
How many hours of preparation do you do for a wedding ceremony?
I’m so glad you asked. The assumption is that officiants just show up, do their twenty minutes and that’s it. People have no idea how many hours go into getting to know a couple, finding the right words to say about them, editing, rehearsing delivery, re-writing, keeping the flow going, managing different moods you want to hit. Each couple gets 20 hours of prep, easily. And then there's the wedding day - another 2-3 hours plus travel time.
You do big weddings; do you also do elopements?
Absolutely!
How long do you stay after the wedding?
I’m usually with the couple until the 3rd day of the honeymoon, then things get awkward.
Kidding! I leave on the 2nd day of the honeymoon.
Kidding! I stay for part of cocktail hour, then I make an Irish exit.
Which do you think is better for the ceremony, a live musician or a DJ?
I love them both in different ways. It depends on the situation, the couple's goals for the feel for the ceremony, the physical realities...
What is your secret weapon as an officiant?
Top-notch Classical Voice and Speech training and years of performing plays with no microphone. If a microphone conks out, I can still project really well.
How did you get into this business?
I went to a lot of wedding ceremonies that weren't personal or even connected to the couple and I thought 'there must be a better way to do this.' It looked like a fun thing to do, so I interviewed other professional celebrants and officiants who confirmed that it was great fun. I studied at the Celebrant Foundation & Institute (now the Natural Transitions Institute, or NTI), set up this website, listed on big wedding platforms and here we are.
Are you married?
Yes! 22 years, in a row, to the same person. I am a married person who can speak from experience about being married in an awesome and positive way. I am a marriage enthusiast, and I'm interested in speaking, in a non-therapy-type way, with couples who are struggling with their relationships. A marriage can be so incredibly empowering for the couple's lives, and people in healthy marriages can in turn help other people be happier etc. It is possible to have long-lasting love, to continue learning how to be a better person for years and years, to have the confidence you can only get when another human being says hey, you're worth my whole life, I am giving my whole life to you and I know you're giving your whole life to me. It is really powerful, and I'd like to get onto big stages to talk about this.
Can you get our marriage license for us?
NO. Obtaining a marriage license is the couple's responsibility. You have to make arrangements with your City Clerk at your marriage bureau. You have to go together to obtain the license. Don't wait until the last minute! Once you have it, you have 60 days to use it. But again, don't wait until the last minute. Take care of it early, within that 60-day window.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
I love so many things about this job but my favorite is the look of relief on the couple’s face when we’re starting the ceremony and things are already going really well.
I love getting compliments during cocktail hour.
I love traveling to beautiful mansions and venues that I would otherwise never go to.
I love free sushi.
I love making a stressful day fun for my couples.
The fact that the ceremony is never about me. It's entirely about the couple. I'm just representing them in a very important way, and I embrace that responsibility.
I love showing guests and families that ceremonies can be different, they don't all have to be the same way.
I love reminding everyone of what the big-picture important thing is at a wedding.
I love writing and performing, fine-tuning the timing, reading the room, controlling the reactions of a crowd of people.
I love the behind-the-scenes moments, before and after a ceremony, with the couple and wedding party, the stuff the guests never get to see.
I love hanging out with the other wedding vendors, and that part of the day where we try to remember the last time we worked together.
I love speaking at big industry events like Wedding MBA in Las Vegas and the American Marriage Ministries Officiant Accelerator, speaking to other officiants, getting inspiration from other wedding pros.
I love people starting the most exciting adventure of their lives.
I love thinking wow, I’ve been doing this a long time – I’ve seen so many different groups of wedding guests, crowds, families, settings. It’s been a wild ride.
How many degrees do you have?
I have several, because I’m very, very smart. I have a BFA in Acting from Boston University, an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from New York University. Okay that’s only two. I'm artsy; I never said I was good at math.
Who are the most famous people you’ve ever met?
I was the Emcee for a memorial service for Joan Rivers’ dog on Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best.
I met Regis Philbin on the set of The Rachael Ray Show.
Know who else I met on the set of The Rachael Ray Show? Rachael Ray. Four years in a row, I wrote and officiated weddings for their Valentine’s Day wedding show. She just called it ‘her show.’
I met most of the members of the band R.E.M., twice. The first time, in 1992, I worked at an ice-skating rink in Manhattan, and their record company bought the place out for one night to celebrate some guy’s engagement. Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Bill Berry showed up and I helped Peter Buck skate. In 1995, their manager Bertis Downs invited me to a backstage party after one of their MSG concerts, so once again I hung out with Mike Mills. I’ve never met Michael Stipe. I keep in touch with Bertis on Facebook.
I could have sworn I saw you on TV recently – could that be possible?
As noted on another page on this website, I have appeared on The Rachael Ray Show several times and on the show Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best? I sometimes do background work on TV shows that film in New York City. I’ve been on Law & Order, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Law & Order: SVU, FBI, And Just Like That, You, and Only Murders in the Building.
Who was your most influential acting teacher?
Jon Lipsky, my first acting teacher at Boston University. Strong shout-out to my dialect coach, Claudia Hill-Sparks.
Who was your most famous writing teacher?
E.L. Doctorow, author of Ragtime, one of my professors in the graduate creative writing program at New York University.
Who is your most famous friend?
Ben Rhodes. We attended the NYU Graduate Creative Writing Program together. He was a speechwriter for President Obama, then went on to be the Deputy National Security Advisor of the United States. He pops up as a talking head on politico shows. Smartest person I’ve ever known.
Do you have a literary agent?
Yes: Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
Have you ever had a book published?
Yes! Best Ceremony Ever, published by W.W. Norton.
What accents can you do?
English, Cockney, Australian, Irish, Scottish, Southern, Russian, Indian. French. I can do some of the really well, and others...
What are your thoughts on having good SEO for a website?
Obviously, to be a popular wedding officiant near me, it's important to be a quality officiant who is located in New York City or in Cincinnati or in whatever city is near you or that you are in. If the internet can't pick up on who you are as a professional wedding officiant celebrant vows good reviews, top-ranked officiant non-religious experienced officiant man good reviews LGBTQ-friendly, it would behoove me to incorporate SEO-speak on my site somewhere, so that wedding venue preferred vendor list New York City and five boroughs wedding officiant will travel non-religious lighthearted near me affordable good reputation downtown Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Covington Newport can find me. Thankfully, I have friends who specialize in this sort of thing, so Texas wedding Massachusetts wedding Boston wedding, Cape Cod wedding, Connecticut wedding Virginia wedding, Arizona wedding Millennial-friendly Boomer-friendly Gen Z-friendly best professional reliable experienced non-denominational non-religious educated acting school professional speaker crowd work read the room mature respectful officiant-seekers find me pretty easily.
Are you worried that some people who read this FAQ will think that you don't take weddings seriously?
I want people reading this FAQ, and the entire site, to get a good feel for who I am as a person, because this is very personal work. It's also work that requires a lot of genuine joy. I bring great joy to this work, and humor, and passionate professionalism. Joy, humor and passionate professionalism can, and do, exist in harmony.
What are your ambitions?
I enjoy Emceeing events. My heroes (and friends) in that field are Jeff Civillico, Scott Bloom and Rob Ferre. My dream is to one day work indoors.
I'm the creative consultant for Scott Bloom's forthcoming book The Atomic Morning Miracle, where parody collides with practical wisdom. We are both very excited for this book's future.
I am now an official, licensed NYC Sightseeing Guide. Couples - if your out-of-town visitors are looking for something to do, have them book one of my tours! I can take them off of your hands for a few hours...
My private tours are found at www.WalkWithChris.com. Half-day tours, we figure out an itinerary for you. I also do a midtown tour (2 hours).
I’m so glad you asked. The assumption is that officiants just show up, do their twenty minutes and that’s it. People have no idea how many hours go into getting to know a couple, finding the right words to say about them, editing, rehearsing delivery, re-writing, keeping the flow going, managing different moods you want to hit. Each couple gets 20 hours of prep, easily. And then there's the wedding day - another 2-3 hours plus travel time.
You do big weddings; do you also do elopements?
Absolutely!
How long do you stay after the wedding?
I’m usually with the couple until the 3rd day of the honeymoon, then things get awkward.
Kidding! I leave on the 2nd day of the honeymoon.
Kidding! I stay for part of cocktail hour, then I make an Irish exit.
Which do you think is better for the ceremony, a live musician or a DJ?
I love them both in different ways. It depends on the situation, the couple's goals for the feel for the ceremony, the physical realities...
What is your secret weapon as an officiant?
Top-notch Classical Voice and Speech training and years of performing plays with no microphone. If a microphone conks out, I can still project really well.
How did you get into this business?
I went to a lot of wedding ceremonies that weren't personal or even connected to the couple and I thought 'there must be a better way to do this.' It looked like a fun thing to do, so I interviewed other professional celebrants and officiants who confirmed that it was great fun. I studied at the Celebrant Foundation & Institute (now the Natural Transitions Institute, or NTI), set up this website, listed on big wedding platforms and here we are.
Are you married?
Yes! 22 years, in a row, to the same person. I am a married person who can speak from experience about being married in an awesome and positive way. I am a marriage enthusiast, and I'm interested in speaking, in a non-therapy-type way, with couples who are struggling with their relationships. A marriage can be so incredibly empowering for the couple's lives, and people in healthy marriages can in turn help other people be happier etc. It is possible to have long-lasting love, to continue learning how to be a better person for years and years, to have the confidence you can only get when another human being says hey, you're worth my whole life, I am giving my whole life to you and I know you're giving your whole life to me. It is really powerful, and I'd like to get onto big stages to talk about this.
Can you get our marriage license for us?
NO. Obtaining a marriage license is the couple's responsibility. You have to make arrangements with your City Clerk at your marriage bureau. You have to go together to obtain the license. Don't wait until the last minute! Once you have it, you have 60 days to use it. But again, don't wait until the last minute. Take care of it early, within that 60-day window.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
I love so many things about this job but my favorite is the look of relief on the couple’s face when we’re starting the ceremony and things are already going really well.
I love getting compliments during cocktail hour.
I love traveling to beautiful mansions and venues that I would otherwise never go to.
I love free sushi.
I love making a stressful day fun for my couples.
The fact that the ceremony is never about me. It's entirely about the couple. I'm just representing them in a very important way, and I embrace that responsibility.
I love showing guests and families that ceremonies can be different, they don't all have to be the same way.
I love reminding everyone of what the big-picture important thing is at a wedding.
I love writing and performing, fine-tuning the timing, reading the room, controlling the reactions of a crowd of people.
I love the behind-the-scenes moments, before and after a ceremony, with the couple and wedding party, the stuff the guests never get to see.
I love hanging out with the other wedding vendors, and that part of the day where we try to remember the last time we worked together.
I love speaking at big industry events like Wedding MBA in Las Vegas and the American Marriage Ministries Officiant Accelerator, speaking to other officiants, getting inspiration from other wedding pros.
I love people starting the most exciting adventure of their lives.
I love thinking wow, I’ve been doing this a long time – I’ve seen so many different groups of wedding guests, crowds, families, settings. It’s been a wild ride.
How many degrees do you have?
I have several, because I’m very, very smart. I have a BFA in Acting from Boston University, an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from New York University. Okay that’s only two. I'm artsy; I never said I was good at math.
Who are the most famous people you’ve ever met?
I was the Emcee for a memorial service for Joan Rivers’ dog on Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best.
I met Regis Philbin on the set of The Rachael Ray Show.
Know who else I met on the set of The Rachael Ray Show? Rachael Ray. Four years in a row, I wrote and officiated weddings for their Valentine’s Day wedding show. She just called it ‘her show.’
I met most of the members of the band R.E.M., twice. The first time, in 1992, I worked at an ice-skating rink in Manhattan, and their record company bought the place out for one night to celebrate some guy’s engagement. Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Bill Berry showed up and I helped Peter Buck skate. In 1995, their manager Bertis Downs invited me to a backstage party after one of their MSG concerts, so once again I hung out with Mike Mills. I’ve never met Michael Stipe. I keep in touch with Bertis on Facebook.
I could have sworn I saw you on TV recently – could that be possible?
As noted on another page on this website, I have appeared on The Rachael Ray Show several times and on the show Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best? I sometimes do background work on TV shows that film in New York City. I’ve been on Law & Order, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Law & Order: SVU, FBI, And Just Like That, You, and Only Murders in the Building.
Who was your most influential acting teacher?
Jon Lipsky, my first acting teacher at Boston University. Strong shout-out to my dialect coach, Claudia Hill-Sparks.
Who was your most famous writing teacher?
E.L. Doctorow, author of Ragtime, one of my professors in the graduate creative writing program at New York University.
Who is your most famous friend?
Ben Rhodes. We attended the NYU Graduate Creative Writing Program together. He was a speechwriter for President Obama, then went on to be the Deputy National Security Advisor of the United States. He pops up as a talking head on politico shows. Smartest person I’ve ever known.
Do you have a literary agent?
Yes: Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
Have you ever had a book published?
Yes! Best Ceremony Ever, published by W.W. Norton.
What accents can you do?
English, Cockney, Australian, Irish, Scottish, Southern, Russian, Indian. French. I can do some of the really well, and others...
What are your thoughts on having good SEO for a website?
Obviously, to be a popular wedding officiant near me, it's important to be a quality officiant who is located in New York City or in Cincinnati or in whatever city is near you or that you are in. If the internet can't pick up on who you are as a professional wedding officiant celebrant vows good reviews, top-ranked officiant non-religious experienced officiant man good reviews LGBTQ-friendly, it would behoove me to incorporate SEO-speak on my site somewhere, so that wedding venue preferred vendor list New York City and five boroughs wedding officiant will travel non-religious lighthearted near me affordable good reputation downtown Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Covington Newport can find me. Thankfully, I have friends who specialize in this sort of thing, so Texas wedding Massachusetts wedding Boston wedding, Cape Cod wedding, Connecticut wedding Virginia wedding, Arizona wedding Millennial-friendly Boomer-friendly Gen Z-friendly best professional reliable experienced non-denominational non-religious educated acting school professional speaker crowd work read the room mature respectful officiant-seekers find me pretty easily.
Are you worried that some people who read this FAQ will think that you don't take weddings seriously?
I want people reading this FAQ, and the entire site, to get a good feel for who I am as a person, because this is very personal work. It's also work that requires a lot of genuine joy. I bring great joy to this work, and humor, and passionate professionalism. Joy, humor and passionate professionalism can, and do, exist in harmony.
What are your ambitions?
I enjoy Emceeing events. My heroes (and friends) in that field are Jeff Civillico, Scott Bloom and Rob Ferre. My dream is to one day work indoors.
I'm the creative consultant for Scott Bloom's forthcoming book The Atomic Morning Miracle, where parody collides with practical wisdom. We are both very excited for this book's future.
I am now an official, licensed NYC Sightseeing Guide. Couples - if your out-of-town visitors are looking for something to do, have them book one of my tours! I can take them off of your hands for a few hours...
My private tours are found at www.WalkWithChris.com. Half-day tours, we figure out an itinerary for you. I also do a midtown tour (2 hours).