couple's planning resource
activity timeline and more information
rev. scott demarco, officiant
After booking, this will be your "go-to" page for next steps along the way in your wedding ceremony planning process.
Your involvement will make your wedding ceremony the best it can be! It is important to me that we get to know each other and it's also important that you schedule times that work for you to make that happen. I understand that you (and I) often have hectic schedules and will attempt to joyfully accommodate your needs. I also understand planning a wedding is a busy time and timeline schedules are not absolute unless otherwise specified in our Agreement for Officiant services. (see Wedding! below)
If you’d like to download a form to keep track of your timeline tasks, click the button below.
QUESTIONS/UPDATES/NOTES FOR SCOTT
Staying in contact with you is important to me. Because I have as many as a hundred clients at a time who have a lot of details, please check in here first as a lot of what needs to happen is listed here. This will make our process as clear and easy as possible. Our meetings will be via Zoom.
To contact me: Email or text is best.
Please try to include your wedding date and last names in the text or subject line.
e.g. Smith/Jones 4/10/2018.
Email: scott@revscottdemarco.com
Text: 513-800-1291
You can also send an email via the website here.
**Please take a look at the NOTE under the "rehearsal" section below for important information regarding venue reps, DJ's, and planners.
If you have booked your wedding and would like to get acquainted before we meet to discuss your wedding ceremony, you are welcome to schedule an Initial Consultation on the booking page. This meeting is not requiredI
SCHEDULE YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY CONSULTATION (Required)
3-6 MONTHS BEFORE WEDDING DATE (If you booked less than 3 months out please schedule this ASAP)
This meeting is our ceremony planning session. We'll talk about all aspects of your ceremony from the processional through the recessional, standing order, processional order, and of course the ceremony itself.
PLEASE BE SURE TO COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING BEFORE THE WEDDING CEREMONY CONSULTATION:
YOU MAY ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT READINGS BEFORE WE MEET.
Book your Wedding Ceremony Consultation on the booking page.
COMPLETE THE INTAKE (Required)
BEFORE WE MEET FOR YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY CONSULTATION***
After booking and before our Wedding Ceremony Consultation, please complete The Intake. This will give me a lot of background information, wedding party names and roles, and more which will allow us to spend less time collecting information and more time talking when we meet. It may seem like you filled out this form when you requested a quote but this is much more comprehensive.
You will receive an email confirmation once you have completed this.
COMPLETE THE WEDDING CEREMONY COMPONENT REVIEW (Required)
BEFORE WE MEET FOR YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY CONSULTATION***
Please complete the Wedding Ceremony Component Review before we meet for our Wedding Ceremony Consultation. This will give me some insight into the general tone and feel of your ceremony, allow you to give some feedback, and help you understand how a ceremony is structured.
You will receive an email confirmation once you have completed this
BEFORE WE MEET FOR YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY CONSULTATION.
A reading is always a good component for a ceremony, whether it is serious or fun, and it enhances the flow of a ceremony and provides an opportunity to get one or two people involved in your wedding that might not otherwise be included. A godparent, favorite grandparent, best friend, etc. Take a look at a wide variety of readings here.
***Please submit these documents no later than 48 hours prior to our appointment as I will need to allot time in my schedule for review. If I do not have these documents your appointment may be canceled.
PERSONAL VOWS (OPTIONAL)
If you need some pointers on crafting your personal vows, check out my help page.
PERSONAL SHARE (OPTIONAL) BUT REQUIRED IF I AM DOING MINISTER REMARKS
PLEASE GET THIS INFORMATION TO ME AT LEAST 7 DAYS OUT.
Although I get to know most of my couples extremely well and we share a lot of laughs (through meetings and discovery sessions) I won't include personal information in your ceremony remarks unless you specifically tell me which things are "safe". This is meant to make you feel at ease and to know there are no "surprises" during your ceremony or that some random comment you've made won't turn into a "sermon" on that topic. Please note these "shares" are used primarily for my remarks which typically last around 5 minutes and are before your exchange of vows.
For example, I had a couple share that at their friend's wedding the Officiant (not me) built an entire talk around volleyball. The joke was the groom had casually mentioned (once!) that he liked volleyball.
That being said, this information will really make your ceremony and my remarks reflect who you are as individuals and a couple. You may submit that information on my personal thoughts page.
You will receive an email confirmation once you have completed this
PRE-MARITAL DISCOVERY/COUNSELING (OPTIONAL)
ANYTIME AFTER BOOKING - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING THESE SPACED OUT ON YOUR WEDDING PLANNING SCHEDULE. THESE MAY BE SCHEDULED NO LATER THAN 14 DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR CEREMONY DATE.
This is totally optional but Discovery Sessions are a non-confrontational and fun way to get to know each other better and for me to get to know you. You may schedule up to two of these sessions anywhere along the way. The Pre-Marital Discovery is included and can be scheduled at your convenience. I can't emphasize enough how important this time together is for the three of us to get to know each other. Please try to make time to attend these sessions. You may book those sessions via the appointments page.
If you would like to use these sessions for premarital (couples) counseling (to address relationship issues, concerns), you may also choose this option when booking this session. These sessions are not “formatted” and are organic in nature
CEREMONY DRAFT
APPROXIMATELY 5-10 DAYS BEFORE WEDDING DATE
Your Wedding Ceremony draft will be sent 5-10 days before your wedding unless we have agreed on a different timeline or if we are behind or delayed in our ceremony planning. Ceremony length can run anywhere from 20-40 minutes depending on what you choose. Most ceremonies are about 30 minutes including the Processional, Ceremony, and Recessional. If you are concerned about your ceremony draft or need the Order of Service for your program, please email me and I will get this information to you right away. Please note draft changes must be finalized 3 business days prior to your wedding date. Requests for changes or alterations are not guaranteed after that time.
Please note that ceremony reading/readers, ceremony elements, names for in remembrance, etc should be submitted to me by email. Please include your wedding date and last names in the text or subject line. It will keep things clear for you and me if we can keep these specific preferences to an email thread and not supplement with meeting comments or text messages. Also, please send ceremony revisions, changes or comments by email.
COMPLETE THE CEREMONY MAP (Required)
DUE 7-14 DAYS BEFORE WEDDING DATE - I CANNOT CONFIRM MY PARTICIPATION IN YOUR REHEARSAL UNTIL I RECEIVE THIS.*
When we are 14 days out from your rehearsal and the final details have been nailed down, please complete the Ceremony Map. PLEASE fill this out completely--I do need to know at least a name and email for your planner, venue rep and musician/DJ if they will be involved in the ceremony. It may seem like you filled out this form when you completed the intake, but this is our final working document for processional order, standing diagram, etc. that we will need for your wedding.
In addition, I cannot confirm your rehearsal without it.
*Not all quotes include a rehearsal.
The Ceremony Map is required. If you do not complete it, any resulting errors or omissions within your Ceremony are your responsibility. Also, please do not alter the Processional Order or include me in the Processional. I do a welcome after the Prelude and Seating and before the welcome. Please ask DJ's, planners, etc not to change this format. I will plan your ceremony from Prelude to Postlude.
You will receive an email confirmation once you have completed this.
.CEREMONY BALANCE OR OTHER PAYMENTS
DUE 4 CALENDAR MONTHS BEFORE YOUR WEDDING DATE:
If you have a balance that needs to be paid, it is due no later than 4 calendar months before your ceremony date. If you have not received an invoice, or wish to be invoiced, contact me by email or text. You also Venmo the balance to @scottdemarcobtl
REHEARSAL*
It's important that you let your wedding party know that I will expect to begin rehearsal on time unless scheduling changes or traffic issues have delayed the Officiant, you, or your wedding party. Rehearsal typically takes 30-45 minutes and is really about movement-the processional order, the standing order, and recessional. I do not handle staging and pre-ceremony logistics, i.e. where your wedding party will wait, getting to the processional line, and actual processional cues, although typically this is all worked out in rehearsal . (If you have a venue rep or planner, please let them know I am prepared to run the rehearsal and will cover the items I just mentioned.) My availability for rehearsal is not guaranteed particularly Friday evenings. If I am not able to attend I will supply you with rehearsal instructions.
*Not all quotes include a rehearsal.
**NOTE: Rehearsal dates are exempt from any penalties or change fees as venue, wedding party, and Officiant scheduling changes often result in time/date/schedule changes. I do not guarantee I can attend all rehearsals that are on Friday or Saturday late afternoons or evenings as I perform ceremonies on both days. If I cannot attend I will give you your ceremony map and easy to follow instructions to run you rehearsal.
WEDDING!
On your Wedding Day you will be so busy but know that I will arrive at the venue 30-45 minutes before start time to coordinate with any DJ's or musicians, the venue, planner, photographer, etc. If I am delayed in any way I will notify the day-of contact you have provided on your Ceremony Map.
Please note that your wedding date and time are set in my calendar per your Agreement for Officiant Services at the time of booking. Any changes must be requested in writing and will result in an amended Agreement with any corresponding fees. This is your responsibility--I do not change dates or times unless this is done in writing and with a revised Agreement. Time changes on any document other than an amended Agreement in no way alters the Wedding Start Time as provided in the Agreement for Officiant Services.
MARRIAGE LICENSE
30-60 DAYS BEFORE YOUR WEDDING
Local and state jurisdictions vary regarding getting your valid marriage license so it is available when I arrive on your wedding day. Note that I will need to see it prior to your ceremony so please have it ready. After your ceremony, I will file the executed license with the appropriate jurisdiction, and leave the ceremonial copy with you.
GRATUITY
Not required (obviously!) but appreciated. If you wish to Venmo: @scottdemarcobtl
If you are looking for ideas, check out my Pinterest page.
NAME CHANGE
CANCELLATION
If there is a cancellation of your wedding please notify me immediately in writing. Remittance of any balance due to you is calculated (1) per the terms of our Agreement and (2) based on the aggregated services provided by me at the time of cancelation. For information on how my rate breaks down, click here.