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This week's topics: wedding officiant tips, personalized wedding ceremonies, practical wedding planning advice, calming wedding day nerves, selecting the right wedding officiant, honoring family in wedding ceremonies, insights on marriage coaching, memorable wedding day moments and handling unexpected wedding challenges.
For this particularly heartwarming episode of the Wedding Day Podcast, our hosts Sonja and Dan sat down with Mitch and Jenna from Mitch & Jenna Weddings. This dynamic husband-and-wife team has become renowned in Wisconsin for their multitude of roles as wedding officiants, planners and even marriage coaches. They shared their journey, insights and invaluable tips for couples preparing for their big day.
Mitch kicked off the conversation by recounting their foray into the wedding industry. "We started this over 11 years ago," he began, detailing how his initial role in leading a youth group led to officiating weddings. Jenna joined him at these weddings as his "plus one," which sparked her interest in the planning side in a very spontaneous way. "There was one wedding where the bride had no one to open the doors for her to walk down the aisle... I was the stranger opening the door for someone on the biggest day of their life," Jenna recalled. This serendipitous moment ignited an eventual profession in wedding planning.
The discussion moved to their business philosophy and the importance of the wedding ceremony. Mitch emphasized, "Our niche is with couples that want to prioritize their ceremony; that the ceremony means something to them." They strive to make every ceremony personal and significant, ensuring it reflects the couple's unique love story. Jenna added, "Ultimately, we care so much more about your marriage because that's what's going to last after your wedding day."
Mitch and Jenna are known for their practical approach to wedding planning. Mitch provided invaluable tips for officiants, such as managing the microphone and ensuring smooth ceremony logistics. He also touched on red flags for selecting an officiant. "If they don't have a website or even a Facebook page, they're probably not taking it seriously," he warned. Jenna emphasized the importance of honoring family members during your big day. "Consider the relationship you have with your family and how you can honor them in the ceremony," she suggested.
Handling nervousness is another area wherein the professional couple excels. Mitch shared his unique approach to calming couples' nerves at the top of the wedding. "I'll actually step out in front of the couple and kind of break formation for a second and I'll say, breathe. You made it. You got to this point. This is what it's all about," he explained. This tactic helps couples focus on the significance of the moment rather than the stress.
In reminiscing, the pair shared a particularly memorable moment in their careers: a rainy wedding day at The Eloise in Madison. The bride insisted on having the ceremony outside despite the weather. Jenna recounted, "She said, 'I don't care if it's raining. I want to marry my best friend; we're ready to do this. Let's go.'" Mitch and Jenna praised the supportive vendor team and the positive attitude of the wedding party, which turned a potential disaster into a cherished memory. "The whole mood just changed... because instead of 'we're going to have to sit in the rain,' now the wedding party is like, 'let's go! This is gonna be awesome,'" Mitch recalled.
Beyond planning and officiating, Mitch and Jenna emphasize the importance of supporting couples in their marriage journey. They offer marriage coaching, drawing from their own experiences and challenges. Mitch explained, "We haven't really seen it anywhere. So we're not necessarily modeling it after anybody. This was born out of the desire that we wish we would have had somebody early on in our marriage that could have helped us hold our hand along the way." Their commitment to their couples extends far beyond the wedding day, making them unique in the industry. Mitch and Jenna's blend of experience, passion and genuine care for their clients shines through, making this a must-listen for anyone in the wedding planning process.
This episode is powered by Mitch & Jenna Weddings and Two Birds Event Group. Special thanks to members Milwaukee Flower Co., Linen Effects, Continental Diamond, Warpaint International.
