I Said Yes!

I’m excited to announce that I was proposed to the other day!

Yes, I’m married and have been happily married since 2005. No, I’m not getting married to someone else either.

So, who proposed to me, and if I’m not getting married, what did I say yes to?

I was asked to marry my nephew and his fiance! In other words, they asked me to officiate their wedding, and I said yes!

This was such a fun play on words, and the fact that they got down on one knee each while presenting me with an amazingly huge, decorated, chocolate chip Eileen’s cookie was fantastic. I had no idea what they were doing. It was totally unexpected. The surprise effect they were going for was a success.

I’m beyond thrilled to be a part of their big day and I’ve already started researching ceremony ideas to share with them to get a better feel for what they want. I already know short and sweet, but there’s a lot of directions we could take it.

Not My First

Obviously since I’ve been married for years this wasn’t my first marriage proposal. This also wasn’t the first time I was asked to officiate a wedding. Two years ago I officiated a wedding for a friend for the first time but haven’t done another since.

Being the officiant was such a wonderful experience I’ve wanted to do it again. Thanks to my years in speech contest and theater back in high school I learned how to do public speaking. Clear, loud, projected voice. A microphone helps, but I can command a room without one if needed. Having a script in front of me and time to practice takes the pressure off, and knowing that even though I’m the one speaking, I’m not the center of attention gives my anxiety a break. It’s the perfect job for me. It’s something that allows me to use my talents to make an event shine without being the focus.

Getting Ordained

Years ago, back in 2007 to be exact, I became an officiant through Universal Life Church. I’m not a religious person, and honestly I only became ordained with a friend of mine just because we thought it would be fun. Once I received my certificate and called the county clerk to see if it was actually something I could use, I became a bit more interested in the idea of officiating a marriage. I was always skeptical of online ordination, but it’s legit, at least in my state.

It took me several years to make use of my certification, but I eventually used it on that wedding back in 2015. Now that I’ve gone through the motions for a ceremony, I know it’s something I can do. I know how to do the ceremony from planning to execution, and I’ve learned how to fill out the marriage license.

My nephew’s wedding is going to be awesome.

Do you think having a friend or family member officiate a wedding makes it more personal?