Event Planning and Design: Fuse Weddings and Events + Photo by Jessica Kettle Photography

Who can officiate a wedding in the state of Utah?

According to Utah Code Title 30, Marriages may be solemnized by the following persons only:

1. Ministers, rabbis or priests of any religious denomination who are: 
   1. in regular communion with any religious society
   2. 18 years of age or older
2. Native American spiritual advisors
3. The governor
4. The lieutenant governor
5. Mayors of municipalities or county executives
6. A justice, judge, or commissioner of a court of record
7. A judge of a court not of record of the state
8. Judges or magistrates of the United States
9. The county clerk of any county in the state
10. The president of the Senate
11. The speaker of the House of Representatives
12. A judge or magistrate who holds office in Utah when retired, under rules set by the Supreme Court.
13. A designee (This option can be utilized to have someone authorized by the County Clerk to officiate at a single marriage ceremony within the State of Utah. For information on a designee to perform your wedding ceremony, email mpclerk@slco.org or call 385-468-7300.)

If you’ve decided you’d like to have a friend or family member perform your wedding, the first step is to have them ordained on a site like themonastery.org or have them authorized by the County Clerk. 

Then, it’s time for you and your partner to have a discussion with your chosen officiant about what you want from them on your wedding day. You can provide them with a sample text for the ceremony that’s either completely personal and tailored to you and your partner or you can look online for the generic wedding officiant script.

As far as the words were spoken during the ceremony, the only legal requirement is that both bride and groom assent or confirm—in the physical presence of the wedding officiant and at least two attending witnesses—that they take each other to be husband and wife, or husband and husband, or wife and wife.

Event Planning and Design: Fuse Weddings and Events + Photos by Tracy Hill Photography

When planning your wedding, there are a lot of details to handle. While finding a planner, gown and venue certainly top the list, a photographer is the one who will capture it all. 

Your wedding photographer’s number one priority is creating tangible memories that will last a lifetime. And while asking a friend or family member to grab some photos may seem like a good idea at the time, you’re better off hiring a professional. 

The first thing to consider is what style you’re looking for for your wedding photos. Do you prefer posed, journalistic, or emotional? Additionally, consider the lighting at your wedding venue. Some photographers specialize in indoor or outdoor photography. Others can be more artistic or journalistic in style.

Next, look at social media, websites and reviews to determine which photographers you’d like to have a meeting with to discuss your vision. 

Key questions to ask at your initial meeting:

1. Do you have a preferred style? Most photographers can blend styles, but they also have a style in which they specialize – portraiture, natural, journalistic, etc.
2. How long have you been working as a wedding photographer?
3. Will I be able to see untouched/unedited proofs before I place my order?
4. What is your experience in black and white wedding photography?
5. What do your packages include?
6. What length of time will you spend photographing an event and if my event goes longer than we agreed upon, do you have an overtime option? If so, what is the cost associated with that?
7. Do you have a backup photographer and an assistant? What happens in the event that an emergency happens making you unavailable on my wedding day? (Make sure this is specified in your contract.)
8. What do you wear? A professional photographer will blend in at your wedding.
9. Can we meet in person? Never hire a photographer you can’t meet prior to the wedding.
10. Do you have insurance? Insurance protects the photographer, not you. However, having insurance is indicative of professionalism. 

Make sure you read your entire contract. Here’s what it should include:

1. Who owns the rights to the photographs? 
2. Any potential extras. i.e. parking, travel, damages to or loss of equipment, etc.
3. Pricing.