As the person standing between the bride and the groom officiating a wedding ceremony you are ‘front and centre’ and all eyes are on you for much of the ceremony.
There is much debate in the Celebrant and Officiant world with regards to what the person officiating the wedding should be wearing.
There are some Officiants and Celebrants who dress very conservatively, some in a business manner, some wear colourful attire and some dress casually. I think it’s really important to ‘be you’…. But know that what you wear will be very important to some couples.
I’ve had wedding ceremonies where I wore sunglasses.
And the wedding where the bride asked me to wear white!!! Well not white exactly – but a cream colour!!!
Don’t even get me started on the WHOLE summer season that I had to wear long sleeves to cover a bandage I had on my upper arm!!!
I can’t tell you what you should and shouldn’t wear when officiating a wedding ceremony, I can only explain how I make the decisions on what I will wear.
I ALWAYS ask the bride and groom what they want me to wear! Straight up and to the point, it is a question on my rehearsal checklist. Some brides or grooms are very specific about what they would like me to wear. Or, they may have a colour they don’t like, some have even checked out my socials and chosen the outfit (and jewellery) they want me to wear! I know this may sound over the top but I actually like it! It means I can give the couple exactly what they want and know they will be happy! Most brides and grooms will say they don’t care what I wear. This answer leads me into my next question for them.
What is the dress code for the wedding? I ALWAYS want to know the dress code because I don’t want to be significantly over or under dressed. You want to know if the guests have been asked to wear ‘black tie’ apparel for instance.
I ALWAYS ask what colour the bride will be wearing! Note my beautiful bride wearing navy in the photo above. All I could think when she was walking down the aisle was “Thank God I didn’t wear navy!”
If you would like to view my rehearsal checklist where I cover this information, or view me conducting a real-life rehearsal to watch me ask a bride and groom what they want me to wear, then click here for Wedding Rehearsals in Australia or here for Wedding Rehearsals in any other country.
Maria Bond is a Marriage Celebrant in Tasmania, Australia. After officiating over 200 wedding ceremonies she created the www.weddingceremonystore.com to provide digital resources to Officiants and Celebrants across the world. Her ethos of 'I hope that by watching me be me, it helps you to be you', has breathed new life into a historically competitive and insular industry and provided a much-needed resource for the thousands of Officiants and Celebrants across the world.
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