officiant

raspberrytart

I'm having officiant woes.  I thought my fiance's brother would be a great choice, but the in-laws had a fit over that, saying it wouldn't seem official to anyone in the family if we chose him.  I don't want a religious wedding, so I don't want to ask a bishop or other religious figure.  I'm also not keen on spending $200 for a stranger to come stand in front of us for 15 minutes.

Who is officiating your wedding?  Do you have any recommendations?

slbinpink

I think if you want your FBIL to do it, then you should! It's your wedding, and I personally would think it would be a very special moment to have him do it...  I don't mean to offend... but I find your in-laws input on that is kind of without merit.

I have not chosen my officiant yet... We do not want a religious ceremony, as neither of us are religious. We are having a hard time choosing the right person too... It's not easy when you don't have a church you associate closely with.

FI's uncle is the mayor of a town not far from us... so he has the authority to marry us,  and we considered him, but ultimately decided against it, as FI rarely sees him, and I have never even met him...

Sorry, I know I am not much help, But good luck with your search... I hope you have FI's brother do it!

kristin183

I think...It is your wedding... do what you want.

We are sort of in the same boat... We are not real religious and I don't want to spend a lot of money...my fiance's friend is going to be our wedding officant... and I wouldn't have it any other way. I thought it was weirder to hire someone we didn't know.. our friend knows us well and it seemed more appropriate.... I have known several people who have also had friends, brothers, and etc as their officiant. You can find officiants that are non-demonianational but of course there is that fee. Good Luck!

LindsayA12

I'm in a similar situation.  You can go to the Salt Lake County Clerk web page and find a list of judges who are willing to officiate.  However, I'm not sure what the fee is like if any.  Again it's not someone who knows you both so if that is the most important thing I say go with your FBIL!  Good Luck!

Annazumi

Hi raspberrytart. I completely agree with your friends. If your fiance's brother is the perfect person then you are really lucky to be so clear on that. As an officiant, it's been my experience that love really does rule the day. When parents see the couple being true to themselves, having a ceremony that is meaningful and special to them, that it comes from the heart, what more could they ask for? Your love is what makes it official. For you to be in love and true to yourselves, that is the most valid and official ceremony there could be. You're in a unique position to do that. Your guests (including in-laws) are honored to be a part of it, as you are honored to have their presence and support. On another not, photographers have told me that having the right officiant, someone the couple really connects with, makes a HUGE difference – in the energy of the ceremony AND in the pictures. I hope you follow your heart - you have so far! Have a beautiful day! And congratulations!

flipwatt

I think that you should have your fiance's brother do it. but if you dont want to step on toes we are having the Mayor of farmington do it. he charges $50 do its not too bad.

tenna55

We are having a friend do ours, and he will be officiated online, and we LOVE the idea of having someone we know and someone special to us do it. But like someone else mentioned, you can search online for people in Utah who won't charge very much, average cost is about $50

ZurchersWeddings

What did your FI say when his family durned their collective nose down at the idea?  Is he still on board?

If he still likes the idea, then I'd move forward and let his family deal with it.  If he agrees with the family, then it may not be a good idea to rock that boat any further. 
Is there a person you are both close with that isn't family?  Is there enough time for him or her to get registered as an officiant?  Do you know UT's or the local county's requirements to become an officiant?