Message Welcome!TO THE OFFICIALLY OAKS FAMILY
FROM THEw a r m r e g a r d s ,Hi there! I’m Luke, and I’m honored to be serving asyour wedding officiant. I’ve had the pleasure offounding Officially Oaks alongside my beautiful wifeCaren, and have officiated over 300 weddings to-date! My past couples have commended me on mywarmth, professionalism, and engaging demeanor onthe altar. I can’t wait to serve you on your specialday, and help bring your love story to life.MEET YOUR OFFICIANT!WELCOMET O Y O U R L U X U R Y W E D D I N G C E R E M O N Y E X P E R I E N C EHello! We are overjoyed to welcome you both into the OfficiallyOaks family! Your wedding officiant truly sets the tone for yourwedding day, and we are honored you have selected Officially Oaksto share your love story with your friends and family. After collecting feedback from our 400+ Officially Oaks couplesthrough the years, we’ve crafted this Welcome Guide, designed tokeep you both in-the-know between now and wedding day! Please read on to view our full ceremony-writing timeline, as wellas some helpful tips and reminders from us to you that will ensureyou have the perfect ceremony! Luke Oaks
Exclusive Collection & Elite Collection OnlyExclusive Collection & Elite Collection OnlyCeremony Writing Period | All ceremonies prepared by Owner & Lead Officiant, Luke Oaks.INITIAL 50% BOOKING PAYMENT PAID &CEREMONY AGREEMENT SIGNEDTO BE SUBMITTED TOGETHER AS A COUPLE.OFFICIALLY BOOKED!QUESTIONNAIRE 1: LOGISTICSVARIES6 MONTHS OUTEACH PARTNER SUBMITS INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONNAIREQUESTIONNAIRES 2 + 3: INDIVIDUAL3 MONTHS OUTCOUPLE TO REVIEW WITHIN 1 WEEK!1ST DRAFT DELIVERED8 WEEKS OUTALL REVISIONS COMPLETED.FINAL CEREMONY DELIVERED6 WEEKS OUT7 WEEKS OUTCOUPLE TO REPLY WITH EDITS, IF ANY.COUPLE COMMENTS DUEZOOM CALL TO DISCUSS CEREMONY DETAILS.MONTH-OF PREP CALL4 WEEKS OUTREMAINING 50% DUE.FINAL PAYMENT DUE2 WEEKS OUTWE WOULD LOVE YOUR 5-STAR REVIEW!REVIEW REQUESTS SENT1 WEEK AFTERTo best serve all of our couples year-round, we begin ceremony preparation as soon as 6 monthsprior to your wedding date, rather than immediately after you are officially booked.If you book more than 6 months out and would like to begin your ceremony preparation sooner,please let us know your request upon receipt of this timeline. WEDDING DAY! CEREMONY-WRITING TIMELINE*Details reflected on this timeline are subject to change. These are approximate timeline dates to use as a resource and guide for your special day.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO BE YOUR CHOSEN PARTNER IN CRAFTING A BEAUTIFULCEREMONY! TO KEEP YOUR CEREMONY ON TRACK, PLEASE ALWAYS PRIORITIZECOMPLETING YOUR QUESTIONNAIRES! FOR EXCLUSIVE & ELITE COUPLES, PLEASENOTE WE CANNOT BEGIN WRITING UNTIL ALL 3 QUESTIONNAIRES ARE RECEIVED.OBTAINING YOUR LICENSEThe state of Texas requires bothmembers of the couple to applyfor the marriage license in-personat any County Clerk’s office.Please note that your officiantcannot obtain it on your behalf. Most licenses must be obtainedat least 3 days before weddingday, and are typically valid for 30-60 days (verify with your county). Visit your local County Clerk’swebsite for information on fees,appointment times, and more. THE OFFICIALLY OAKSCeremony Success GuideMARRIAGELICENSE INFOMAILING YOUR LICENSEWe will sign & mail your licenseback to the Clerk for recording.Licenses will be folded & mailed ina standard-size letter envelope. Ifyou do not wish to have yourlicense folded, please provide usan appropriately-sized documentenvelope on wedding day!RECEIVING YOUR LICENSELicenses are typically processedand returned within 3-4 weeks.Please contact the County Clerk ifyou do not receive yours by then.At Officially Oaks, we understandthe importance of capturing theperfect ceremony photos! To getthe best images that you’ll cherishfor a lifetime, be sure to hold handsfor the entirety of your ceremony!And of course, we’ll do our part bystepping out of view for your epicfirst kiss shot! PICTURE-PERFECTCEREMONYYOUR REHEARSALWHO LEADS IT?Rehearsals are a great way toensure you and your weddingparty know the processional orderand where to stand. Ultimately, theprocessional will be cued by yourplanner day-of. Therefore, yourplanner is the best person tofacilitate your rehearsal, ratherthan the officiant. I DON’T HAVE A PLANNER!If desired, contact us directly toinquire about our day-of rehearsal& processional services.
THE OFFICIALLY OAKSCeremony Success GuideNEED HELP FINDING A STRONG AUDIO PARTNER? CONTACT US FOR VENDORRECOMMENDATIONS IN YOUR AREA! WE HAVE A NETWORK OF WEDDINGPROFESSIONALS WE’VE LOVED COLLABORATING WITH. SEND US AN EMAIL ANDWE’LL HELP YOU FIND THE RIGHT PARTNERS TO MANAGE YOUR SPECIAL DAY. A NOTE ON CEREMONY AUDIOIMPORTANT DJ EQUIPMENT Be sure to request a “lapel” or“lavalier” mic from your DJ. Yourofficiant will be reading from a tablet,using one hand to hold the tabletand the other to scroll. They will beunable to also hold a hand-held mic. If you plan to read personal vows toone another aloud at the ceremony,or include special guest readers,please also request a wireless mic.Wireless mics are ideal because theycan be quickly passed from personto person, then easily tucked awayout of view when not utilized. CAN WE JUST USE A MIC STAND?While a mic stand can do the job,consider that it will also be veryvisible in the beautiful ceremonyphotos you’ll cherish for the rest ofyour life. While we always do our partto move out of the way for your firstkiss, the mic stand is not as agile.Hands-free lapel mics are the way togo for the most unobstructed,elegant ceremony photos!A perfect ceremony begins with a stellar officiant (check!) but truly shines with superb audio. You’ve entrusted a professional officiant to share your love story — now we recommend ensuringevery guest, from the front row to the back, can hear it! While some intimate spaces may work foran acoustic ceremony, we highly recommend hiring an audio professional with the rightequipment to ensure clarity and impact. With over 400 weddings completed, we’ve compiled thesetips to help you make the most of your investment and leave your guests truly WOWED!WAIT... I DON’T HAVE A DJ!Live bands at the reception havebecome increasingly popular, but it'simportant to note they often don’tprovide ceremony audio support. If this applies to your event, werecommend hiring a wedding DJ forceremony-specific audio coverage, orchecking if your venue offers in-house audio support. For acoustic ceremonies, we willabsolutely project our voices, but wecannot guarantee that guests in theback rows will hear clearly withoutamplified sound.MY UNCLE HAS A BIG SPEAKER!CAN HE JUST RUN MY AUDIO?In the same way you’ve invested in aprofessional officiant, we highlyrecommend investing in a dedicatedprofessional to oversee audio, too. We promise it will be worth yourinvestment!
OFFICIANT ATTIREIMPORTANCE OF YOUR VOWSWhether you choose to read yourvows aloud in front of your guests,or exchange them privately withonly your spouse-to-be, your vowsare a special part of your weddingday that serve as the foundationfor your married life ahead.VOW CONSULTATION SERVICESHaving heard hundreds of vowexchanges over the years, we knowjust what it takes to craft theperfect, balanced vow exchange! For Essential & Exclusive Collectioncouples* seeking vow support,we’re excited to now offer a lacarte Vow Consultation services.Whether you desire a step-by-stepwriting framework, or just needhelp getting started, we’re ready tosupport you in crafting the mostimportant promises of your life. Please inquire for details — spacesare limited on a monthly basis.*Vow Consultation services areincluded with the Elite Collection.THE OFFICIALLY OAKSCeremony Success GuideALL ABOUTYOUR VOWSPERSONALIZATION OPTIONSWe always love to accommodatespecial attire requests as desired!Many couples choose to purchasea necktie in their wedding colorsfor their officiant to wear. Shouldthis interest you, please reach outto Caren for the best mailingaddress for your officiant!BOUTONNIERESIf anyone in the wedding party willwear a boutonniere, considerincluding one for your officiant foran elevated look on the altar! Ifyou choose to include, we’ll collectprior to the ceremony. UPGRADINGYOUR COLLECTIONTIMELINE CONSIDERATIONSSome couples choose to upgrade their chosen Collection duringwedding planning. We welcomeall upgrade requests up to 4 weeksprior to wedding day! Pleasecontact Caren for more details onyour discounted pricing!WE APPRECIATE MANY OF OUR COUPLES BALANCE WEDDING PLANNINGALONGSIDE FULL-TIME JOBS, AND THEREFORE UTILIZE THEIR EVENINGS FORWEDDING PLANNING. AS A RESULT, WE OFTEN COMMUNICATE AT THESE SAME LATEHOURS. REGARDLESS, PLEASE ALWAYS REPLY AT TIMES CONVENIENT FOR YOU.
THE OFFICIALLY OAKSCeremony Success GuideWE ARE ENDLESSLY INSPIRED BY THE LOVE STORIES OF THE AMAZING COUPLES WESERVE. THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING OFFICIALLY OAKS TO PLAY A SMALL ROLE INYOUR BIG DAY. WE CANNOT WAIT TO CELEBRATE YOU AND YOUR LOVE!Five star reviews are the lifeline ofour business, and enable us toconnect with more incrediblecouples just like you! Our mission is to deliver anexceptional experience, and wehope you’ll feel inspired to share a5-star review online after yourwedding day! We would sincerely appreciateyour five star review on our threemajor review platforms: Google,The Knot, and WeddingWire.Thank you in advance for helpingus grow our small business!A NOTE ONREVIEWSPEAK MONTHSFor Texas wedding vendors, peakwedding months are March-May,September-November. Relatedly,at Officially Oaks, our peak writingmonths are March & September.We thank you in-advance for yourpatience in these peak months! OTHER REMINDERSCUSTOM VOW BOOKSAll custom vow books included withthe Exclusive Collection & EliteCollection arrive up to 2 weeks priorto wedding day. Bookings madewithin 4 weeks of wedding day aresubject to arrival post-wedding. YOUR WEDDING PHOTOSWe love celebrating our couples onsocial media, and would beoverjoyed to view your full weddinggallery! Please remember us whenyou receive and share out yourphotos — we always love to seethem!GRATUITYWhile never expected, gratuity isalways appreciated! Should you orany of your loved ones feel called toleave a tip, please feel welcome toreference this Officiant Tip Guideput together by experts at Zola! Word-of-mouth referrals continueto be our most successful tool forserving more couples every year!Refer us to another couple andreceive a $50 Amazon gift cardwhen they book our services! (Justhave them mention your namesin their inquiry!) Thank you forhelping us share the love!REFERRAL BONUS
HAPPYPLANNING!T H E O F F I C I A L L Y O A K S T E A MWarmly,