I Pronounce You: 10 Questions with Nancy Woods

Officiant - Nancy Woods

Business: I Pronounce You
Location: Austin, Texas TX
Experience: 30+ Years
Profile: I Pronounce You
Website: ipronounceyou.today

1. Introduction: What's your story?

Hello! I'm Nancy Woods, founder and lead officiant with I Pronounce You. I started my company in 2018 after retirement from serving as a pastor for 30+ years. I always loved weddings, and performed hundreds during my career as a pastor. Retirement gave me the opportunity to focus on what I absolutely love. And, seriously, what's not to like about being a part of the best day of a couples' life? It is truly an incredible privilege.

Being a part of each couple's special day is an amazing experience. I'm constantly inspired by love. To hear couples make absolutely breathtaking promises to love each other until they are parted by death...well, each time it is a beautiful moment that I treasure.

When my daughter was planning her wedding, I got introduced to the bride's perspective. The details! So many choices! Shopping for The Dress! Tastings! So many decisions and worries! Months of planning for your wedding. Now that I am an officiant, I see it as my mission to take away the stress of your wedding ceremony. Here is my promise: I will take care of you during your ceremony. You will not have to worry about a single thing. I will guide you with grace and ease through the most important ceremony of your life. You will be able to be present to your partner and actually enjoy your wedding ceremony.

I would love to visit with you about customizing your ceremony. Let's chat: [email protected]

2. What's your experience as a wedding officiant? How many weddings have your officiated?

I've officiated hundreds of weddings, all sizes of weddings, from just the three of us to a convention center with 500 in attendance. I am inspired by love each and every time. My approach is a personal one. I want to hear your love story so that I can celebrate your commitment in the wedding ceremony. I will spend time getting to know you so I can customize your ceremony just for you. At your one year anniversary, you are invited to a free "How's it going? Checkup." I will always be in your corner.

3. How far in advance do couples need to secure your services?

My advice is to secure my services after you secure your venue. The sooner, the better...that way you are assured of getting your desired date.

4. How would you describe your officiant style?

To answer this question about my style, I will quote Pete, one of my grooms: My wife and I did not initially plan to hire an officiant (we wanted to be married by a person close to us). But when COVID prompted uncertainty in that plan, we connected with Nancy just a month before our wedding, and how lucky we were to find her! We had a great time working with her as a destination couple; she made time to meet with us on FaceTime and learn our story, communicated consistently in the days leading up to the wedding, walked us through the ceremony step-by-step, and made us feel comfortable and ready for our ceremony. By the wedding day, we managed to get our wish of getting married by a person close to us after all! We cannot recommend Nancy enough!

5. What are your fees for officiating a wedding?

I can’t give you a precise quote without knowing all your details, I can tell you that we offer two affordably priced ceremonies ranging from $250-$585, and most of our couples end up in the $385-535 range.

6. What do you wear when you officiate a wedding?

I always ask my couples what is their preference for my attire. Some choose Clergy Robes and Wedding Stoles. Most choose attire appropriate for a formal wedding, leaving the specific choice to me. I take into consideration and am complimentary with the colors of the wedding. I never wear anything that would call attention to myself usually choosing a dark jacket and pants.

7. How many pre-wedding sessions will the couple need to have with you?

The first session is a free consultation to see if we are a good fit. If I am chosen, we will have another session to get acquainted, and so that I can hear their love story. We will have one more meeting to plan the details of the ceremony

I also offer 3 packages of Pre-Marital Counseling which is a beautiful investment in building a healthy marriage.

8. Will you be able to create a personalized ceremony?

Absolutely.

There are two things I do really well:
1. Writing a light-hearted, beautiful ceremony that captures the essence of the couple and creates a beautiful memory for life.
2. Guiding couples through pre-marital counseling, teaching conflict resolution, communication skills, and strategies for dealing with unexpected and expected milestones in your marriage. The bonus is that I get to know the couple even better through these sessions and can customize their ceremony even more.

My goal is that couples have the ceremony they want, something unique to them, a ceremony that every person in attendance will remark "That is the my beautiful ceremony I've ever attended"

9. Are you available to travel if needed?

I am available to travel to your wedding, as a destination or in the next county. Areas I regularly serve are from Boerne to Waco, San Marcos to Liberty Hill, Dripping Springs to Austin, Kyle to Georgetown....all over the Texas Hill Country. My car knows the way! And, for destinations, my passport is ready!