After 12 years of formal training, full ordination and having performed more than 8,000 weddings, The Wedding Standard Artist, Father Bellamy says he has learned what is true about marriage. He was gracious enough to share with us what he has shared with those he has married.
Love is a decision. That means that two people can still be deeply in love with each other even when they don't always feel good about themselves, or the other person.
God is love. That means that when two people really love each other, they manifest God's presence. That means that a wedding ceremony held on the beach can be just as holy as a wedding that takes place inside of a church or temple.
What makes a person holy is not determined by how religious he/she is - it is determined by how loving they are. A person could be the most religious person in town and, at the same time, be the worst person in town.
Strong communication skills are the best gifts that any husband and wife can ever give to each other.
A bride and groom's ceremony is not contained in a book, on the internet or in a written script. The really memorable wedding ceremony is a reflection of the relationship between the bride and the groom. An Officiant has to be able to sit down and help that couple "find" their ceremony which is hiding within their relationship. A professional Officiant is trained to do that. A non-professional often just runs to the internet.
You get what you pay for. Officiants who charge the least for their services are usually broadcasting the low quality of work that they do. Their fee directly reflects their quality. Those who charge the least for their officiant services do the least amount of weddings. Officiants who charge more than the rest,
are the busiest. Go figure . . . Some wedding budgets allocate a very low amount for the Officiant, while allocating huge amounts for the less important items.
The most important part of your wedding day is your ceremony. The heart of your wedding day is your ceremony, and yet it is often the LAST item that a couple pays attention to, resulting in a ceremony that is not a true celebration. During the reception following a ceremony, the guests should be talking about how great the ceremony was, rather than politics, etc. The choice of the Officiant is second in importance only to the choice of who to marry. In fact, many couples decide on the date and time of their ceremony based upon the availability of the Officiant. If a couple wants to honor a friend or family member at their wedding, let that person make a toast at the dinner. Let a professional Officiant plan and perform the ceremony.
Leave A Comment