Hi everyone! I was wondering whether I should invite my officiant to the reception. I do not know him well, nor do I attend his church. But I am wondering whether I should invite him out of courtesy. Also, does that mean I should invite his wife as well? Is anyone inviting their officiant to the wedding, even if they don't know him/her well?
*Edit* If I invite him and his wife, do I need to give them an invitation as well?
I've always heard to invite them and their spouse. Like you, I don't know mine well because i don't attend their church, but i thought i would extend the invite.
You should send an invitation to the officiant and his/her spouse - for the wedding, reception, and of course the rehearsal dinner if you are having one. Traditionally, you also seat them at the head table (again, if you are having one).
Whether or not they attend the RD or reception probably depends on the relationship you have with them. Our officiant (a retired pastor) and his wife are people that we just met in looking for someone to marry us, but through the process of premarital counseling we have gotten to know each other rather well. They are comnig to the RD and to the reception (and she will of course also be at the wedding).
Thank you for bringing up this issue! We've been wondering whether to invite our officiant (and his wife) too. He was recommended to us by a friend of ours, who I believe just picked his name from a list of recommended officiants. He's a lovely man but we're already paying him $500 to perform the ceremony and are reluctant to pay an extra $250 for him and his wife to attend the reception since we don't really know either of them.
i wouldn't invite them. my FSIL is going to be our officiant so she is of course coming anyway, but if it was just an officiant i was hiring then definitely no.
unless it is a special case where you really like them and are already friends. that's not the case in your situation so i think youre safe to not invite them.
you are paying them for a service. they do their job and are on their way. they might not even want to stay.
are we also supposed to invite the florist? where do you draw the line?
it should be based on how you feel about them not a sense of obligation.
Well, typically you don't treat the officiant like a vendor. But then typically, you would be spending some time with this person before the ceremony - you would know them at least a little; they would know you well enough to say something meaningful about your relationship. If you really spent no more quality time with your officiant than your florist...
Yes, you invite both him and his wife. This is standard "procedure" and etiquiette -- even if it is simply a hired officiant. If he feels comfortable staying he will, otherwise he will politely turn down your invitation.
No, you do not invite your florist.
Yes, you do feed your photographer, dj, and coordinator.
The difference is that your officiant gets an offical invitation and the same meal as the guests; whereas, your vendors may only get a "vendor meal". Technically your officiant is not a vendor.
I would invite him and his wife out of respect for doing the wedding! I think that it would be rude for him to do the wedding, and not invite him to dinner. It's only one or two more people added to your list, not too many!
Hi everyone! I was wondering whether I should invite my officiant to the reception. I do not know him well, nor do I attend his church. But I am wondering whether I should invite him out of courtesy. Also, does that mean I should invite his wife as well? Is anyone inviting their officiant to the wedding, even if they don't know him/her well?
*Edit* If I invite him and his wife, do I need to give them an invitation as well?
posted by tivoli 41 posts 5 months agoI plan to invite mine, as fo her spouse - you know I never thought of it.
I'll be interestecd to see hat everyone else says bout the spouse thing.
posted by Sweeney2Be 1,488 posts 5 months agoYes, invite him and his wife. They probably won't stay long, but it's the courteous thing to do.
posted by maryalison 105 posts 5 months agoI've always heard to invite them and their spouse. Like you, I don't know mine well because i don't attend their church, but i thought i would extend the invite.
posted by kourtann 84 posts 5 months agoDefinitely invite them.
posted by bethgraced 105 posts 5 months agoYes, you absolutely invite both of them!! And yes, send them an invitation!
posted by LeahB 342 posts 5 months agoYou should send an invitation to the officiant and his/her spouse - for the wedding, reception, and of course the rehearsal dinner if you are having one. Traditionally, you also seat them at the head table (again, if you are having one).
Whether or not they attend the RD or reception probably depends on the relationship you have with them. Our officiant (a retired pastor) and his wife are people that we just met in looking for someone to marry us, but through the process of premarital counseling we have gotten to know each other rather well. They are comnig to the RD and to the reception (and she will of course also be at the wedding).
posted by suzanno 1,978 posts 5 months agoThank you for bringing up this issue! We've been wondering whether to invite our officiant (and his wife) too. He was recommended to us by a friend of ours, who I believe just picked his name from a list of recommended officiants. He's a lovely man but we're already paying him $500 to perform the ceremony and are reluctant to pay an extra $250 for him and his wife to attend the reception since we don't really know either of them.
posted by swp02138 71 posts 5 months agoi wouldn't invite them. my FSIL is going to be our officiant so she is of course coming anyway, but if it was just an officiant i was hiring then definitely no.
unless it is a special case where you really like them and are already friends. that's not the case in your situation so i think youre safe to not invite them.
you are paying them for a service. they do their job and are on their way. they might not even want to stay.
are we also supposed to invite the florist? where do you draw the line?
it should be based on how you feel about them not a sense of obligation.
good luck
posted by SugaryRocks 60 posts 5 months agoWell, typically you don't treat the officiant like a vendor. But then typically, you would be spending some time with this person before the ceremony - you would know them at least a little; they would know you well enough to say something meaningful about your relationship. If you really spent no more quality time with your officiant than your florist...
posted by suzanno 1,978 posts 5 months agosuzanno has a point!
i don't think of it this way since when we are not members of any religion or church and it would only be a vendor to me.
i think every situation is different.
posted by SugaryRocks 60 posts 5 months agoYes.
posted by Angel 629 posts 5 months agoYes, you invite both him and his wife. This is standard "procedure" and etiquiette -- even if it is simply a hired officiant. If he feels comfortable staying he will, otherwise he will politely turn down your invitation.
No, you do not invite your florist.
Yes, you do feed your photographer, dj, and coordinator.
The difference is that your officiant gets an offical invitation and the same meal as the guests; whereas, your vendors may only get a "vendor meal". Technically your officiant is not a vendor.
posted by caliocteach 720 posts 5 months agoI would invite him and his wife out of respect for doing the wedding! I think that it would be rude for him to do the wedding, and not invite him to dinner. It's only one or two more people added to your list, not too many!
posted by tiffelise 6 posts 5 months ago