Carrie May Weddings

Welcome, and congratulations on your upcoming special event. Whether you are getting married, renewing your vows, or maybe even eloping, you will be looking for an officiant who can assist you in making your special day the best that it can be by creating a beautiful, personalized ceremony.

Testimonials
My husband and I were planning our wedding from our home state of Florida. All of our closest family lives in the Portland area, and we knew it would mean a great deal to all of them if we chose Portland as our wedding destination.

Carrie worked with me by phone and email several times over a six month period of time. She was patient, non-judgmental, and so friendly. By the time our big day came around, I felt like I already knew Carrie. She performed a flawless ceremony, and my husband and I were so pleased to hear the many lovely compliments on our ceremony.
Allison & Colin - 2009 
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Maureen Haley, Wedding Officiant Portland

Wonderful wedding ceremonies that will bring tears to your eyes, and make your hearts sing. Hundreds of weddings and a wealth of experience result in your heart-warming and romantic ceremony on your beautiful wedding day. I will be honored to marry the two of you, religious or non-religious, small or large, traditional or alternative. I am an award-winning wedding officiant and take pride in writing creative, unique ceremonies that truly reflect your love for each other. Please contact me for a complimentary consultation and I look forward to hearing about your wedding wishes.

Testimonials
Maureen was really great, providing lots of useful information and suggestions throughout the process. She wrote a beautiful ceremony for us, that was customized just for me and my husband. I really appreciate all she did to make our ceremony smooth and seamless, even making sure my new husband didn't see me before my walk down the aisle. You really can tell that she loves officiating weddings, and that she has tons of experience. It was really helpful to have her hold a rehearsal for my wedding-she guided my whole family and wedding party on everything they were supposed to do during the ceremony, before hand, so that everyone would know their role when the time came to do the real thing! She also gave us helpful guidance on how to obtain our marriage license. I don't have any negative feedback about Maureen--she was wonderful and I would recommend her to anyone!
H & A - 7.18.2010
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Affiliations
  • Founding Member, Wedding Network USA

Wedding officiants (also known as ministers, pastors, priests, reverends, and celebrants) are responsible for overseeing your wedding rehearsal, conducting the ceremony, and submitting the legal documentation formalizing the marriage to the state. Choosing the right officiant involves knowing your options, the type of ceremony you have envisioned, and the personal connection you feel.

There are three main types of officiants:

  • A professional officiant specializes in weddings, and typically conducts multiple services each weekend. The best way to choose a professional officiant is to meet with them and get a feel for their personality and style. Likewise, the initial meeting is a chance for you to give the wedding officiant insight into your personality and any special requests that you have for the ceremony.
  • A personal pastor or priest may conduct your ceremony, particularly if you are an active part of the congregation or parish.Some churches do require that you use the resident officiant, so if you are planning a church ceremony ask about restrictions early in the planning process.
  • A family member or friend who has a legal license can perform the ceremony. Yes, this option is inexpensive and personal, but comes with some fairly strong caveats. First, only consider a friend or family member if you are an extremely low-stress, go-with-the-flow kind of couple with extremely low-stress, go-with-the-flow families. When a non-professional conducts the ceremony, you simply never know what will happen! Second, unless they have substantial experience performing wedding ceremonies, many of the officiant duties (such as coordinating the rehearsal, organizing the ceremony timeline, and even getting the proper legal paperwork) will often fall back on you. Third, if for some reason the ceremony does not go as planned, it could jeopardize your relationship with your friend or family member. Our recommendation is if you are in doubt, hire a professional.LA Wedding Officiant

Here are questions we recommend asking when selecting an officiant:

  1. Are they available for your wedding date and location?
  2. Are there any requirements, such as pre-marital counseling or church membership?
  3. How many years has he/she been performing wedding ceremonies, and how many a year does he/she conduct?
  4. What is the fee associated with the wedding, and does it include the rehearsal?
  5. How will they include your ‘personal touches’ such as special readings, music, vows, or traditions into the ceremony?
  6. If a sermon or message will be delivered as part of the ceremony, can you have input on the length and topic?
  7. How can they personalize the service to reflect your unique relationship?
  8. Will they handle the filing of the marriage license, and is there any additional charge?

Follow these guidelines, and you are sure to have a ceremony that is a beautiful, well-orchestrated reflection of your unique relationship!