Wait...Who Will Actually Marry Us?

One of the most important things we had to figure out in the wedding planning was who is going to actually marry us? As I mentioned before, since Gary is Catholic and I am Protestant, we wanted to have a non-denominational ceremony but still have God play a part. I really wasn't sure what to do about an officiant. We don't really know anyone who is ordained...although we played around with the idea of having one of our good friends become ordained (you know, one of those Internet deals). In the end, we decided in order to fulfill our desire for a religious ceremony, we better stick with the people who do it best.

We began our search by simply googling Michigan Wedding Minister. There are plenty out there but it amazes me how many ministers treat weddings as a business. They were offering packages, just like a photographer would. For $300 dollars we get an hour ceremony and no consultation beforehand. (Do you think we really would want someone who has never even met us to perform our ceremony? I think not.) But for $400 we could have an hour ceremony plus a 30 minute consultation. But for $500 we could have an hour ceremony plus a 30 minute consultation and unlimited email conversations. Or, if we wanted the platinum package, for $600 we could have an hour ceremony, a 30 minute consultation, unlimited email conversations AND we could personalize the ceremony to our liking.

I was totally turned off by all of this. So we turned to our recommended vendor list that we got from Mill Race Village and found Phil Rogers. My first phone conversation with him was great so we decided to sit down and meet him face to face. One of the biggest things we were looking for in a minister was someone who wasn't stuffy and would have a little fun with us. Phil Rogers seemed to fit the bill. He's a huge MSU fan and told us all about how he played basketball with Magic Johnson in high school. He and Gary talked sports for a good chunk of our time with him. He's definitely got a sense of humor which fits our style perfectly. So we booked him. One flat fee, no nonsense of what we do and don't get. Check that to do item off the list.