Training to Become a Wedding Officiant
At Togetherness Collective, we believe that wedding ceremonies deserve excellence. This life-changing moment for couples deserves someone who is prepared, passionate, and properly trained. That’s why our training program is mandatory for all applicants—even those with previous experience or past licensing. We’re committed to ensuring that every officiant representing Togetherness Collective understands the profound responsibility we have in the lives of the couples and families we serve.
All training sessions are personally led by Jeff Maeck, the Governing Official of Togetherness Collective and experienced officiant of over 1,500 weddings worldwide. His wealth of experience ensures you’ll receive practical, relevant guidance for your journey as an officiant.
What You’ll Learn
Our comprehensive 4-hour training covers everything you need to know to start your journey as a professional wedding officiant.
Part 1: Licensing and Organizational Structure
Your training begins with a comprehensive introduction to Togetherness Collective as an organisation. You’ll learn about our leadership structure, including how decisions are made and resources are allocated. Jeff will share the origin story of Togetherness Collective and the vision that propelled it forward since 2018.
We’ll then explore our dual mission of excellence in wedding officiation and community service, both locally and globally. You’ll discover how we’re building homes in Guatemala and supporting local non-profits across Ontario. Understanding this bigger picture helps you see how your role as an officiant fits into a larger tapestry of positive impact.
As a Togetherness Collective officiant, you become an ambassador not just for weddings, but for our values and mission. You’ll learn how the fees you collect and the services you provide help sustain meaningful work beyond the wedding day, creating a purpose-driven approach to your officiating practice.
In this essential section, we’ll thoroughly review Togetherness Collective’s foundational beliefs about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, community, service, the church, mentoring, and marriage. We’ll also explore our core values of compassion, kindness, humility, discipline, and integrity. These aren’t just concepts on a page—they’re the heartbeat of our organisation and the foundation of how we approach every aspect of our work.
We’ll discuss how these principles specifically inform our approach to wedding ceremonies—from the words we choose to the way we interact with couples and guests. You’ll gain insight into crafting ceremonies that honor these values while respecting the diverse backgrounds of the couples you’ll serve. This balance is crucial to creating ceremonies that feel authentic and meaningful.
The training will provide practical examples of how to apply these values in your interactions with couples throughout their journey—from initial consultation to rehearsal to wedding day. We believe that when you operate from a place of genuine compassion and integrity, couples feel the difference, and your ceremonies become more than just a legal formality.
Part 2: Legal Responsibility
Navigating the legal landscape of marriage solemnisation in Ontario can be complex, but our training breaks it down into clear, manageable components. We’ll provide a comprehensive explanation of the licensing and commissioning process required by the Office of the Registrar General, detailing exactly how your authorisation through Togetherness Collective legally empowers you to perform marriages in the province.
The training covers all provincial regulations specific to religious officiants, including residency requirements, documentation standards, and the distinction between religious and civil ceremonies. You’ll develop a thorough understanding of what you can and cannot do within your role, ensuring you always operate within legal boundaries. This includes clarification on which ceremonies you’re authorised to perform and in which jurisdictions your license is valid.
We’ll outline your specific legal responsibilities before, during, and after each ceremony. This includes proper handling of the marriage license, requirements for witnesses, verbal declarations that must be included in every ceremony, and the proper completion and submission of all documentation within mandated timeframes. Understanding these obligations thoroughly helps protect both you and the couples you serve from potential legal complications.
The heart of our training focuses on the art and craft of creating and delivering exceptional wedding ceremonies. Drawing from Jeff’s experience officiating over 1,500 weddings, you’ll receive hands-on instruction in ceremony construction, effective public speaking techniques, proper positioning, and microphone use. We’ll analyse real ceremony scripts and videos to highlight what works—and what doesn’t—in creating meaningful experiences.
You’ll learn practical techniques for managing ceremony flow and timing, including how to coordinate with other wedding vendors, conduct efficient rehearsals, and keep ceremonies moving at an appropriate pace. We’ll discuss strategies for ceremonies of different lengths and styles, helping you adapt to each couple’s unique vision while maintaining professionalism and efficiency.
Our training emphasises the creation of memorable moments that resonate with couples and guests alike. You’ll discover how to incorporate personal stories, meaningful rituals, and thoughtful language that elevates a ceremony from routine to remarkable. We’ll explore various unity ceremonies, cultural traditions, and personalisation techniques that make each ceremony unique to the couple you’re serving.
Perhaps most importantly, you’ll learn how to handle unexpected situations with composure and grace. From forgotten rings to emotional breakdowns, technical difficulties to adverse weather conditions—we’ll provide practical solutions for the myriad challenges that can arise during ceremonies. This preparation ensures you can navigate any situation professionally, maintaining the dignity and significance of the occasion even when things don’t go according to plan.
Proper documentation is a crucial legal responsibility for every wedding officiant. Our training provides detailed, step-by-step instruction on correctly completing Marriage Licenses, walking you through each field and explaining common questions that arise. You’ll learn exactly what information is required, how to handle corrections if mistakes occur, and the critical importance of accuracy in this legal document that establishes a couple’s marital status.
You’ll receive comprehensive guidance on maintaining your Marriage Register with precision and care. This official record of all marriages you perform must be meticulously maintained according to provincial regulations. We’ll explain the specific information that must be recorded for each ceremony, proper storage requirements for this important document, and procedures for submitting information to relevant authorities when required.
The training covers all required documentation both before and after ceremonies, including pre-ceremony meetings and identity verification, post-ceremony submission procedures, and record-keeping best practices. You’ll receive templates and checklists to ensure you never miss a critical step in the documentation process, protecting both yourself and the couples you serve from potential legal complications.
We’ll highlight common documentation mistakes that new officiants frequently make and provide practical strategies to avoid these pitfalls. From timing errors in submission to incorrect name spellings, these details matter greatly in legal documents. Our training ensures you understand not just the how but the why behind proper documentation, empowering you to handle this essential aspect of officiating with confidence and precision.
Part 3: Marketing/Branding
Whether you plan to officiate occasionally or build a sustainable business, our training equips you with essential marketing knowledge to connect with couples seeking your services. We’ll discuss effective strategies for establishing your online presence, building relationships with venues and wedding professionals, and creating materials that communicate your unique approach. You’ll learn ethical marketing practices specific to the wedding industry that allow you to grow your practice while maintaining the integrity of your role.
Effective administrative systems are the backbone of a smooth officiating practice. Our training introduces practical tools and workflows to manage inquiries, schedule consultations, track ceremony details, and handle the business aspects of officiating. We’ll recommend software options, contract templates, and organisational systems that can be scaled according to your volume of ceremonies, helping you create a professional experience for couples from the first point of contact.
You’ll learn to conduct meaningful, productive consultations with potential couples—an art form in itself. We’ll cover essential questions to ask, effective listening techniques, methods for understanding a couple’s vision, and ways to determine compatibility between their needs and your services. These consultation skills help establish clear expectations, build rapport, and lay the groundwork for creating personalised ceremonies that truly reflect each couple’s relationship.
In a marketplace with many officiating options, standing out requires more than basic competence. Our training provides insights on developing a distinctive approach that differentiates your services from others. You’ll learn to identify and communicate your unique strengths, develop ceremony options that showcase your particular talents, and create memorable experiences that lead to word-of-mouth referrals—the most powerful marketing tool for officiants. We’ll discuss pricing strategies, service packages, and value-added offerings that can help establish your place in the officiating landscape.
Your education as an officiant doesn’t end after the initial training. Our program provides an overview of ongoing development opportunities available exclusively to Togetherness Collective members. These include advanced workshops on specialised ceremony types (like elopements or interfaith ceremonies), seasonal refresher courses to keep your skills sharp, and deeper dives into specific aspects of officiating that interest you. We believe in continual growth and improvement, providing clear pathways for you to develop mastery in your role.
Perhaps the most valuable ongoing resource is access to our community of experienced officiants. During training, you’ll learn how to tap into this network for advice, feedback, and support as you begin your journey. Our community includes officiants with diverse backgrounds and specialties who are committed to mutual growth and excellence. Through our private communication channels, you can ask questions, share experiences, and build relationships with colleagues who understand the unique joys and challenges of wedding officiation.
The legal and practical landscape of wedding officiation evolves over time, and staying informed is essential. As a Togetherness Collective member, you’ll receive regular updates on changes to provincial regulations, emerging best practices in the industry, and new resources developed by our leadership team. This ongoing communication ensures you remain compliant with all legal requirements and are equipped with the latest knowledge to serve couples effectively. From changes in documentation requirements to evolving trends in ceremony styles, you’ll have the information you need to maintain excellence throughout your officiating career.
As a Togetherness Collective officiant, you have the unique opportunity to serve as more than just a ceremony facilitator—you can be a meaningful spiritual guide during a pivotal moment in couples’ lives. Our training explores this deeper dimension of the officiant role, helping you develop the skills to provide thoughtful spiritual support that respects each couple’s beliefs and background. You’ll learn approaches for discussing spiritual elements sensitively during consultations and ways to incorporate appropriate spiritual components into ceremonies when desired by the couple.
Creating ceremonies that reflect meaningful values goes beyond simply including religious references or traditions. We’ll discuss how to craft ceremonies that authentically embody values like commitment, fidelity, growth, and community support—regardless of a couple’s specific faith tradition or spiritual orientation. You’ll discover how to weave these foundational values into ceremony language, rituals, and structure in ways that resonate with couples and their guests, creating experiences that feel both personally meaningful and universally significant.
Your brief role in a couple’s wedding day carries the potential for lasting positive influence. Our training addresses the responsibility and privilege of this position, offering guidance on being a steadying, encouraging presence during what can be an emotionally charged and stressful time. You’ll learn techniques for bringing calm, perspective, and genuine care to your interactions with couples before, during, and after their ceremony. These approaches help establish you as a trusted figure whose words carry weight and significance.
The wedding ceremony marks the beginning of a marriage, not its culmination. We’ll discuss ways you can support couples beyond their wedding day, positioning yourself as a resource for their ongoing journey. This might include providing marriage resources, offering follow-up check-ins, or connecting couples with community support. While respecting appropriate boundaries, you’ll learn how to be a positive presence that extends beyond the ceremony itself, embodying Togetherness Collective’s commitment to helping couples not just get married but stay married.
Ongoing Support
Your learning doesn’t end after the initial training. Upon successful completion of our training course, you’ll have:
- Constant access to support from our Governing Official
- Connection with our community of other officiants
- A growing library of articles, resources, and guides
- Regular podcasts and video content to help you perfect your craft
- Opportunities for advanced training and specialisation
Investment Details
There are two fees required to be appointed as clergy through Togetherness Collective.
- Training Course Fee
- Annual Certification and Membership Fee
$500 (one-time payment)
- Due upon registration for the training course
- Covers your comprehensive 4-hour training
- Includes all training materials and resources
$1,000 (yearly)
- Due immediately after completing training
- Maintains your active status as a licensed officiant
- Provides ongoing support and resources
- Contributes to our mission work in Guatemala and local initiatives
- Supports the administrative functions of Togetherness Collective
$500 (one-time payment)
- Due upon registration for the training course
- Covers your comprehensive 4-hour training
- Includes all training materials and resources
$1,000 (yearly)
- Due immediately after completing training
- Maintains your active status as a licensed officiant
- Provides ongoing support and resources
- Contributes to our mission work in Guatemala and local initiatives
- Supports the administrative functions of Togetherness Collective
Upcoming Training Dates
| Day | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | June 11, 2025 | 5PM to 9PM | Zoom |
| Sunday | June 22, 2025 | 4PM to 8PM | Zoom |
| Wednesday | July 9, 2025 | 5PM to 9PM | Zoom |
| Sunday | July 20, 2025 | 4PM to 8PM | Zoom |
| Wednesday | August 13, 2025 | 5PM to 9PM | Zoom |
| Sunday | August 17, 2025 | 5PM to 9PM | Zoom |
Cancellation Policy
Ready to Begin Your Journey?
The path to becoming a wedding officiant is rewarding and meaningful. If you’re ready to take the next step:
Review our Beliefs and Values Register for an upcoming training dateComplete your training and you will be on your journey as a Togetherness Collective wedding officiant!