Surprisingly, most couples don't put too much thought into their selection of an offficant for their wedding ceremony. Many simply start off looking for the cheapest one available. Perhaps, they think that they're all the same, like commodities because their experience to date has been that most wedding ceremonies are really awful ordeals that have to be endured rather than enjoyed.

In most cases, they may be right yet there are a few officiants in Ottawa who really stand out from the rest of the crowd. The difference between the average officiant and an excellent one is extraordinary and when you've experienced a great one, you really know it and the wonderful memory stays with you for a very long time.

Look again at the photo above and you can quickly see instant, visible proof of officiation excellence in action. Notice that the wedding party are all facing their guests. Wedding guests come to see the bride, groom and wedding party and they want more than just an overly-long stare at their rear ends and backs.

See how the officiant (Lynne, in this case) stands amongst the guests where she can be heard easily by all of the guests; and of equal importantance, is not standing behind the couple and thus showing up in every closeup photo of them.

Consider how the seating placement has been tapered in the two front rows to eliminate the usual two hard corners and to open up the viewing angle for both guests and photographers, resulting in a much more pleasing view.

Parents of the bride and groom are seated diagonally opposite their daughter/son to enhance their enjoyment of this unique experience.

And all of this has already registered a strong, positive impact upon the ceremony experience of every guest before even a single word has been spoken!

Now imagine what it's like when the ceremony itself builds upon this innovative commencement and carries the momentum further with a highly personalized, custom ceremony script that everyone hears and enjoys. There is no other element of the wedding that can make such a tangible improvement in the experience that you, your family, and guests will have that day for so little an investment.

There are lots of questions you should ask any officiant that you are considering for your ceremony. Ask lots of questions, get to know your potential officiant both as a person and as a professional. Go read reviews of them and see what other brides and grooms who have used them have said about them and their services. Here are some of the most important ones to ask:

How much ceremony experience do you have? Lynne and Keith have over 16 years collective experience in performing over 850 unique ceremonies. They are Ottawa's only full time professional ceremony officiants, offering a full range of ceremonies for weddings, elopements, renewal of vows, baptisms & child welcomings, and, funerals & memorial services. As well, Lynne and Keith each have over 35 years of experience speaking before large groups as well as many years of involvement in local theatrical productions.

Where can I learn more in detail about you and your officiation style? Lynne and Keith have this 40+ page website specifically about their unique officiation approach and one full page of biographical background on them. This is the largest website of its type serving the Ottawa area.

Can I meet you face-to-face before deciding whether to hire you or leave a deposit? Absolutely! In fact, Lynne and Keith prefer to meet most prospective clients first to ensure that the chemistry is a good fit. For their Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze package clients, they offer a complimentary one hour consultation with both of them in the privacy of their own home before you need to commit to anything. For couples remote from Ottawa, this is easily done by phone.

How much time do you actually spend with the couple to learn about what they want when developing their ceremony? Lynne and Keith usually meet each couple face-to-face two-three times and spend two-four hours directly with them prior to each ceremony. This is in addition to the time they spend on email exchanges and telephone converstions as well as developing draft ceremony scripts.

Can we see your standard ceremony script? Not really, as they don't have a same old, one template fits all type script. Each script Lynne and Keith develops is unique to the couple and designed to fit them like tailored made clothing. They can show you samples of scripts written for other couples, however, yours will be quite different from these once they are finished.

Who does the work in researching and proposing optional script content? While Lynne and Keith will develop an initial draft starter script for you, they will also provide you with a wide range of alternative wording options and ceremony content that you can choose from if you prefer. They will work with you throughout the process and will do the final formatting themselves.

How do you help us write our own vows? Definitely! Forget the blank sheet of paper, Lynne and Keith will walk you through six different styles of vows to choose from and then share with you numerous wording options that reflect you as a couple yet still allow you to customize the content as much as you want. No memorization required as they will print your vows on cards that you can read from during the ceremony.

When do we have to complete our script revisions? While they target to have the script completed about a month before the ceremony, in most situations, Lynne and Keith can accept last minute revisions up to the day before the ceremony.

When can we communicate with you? Lynne and Keith are available literally 24/7 by email and from 8:00 am till 10:00 pm each day (weekdays and weekends) for telephone calls and meetings. Because developing and performing ceremonies is their only job, you don't have to wait for them to return from their day job to connect with them or go through a middle-man during office hours. They are usually able to reply to inquiries and questions within minutes unless they are away for a few hours.

What are the most number of ceremonies that you perform on an afternoon? Lynne and Keith limit the number of weddings they perform any afternoon to a maximum of two, both of which are usually spaced two or more hours in between. They do this so that they can provide you with the best possible service and to ensure you a stress free experience, especially if things run somewhat behind your schedule. Officiants who perform as many as five ceremonies per afternoon cannot offer even a similar level of service.

When do you arrive at a ceremony? Lynne and Keith usually arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled ceremony time. Even though most ceremonies do not exceed 30 minutes in length, they are on site for 75-90 minutes .

Why should I choose you as my wedding officiant over anyone else on my list? Lynne and Keith are full time ceremony professionals who specialize in customizing your ceremony to exactly what you’re after. Their extensive, personal touch is renown and unmatched in the Ottawa area. On your wedding day, they’ll be a calming presence for you, your wedding party and your guests.

If the ceremony starts late, will you cut out part of the script? Ever hear of a bride who arrived late or a ceremony that didn't start on time because the guests hadn't all arrived? It would be a very rare day if Lynne and Keith had to cut out part of the ceremony because they needed to get to another scheduled ceremony. They build in an extra 15-30 minute buffer period (and often more) in every ceremony to cover off any unanticipated delays. Lynne and Keith believe that your ceremony deserves their full attention and focus and they ensure that their scheduling will not be the source of any stress for you during your wedding day.

How often have couples and guests told you that your ceremony was the best that they have ever attended in their lives? For most weddings that Lynne and Keith perform, they hear this said to them most of the time. More importantly, their brides and grooms hear it as well from their guests who really mean it when they say it to them.

What do you wear to the wedding ceremony? Only clean and pressed, professional looking, conservatively styled suits without any religious ornamentation. In reviewing officiants and photographers website photos, you might be surprised at some of the overly religious, flamboyant or tasteless outfits worn by some officiants!

If you were a wedding client, what would you wish you knew about your profession? Any inside secrets to share? That experience really counts; it makes the difference between a enjoyable (problem-free) experience for everyone or a bland ordinary ceremony or even a disaster.

These questions will help you get a sense of what you're getting for your investment in offficiation services. Once you've talked to a few officiants, you should be able to quickly appreciate the differences in the levels of service that they provide to you and why the cheapest officiant available almost always provides the least value to you.

You can contact Lynne & Keith at keith@exceptionalceremonies.com or at 613 - 831 - 7555 in Ottawa. They're usually around most days and evenings.