What Questions Should You Ask Before Hiring a Wedding Officiant?
Your officiant holds the microphone during the part of your wedding day people actually remember. Not the cake, not the centerpieces. The moment you both stand up there and say the thing out loud.
And yet officiants are often the last vendor couples book, sometimes after a quick search and a single email. I get it. Until you've been to a wedding where the ceremony fell flat, it's hard to know what you're even choosing between.
As an Orlando wedding officiant, I want couples to interview me. The right questions save you from mismatches, and they help you notice when someone is exactly right. Here are the ones I'd ask if I were in your shoes, grouped by what they tell you.
Questions About the Legal Side
1. Are you legally able to perform marriages in Florida?
In Florida, ceremonies can be performed by ordained clergy, judicial officers, clerks of court, and Florida Notaries Public. Ask directly, and ask which category applies. It's a fair question and any legitimate officiant will answer easily. If you want the full picture of what makes a marriage legal here, my guide to how to get married in Florida walks through it step by step.
2. Who files the marriage license after the ceremony?
Florida requires the signed license to be returned to the Clerk of Court within 10 days. Some officiants hand it back to you and consider the job done. I file it myself as a Florida Notary Public, so the couple has nothing left to do once the ceremony ends. Whatever the answer, make sure you know whose responsibility it is before the day arrives.
3. What happens if you're sick or can't make it?
Nobody likes to ask this, and every professional has thought about it. A good answer sounds like a backup plan, a trusted colleague, or a network they can call. A vague answer is worth noticing.
Questions About Your Ceremony
4. How do you write the ceremony? Is it a template, or created for us?
This is the big one. Some officiants deliver the same script every weekend with the names swapped. Others build every ceremony from scratch after getting to know the couple. Neither is wrong, but you should know which you're getting, and the price should reflect it. As a Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant®, I write each ceremony from your actual story, which means it sounds like you and not like a stranger's wedding.
5. How much input do we get on the words?
Do you get to read the full script ahead of time? Can you cut something that doesn't feel like you? Can you write your own vows, or ask for help writing them? You should be able to say yes to all of the above.
6. Do you perform secular, spiritual, and interfaith ceremonies?
If you're two different traditions, or no tradition, or one of you is spiritual and one is very much not, ask how the officiant handles that. Listen for comfort, not just permission. You want someone who genuinely enjoys weaving those threads together rather than tolerating it.
7. Are you LGBTQ+ affirming?
Ask this plainly and pay attention to the tone of the answer. You deserve an officiant who is celebrating with you, full stop. Every couple is warmly welcomed here, and I'm proud that inclusive ceremonies are the heart of what I do rather than a footnote.
8. Can we include rituals, readings, or cultural traditions?
Unity ceremonies, handfasting, a reading from a grandparent's favorite book, a blessing in a second language, a moment of silence for someone who isn't there. Ask whether the officiant has done these before and how they'd help you choose meaningful ones rather than filler.
Questions About Logistics and Style
9. Have you officiated at our venue, or somewhere like it?
Beach wind, echoing ballrooms, backyard acoustics. Experience with the setting means fewer surprises. It's not a dealbreaker if they haven't, but a good officiant will ask you about the space and plan for it.
10. Do you attend the rehearsal?
Some include it, some charge extra, some don't attend at all. Any answer is fine as long as you know it up front and it's in writing.
11. What's your ceremony style, and can we hear or see you in action?
Warm and funny? Quiet and reverent? Somewhere in between? Ask for a video clip or a sample script. Ten seconds of watching someone speak will tell you more than any email thread.
12. What's included in your fee, and what's extra?
Consultations, custom writing, rehearsal, travel, license filing, coaching a friend to officiate instead. Get the full picture and get it in a contract.
The Question Behind All the Questions
Do you actually like talking to this person?
You're going to share your love story with your officiant. The embarrassing early dating stuff, the hard year, the way one of you proposed twice because the first time went sideways. If the conversation feels easy, that ease will show up in your ceremony. If it feels like a transaction, so will the ceremony.
That's why I start every couple with a free discovery call. Not a sales pitch. Just a conversation to see whether we're a fit, and to give you the chance to ask every question on this list, plus a few I haven't thought of yet.
Quick Answers to Common Questions
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Ideally 6 to 12 months before your wedding, or as soon as you have your date and venue. Popular dates in Central Florida book fast, especially October through April.
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It ranges widely depending on whether the ceremony is a standard script or fully custom-written, and what's included. Ask for the full breakdown up front rather than a single number.
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Yes, if they become a Florida notary or are ordained. If you love this idea but want it done well, I offer officiant coaching that covers the legal steps, ceremony writing, and delivery.
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Any legally authorized person can be an officiant. A Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® has completed formal training in writing and performing personalized ceremonies. Every celebrant is an officiant, but not every officiant is a celebrant.
Ready to Ask Away?
Bring this list. Bring your own. Schedule a free discovery call and let's find out whether I'm the right person to stand up there with you.
Jennie Landau is a Wedding Officiant, Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant®, and Florida Notary Public based in Orlando, creating inclusive, personalized ceremonies for every chapter of life.