This article is written by a professional wedding officiant / minister.

Wedding ceremonies take place in a variety of locations these days: churches, home backyards, country clubs, hotels, resorts, beaches, boats, ballparks and public parks. San Diego has some rather unique wedding venues. Finding a wedding officiant or minister can be difficult. If you are a member of a church, it may be a no brainer. But what if you are not or they are unavailable? Or what if you do not live in or are familiar with San Diego?

Following are some tips for searching for your officiant and in preparing for your once in a lifetime, memorable wedding ceremony...

• Feel comfortable and have a good connection with your minister. They should make you feel at ease and relaxed and take care of business. A ceremony is a nervous occasion as it is. Find a calming professional to take care of you.
• Your wedding officiant should be flexible. You may have special requests such as the lighting of a unity candle or a sand ceremony, involvement of children in the ceremony, personalized wedding vows, special music and/or readings and perhaps special presentations.
• Don't wait until the last minute to search for your officiant. Like everything else, the best get booked first. Shop early, shop around and find the right person. Once you find the right personality, book them. If you don't, someone else will.
• Many wedding officiants will attend the rehearsal. Arrange this ahead of time. DON'T wait until the last minute to ask about this. While it may or may not be a part of their package, if you need them, give them notice. They may charge a little extra to attend the rehearsal, but your piece of mind may be worth it.
• Mic your officiant. This means - provide a microphone so your special ceremony can be heard by all. How many people have sat at the back of a ceremony and not heard a word. It's called a microphone! What you share in the way of vows can often be so warm and special, why not share it with everyone.
• Further flexibility. You may want a five minute, down-the-aisle-and-it's-over type ceremony or one with all the bells and whistles. You decide on the length, pace and degree of ceremony you want. Your clergy should meld to your tastes and needs.

There are certainly other nuances that may pertain to your faith or personal tastes when it comes to choosing your officiant and planning out ceremony details. Search with your heart. Use your head. Find the right personality to match what you've envisioned for your special day.

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