What I say before EVERY ceremony (well...some variation of this)

This is by far the MOST requested topic I've had officiants ask me about!

Well, here it is - the announcement I make before EVERY ceremony.

My VIBE SETTING ANNOUNCEMENT!

I was put onto this by another officiant in Australia (he's a legend) then I added my own spin on it to match my personality and what I felt was relevant.

I do this announcement solo at the beginning of every ceremony because it sets the tone right out of the gates and it lets the guests know we're here to have FUN and to CELEBRATE! This isn't snooze-time folks, you've been invited here to celebrate, so let's do that! I do everything with intention in my ceremonies, and this one serves a big purpose.

There's a good chance the guests have never seen an officiant do this, and that's why they're going to remember it and be excited by it!

Take this and make it your own, but whatever you do, don't memorize this and try to pitch it. It likely won't land. Once you've rewritten it into your own words and figured out how to deliver it, own it. It'll be amazing.

Here are a few things to know about this announcement:

1. I do this at the beginning of the ceremony BEFORE anyone in the wedding party has walked down the aisle.
2. I always confirm this with the DJ and coordinator who may be cueing the wedding party so they don't send people early/they turn off the music so I can speak.
3. I don't read this announcement, I wing it every time (but it has a similar feel). I sometimes will add things like calling out specific people I spoke to before the ceremony or had a laugh with. It feels way more authentic and like a real invitation to be present and celebrate if you don't read it.
4. Have some fun with it. Guests are looking for someone to capture their attention and they want to celebrate. So give them a good reason to by livening up the beginning of the ceremony.

I use my own gear for every ceremony also. If you're going pro, I highly recommend getting your own gear to be in control of the most important variable in your success - your audio! If no one can hear you or if the mic cuts in and out it doesn't matter how awesome you are, no one will hear it!

I use the Bose S1 Pro Speaker and the Sennheiser AVX-835 Mic. It's entirely wireless, and produces incredible sound. Best part? It fits into a Bose backpack so I'm ready to go at any time, in any location.

And last, let me know how it goes! I'd love to hear how it's working out and any changes you've made to it! Now get out there and crush that ceremony and have the time of your life doing it!

ps feel free to throw me a follow at @heyjeffmaeck on Instagram to see what I'm up to!

Big BIG thanks to @lovelysparrowphoto for this video. Love you guys.

[mikematteo]

This is awesome! Thank you for this and for the full walk through

[sxf]

Love this, Jeff! I'm going to do a wedding with both English and Spanish speakers soon, so would need to keep it short so that I don't potentially lose half the audience. Keep up the great work!

[nicholasmcgillivray]

This is great, thank you Jeff! I'm officiating my big sister's wedding soon and this is absolutely what I needed.

[wissamharb]

Thank you! You're a natural bro! I'm trying to decide on the attire and I'd love your opinion. What do you think of the double breasted black tuxedo from Spier & Mackay? It's a black tie wedding and I'm officiating😊 Thanks!

[guero]

I am nervous Jeff I have mine tomorrow officiating

[STAYFLY]

We appreciate you, you really want us to be great?