Today we are highlighting one of our Vendor Guide members, ‘More Than Words’ Wedding Officiant! We had a little Q&A with Deborah Mullinix, and we are excited to share our convo with you! If you are looking for an authentic and personally crafted wedding ceremony – be sure to check out ‘More Than Words’ Wedding Officiant!

Tell us about yourself and your company.

As a professional, award-winning wedding Officiant… I bring genuine enthusiasm and happiness to every wedding I officiate. The couples I marry, and their guests feel the warmth and sincerity of the words I speak during their ceremony. I am always rewarded at the end of weddings, with remarks from the family members and friends, who tell me that “that was the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever seen,” and also a few folks have said, “I’m thinking about getting a divorce, so we can hire you to marry us again.” Ha ha.

When a couple chooses me as their Officiant, we work together to create a very special and memorable wedding ceremony that they and their guests will always remember. My goal is to express to the guests how much the couple really appreciates them being there for their special day, and also how much the couple appreciates them as the most important people in their lives. The invited guests feel they are a part of the wedding; not just watching two people get married.

How did you find yourself in the wedding industry?

I became interested in being ordained as an Officiant about 7 years ago, after being asked to speak at a few funerals. Shortly after speaking at a couple funerals, more people began asking me to become ordained so that I could actually “officiate” the funeral. I took their advice, and became ordained. After the last funeral I officiated, one of the guests asked me if I would speak to her about marrying her and her fiancé. I met with them, married them, and have performed more than 314 weddings since that day.

What surprises you about weddings?

The majority of the couples who hire me, meet with me and tell me they want a ceremony that is “short-n-sweet.” They admit that they view the actual ceremony as just a “formality,” which precludes the actual “wedding – the reception – the fun stuff.”

However.. after they see and hear all of the choices I have to offer to make their wedding more special than they had thought it would be.. they end up choosing many segments to their ceremony and let me craft a very personal ceremony unlike they had imagined. It pleases me to say that even though the ceremony, which was originally suppose to be short-n-sweet, combines many meaningful segments that the couple chooses, and they are so happy to realize that the actual wedding is even more meaningful and special than the reception party that follows.

What’s your favorite part about a wedding?

As for my favorite part of a wedding… there are a few: (1) When the bride walks down the aisle. I see the nervous smile and I feel the anticipation with the couple. (2) When the couple say their wedding vows to each other. Whether they are repeating the words after me, or reading their own words.. I feel the emotion in their words, and appreciate the love that they are feeling for each other at the time. There are more, but every wedding and every couple is different. I am always touched by the emotion when the couples’ parents/family members engage in a “family blessing.”

What’s the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your field?

What I stress to my couples is that there really is not “traditional” wedding anymore. Most couples do not want what they perceive as a traditional wedding ceremony, but yet still like to incorporate the tradition of the father or grandfather walking the bride down the aisle to her groom. Every wedding is different and unique, with many diverse family circles. I applaud the bride who has a natural father and a stepfather, and chooses to include both of them to walk her down the aisle. I applaud the separated/divorced parents who come together for their children who are getting married with grace and civility. When a couple is in a quandary about how to include family members in their wedding, I offer diplomatic suggestions, and the couple immediately feel a sense of relief that the stress of worrying about the family dynamics/feelings is being taken care of. I encourage my couples to include a few special segments in their weddings, to make it even more memorable – such as the sand ceremony, unity candle, tree planting ceremony, wine ceremony, the broom ceremony, the love knot ceremony, childrens’ ceremony, community support ceremony, parental support ceremony, etc.

A good piece of advice for brides and/or grooms to be?

(1) I would advise to begin the process as early as possible, to find and secure their vendors. May and September/October are the absolute busiest months for weddings. Myself and other vendors have many weddings on our calendar for 2017 and 2018 already. To find and secure the best possible vendors, begin as early as your budget will allow. (2) Don’t blindly choose your vendors – ask people you know who have been through the process to gain their thoughts and ideas. (3) Go by your instincts. If the vendor is giving you an enthusiastic and genuine good vibe, that person/company is for you. If you feel “iffy” about the vendor .. keep looking. (4) Many couples these days, are hiring many vendors to “entertain” their guests at either the wedding or their reception. That is wonderful .. the couples want to make sure their reception is memorable, fun and perhaps entertaining to their guests. An event coordinator is definitely helpful in this regard. (5) Choose an Officiant that you feel a connection with – one who genuinely cares about you and making your wedding day even more special than you have imagined. Choose me .. ‘More Than Words’ Wedding Officiant. Thank you. Marry On!

GET IN TOUCH!

Website – www.morethanwordsweddingofficiant.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/MoreThanWordsWeddingOfficiant/
Email – WeddingOfficiantDebbi@yahoo.com
Phone – 410-733-2577