In the chaotic and wild adventure that planning and hosting a wedding is I always try to remain a calm, cool, friendly face to my couples. This sounds like a great idea, but you need systems and processes to allow yourself to be that cool and calm.
I was inspired recently by Hans Hofmann, the artist, who talked about simplicity as
The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.
Those words have echoed so deep into my celebrancy practice.
What is unnecessary to me, my couples, and the law, in my celebrancy practise. Do I really need this detail on this form, or this questionaire to be answered?
What is necessary for the lawful solemnisation of their marriage? What is necessary for the couple to feel like they are dealing with a professional, let alone a professional celebrant? What is necessary for me to be the best celebrant I am?
Refining our celebrancy practise down to the necessary let’s your truth speak louder as it’s not clouded by the unnecessary noise of the everything!
Marketing
What is necessary for people to value you, trust you, and hire you? Is all this stuff on your website, business card, email templates, expo stand, gift pack, social media necessary?
What is necessary to have at your expo stand?
What is not needed on your business card?
What’s the minimum amount of words you can have on your website to explain who you are, what you do, and how you bring value into their life?
Business processes
What forms are necessary? Do you need the couple to print out a PDF, fill it out and scan it to send back to you to book you, or would an online form suffice?
How has your lawyer advised you to get your service contract signed in this digital world?
Is a NOIM necessary to book you or can you do it separately?
Is it unnecessary to mail an invoice? Can your accounting program email it and maybe even accept credit card payments?
Ceremony
If you had a gun to your head and you had to do the simplest ceremony possible to fulfil the legal obligations, whilst encouraging the crowd to cheer the couple on, and also the couple feel encouraged, loved, and valued, how long is that ceremony?
Are you saying things in your ceremonies that hold no value? Are there things happening in your ceremonies that are just there because “that’s what everyone does?”
Simplify so you can run your own race
Let go of all the baggage and be you. That’s who your couples want to meet, hire, and celebrate with: you!
This is great. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, what is necessary and what is there because I’ve just always done it. The essentialist approach to officiating. I think there’s still more I could reduce that wouldn’t affect the couples journey with me, thanks for making me think on it some more!
Thanks for sharing that quote. I absolutely love it and it has made me re think a few things also.
It’s all about retaining their attention!