I often get asked “How did you get started as a wedding officiant?”
I began performing weddings after watching my buddy get married in Phoenix, Arizona. The professional officiant at the wedding was having a blast and I struck up a conversation with him.
He said being an officiant was his dream job. At weddings, everyone is happy. The atmosphere is festive. Jokingly he said the only stresses he has are ensuring everyone knows where to stand and the groom’s boutonniere stays on straight.
At the time, I was a trial attorney. I loved trial work but I realized being a wedding officiant was the polar opposite of trial work. In a trial, the 2 parties don’t want to be there, the jury certainly doesn’t want to be there and usually the judge would rather be on a golf course. But at weddings, everyone is excited and happy to be there.
Within a few short days of returning back home to Ohio from the Arizona wedding I decided to become a licensed wedding minister. I started off doing small weddings in Ohio and California (where I had another law office) for family and friends on the weekends. Soon I was performing weddings almost every weekend as word spread.