Sure. I’ll share examples of many different kinds of vows. You may see some you like to start you thinking about your own vows. I’m always here to help with vows or any other aspect of your ceremony.

No! Your ceremony should be unique to you and reflect who you are as individuals and as a couple. We can honor your faith traditions—perhaps by including a reading or prayer—in a ceremony that feels authentic to you.

Many couples are from two different faith traditions, cultures or nationalities. We can include elements of both. One recent ceremony included a reading from St. John as well as invoking the four elements of Earth-based religions (earth, fire, wind and water).

There are a great many rituals that add meaning to your ceremony, and that your guests won’t have seen elsewhere. For example, there are rituals involving handfasting, flowers, wine, unity crosses or puzzles. Others, like the arras (coins), come from other cultures and can enhance a ceremony if we explain their meaning to your guests.

Look for things that reflect your interests. We can create a new ritual involving your hobby, vocation or favorite activities. The sky’s the limit, and of course we’ll let your guests in on what it means.

Sure. One good way to involve a friend or family member is to have them do a reading or provide music, depending on their abilities. Parents or other relatives might help with a ritual—such as planting a tree together or pouring the unity sand.

For much the same reason you wouldn’t have a relative do your catering or photography—professionals are essential to a successful wedding, and there’s only one chance to get it right. You can’t expect a first-timer to anticipate everything that can come up and know how to deal with it in the optimal way.

There are many accounts of well-intended officiants delivering a disappointing or cringe-worthy ceremony or, worse, bungling the paperwork so the marriage wasn’t officially recognized. Most couples see the ceremony as the heart of their wedding and enlist an experienced professional to make sure it comes off as planned.

As unlikely as that is (as in, it’s never happened to me), we have to prepare. I have a network of fellow officiants who can step in to conduct your ceremony the way we envision it.

Yes, unless it’s a very simple ceremony with very few attendants, rituals and other moving parts. The rehearsal is where we make sure everyone knows how to process in and where to stand. And we go over who has the rings and where musicians, readers and other participants will be. Rituals generally involve props (candles, coins, ropes, glasses, sand, etc.), which means we need to practice with them so that everything goes smoothly during the ceremony. And I like to get comfortable with the venue and meet your wedding party before the big day.

Preparation, experience and coordinating with your other wedding professionals are the keys to avoiding snags and ensuring that your wedding is memorable for all the right reasons.