Out of all the parts of your day you prepare for - the ceremony is one of the most intimate, special, and memorable. With good preparation, you can make sure your ceremony goes off without a hitch, and ensure that you and your guests can focus on the reason you are all there - which is you and your spouse!

On the other hand, if you forget any of the items below, they can often cause an unnecessary distraction during your ceremony.

As a wedding cinematographer, I've witnessed countless ceremonies go off perfectly, as well as many that didn't. For those that didn't, they often were one of these 3 things.

Ok, on to the first one!

Pick the right officiant.

Ok, so the mistake to avoid would be 'picking the wrong officiant.' But I don't think it's about that as much as it is about picking one who is perfect for you.

You want an officiant who knows you. Ideally someone who's been a part of your life already. Someone who can speak to you both, who has perspective on your journey, and who can give your guests deeper insight into who you are as a couple.

Pro tip: chat with the officiant about what he/she will discuss during the ceremony.

Mic check!

Super important - don't forget a mic check on the day of.

This is a small detail, and won't be an issue at all if you've hired a good DJ.

But if you're using a church or venue audio system and have a volunteer running the audio - you'll want to speak with them first and make sure they'll be doing a thorough sound check before the event starts.

This is definitely something you shouldn't have to worry about on your special day - so just prepare well for it, communicate with those you need to, and you'll be all set!

Cell phones and cameras.

No guest wants to be that person whose phone goes off during the ceremony. Yet, in so many ceremonies this is a predictable feature.

Same with cameras - some guests love to stand up, walk behind you as you're coming down the aisle, or pick the "perfect" spot to get their angle. Unfortunately, this often gets in the way of the photographer and videographer, and at the very least, causes unnecessary distraction during the ceremony.

How can you avoid these? The best way is to communicate it in multiple ways.

• You can include it in your email announcements or on your wedding website.
• You can put it on a sign as guests enter the ceremony location.
• You can have the officiant announce it at the beginning of the ceremony also.

Most guests have the best intentions, so a few friendly reminders go a long way.

Summary

Honestly, if you plan for these three things, you'll be avoiding 90% of the most common ceremony mistakes.

Now the rest of your focus can be freed up to plan for those parts of the ceremony that are creative and special for you both. And during the ceremony, your focus can be right where it should be - on each other.