Booking A Wedding Officiant in Maine

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Booking a Wedding Officiant in Maine

Maybe Valentine’s Day has something to do with it, or maybe the wedding planning guides advise it, but whatever the reason, couples seem to focus on booking their wedding officiant in February.  The e-mails come in and the phone starts ringing and I find myself talking to excited couples from all over the country.  I also find notes scribbled on my calendar on many of the days in June, July and August.

So, just how important is it to book early?  Well, that depends.  If you are planning a large wedding which includes a formal venue, other vendors and requires a rehearsal, on a date which cannot be changed during peak season (any Saturday in June, July or August), book early.  Super early.  A year in advance is not unusual and almost guarantees that the officiant of your choice will be available.

For smaller affairs which require less planning, fewer vendors, and can be pulled together in a few months worth of work, plan to have your officiant booked by the end of March.  You should still be able to find a reputable officiant who you’ll be happy with at that time.

For those of you who are planning very small weddings or elopements, with no additional hired services, or for those who don’t need a specific date for their wedding to take place, you should feel pretty confident that as long as you are flexible on the date, you can get away with waiting almost until the last minute to hire your officiant.

A few other things to keep in mind:

*If you plan to marry on a Friday evening in June, July or August in Maine, book early.  Officiants often have rehearsals on Friday nights for Saturday weddings.

*If you are marrying during the week (including Sunday), no matter what month, it is very likely that you’ll be able to hire any officiant at any time.  I have received calls from couples who want to marry on the very same day and although I don’t recommend waiting THAT long, it certainly can be done.

*There are certain days of the year which are popular regardless of what season or what day in the week they fall on.  They are:  Christmas Eve, Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, any sequential dates (i.e. 10/11/12 – though we won’t be seeing any more of those in my lifetime), any unusual calendar dates (i.e. February 29th if it’s a leap year, and lastly, any dates which make your anniversary easy to remember (i.e. 1/6/16).