Los Angeles Wedding Officiants Guide

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Los Angeles Officiants Guide

Finding Your Wedding Clergy in L.A.

Los Angeles is a city where just about anything goes, and a marriage here leaves you with plenty of officiant options. You should start to search for your LA officiant as soon as you’ve set the date of your wedding, and once you’ve decided on a religious or secular affair.

According to Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway, officiant and author of Wedding Goddess, Southern California “has many interfaith, all-faith, and spiritual and non-denominational officiants who are willing to work closely with couples to create very personalized and sometimes off-beat ceremonies.” This is good news if you were concerned that your separate faiths might make finding a clergyman a difficult job.

If you’re having a basic, “nuts and bolts” wedding, your task is even easier. You can be married by a judge, a justice of the peace, or a county or court clerk. These weddings tend to be performed at City Hall, although some officiants will travel to your reception site.

Traditional secular services.
Should you be having a more traditional wedding, but are still planning on a secular affair, simply talk to professionals who may refer to themselves as “California Wedding Officiants,” “Wedding Minister,” “secular officiant” or “interfaith officiant.”

When you’re ready to start talking with L.A. wedding officiants, visit the OurWeddingDay.com Los Angeles Local Vendor section for a great list of top Southern California wedding officiants.

Adds Brockway, “Many of California’s nontraditional officiants are ordained on-line, so there are a lot of them.” Since this person is the one who will actually marry you, it’s imperative that you click with their personality and beliefs, as well as the basic structure of your wedding. If you have any doubts, move on. Non-denominational ministers are those who are familiar with different faiths and who can incorporate them accordingly. You might go this route if you would like to add religious touches to your affair, but are getting married on a beach or in the park.

Religious services.
Once you’ve selected an officiant, remember that he needs to attend the wedding rehearsal. It’s customary to invite him to the rehearsal dinner, along with his spouse. If he is traveling a long distance to your wedding, you should pay for his transportation and lodging. In lieu of a “fee,” clergymen usually accept a donation. If you are uncomfortable asking him what the expected amount is, contact a member of his house of worship for the information, or ask a friend who’s used him in the past. This being SoCal, kick back and enjoy. Says Brockway, “California is the home of the New Age, so many officiants are laid-back and are as comfortable on a sandy beach as they are in a formal venue.”

Should you be planning on a religious ceremony, the first place you need to look is your house of worship. “But understand,” says Brockway, “many religious clergy are bound by the protocol of their house of worship, and will conduct themselves from that point of view. If you are a Catholic bride with a Jewish groom and you want to marry on the beach, you can’t expect a Catholic priest to offer that kind of ceremony.” However, your pastor might be able to steer you in the right direction. If that fails, opt for the services listed above.