However, many people still want a short prayer, a reading, or some other form of religious scripture as part of the ceremony.  In this case, the best solution is to have someone else perform the religious reading.  You can easily work a transition into the script where you give the floor to someone else to read a passage, a poem, sing a song, whatever.  Once they finish, you continue on with your portion of the ceremony. The First-Time Officiant eBook outlines in detail the steps for a flawless transition from one speaker to another, as it can get a little tricky. Other speakers really add to the ceremony, and give you a great opportunity to take a break and catch your breath.  Also, it adds some length to the ceremony which is good, because weddings officiated by amateurs tend to be a little short.