Officiant’s rehearsal checklist
Print this and tick the boxes. It is educational, not legal advice, so confirm requirements with your county clerk.
Two weeks before
- Confirm with the county clerk where the wedding is: I can officiate, and I know any registration I need.
- Confirm the couple has the marriage license, or will have it in hand before the ceremony.
- Ask who will return the signed license, and by what date.
- Write down the names of the required witnesses, if any.
- Finish a draft of the script and read it aloud once.
- Confirm the length the couple wants and where music cues fall.
Before the rehearsal
- Print the script large (14-point type), one section per page, in a folder.
- Bring the rehearsal run-sheet and the ceremony outline.
- Confirm who is attending the rehearsal: couple, wedding party, readers, parents, music, venue coordinator.
- Bring a pen, a copy of the license questions, and a small bottle of water.
At the rehearsal (about 20 minutes)
- Walk the aisle: where does everyone enter, in what order and at what pace?
- Mark where you, the couple and the wedding party will stand.
- Decide which side the rings, the readers and the witnesses come from.
- Practice the handoffs: rings to the officiant, readers to the microphone, the couple to the vows.
- Run the vows once, saying each phrase aloud, so the couple knows when to repeat.
- Practice the pronouncement, the kiss and the exit.
- Agree on cues: a nod for music, a hand signal to wait.
- Confirm the microphone: does it work, who holds it, does the couple need one?
Questions to settle
- Who has the rings, and when do they hand them over?
- What happens if it rains or it is too loud outdoors?
- Does the couple want to kiss, hug or something else after the pronouncement?
- Where does the license get signed, and who are the witnesses?
- Is there a moment to remember someone who has died, and who should be named?
Wedding day kit
- The script, printed, in a folder, with a spare copy
- The marriage license (or confirmation the couple has it)
- My ordination certificate and any registration papers
- A black pen that works
- The rings (confirm who holds them)
- Water, tissues and a mint
- A phone with the script saved offline, as backup only
- The venue coordinator’s phone number
After the ceremony
- Sign the license with the witnesses, exactly as the form directs. No corrections or cross-outs.
- Photograph the signed license before it leaves my hands.
- Confirm who returns it and by when. Return it myself if that is my job.
- Tell the couple they can order certified copies for name changes and records.
- Say thank you. Then enjoy the dinner.
pastor.care — know what to say, pray and do.