A few weeks ago my wife and I received a phone call from my step-daughter. She called to tell us she was going to marry her long time boyfriend, and was coming to North Carolina to do it. During the phone call she made an unexpected request. She wanted to know if I’d be willing to go through the necessary steps to be able to perform the ceremony. To be honest I’d never really considered being an officiant at a wedding, but how could I turn down a request like that. To be frank I found the request to be quite touching. It made me feel like I was something more than a man that had been forced into her life because her mother decided to get remarried.
The wedding was a few days ago, in her aunt’s backyard. While it was only a small gathering of family members I certainly hope it was a special event for her and my new son-in-law. It was an interesting experience trying to put together a ceremony that would be meaningful and memorable for her. It also provided me a nice look into another important part of a wedding… the honor, stress and responsibility of being the officiant. I suspect it might even help make me a better wedding photographer!
