Carolyn and Ryan

Bonnie was an amazing officiant for our wedding! From our initial meeting to the ceremony, she was professional, warm, and attentive to details. Bonnie took the time to understand our story and made our ceremony truly unique.
Her experience was evident as she guided us through various ceremony options, helping us create something special that reflected our personalities. On the wedding day, Bonnie’s delivery was flawless, and her words resonated with everyone present. Guests praised her, noting how she captured the essence of our relationship. Bonnie’s positive energy made our ceremony memorable. We highly recommend Bonnie for couples seeking a dedicated and personable officiant. Thank you, Bonnie, for making our day truly special!

Carolyn & Ryan
Married November 2023

Jess and Matt

Photography by Whim & Willow Photography

Enduring Promises Officiant Jeffrey Johnston was absolutely incredible!! We were married this past October 2023.

From our initial zoom meeting with Jeff we knew right away that he was who we wanted with us on our special day. He is genuine, positive and professional throughout our entire process. He made us feel comfortable and took all of the stress away knowing that he had thoroughly reviewed our ceremony script and provided some wonderful suggestions and comments.

Jeffrey truly made an impact on our entire experience. He led our rehearsal at the venue the night before in a very calm and organized manor making sure everyone knew timing and their roles and he even took the time to get to know my entire family afterwards.

On the day of the wedding, I truly felt there was no stress as I walked down the aisle and the ceremony started. Jeff delivered our ceremony with sincerity and together with our families we absolutely loved it. Every moment of the ceremony was beautiful and it was so special to us.

Thank you so much!!

Jess & Matt
Married October 2023

Six things to look for in an Officiant…

Authored by: Brian Manuel

The venue is booked, you now have a date, time and location for your wedding to take place.  You possibly have your photographer and music taken care of as well.

Now that you have an idea of when, where and who is going to be involved in that special day, what about the person that’s actually going to officiate your ceremony?

The officiant plays a significant part in your day.  The ceremony is more than a prelude to a great party, it is the beginning of the next chapter of life and should reflect your personalities, vision and of course your values.

So, what should you look for when searching for an officiant? I’m glad you asked …

1.  Flexibility

The ceremony is a reflection of what you both want.  It’s important to ensure that the Officiant you choose is someone who is flexible and willing to work with you, to help create the ceremony YOU want, where you get to choose every word that is spoken.  This is your day, not the Officiants, so make sure they will help you carry out your vision. 

2. Personable

This may sound like a simple thing, but it is so very important.  When you select an Officiant make sure they are friendly.   It’s important that you and your families get the sense that you are being married by a friend, without being married by a friend.

Your Officiant must be professional and able to work under just about any condition, for example what do they do if a microphone quits during the ceremony?  At the same time, they must be warm and personable so as to set a mood that is relaxed, putting you both at ease, instead of on edge of what is coming next.

Ask yourself this question “when I see this person on my special day, how will I feel? Relaxed or stressed?

3. Detailed

An Officiant isn’t a wedding planner, but they ought to have a sense of what is happening around them and an eye for detail. 

They are there to make your day everything you hoped it would be and if they can look around and pick up on small things, you’re in great hands.  For example, at a wedding an Officiant was seen asking a relative who had parked their walker in the aisle if it could be moved for the ceremony (it wasn’t infringing on the actual aisle, but it looked terrible in photos).  The wedding could have gone ahead without doing this and technically the Officiant wasn’t required to deal with this situation, but they were thinking ahead, knowing how it would look on the photos that would be cherished for years to come.

You may not be able to assess what your potential Officiant would do in this situation during your first meeting with them.  You can however listen to them talk about your ceremony in detail.  If they are not aware of what makes for great photos, then maybe they aren’t the Officiant for you.

4. Punctual

Again, this is a simple request. but vitally important.  When you first met them, were they on time (or early) for your meeting?  If you have not yet met them, please pay attention to that.  It will tell you lots about who they are as a person and if you can depend on them to be on time for your special day.

Ask how far in advance they plan to arrive. Venues are becoming more focused on timing, and you do not want to be waiting for your Officiant to show up for your ceremony to start.

5. Credible

Do they have positive reviews?  Specifically, do the reviews speak well of their personality and the way they conducted themselves?  Yes, you want someone who as a great voice and can project well but more importantly you want someone who is engaging and a review that reflects that is GOLD!

The greatest reviews are the ones that refer to the fact that the couple felt as if they were being married by a friend.

Are they registered to Officiate marriages in your Province?  There should be a list provided by a governing body to verify they are.

Finally, make sure that you have a good combination of someone who is personable and professional.  This may be a lot to determine in one meeting, but the real question is, do you feel a connection with the person you are meeting with or met with?  Trust your instincts!!!

6. Knowledgeable

Are they familiar with the important aspects of a ceremony and how to manage it?

For example, have they done a wedding at your venue, or at the very least, have they researched the venue to see what the ceremony space looks like?

Do they have experience in performing ceremonies, are they familiar with all the different elements of a ceremony, such as mother’s/family rose presentation, ring warming, love letter ceremony, etc.?

From a legal standpoint, do they have a good understanding of what needs to be done with the license after the ceremony is completed?

About the Author

Brian has worked with hundreds of couples to identify their vision and help them create a ceremony that reflects them and their vision. He is a husband, father, friend, cyclist, scuba diver, golfer, teacher and passionate about his family and work. Brian would love to help you imagine, create and celebrate your dream wedding ceremony.

Amanda and Robert

Ron Shantz was absolutely perfect! He went above our expectations and you can tell he has been doing this job thoughtfully for many years.

Throughout the entire process he was very responsive and supportive, as we had to reschedule our wedding three times because of the pandemic, Ron was with us every step of the way with his everlasting patience.

As I stated before, Ron is very thoughtful. Even the small details like simply stepping to the side during the ceremony while he speaks about our love story so we can get some awesome pictures, made a huge difference. Our entire bridal party and family enjoyed his kindness and sense of humour, as he coached us through the rehearsal and also did an excellent job on the day of the wedding. Ron was also very presentable on both occasions, and has a calming nature about him.

I don’t think Ron could have done anything differently to improve the experience, it was just all around a 10/10. He definitely helped reduce my stress throughout the whole process, and made sure that we were comfortable with our ceremony (which I wrote using their handy database!) I loved being able to piece together my ceremony on the Enduring Promises website, it was an incredibly useful tool. Overall, I was very happy with my decision to choose Enduring Promises as our officiant company and I have already recommended the services to a few other brides with upcoming weddings! Ron, thank you so much for making our day so perfect! 

Amanda & Robert
Married July 2023