Don ’ t Forget Your
Vows
You ’ ve nailed down the wedding date , the venue , and the bridal gown and tuxedo . Now it ’ s time to think about how you ’ ll actually say “ I do .”
BY JILL BECKER
When you start planning your wedding , any good to-do list you ’ ll find will have things like deciding where you ’ ll have the event , what you ’ ll wear on the big day , and what song you ’ ll dance to at your reception . But sometimes forgotten off those lists , yet still equally important , is deciding how you ’ d like the actual “ I do ” part of the wedding to go . For some advice , we turned to Braden Sutton-Zickafoose , the owner of JBS Weddings & Events out of Plainville , Georgia , who ’ s been both planning and officiating weddings for more than a decade .
NWGL : Where should couples even start when thinking about their vows ?
22 | NW GEORGIA LIVING JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2025
Sutton-Zickafoose : My advice for couples is to sit down and talk about what ’ s most important to them . Maybe you want a more serious ceremony , but your future spouse wants to have a little more fun . You can have both . For instance , if a couple is looking for a ceremony that will have their guests laughing , I ’ ll typically suggest they do that during the vows they ’ ve written to one another while I stay more on the serious side .
I also think it ’ s important to find an officiant with similar beliefs as you . For example , if you ’ re having a same-sex wedding , you want to find someone who believes that love is love , not someone who ’ s just there to get paid . That goes too for couples who might be of
Photos by Megan Kuhn Photography
different races / ethnicities or religious preferences . Or maybe there ’ s an age gap or the couple hasn ’ t been together that long . Over my 10 years , I ’ ve seen all kinds of couples , and my philosophy is , “ Who am I to judge ?” Sure , there might have been a couple or two that I had a question about , but if they want to say “ I do ,” then let ’ s do it .
Of course , you don ’ t have to use a minister , justice of the peace , or other registered officiant to lead your wedding . Maybe you ’ d like your brother , aunt , or best friend to officiate for you . There are a few ways someone can become ordained so that your ceremony will be legal . For example , they can become ordained through American Marriage Ministries , a nondenominational