Have you ever made a mistake in a ceremony? Like saying a name wrong or anything?

Hi Carla,

Yes once. However, the names of the Bride and Groom, were a different nationality and very hard to pronounce.  I sort of made it into light moment and everyone was amused as they realised how hard the names were to pronounce in an Aussie accent !

I had asked the Bride how to pronounce her name, however, it did not come out the same with me saying it.  She had a very pretty name, it was just me getting it around my tongue!  XX

Hi Carlaj,

Thank you for your enquiry - no, fortunately I haven't made a mistake with names etc during a ceremony!  At the initial meeting with a couple, I usually check I am saying either the Christian or surname correctly of one or both the bride and groom.  To make sure I have heard the name/s correctly, I write the name/s phonetically into my notes so that I can practice it many times well before the wedding and when speaking with the couple.  I also then write it phonetically into my copy of the ceremony so I don't find myself being tripped up at the most important time - the presentation of the wedding ceremony!  I hope this answer is of assistance to you.  Kind regards.

For myself, it is so important to ensure that every ceremony is delivered to the best it can be. It's really important for me to be immersed in the story that I deliver on behalf of my couples. Getting their names right the first time and every time is a must. To ensure that my fusion clients get the best from me, I commit by presenting only 1 wedding a day so that I can be fully engaged with what I need to do for my couple, giving them 100% effort and being in the moment with them every time. Occasionally you do get tongue tied but never with names. The paperwork tricks us Celebrants use to make sure we pronounce names correctly are all part of the delivery for our gorgous brides and grooms.

• I ask how its pronounced, and practise it, until I get it right.
• The spelling of your name on your documents have to be exactly as written on your birth certificate.
• I hope this has cleared this up for you.

Cheers

Angela

No, thank goodness! Having said that, we celebrants are all human and even we can get nervous or tongue-tied at times. So it is normal to have a slip-up with a word or phrase occasionally.  However, I do think it's important to make sure names are correct , and I take great pride in working on the pronunciation of names (which are sometimes a challenge). Nobody wants to be called by the wrong name on their wedding day!!

Hi Carlaj,

A celebrant always worries about getting a couples names wrong but spoonerisms can pop out at the worst of times - and that can happen to the best of us!!

The key to NOT making mistakes is good preparation and not being too busy.  Fortunately couples forgive us if we make a mistake stumbling over a difficult pronunciation and they know we've tried to get it right. I normally have couples say their own names during their vows... no need for them to repeat after me - they know their names, so I'm not going to stumble over them then!

I hope your day goes well!

Hi Carlaj

with unusal names I write in phoenetically on my copy of the service. Then I rehearse and rehearse it. However, once I had a bride with a surname I had not come across and did the same. Unfortunately I did have knowledge of a place with a very similar name and came out with that name ... it was not a totally different name, it was a mild inflection in pronunciation, which I said 'sorry......" and corrected immediately ..... however the bride did a few huffs and puffs and refused to provide a review.  I believe as long as we take the utmost care, that is what is important, and in life sometimes a hiccup occurs.  I often find the bride or groom make a mistake and we just move on and I would doubt that many guests would ever notice.  Enjoy your day.     Cheers from Lee

I am sure that I have made many mistakes but they are mostly small because none have been brought to my attention.  Everyone makes mistakes, particularly a nervous bride or groom in reading their vows.  I have found that the most common mistakes at weddings have to do with the timing or loudness of the music, so I always want that rehearsed.  It is very important, I think, to reassure the bride and groom that any "mistakes" they might make probably won't be noticed, and even if they are noticed, they do not matter.  "Just relax and enjoy your special day."

If I'm marrying a couple whose names are difficult for me to pronounce, I get them to record the correct pronunciation on my iPhone, slowly and at converational pace. I then rehearse the heck out of them until they and I are satisifed that I am pronouncing them perfectly. That becomes clear at the ceremony rehearsal. The same applies to other words included in the ceremony - eg in the titles of readings etc. I am pretty insistent on us having a rehearsal so that the couple and I at least look like we know what we're doing! A great rehearsal makes the ceremony flow smoothly, and reduces the stress and level of nervousness on the wedding day. And typically, we'd rehearse things like the vows - and any movement by me, in particular - numerous times until we are all happy with it. All of that helps ensure there are no errors. But if someone stuffs up their vows, we either just keep going or go back over it again and say that part again. It's never an issue.