This role was brand new to me and I wanted to do it justice so I took Officiate Like a Pro! And boy am I glad I did! The course told me everything I needed to know to make their wedding day exquisite, special, personalized and memorable for all. It gave me the perfect questions to ask to ensure they had the ceremony of their dreams. It informed me of common pitfalls in preparing a wedding ceremony and shared info from lessons learned over Heather's many years and hundreds of weddings officiated. Needless to say, I went from having zero idea what I was doing to creating and leading a ceremony that reaped extraordinary feedback from even the least expected attendees and upmost gratitude from the newlyweds! Any time I learn of someone officiating for the first time, I tell them to sign up for Officiate Like a Pro! 

Before "Officiate Like A Pro" I felt completely lost, didn't even know what I didn't know. There was certainly a moment when the bride asked me, "So do you have any ideas for officiating?" and I was like, "No, I thought you would tell me!" But after "Officiate Like A Pro" I felt so good! Confident and calm - like I had a really good understanding of the officiant's role, the general structure of a wedding was, and what we needed to figure out with the bride and groom. And I also felt like I had picked up so much wisdom and so many tips that I never would have gotten on my own. The script formatting was one of the most helpful pieces, without a doubt. We never would have thought to do that on our own. And I think it was so brilliant and made everything so smooth. Also, when we did the "Community Blessing" section that Heather so highly recommends, and turned the bride and groom out to have everyone shower them with love, they got a standing ovation. It was so beautiful! This course was so worth it!

Being a somewhat naturally introverted person, I frankly initially thought of it (officiating) as a burden....would I do it right or be 'good' enough? Overall, Heather helped with the structure of the service, how to interact with the two people getting married, making sure to keep it light, coaching on how to stay calm and seem selfless, and knowing that even if you screw up in some way, love conquers all!

Before Officiate Like A Pro I was a little nervous and lost, I wasn't sure exactly where to begin. Walking through the structure of the ceremony and having a script template was super helpful! I felt a little more confident, having guidance helps a lot! The little tips and tricks I learned, like having a clip to keep the pages together when there was wind, or where to keep the rings to avoid dropping them; the reminder of taking pauses to breathe, and how to manage the pace of the ceremony better - all of this was so helpful. It was a great honor and experience to get to do this and I couldn't have done it without Heather's coaching!