Talen Events - Event Architecture Firm | Insights (Blog)

12 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Officiant

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:00:42 +0000

In our blog last two weeks ago we told you the Do’s and Don’t’s of choosing your Wedding Officiant, this week we wanted to give you 12 questions that you should ask your officiant before you decide to hire them:

1. Is the officiant available on your wedding date?

2. If you don’t have a site, can the officiant suggest one or provide a courthouse or meeting room?

3. Can the officiant travel to your chosen wedding site?

4. How long has the officiant been performing weddings?

5. Why does the officiant perform weddings?

6. Does the officiant charge a standard fee?

7. Does the officiant have sample wording or ceremonies or readings to show you?

8. Will the officiant allow you to play an active role in the planning of your ceremony?

9. Can you include some religious aspects if you choose to?

10. Is the officiant available for the ceremony rehearsal?

11. Does the officiant make you comfortable

12. Does the officiant seem genuinely interested in you as a couple?

These 12 questions will help guide you as you work through trying to plan your ceremony and ensure that you have the right officiant for you as a couple.

Until Next Time, Happy Planning

Amalia Ward

Receiving Lines…Necessary or Time Waster?

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:00:14 +0000

You are putting the final touches on your ceremony and your reception; one of the final outstanding questions you and your spouse to be need to decide on is whether or not you should have a receiving line after your ceremony or at your reception. Before that decision is made let’s give you some background on the purpose of the receiving line, the purpose of a receiving line an opportunity for the happy couple to greet there guests and thank them for attending your wedding. The receiving line also allows you to have a quick conversation with each of your guests rather than getting caught in my longer conversations later on in the evening.

Do’s and Don’ts for choosing your Wedding Officiant

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:18:56 +0000

When it comes to choosing the officiant that will preside over your wedding there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

Do’s:

1. Do know the regulations of the city you are getting married in to ensure that under that cities law they can marry you.

2. Do ensure that the officiant you choose can actually marry you; for example in the Province of Ontario for religious ceremonies only an official of a recognized religon and has authorization from the Office of the Registrar General. In a non-religious ceremony only a Judge, Justice of the Peace or a Municipal Clerk can perform the ceremony.

3. Do talk to the selected officiant before your ceremony to ensure that they understand what is important to you as a couple.

4. Do find out how long your officiant has been performing wedding ceremonies.

5. Do find out if they will write the ceremony for you or whether you will have input in the creation of your ceremony. With some officiants they will write the ceremony for you and then have you approve the direction for the ceremony.

6. Do find out if the officiant charges a standard fee or do they accept a simple donation.

7. Do find out how far the officiant will travel for a ceremony. Some officiants may put a cap on how far they will travel for a particular ceremony.

8. Do find out how many ceremonies does the officiant perform in a single day. Most officiants can do up to 3 wedding ceremonies in one day.

9. Do book your officiant as soon as possible; you don’t want to be caught at the last minute with someone that you are not comfortable with.

Don’t:

1. Don’t get left at the alter by your officiant, ensure that you have a written document oultining the date and time of your ceremony and confirm the day before that they know where they need to be and what time.

2. Don’t assume that your officiant will provide you will marriage counselling this is something that you will need to ask for; sometimes marriage counselling can only be provided by religious officiants.

3. Don’t over complicate your requirements for your ceremony;as you work through the preparation of your ceremony with the officiant let them guide you with their expertise.

4. Don’t just hire an officiant based on a few conversations, if possible you should go and see the officiant perform a ceremony to ensure that they fit the needs of your ceremony.

5. Don’t think that your officiant will be at your rehearsal; this may come at an extra cost.

Until next time happy planning,

Amalia Ward
Talen Events
Your vision, your experience.

Questions to ask when hiring a caterer…

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:00:32 +0000

In an earlier blog, we mentioned 8 tips for hiring a caterer, building off of that we wanted to give you some questions that you should ask when meeting with any caterer before you hire one. It is important that you ask as many questions as you can, to ensure that the company is the right fit for both your vision and your event:

01. Find out how long they have been in business. Are wedding events their specialty?

02. What are the menu options? Are they willing to incorporate your own unique suggestions or a family recipe if needed?

03. Do they offer taste testing? (This is a must before hiring a caterer. They probably have specific dates in which the menu sampling occurs. Inquire about these times when you will be able to sample their menu fare.)

04. Have they catered a past wedding event at the reception facility you have chosen? Are they familiar with the facility?

05. Do they carry a health permit?

06. Do they serve liquor and/or other beverages as well? If yes, do they have a liquor license?

07. Is the wedding cake included or may you bring one in from an outside source? Is there a cake-cutting fee?

08. Is there a corkage fee?

09. Are linens, china, stemware, utensils, barware, tables and chairs provided? Are they an additional fee?

10. Do they provide special menu options for guests with dietary restrictions, if needed?

11. Is a children’s menu available? (A wise choice if you are inviting children. The children’s menu prices are often a fraction of the regular price, therefore offering up a savings for you.)

12. Do they offer ‘vendor meals’, if needed? (For the photographer, videographer, etc.)

13. Does the price include the service of the wait staff? How much wait staff would be needed for your event?

14. How will the staff be attired on your wedding day?

15. What kind of deposit is required to reserve their services?

16. When is the balance due?

17. When is the final head count required?

18. What is their cancellation policy?

19. Are there overtime or travel fees?

20. Is there a separate set-up and clean-up fee?

21. Are there any other fees that are not included?

Until next time happy planning,

Amalia Ward
Talen Events
Your vision, your experience.

Speeches at Weddings….Brevity is Key!

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:00:12 +0000

Have you every been at a wedding where speeches begin and it seems like you are sitting there forever as a number of guests get up to wish the couple well in their marriage? This is one of those points in a wedding where your guests become easily bored as they don’t know what to do and begin to do one of two things: fiddle with items on the table or begin side conversations while the speech is being given.

So how do you get around this and ensure that your speeches are brief and to the point? Here are some tips on who should be giving speeches and when those speeches should be given.

1. Identify how many speeches you would like to have throughout the reception; ideally the following speeches should be given:

A. Parent’s of the Bride
B. Parent’s of the Groom
C. Maid of Honour
D. Best Man
E. The Happy Couple

2. Set a time limit; identify the people who will be speaking and inform them of the amount of time that has been allotted for them to speak. Rule of thumb it should be no more than 5 minutes.

3. Set guidelines on what the speeches can be about; there is nothing more embarrassing than one of the speakers divulging an embarrassing story from your past to all of your guests.

4. Space your speeches throughout the appetizer, dinner and dessert portion of the evening.

5. Instead of having an open mic perhaps you can have the MC provide a well-wish to the happy couple on behalf of everyone in attendance.

6. A new trend that is popping up at weddings and other events is to have a video guest book. This is a really cool way that you can have your guest wish you well and not take up part of your reception. It also gives you and your spouse an opportunity to watch the DVD of all the speeches and have a good laugh.

Some companies that provide video guest books:

- Guest Moments: www.guestmoments.com
- Soapboxbooths: www.soapboxbooths.com

Until next time, Happy Planning

Amalia Ward
Talen Events