This is cause for celebration! Let's dance!
Initially, Peter and I wanted a friend to marry us. We figured it'd be a way to save some money and create a more intimate wedding ceremony. Turns out you need a license to marry people in Ontario, and that license costs $$$ and quite a bit of time to get. So! I turned to the internet and put out a call for an officiant.
It turns out I know quite a few people with ties to the officiant world. One of those people is my friend Lauren.
Some fun Lauren facts:
- She is one of the fittest people I know.
- She is often mistaken for a teenager because of her youthful glow and short stature.
- We met while both working at MTV Canada.
- She's sweet and kind and an amazing friend.
Shortly after publishing the post, Lauren texted me and said her Mom, Rita, is an officiant. She entered the 'biz after retiring as a professional educator in clinical behavioural sciences.
Most officiants operate under an umbrella organization, and Rita is no different. So, we reached out to her agency, allseasonsweddings.com to set up an introductory phone call.
Within the first five minutes of speaking with her, Peter and I knew we found our officiant. She is thoughtful, funny, and ENUNCIATES. It's clear from speaking with her that she loves what she does. Plus, she creates a wedding ceremony scrapbook for the couple, AND brings an emergency kit to all of the weddings she officiates. You've gotta love a lady that comes prepared for anything.
As for her agency, All Seasons Weddings, they have an 'officiant guarantee'. What does that mean? If the officiant you book is sick/cannot make the ceremony, they have a 'sub' ready to go.
The officiant booking and our marriage license (which is about $150 and not included in the officiant booking) will set us back about $600. Our married friends assure us that's standard pricing. So what's next? Putting together the ceremony! That's the fun part.