Choosing the right wedding celebrant or marraige officiant for your wedding is essential. You’ve found the partner, the dress, the venue and the photographer, but what about the person who will actually be there to officiate you saying ‘I do’? It’s an often overlooked part of wedding planning, but an important and personal one that can change your whole ceremony and the vibe of your Sea to Sky wedding festivities. Your wedding celebrant will be the person who will guide you as you plan the ceremony and walk you through all of the legal stuff, so choose someone that makes that process easy. 

Here are 5 questions to ask your Sea to Sky marraige officiant before you decide to choose them to officiate your wedding:

1. Are you local to my wedding location? 

It seems like a no brainer, but choosing a local wedding celebrant will save you time and money. You don’t want to be stressed that your celebrant is caught in traffic or worried they won’t find the field or garden you rented out for your wedding. Choosing someone who is local to the area will also mean you save money on travel fees and are giving the business to someone who knows the venues, locations and suppliers around your chosen wedding destination. 

2.What’s your ceremony length & style?

Some marraige officiants are funny and tell jokes, some like to keep it sweet and romantic, others add in readings and others keep it short and simple. Ask your proposed wedding celebrant to tell you how they describe their ceremony style. Make sure you feel comfortable with them and that their style matches with what you had envisioned. Take note of their cadence and how at ease they make you feel about the planning process and your questions.

Photo by Emily Serrell

3.What wedding venues do you work with?

Some marraige officiants work specifically with some venues, where others will work at any venue or location. It’s also good to know if your wedding celebrant is familiar with your chosen ceremony venue and if they have officiated a wedding there before. They can often have suggestions for where to stand, the layout of the ceremony/aisle and recommendations on the flow of a ceremony in a particular location. 

Photo by Leah Kathryn

4.How do you personalize a ceremony to a couple?

This question can really help you get to know your wedding celebrant and see how they are willing to work with you to create the ceremony you have envisioned. Finding an officiant who treats each ceremony and couple as unique as they are and who listens to the requests and ideas of the couple is ideal. Your couple story is personal and you want your ceremony to feel comfortable and authentic to you as a couple.

Photo by Tara Lily

5.Do you offer any other services?

Some wedding celebrants are also photographers, make up artists, or hair stylists or offer other wedding services that might save you time finding another vendor.  If you like your celebrant and they offer other services - why not hire them in other aspects of your wedding too? That means less vendors to communicate with and these services can often be packaged to help you save money. 

If you want to ask me these questions and get to know if I’m the right celebrant for you, please reach out, I’d love to meet you!

There are so many Squamish Wedding Venues in this increasingly popular location for hosting your wedding within the Sea-To-Sky area. With its gorgeous mountain backdrop, proximity to both Vancouver and Whistler, the possibilities are endless when it comes to finding your perfect wedding venue in Squamish. If Squamish isn’t on your radar yet, we’ve got 5 reasons to host your wedding, elopement or vow renewal in Squamish, BC. 

Photo by Emily Sorrell

1. Convenient Wedding Venue Location

Located right in the middle between popular Whistler and city-life Vancouver, Squamish is an ideal location for both your guests and vendors to find their way to your wedding. Only one hour from Vancouver and 40 minutes to Whistler, Squamish as a wedding location is an ideal middle man. Squamish offers easy access for Vancouver local guests or those traveling from abroad, and a quick trip for your guests up to Whistler for a visit to continue the good vibes and extend their vacation if they wish. 

Photo by Steve Stemmler and Tara Lilly

2. Amazing Local Vendors 

Finding local and reliable vendors who know your Squamish wedding venue location is key. Squamish locals and those who’ve moved there, often visit once, fall in love and never leave. There are so many hidden locations that only a local is aware of and choosing a local officiant, make-up artist, hair stylist, venue and photographer will make your wedding seamless and unique. Local Squamish vendors often know each other and love working together, so make sure you ask your first vendor if they have any recommendations. Some vendors even have all inclusive packages that will make the planning process a breeze. 

Photo by Tara Lilly

3. Multiple Photo Opportunities near your Squamish Wedding Venue

Squamish is aptly nicknamed ‘where the mountains meet the sea’ and you can see why. Surrounded by the Tantalus mountains including Stewamus Chief, if you’re a hiker there are magnificent viewpoints and if you’re not, the mountains boast an amazing backdrop. Squamish also has access to the north end of the Howe Sound as well as the Squamish River. So whether it’s mountains, sea or river (or all three!) you want as your wedding photo backdrop, Squamish has it all!

4. More Wedding Venue Options

Squamish wedding venues are like no other. From big open blank canvas spaces such as Sitka Farms & Cheekeye Ranch to spectacular views at the Sea To Sky Gondola to more intimate spaces such as at the Cheakamus Centre and Sunwolf Riverside Resort, Squamish offers wedding, elopements and vow renewals in all venue types. How many people can say they took a Gondola to their wedding venue? 

5. No or Lower Travel Cost for Vendors

When you choose a venue in a location a little further out from a main city such as Whistler for example, vendors often add a travel cost onto their rates to account for the 40 minutes - 2 hour drive they may need to get there from Squamish or Vancouver. When you choose a wedding venue location in Squamish you reduce that travel cost or completely omit it if choosing local vendors! Weddings can get expensive, booking local suppliers for your wedding will get rid of that unnecessary cost, and Squamish has an amazing group of professional wedding vendors to choose from!

The beauty of this not-so-hidden gem speaks for itself when you book your wedding here. Send us an email to discuss how we can make Squamish your perfect Sea-To-Sky wedding location!