BECOMING A LICENSED OFFICIANT HAS MADE ME A BETTER WEDDING PLANNER
Luxury Wedding Planner Andrea Eppolito. Image by Christian Oth.
Did you know that I am a licensed officiant?
As a luxury wedding planner specializing in destination weddings, my clients often desire to be married by a friend or family member. Sometimes, they even dream of being wed by a celebrity officiant (hello, Reverend Roxy). When my husband and I began collaborating with Lotus House, we encountered numerous couples who wished to have someone from their personal life officiate their wedding. Everyone assumes it will be easy because, well, anything goes in Las Vegas... right? Not quite!
While Las Vegas is still considered the wild, wild west, our city of lights is actually highly regulated. In this town, you can obtain a marriage license on a whim, and you can walk into any of nearly 50 chapels and get married on a moment's notice. However, the process of being allowed to perform those weddings is not as straightforward.
Unlike many cities where all you need is an Internet License from a church or organization, in Las Vegas, you must go through the court system to obtain a license that allows you to legally officiate weddings. There are two types of licenses available in Nevada; one permits you to officiate an unlimited number of weddings for a 5-year period, and the other allows you to officiate one wedding for one specific couple. These temporary, limited licenses can be hit or miss. Sometimes they get approved, sometimes they do not. At all times, it can be stressful for everyone involved.
This is why I made the decision to become a fully licensed officiant in the fall of 2021. There are only four requirements to obtain a license in Las Vegas. First, you must be a resident of Clark County, Nevada. Second, you must apply with the Clark County Clerk’s office. Afterward, you must pass a background check to be invited to attend an in-person training course. Once you complete this course, you will take a written exam, and upon passing, you will be issued your officiant’s license.
I went through this process never intending to offer officiating services. My goal was simply to make my clients’ lives easier when they needed someone to sign off on the paperwork and legally record their marriages. Not long after sharing my experience, my wonderful clients and dear friends, Jessie and Rob, asked me if I would officiate their wedding in Lake Tahoe. I was deeply humbled and honored not only to produce their wedding but also to officiate it.
The Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe is located on the California side, not the Nevada side of the city. After doing my research, I learned that I didn't need to go through the state of California to legally officiate weddings. However, I wanted to have some sort of certification, which is why I went through the process of becoming ordained through the Universal Life Church.
Shortly afterward, another couple asked if I would officiate their wedding. Mahsa and Johnathan had been clients for many years. Not only had I produced their baby shower and their little girl’s homecoming, but we had celebrated many milestones together. They were no longer just clients; they were friends. I simply could not say no. So, off to the rolling hills of Northern California, I went to perform a ceremony in the vineyards of Napa Valley.
By serving as the officiant at these weddings, I was able to experience the design, atmosphere, and emotion of the day in a totally new and unique way. While serving as a wedding planner, my role is to stand on the sidelines and watch other people experience life’s moments in spaces that I create for them. Being in the moment, quite literally in the moment and in space, has made me a better planner, a better designer, and in many ways, better able to see people for who they are and help bring that out in meaningful ways through art, design, and intention.
I know how my work looks in photos, but how does it feel when guests walk into a ceremony? When the music plays, it impacts the pace at which you walk down the aisle. How does it feel when you walk on a high gloss, finished floor versus when you walk down petals? Does the width of the aisle make a difference? Andwer: yes, it does. And how does it feel more intimate to have more people or fewer people seated on each side? A ceremony in light, neutral colors creates an entirely different feeling from a ceremony set in the dark.
Design is about problem-solving, creating atmosphere, and being transformative. I am telling the same love story to every person in the room, and contributing to the stories and experiences of every friend, family member, vendor, and officiant. Having been a bride, a bridesmaid, a guest, and now an officiant, I have yet another layer of information and experience informing how I design, present, and execute events. And I love that there is one more layer of service and understanding that I can offer my clients.
Have you considered getting married by someone that you have a personal relationship with or would you prefer to hire a professonal? Let me know in the comments below or leave me a message at Ask Andrea.
Always…A
