The Absent Officiant

Dear Wedding Officiant,

You truly believed the wedding could not begin because you were not present?

Ha!

Allow me to introduce a rarely discussed yet highly effective contingency plan called “There’s a Minister in the Family.”

Let us clarify a few things, for educational purposes:

• Marriage is a legal act, not a personal performance tour.

• Credentials matter, but punctuality does too.

• If a licensed cousin is present, the ceremony will proceed with joy, legality, and rhythm.

• The envelope has already been distributed appropriately. Please do not double back looking confused.

This is not shade. This is logistics.

As planners, our responsibility is to:

• Protect the timeline

• Honor the couple

• Keep Auntie Doris from whispering “now what?” in the front row

If the ceremony begins without you, it is not personal.

It is project management.

So yes, you are welcome to turn around and go home safely.

The couple is married.

The kiss has been kissed.

The family minister understood the assignment.

Signed with love, clarity, and a clipboard,

Pretty Petty Planner