Aisle Authority

Starting something is scary only because it's what most people do not do. It's in our DNA to be a follower. But if you examine the last few thousand years of civilisation, most of the bad things that we still talk about today are the result of people just following along. Avoiding the scary, avoiding change, avoiding the call to leadership.

So I'm writing this daily letter every day from the 1st of February to leave the status quo of "this is how all weddings are and should be and how wedding officiants and celebrants should exist" and to step into the chaotic beauty of creating meaningful and honest weddings as a celebrant/officiant.

And I'm extending that inviting hand to you. Would you care to come do something great?

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I also wanted to send an actual email to the list when there's only 15 people on it to make sure it works and everything I've set up works perfectly. So tap reply and let me know you got this?

https://www.aisleauthority.email/

I'll never forget the day I discovered that:

1. wedding celebrants were a thing that existed, and
2. that they could be terrible

I remember walking into the wedding ceremony so excited for the couple getting married, and thus the celebration that was about to take place, and was so surprised that the person holding the microphone, the authority down the end of that aisle, was clearly just not emotionally available to care enough about my aunty's wedding.

They didn't understand how awesome and important it is.

15 years on I've channeled the opposite of whatever energy she brought to that wedding on a Queensland beach and I'd love to share it with you in a daily email called Aisle Authority.

My friend and co-founder of the Celebrant Institute, Sarah, pointed out that not every wedding has an aisle, and that is fair and true, but it's a cool name in my humble little opinion, so here we are.

The email is free. One day there'll probably be a course, a book, a paid version of the email, who knows where things will end up, but today I'm asking for the permission to slip into your email inbox every day with inspiration, help, advice, recommending tools, apps, and artificial intelligence tricks to help you be awesome.

Come along for the ride?

My name is Josh Withers, welcome to Aisle Authority.

As the person creating and leading a wedding ceremony consider the five senses in ceremony creation.

In order of nervous system priority:

1. **Sight** - the ceremony should not just look aesthetically nice (including our attire and grooming) but it should look "right" to the guests: celebrant in the middle. To my colleagues that stand to the side of the ceremony, you are likely mentally confusing guests. Your intentions are honest and good, but standing to the side of the ceremony creates mental confusion, the same way placing the PA system at the rear of the ceremony does ...

2. **Sound** - the __easiest__ *best quality* sound for guests is a handheld microphone (I prefer the Sennheiser EW range) with two (left and right) or one speakers at the front of the ceremony, on speaker stands, pointing towards the guests so when they hear your voice it's coming from a similar place as your mouth. Speaker positioning is about creating a mentally satisfying sound for guests so they can hear, enjoy, and celebrate with you.

3. **Touch** - physically welcome, perhaps by shaking hands, and comfort people including the couple. It's an authentic and honest way of being present.

4. **Taste** - Unless you're also the caterer you have little control over taste, but I'll hijack the point to say keep your ceremony tasteful. Not too short, not too long, not too romantic, not too pragmatic, not too comedic, not too serious, the kind of ceremony Goldilocks would say is just right.

5. **Smell** - I'm always encouragingly couples to host an outdoor ceremony, maybe on the water or in the forest. The smell will be part of the memory for a lifetime.