FAQ:
|
Photo by Igor Khodzinskiy
|
..
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.
Who are your ideal clients?
Billionaires who spend money without thinking. Also, my couples are emotionally intelligent realists who are serious about their relationships but don't take themselves too seriously.
Isn't that on the front page of your website?
It is! Good eye. The truth is worth repeating.
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.
How long should a ceremony last?
Twenty minutes. Like TED Talks, 18-22 minutes is the ideal time to accomplish a meaningful ceremony without it taking too long. This timing also helps keep all the catering on time. Also, I'd LOVE to do a TED or TEDx talk -- if you have time, maybe you can nominate me?
TED Speaker Nomination
What is a FRIENDALIST?
Great question! A FRIENDALIST, always all caps, is a professional wedding officiant who gets to know you so well, your guests will think he's a friend of yours.
What makes you different than most officiants?
Experience and skill. With me, the ceremony is a performance, an elevated experience that highlights the best parts of the couple's relationship and fuels joy. This is a ceremony people will talk about for years to come. I articulate joy and make it entertaining, all without sacrificing meaning.
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. I'm also oddly very good at running rehearsals.
Were you serious about wanting to do a TED or TEDx Talk?
Serious as a heart attack! I think I'd be successful as a professional speaker, but I need to get that big break. Landing a TED or TEDx talk, I hear, would go a long way toward making that dream a reality. Here's the link again: TED Speaker Nomination
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! 23 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. TED Speaker Nomination
Is there a common thread among the couples you've married to each other?
Yes, and I have an entire TED or TEDx talk prepared to talk about just that. Amazingly, every couple I've ever married shares a few traits, but one in particular stands out. TED Speaker Nomination
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 seeing my couple happy and relieved when the ceremony goes really well.
I love when my couples belly laugh out loud during the ceremony, which gives everyone else permission to do the same.
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 making the guests laugh, and then moments later making them quiet, as they admire the beauty of the couple's story.
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 coaching DJs at big events like Midwest DJs Live.
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.
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 met Jeffrey Donovan, star of Burn Notice, on the set of Law & Order.
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.
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. Speaking of Scott Bloom...
I'm the creative consultant for Scott Bloom's forthcoming book The Atomic Morning Miracle, where parody collides with practical wisdom. Scott is one of the county's best and most experienced corporate emcees, and he also gives keynote speeches all around the country. We are both very excited for this book's future. I helped Scott plan out the book, write parts of it, hone and re-write jokes, add comedic details, cheer him up and keep him going, talk him out of some ideas and lead him toward other ideas, help him brainstorm, anything he needed to continue his creative journey toward producing this marvelous book. The Atomic Morning Miracle is the Self-Help Book for People Who Hate Self-Help Books.
I am now offering my services as a Success Architect, Creative Caddy, Author Momentum Coach, Success Coach, Ghost Writer and Collab Partner. (Also interested in hearing which title sounds best.)
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 tours are found at www.WalkWithChris.com. I do a midtown tour (2 hours) and a tour specializing in the theater district, called The Broadway Know-Shows Tour (90 mins.)
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.
Who are your ideal clients?
Billionaires who spend money without thinking. Also, my couples are emotionally intelligent realists who are serious about their relationships but don't take themselves too seriously.
Isn't that on the front page of your website?
It is! Good eye. The truth is worth repeating.
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.
How long should a ceremony last?
Twenty minutes. Like TED Talks, 18-22 minutes is the ideal time to accomplish a meaningful ceremony without it taking too long. This timing also helps keep all the catering on time. Also, I'd LOVE to do a TED or TEDx talk -- if you have time, maybe you can nominate me?
TED Speaker Nomination
What is a FRIENDALIST?
Great question! A FRIENDALIST, always all caps, is a professional wedding officiant who gets to know you so well, your guests will think he's a friend of yours.
What makes you different than most officiants?
Experience and skill. With me, the ceremony is a performance, an elevated experience that highlights the best parts of the couple's relationship and fuels joy. This is a ceremony people will talk about for years to come. I articulate joy and make it entertaining, all without sacrificing meaning.
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. I'm also oddly very good at running rehearsals.
Were you serious about wanting to do a TED or TEDx Talk?
Serious as a heart attack! I think I'd be successful as a professional speaker, but I need to get that big break. Landing a TED or TEDx talk, I hear, would go a long way toward making that dream a reality. Here's the link again: TED Speaker Nomination
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! 23 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. TED Speaker Nomination
Is there a common thread among the couples you've married to each other?
Yes, and I have an entire TED or TEDx talk prepared to talk about just that. Amazingly, every couple I've ever married shares a few traits, but one in particular stands out. TED Speaker Nomination
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 seeing my couple happy and relieved when the ceremony goes really well.
I love when my couples belly laugh out loud during the ceremony, which gives everyone else permission to do the same.
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 making the guests laugh, and then moments later making them quiet, as they admire the beauty of the couple's story.
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 coaching DJs at big events like Midwest DJs Live.
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.
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 met Jeffrey Donovan, star of Burn Notice, on the set of Law & Order.
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.
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. Speaking of Scott Bloom...
I'm the creative consultant for Scott Bloom's forthcoming book The Atomic Morning Miracle, where parody collides with practical wisdom. Scott is one of the county's best and most experienced corporate emcees, and he also gives keynote speeches all around the country. We are both very excited for this book's future. I helped Scott plan out the book, write parts of it, hone and re-write jokes, add comedic details, cheer him up and keep him going, talk him out of some ideas and lead him toward other ideas, help him brainstorm, anything he needed to continue his creative journey toward producing this marvelous book. The Atomic Morning Miracle is the Self-Help Book for People Who Hate Self-Help Books.
I am now offering my services as a Success Architect, Creative Caddy, Author Momentum Coach, Success Coach, Ghost Writer and Collab Partner. (Also interested in hearing which title sounds best.)
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 tours are found at www.WalkWithChris.com. I do a midtown tour (2 hours) and a tour specializing in the theater district, called The Broadway Know-Shows Tour (90 mins.)
