5 Things Couples Do That Drive Their Officiant Crazy (And How to Avoid Them)

 After marrying hundreds of couples, I’ve seen it all. While my ultimate goal is to make sure your ceremony is seamless, joyful, and completely legal, there are a few common mistakes couples make behind the scenes that can turn a smooth wedding day into a stressful scramble.

If you want to keep your officiant happy and ensure your ceremony goes off without a hitch, here are five things to avoid:

1. Forgetting the Marriage License (or Leaving it at home or the Hotel)

You would be shocked at how often this happens. No matter how beautiful your venue is, your officiant cannot legally perform your ceremony or marry you without that physical piece of paper in hand before the vows start. Put someone reliable—like the Best Man or Maid of Honor—in charge of physically handing the license to the officiant the moment they arrive at the venue.

2. Vanishing Immediately After the Recessional

The ceremony is over, you walk down the aisle as newlyweds, and the crowd cheers! But before you head off to cocktail hour or disappear into the bridal suite for photos, remember: you still need to sign the paperwork. Work a strict 10-minute window into your timeline immediately following the ceremony for you, your officiant, and your witnesses to sit down and legally sign the document.

3. Not Choosing Your Witnesses Ahead of Time

When it’s time to sign the license, the last thing you want to do is hunt through a crowd of 150 guests trying to decide which two friends should sign. Pick your two physical witnesses weeks before the wedding, tell them exactly where to meet immediately after the ceremony, and ensure they have a valid ID on them.

4. Keeping Your Officiant in the Dark About Schedule Changes

If your hair and makeup timeline runs an hour late, or the photographer needs to push pre-ceremony photos back, let your officiant know immediately. Professional officiants often manage tight schedules on weekends. Keeping your vendor team in the loop ensures everyone is on the same page and no one is rushing to the altar.

5. Requesting Last-Minute Ceremony Add-Ons

Deciding the morning of the wedding—or right before walking out—that you want to include jumping the broom, a sand ceremony, or a unity candle throws a major wrench into things. These are considered extra add-ons that require physical preparation, custom scripting, and additional mic cues. Last-minute additions don't just disrupt the flow; they also come with an extra charge. If you want to include special traditions, lock them into the contract weeks ahead of time so the paperwork and pricing are correct.

Disclaimer: The text content of this blog post was written by Fantasy NYC Wedding Officiant based on real professional experiences. The accompanying cartoon illustration was created with the assistance of an AI image generation tool.