Tips for Choosing from the Wealth of Wedding Officiants in New Mexico

What a wealth of choices you have when it comes to deciding who will marry you in New Mexico. Wedding officiants are as different as the colors of the rainbow. It’s a big decision to select who’ll stand next to you during a very intimate moment in your lives.

New Mexico wedding officiant Dan Jones pouring the couple a glass of champagne after the ceremony. — Most couples enjoy the New Mexican champagne I include in my wedding packages.

Shopping for Wedding Officiants in New Mexico

There are not only many wonderful wedding officiants in New Mexico, but there are lots of effective ways to shop for them. First you might try a Google search for “new mexico wedding officiant” or “wedding minister new mexico” which will bring up a lot of choices. One of the first might be to the Wedding Wire site which in and of itself is a great way to learn about officiants. New Mexico is a large state (6^th largest!) so you’ll want to pay attention to locations. That is one search criteria you may use. Another great way to filter a search within Wedding Wire is by “number of reviews.” Not only the quantity is important, but reading through some of the reviews is a great way to learn about an officiant’s style. Looking at the results this way helps you get around the fact that Wedding Wire otherwise lists the results according to how much money a vendor pays them. That’s probably not the way you want to prioritize your search!

Next try a Google search and include the town where you intend to get married such as “taos wedding minister” or “wedding officiant taos.” This will get you some results more geographically accurate to your wedding location. Again, Wedding Wire will come up and is a great way to learn, as above.

Other ways to find a New Mexico wedding officiant is by attending wedding shows, bridal fairs or reading local wedding guides put out by the local newspapers and publications. Also, as you begin lining up other vendors (venue, photographer, etc.) they may have good input for you based on their experience. Most venues will maintain a list of preferred vendors that they work well with.

Dan Jones, wedding officiant in New Mexico — I try to always connect with the couples who entrust their officiating to me.

Check Officiant Availability First

Once you’ve started to narrow your search it is time to reach out and check availability. An officiant will need to know your date, time and location/venue in order to accurately tell you their availability. It is best to learn this first before taking your time, or theirs, to learn more about their services. Ready to check my availability? Fill out this form and I’ll get right back to you.

Interviewing Prospective Officiants

Once you have a list of possible wedding officiants in New Mexico, you can interview them however is best for you. As a Taos wedding officiant I’m available by phone, text, Skype, Duo or in-person. My least favorite is texting for an interview because of the limitations of answering. Email is fine but a conversation I find is the best. It is through the interaction that you’ll be able to get a better sense of personality and your comfort level.

I was recently asked a wonderful question, one I’d never been asked in my twelve years as a wedding minister in Taos.

“How will your services differ from those offered by a ‘man of the cloth’ that isn’t marrying people to make a living?”

A couple smiling after their ceremony with Dan Jones, at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge Overlook — Gusty winds and wildfire smoke didn’t dampen the smiles at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge Overlook, which is a favorite location for many couples seeking a non-traditional wedding ceremony.

For me the answer was pretty simple. I live and breathe wedding officiating and will adapt to a variety of locations and dynamics. For the ceremony I’ll offer you a broad range of possibilities and cater to exactly what you’re seeking. A minister/priest/rabbi/etc. is going to have their standard framework and a religious context to work within. If you’re getting married in their church that is very likely exactly what you want.

Plan B: Other Officiant Choices

If I’m not available for your date or not able to travel to your location I can highly recommend Kelly Atkins with Amor Ceremonies in Albuquerque. And in Santa Fe, Pat Murphy with Story Catcher. Each of these women is as committed as I am to serving all expressions of gender and love with a memorable ceremony. And sometimes it is just helpful to hear the perspectives of a couple of wedding officiants to help you know whom you’re going to be most comfortable with.

I hope this has helped. Visit my homepage and browse the entire website for more information on my officiating services. I’d love to hear from you!