Why It’s Important To Meet With Your Officiant (Before The Day Of Your Wedding)

Planning a wedding, especially if both your family and your partner's family are involved, can easily feel like trying to make an elaborate dinner with way too many cooks in the kitchen. Anything that helps you clarify the details of the big day (without too much input from the peanut gallery) is more than welcome — and meeting with your wedding's officiant ahead of time falls squarely into that category.

Some officiants actually require that you meet well before your wedding day, if only for the sake of logistics. You want them to remember everyone's name, right? But, beyond making sure their facts are straight, meeting with your officiant — and being willing to speak openly about your relationship with them — can offer more meaningful, long-term effects, too.

Ahead, we spoke with Renelle Nelson, LMFT, CST, a marriage and family therapist, about how your relationship could benefit from what seems like merely another step in planning your wedding.