BOLI Diamond Award Winner NY Officiants blends professionalism, personalization, and pure joy into your wedding day
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Your wedding ceremony is the symbolic beginning of your lives as a married couple, and the moment when all of your dreaming, planning, and preparation will be fully realized.
But your ceremony is also important because it sets the tone for the rest of your day, creating a mood and atmosphere that will translate into your cocktail hour, reception, and even your after-party.
This is a fact that Christopher Muhlhauser, owner of BOLI Preferred Vendor and 2024 Diamond Award recipient NY Officiants, understands completely. After entering the wedding industry in his teens, he’s learned what it takes to create joyful and memorable ceremonies. And he’s built a team of elite professionals that bring all of those beautiful elements to life.
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“I’ve known the wedding industry my whole life.” – NY Officiants
For Christopher, an early job ended up inspiring a lifelong career. “I’ve been in the wedding industry since I was sixteen years old,” he remembered. “I used to move equipment for all the big wedding DJs. Then in my mid-to-late twenties, I opened up my own wedding entertainment company and now my partner runs that fully – TLC Entertainment, which is also a Brides of Long Island Preferred Vendor.”
He eventually transitioned into officiating, making a full-time switch during the Covid-19 pandemic. “I started officiating for couples here and there. Then when everything shut down, I opened up NY Officiants. So I’ve known the wedding industry my whole life.”
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“Everything that we do is personalized.” – NY Officiants
When you book with NY Officiants, you’ll never get a “cookie cutter” ceremony. “Everything that we do is personalized,” Christopher described. “That’s why we take the time to speak to each couple – we create the custom ceremony that they envision. It’s all based on what the couple wants.”
How does the booking process work? “We send a simple link to a form that our couples fill out. Once they submit that form, we have a thorough conference call to go over all the details, from start to finish,” he explained. “Couples can go on our Instagram and website and see everything that we’re mentioning on the call. We also communicate the importance of hiring a professional wedding officiant.”
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And speaking of professional wedding officiants, NY Officiants has a team full of passionate individuals ready to preside over your wedding – no matter what your background or preferences happen to be. “We have bilingual officiants, rabbis, women officiants, interfaith officiants – NY Officiants is a whole company of varied, full-time officiants that cater to you.”
NY Officiants can also provide additional wedding day services. “We offer professional photography, videography, and we just added ceremony content creation as well,” Christopher said.
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“Your ceremony is the first part of your wedding day, and you want it to end on a high note.” – NY Officiants
While many couples may think that having friends or family officiate their nuptials will result in a more personal experience, Christopher believes that nothing could be further from the truth. “You want to make sure that you have a professional that is going to be able to guide the ceremony along in a proper time frame,” he stressed. “A lot of couples think that a friend or family member knows them best and can tell the best story, but we can do that. We will know you after working with you. So you’re getting the best of both worlds – we’re able to tell your story but also do it in a professional way.”
He also highlighted the importance of keeping your ceremony upbeat. “It’s important to get that ‘lighthearted’ segment because it’s a game changer. Your ceremony is the first part of your wedding day, and you want it to end on a high note. The energy from your ceremony flows into the rest of your day.”
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“It was definitely a cool experience.” – NY Officiants
When asked about his favorite wedding memories, two very special moments came to mind. “I married a couple in their late 80’s,” he recalled. “They were high school sweethearts and during World War II, he got drafted and went into the army. They lost touch and each started their own lives, getting married and having kids, and then eventually both of their spouses passed. They linked up through mutual acquaintances, and realized that they always felt like they should have gotten married. So I married them and it was so sweet, because they were so in love.”
He also reminisced about another unique event. “I had a couple that wanted to get married in the middle of the Adirondack Mountains, it was a 10-hour hike to get to this lake they call ‘Lake Colden.’ My wife and I, a few photographers and the couple, hiked into the mountains and camped for two nights. I married them in this picturesque, beautiful setting. There were no cell phones, no nothing, but it was definitely a cool experience.”
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“If you sleep on it, you’re not going to get what you want.” – NY Officiants
Christopher had some great advice for brides-to-be planning their Long Island weddings. “Pricing should be a concern, but more importantly, you should want to know more about the value,” he recommended. “Ask pertinent questions like ‘what sets you apart from other officiants?’ instead of ‘what is your pricing?’ I’m very transparent about doing business in the open, so I tell our couples they can read all of our 253 five-star reviews right on our website.”
He also suggested booking sought-after vendors as soon as you can. “Don’t wait too long to hire the industry professional you want. If you sleep on it, you’re not going to get what you want because they will most likely be booked already. So if you reach out and your vendor is available, try to make a jump on it.”
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