Meet Our “Friendor”: Personal Weddings of North Carolina
FRIENDOR FEATURE SERIES
feat. Personal W
eddings of North Carolina
Website: www.personalweddingsnc.com
Instagram: @personalweddingsnc
Services/Products Offered: Officiant
Number of Years in Business: 25
Number of Members on Team: 1
Describe the experience you want your clients to receive when working with you and your company: I am much more than a vendor with my couples. My goal is to be their friend, mentor, and helper throughout the ceremony planning process. I don’t use pre-scripted ceremonies or templates. All ceremonies are completely custom and created only after getting to know the couple. My couples receive unlimited planning and consultation for all aspects of their ceremony.
What are some questions that couples should ask when interviewing you and other companies that offer services in your line of business? The selection of an officiant should focus on three primary areas.
- Experience – how long has the officiant been creating ceremonies and do they have experience in a wide variety of ceremonies (religious, secular, interfaith, etc.)?
- Training and expertise – how did the officiant learn their craft? Were they trained to be an officiant (seminary, coursework, etc.) or did they learn from watching YouTube videos?
- Attention to the couple’s needs and wants – does the officiant start with a template and multiple-choice options or do they listen to the couple and learn their personality/style before creating the ceremony?
What price range should clients expect to pay for professional, quality services in your line of business? My personalized ceremonies range from $450 to $850 depending on the complexity of the ceremony, high season vs. low season, etc.
What sets your services apart from your competitors? Unlike other officiants, I don’t start discussing the details of a wedding ceremony until I spend time getting to know the couple first. I’m one of the only officiants in the Triangle area who has actual church experience and seminary training so that I understand all of the nuances of planning religious ceremonies.
What do you enjoy most about your line of work? The relationships! Because of my style and philosophy, I spend time getting to know my couples and understanding their history, family traditions, etc. It’s common for me to get to know their families during the process as well. I’ve maintained many of those relationships over the years and have even performed infant baptisms and baby dedications for many of my couples.
If you had a month to go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do? That’s easy. My wife and I hope to spend several weeks in the Italian countryside (Tuscany) enjoying the cuisine and, of course, the wine!
Chestnut & Vine’s “Friendor Feature Series” showcases our talented vendor friends (“friendors”) who share our passion for weddings, strive for excellence, have big hearts and are always fun to be around. In this Q&A-style blog, we hope to provide you with a more personal look into the heartbeat and purpose behind their highly respected business.
