No, we’re not inviting the official to the reception. And here’s why. I’m a professional officiant. I’ve been doing this for 15 years, and I love standing with you on your wedding day and sharing your love and being a part of that moment. It is truly so amazing. But after that, you guys are swept away for photos and dinner and dancing and everything else you have going on. So for me, who doesn’t know anybody there, it can be a little awkward. I’m going to grab a drink and socialize with folks and hang out. But again, it’s a little bit of an awkward situation because I don’t know anybody. This is a time for your friends and family to celebrate and enjoy the company of each other, and I think that is an amazing moment for them. Also, I might have another wedding that day, so, quite frankly, I just can’t stay. I don’t have the time to do that. The one exception is if you wish you’re efficient to do the blessing for you, then yes, you must invite them to dinner so that they can do the blessing and then enjoy that dinner with you. Beyond that, don’t invite them. We love spending the time with you, but you don’t need to spend your money on us.

Okay, so the short answer is no. But maybe. So let’s think about this for a moment. Often couples invite the efficient because they feel like they have to. They feel like it’s rude if they don’t. But then put yourself in the efficient shoes. They go to weddings every weekend. They have their own personal lives, and of course, they’re invited to things on the weekends that they want to go to, too. They want to be with their people. However, as an efficient, I have gone to a handful of weddings, more than a handful, plenty of weddings and stayed for the reception. The reason for that is most often because working with this couple, they’ve opened themselves up to me in ways that they haven’t opened up to their guests. In many cases, they really get vulnerable with me, and we build a relationship that only feels appropriate that they would invite me to a wedding. So, no, it’s not expected. But if you create that kind of relationship with your official and you really want them there, it really feels good to have you. It really feels good to think about them being there on your big day to celebrate. Then I expect to be treated like a guest. I do expect a plus one. I’m an introvert. I don’t want to just mingle with a bunch of strangers every weekend. I do expect to get dinner. Everything your guests get, that’s what I expect. However, almost everyone I know, every aficionad I know, never expects an invite. So genuinely invite them if and only if you really want them there. It really feels right to have them there. And if not, they’re probably glad that they don’t have to miss their son’s baseball game or their friend’s birthday party. So, yeah, don’t you beat yourself up.