The Beginning of a New Love…
It all begins with an idea. The idea to keep a blog about my experiences as a professional wedding officiant.
by Jennifer Avenell
It all starts with a spark—an idea to share my journey starting my business as a Professional Wedding Officiant.
Picture this: at the experienced age of 55, I decided to plunge headfirst into the world of wedding officiating. By November 2022, I was all set to kick off my new business. Fast forward to April 2023, and I had already ticked off a few license signings and officiated my first small wedding. It was like a love-at-first-sight moment with a career. The thrill! The excitement! The sheer panic of remembering everyone’s names! I was hooked. This was going to be my summer gig, the perfect complement to my other job as a substitute teacher.
Now, let’s rewind a bit. In November 2022, I became a Notary. “Great,” I thought, “I’ll be signing papers left and right.” But alas, the demand for Notary services was about as high as the demand for snow shovels in Hawaii. Then, in a stroke of genius (or desperation), I discovered that some Notaries also dabbled in wedding officiating. A quick reality check revealed that officiating wasn’t exactly in the Notary job description in my state, but hey, I remembered getting ordained online through the Universal Life Church back in 2013. I was already ordained! The universe had my back.
Next stop: the Unboring! Wedding Academy. I immediately signed up for the beginner course—eight hours of pure wedding wisdom. But why stop there? I dove into the advanced course, adding another eight hours to my wedding knowledge arsenal. By the end, I felt like the wedding officiant version of a Swiss Army knife, ready for anything. Business license? Check. Registered with the Department of Revenue? Check. New business bank account? Check. Customer management system? Double check. By March 2023, I was ready to roll. All I needed were some lovebirds in need of a wedding officiant.
How does one find clients in 2023? The internet, of course! I set up a website that’s already had more makeovers than a reality TV star. I launched an Instagram page, a Facebook page, a Google business profile, and even a Yelp profile. I joined local wedding vendor networking groups, wedding vendor directories, and showed my face at a few wedding expos. I was practically shouting my name from the digital rooftops. And guess what? It worked! Bookings started rolling in, and my summer weekends were soon jam-packed with weddings.
Once I started officiating, reviews came pouring in, boosting my reputation. By the end of 2023, I had married almost 40 couples. Not bad for a first-year rookie! It was an exhilarating ride, filled with fun, challenges, and a whole lot of learning. I refined my business processes, honed my public speaking skills, and even got to explore parts of my state I’d never seen before.
Being part of the wedding industry is like being in a giant, loving family. My fellow wedding vendors are incredibly kind, helpful, and always ready to share their wisdom with newbies like me. I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of this amazing industry.
So there you have it—my wonderful journey of becoming a Professional Wedding Officiant. Here's to many more love stories and unforgettable weddings! Cheers!