Your Galveston Wedding Minister!

Choosing your wedding minister

Choosing your wedding minister is a very delicate process that should not be entered into lightly. This is someone who is ushering you into a new step in your life so you should be comfortable with whom you pick.

The first step is to decide on what kind of ceremony you'd like. Would you like it to be traditional or non-traditional, religious or non-religious, long or short? What religion or religions would you like to incorporate? Do you want readings? Music? Do want it to a formal service or a simple civil service?
The next step in finding the perfect officiate for your wedding is research. Flip through your local phone book in the yellow pages and start making phone calls. Get online, go to a search engine and start typing. Visit as many sites as possible and start emailing. You may want to write down each person you contact, their web address, business name, contact information and the reason why they interested you. This will help you keep track of all the people you talk to or the ones who respond to your email.

Start asking questions. See what each person requires for couples to get married or any restrictions they may have. Some people may require pre-marital counseling or will not perform weddings in certain locations or in a location of your choice. If you have any music or readings picked out, make sure that the minister doesn't have any objections. Ask if the minister is comfortable performing the type of ceremony you prefer (i.e. Religious, non religious, traditional etc) and don't succumb to pressure to change your mind. Find out pricing information for each one and most importantly, make sure your date is clear. Write down for each contact the answers to your questions, reactions and first impressions.

Now separate each contact into either a yes, no, or maybe category. Someone in the "yes" category is someone who meets all your requirements and is comfortable doing your ceremony the way you want it. Someone in the "maybe" category is someone who will do your ceremony but maybe with some changes. Someone in the "no" category is someone who will not do your ceremony for any reason.
Contact the people on your "yes" and "maybe" lists and make an appointment to meet with them either in person or over the phone. Try and schedule all your appointments for a 2-3 day period so no one is kept waiting. Keep the appointment and be punctual. Although there are many preconceived notions about ministers, it's important to remember they are just another person. When you go in for your initial consultation the minister will probably be asking most of the questions to try and get a good picture of what you are looking for. Make sure they are willing to go to your ceremony site and agree with doing your ceremonies. Go over the details of what you want so that everyone is on the same page and make sure you get them in writing. Ask for a quote for their services and confirm that the date is open. If someone pressures you to make a decision right then and you are not comfortable with that, thank them for their time and move on to the next.

Compare all your quotes and all your comments and decide on a minister for your wedding day. Contact them or their office to arrange a time to come in and pay any deposits and sign any contracts. Be sure to contact them as soon as possible so they don't book another commitment on your date.