How to Become a Professional Officiant

Performing a wedding is an incredibly powerful experience, as anyone who’s had the privilege can no doubt attest. But for some people, officiating is more than just an honor – it’s also a career. After joining the ULC community, many of our members have gone on to become professional wedding officiants.

Whether taken up as a part-time job or a full-time career, officiating has real benefits. For one, it’s rewarding work: you’re constantly engaging with people and are provided a front row seat for the biggest day of their lives. Officiating provides a fantastic opportunity to get involved in the community, improve your public speaking ability, and network with others.

But beyond that, it’s also a great way to make some supplemental income. Being a wedding officiant is naturally quite flexible, allowing you to work from home and set your own hours. Plus, if you enjoy being self-employed, you’ll always have the option to expand your business. Did you know that an experienced officiant can bring as much as $60k annually just from performing ceremonies?

However, success doesn't come automatically; becoming a professional wedding officiant requires hard work and dedication. So, how do you get there?

Get Ordained

If you haven’t done so already, your first step will be to get ordained, here on our website. If you want to dive deeper into the subject of ordination in your area, the ULC has provided a thorough step-by-step guide that you can use. Once ordained, we recommend picking up a set of official documents verifying that you’re authorized to officiate legal marriage ceremonies. This documentation is necessary to register as a minister (as is required in some places). Even in places where registration is not mandatory, marriage officials may still ask to see proof of your ordination so it’s a good idea to have it on hand. For more information regarding local marriage laws throughout the United States, be sure to review them here.

Put in the Work

Becoming a professional officiant means honing your craft whenever possible. Always be on the lookout for opportunities to improve your skills – both as an officiant and as a communicator. Here are a few pieces of advice from ULC ministers who’ve achieved success in the field:

• Book lots of ceremonies, as many as you can reasonably handle.
• Establish a dialogue with the couples and work to understand their expectations.
• Practice your public speaking and get comfortable in front of crowds.
• Craft customized ceremony scripts to impress couples and audiences alike.
• Know your worth; research market rates for officiant services.
• Stay true to yourself – no paycheck is worth compromising your values.
• Ask for honest feedback from couples to help you improve as an officiant.

Build Your Brand

Did you know there are two million weddings in the U.S. each year? That’s a lot of officiating gigs! But the wedding industry is competitive, and a successful officiant must figure out how to set themselves apart. What makes you different from other marriage officiants? How are you unique?

On the logistical side, you might choose to specialize in certain ceremonies, or provide additional services as part of a wedding ceremony package.

However, such details are only part of your appeal. As any marketing expert will tell you, success comes not just from a great product, but from a strong brand as well. When couples are looking for a wedding officiant, they don’t just want someone with a lot of experience; they want a person who shares their values, someone they can relate to and respect.

That’s why your brand is important. It’s more than just a resume and a price point, it’s a reflection who you are and what you bring to the table. Engaged couples are out there right now searching earnestly for the perfect officiant. Having a strong brand will encourage them to choose your services. But in order to get in touch, they first have to know about you. So how do you get the word out?

Make a Website

The best way to promote your brand is by making a captivating website. This is easier than you might think, and there are countless wonderful resources available online to help you out.

In a nutshell, your website should be a reflection of who you are and what you can offer interested couples. Upload some images and a few personal details to help visitors to the site get to know you. Explain what types of ceremonies you’re interested in, and make sure to include a contact form so people can connect with you.

As your brand grows and evolves, your website should evolve with it. As you begin officiating ceremonies, add a few photos to the site so people can see what you look like in action. You might also consider including a review or two from couples you’ve worked with.

Related: How To Set Your Wedding Officiant Fee

Take Advantage of Social Media

Having a website is a great start, but it’s only one aspect of your online presence. In order to maximize outreach, a professional officiant should also be active on social media.

Young people (read: most engaged couples) are more active on social media than any other platform. One of the best strategies for reaching this target group is by formulating a strong social media strategy.

First, create accounts for your business on various platforms – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter – and include links to your website so people can learn more about you.

Next, brainstorm what types of content you’ll feature and strategize how often to most. Your posts should be carefully thought-out, and everything you broadcast to the world should reflect in some way the overarching theme of your brand. Don’t hesitate to browse other officiants’ pages to see what’s working for them if you need some inspiration!

Be Passionate

Above all else, achieving success requires being passionate about what you do. If you’re not delighted at the prospect of working closely with couples and helping them create the perfect wedding, then doing it professionally might not be the right move. Just like any job, there will be ups and downs. In a perfect world, every ceremony would go off without a hitch, but things can – and do – go wrong sometimes. A seasoned officiant will remain positive and handle such situations with grace.

Ultimately, success will come to those who work diligently, constantly aim for improvement, and endeavor always to create a memorable experience for the couple.