Do you know Jeff?  If not, you should!  Jeff has one of those personalities & smiles that will light up any room.  What a perfect person to help you seal the deal for your wedding, right?!

Jeff was licensed in November 2015 because he really wanted to bring a personal and meaningful touch to ceremonies, and wanted to do it in his style – fun and engaging with some laughs. Jeff performed his first ceremony in early 2016 and knew right away it was something he needed to pursue.  

I asked Jeff what is his favourite part of this job, and this is what he had to say…

“I’ll try my best to explain exactly what I love, because it’s so much more than just “meeting couples,” because if you DIDN’T love that, I’d say you’re in the wrong business – ha!

What I really love is parachuting into someone’s life at a very pivotal time in their lives (I mean saying “I do” in front of all your closest people is a big deal!). By meeting at this point in their lives it accelerates the get to know you part of our relationship and we get straight to the best stuff.

There’s also something to be said about standing in the presence of love. This will sound mega cheesy but I swear anyone who has been married or has officiated a wedding knows what I’m talking about. That feeling when you’re standing up at the front, committing yourself to your best friend, that moment. I get a VIP front row seat to that nearly every weekend of the year. It’s incredible.”

There are lots of options when it comes to a wedding officiant, but there’s something truly special about what Jeff does.  I asked him to explain how he does this differently, and he phrased it so beautifully!

“There are some super talented folks officiating weddings, but I think the real difference is I just decided to be me, and no one is as good as I am at being me 🙂

I think I bring a slightly different worldview to wedding ceremonies. I like to write and perform them in a way that is engaging, fun and memorable but also meaningful and personal. I like to tell stories and laugh with each couple, because I think love can be funny how it works itself out sometimes. It’s a style that has really resonated with couples who are super excited to be married and want their ceremony to be a big part of their day, not just a thing they “have to do” before they get to party. They care about it, and they want it to be great.

I also want the couple to feel like it’s an old friend up there with them, not a stranger. It drastically changes their experience and reduces their stress when that’s the case, allowing them to be fully present in the moment. I’m pretty good at making people feel relaxed and comfortable that translates well in the ceremony.”

Jeff has worked on & performed at hundreds of wedding over the last few years, so I tried picking his brain to determine what’s ultimately important for couples to considering when selecting their wedding officiant.

“I think it’s important to spend some time together, whether in person or on FaceTime to make sure we vibe and develop trust. I always want to make sure I’m the right fit for the couple (and the other way around, too!), and I want to make sure they trust that I’m going to deliver something great on their big day. I like to tell couples, “if you don’t know within the first few minutes of meeting an officiant, the person who will be standing up there with you on the biggest day of your life, the person you’re trusting to deliver your story in front of all your closest people, then they’re probably not the right fit.”

Last tip: check their reviews online and if you want to go step further, ask other trusted vendors who have worked alongside them for their honest feedback.”

If you want to learn more about Jeff & Maeck Weddings (which I’m sure you do), you can follow @maeckweddings on Instagram or Facebook.  If you’d like chat about your big day, maeckweddings.com has all the info you’ll want to know and the best place to reach out.

Anything else you’d like to add, Jeff?

“Waylan is awesome and I think you should hire him to DJ your wedding”

So there you have it, folks – Wedding Officiant Advice with Jeff Maeck! Did you like this feature?  Please feel free to reach out and let us know 🙂