Frequently Asked Questions Why does the wedding officiant need experience or training for performing a marriage ceremony? When the wedding officiant is trained or has experience in performing a marriage ceremony, the ceremony will be more professional, polished and even more meaningful than when an untrained friend or family member presides. The professionally trained wedding officiant, in addition to writing or creating a cohesive ceremony, because of their experience, helps the entire ceremony process to run smoothly and ensures an appropriately dignified experience. The movie, The Wedding Planner, showed the wedding planner involved in every aspect of the planning. Is that really how wedding coordinators work? In Michigan, it is highly unusual for a wedding planner to exert the kind of control or influence portrayed in the movie. Wedding planners, wedding coordinators and bridal consultants provide a variety of services and work in many different ways, accommodating the needs of the bride and groom. We are not religious and want a civil ceremony, but we also want our marriage vows to be meaningful and personal. Do you offer these types of marriage ceremonies? We do! Personal and meaningful non-religious marriage ceremonies are our specialties. We work with you to create a ceremony that includes the elements that have meaning and appeal to you. The marriage ceremonies that we provide are met with interest and delight. Most guests comment that the wedding ceremonies provided by the Wedding Connection are the nicest marriage ceremonies they have ever seen. I've heard people use the phrase wedding planner, wedding consultant and bridal consultant and wedding coordinator. Are there differences? There are slight differences in the precise meaning of each of these descriptions, however most people use the terms interchangeably. A wedding planner is actively involved in site location and vendor choice and helps the bride and groom and their families to make a variety of decisions. Wedding planners typically get involved in the process even before a date or location has been chosen. A bridal consultant may offer advice on theme or décor, as well as providing vendor referrals. A wedding coordinator pulls all the details together and assists the couple and their family at the rehearsal and wedding event. What is a Humanist Minister? It sounds like an oxymoron (a contradiction in terms)! In a human-centered wedding ceremony, the officiant provides the same services as a clergy person does. And the certification offered by the Humanist Society of Friends is an ordination. Therefore, the term is both descriptive and legally valid. We are a non-traditional couple. Can you help us write our own marriage ceremony and vows? What do non-religious wedding ceremonies look like? We absolutely can help you write your own marriage ceremony and vows. We give you written materials so that you can personalize your ceremony by choosing the wording, rituals and traditions that have meaning to you. Non-religious wedding ceremonies put the couple at the center of the ceremony. They may include readings and rituals from your cultural or religious backgrounds. They typically run from 15-30 minutes depending on how much you include in the ceremony. We have never left a wedding without at least one person remarking that it was the nicest wedding ceremony they had ever seen. My mother, my friends and I are all very organized and creative. Why would I need event planners wedding coordinators or anyone else to help me with my wedding? What does the wedding planner really do? Hiring a professional to coordinate your wedding frees you, your parents and your guests from "working" on your special day. One of the most emotional reasons for hiring a bridal consultant we ever heard was from a new consultant who went into the wedding consulting business after her own mother died soon after her wedding. In reflecting back on the day, the bride realized that her mother spent the entire wedding day answering questions and making sure that everything was going as planned and that she was never able to socialize with her guests or enjoy her daughter's wedding. Bridal consultants free you, your family and your friends to enjoy the wedding without you having to worry about the details. We are always told after the wedding day that we were worth the money. How are interfaith wedding ceremonies different from other wedding ceremonies? In many ways, they are not that different. What's different is that the Wedding Connection will celebrate with you without reservation. Most couples share a basic philosophy of life even when they come from different religious or cultural backgrounds. The Wedding Connection will help you include rituals or traditions from your backgrounds of origin and incorporate them into your ceremony. Each partner and family are included and respected. We have been married before and have children from our previous marriage. Can you provide a blended family marriage ceremony? We have developed a number of ways to include children from prior marriages in order to create a blended family marriage ceremony. We will work together to find the best way to incorporate your children into the ceremony consistent with what us right for your family. We've been successfully married for a number of years and want to celebrate with a renewal ceremony. Do you provide this type of service? The Wedding Connection will happily participate in a renewal ceremony. Whether you were just married without family and friends in attendance or whether you have been married, five, twenty-five or fifty years, we will help you create a ceremony appropriate for and worthy of your celebration. What role does the wedding officiant play in the rehearsal? Do they attend? The purpose of the rehearsal is to practice the logistics of the wedding ceremony. The officiant does not need to preside over the rehearsal. Either specially appointed individuals in the church or synagogue, a friend or family member, a bridal consultant with the facility at which you are being married, or an outside consultant can provide this service. The officiant at the Wedding Connection will provide a completed ceremony to you prior to your wedding day and will review the logistics with you at your last in-person meeting or on the telephone. Stephen Stawicki, The Wedding Connection bridal consultant can attend and manage a wedding rehearsal for a ceremony being officiated by Miriam Jerris or one over which he is presiding for a modest additional fee. We see that you offer both wedding officiants and wedding planners. Can we hire the wedding officiant and the wedding planner separately or do we need to hire you both together? You can engage either or both the wedding officiant and the wedding planner. We will happily work together or independently. We want to meet your needs. We are an interracial, interfaith, intercultural couple? Will you marry us? Absolutely. Our only requirement is that you love one another. We are a gay couple seeking information about legal gay ceremonies in Canada? Miriam Jerris is permanently certified to officiate weddings in Ontario. She will joyfully travel to Canada to legalize your union. What happens if the wedding officiant gets sick or is already engaged in another ceremony? Stephen Stawicki, the Wedding Connection event and wedding planner is also certified to officiate marriage ceremonies. If Miriam Jerris is already booked or unable to attend the ceremony, Stephen can perform the service. In addition, we have a network of certified individuals that we can call upon even at the last minute. One advantage of the way we work is that a ceremony is shared with the couple prior to the wedding day and The Wedding Connection also has one that can be sent to an alternative officiant if the need arises. In almost twenty-five years, Miriam Jerris has never missed a wedding ceremony or has she had to find a substitute. © 2008 The Wedding Connection. All Rights Reserved.