The Celebrant

The celebrant is the person conducting the wedding ceremony.  If you have the opportunity, try to choose a person with whom you are close. If you have a priest in your family, you can opt to choose him. Otherwise look for a priest who personally knows one or both of you, as this will certainly make the ceremony more intimate.

In case of a civil wedding, the officiant is appointed by the Marriage Registry of Malta.

The Witnesses

As their title implies, these witness the wedding.  You need two witnesses, one from each side. They can either be both male, both female or mixed.

During the wedding vows and the exchange of the rings, the witnesses stand next to the couple and the priest, one on either side.

Being witnesses of this ‘contract’, at the end of the ceremony, together with the couple and the priest, they sign the marriage documents where indicated by the priest or officiate.

The Readers

In Malta, the ceremony mass includes two readings from the scriptures, read by two different persons.

It is also common to have a series of short prayers close to the end of the ceremony. Prayers may vary in number from one to six or more. Normally a different reader is chosen for every prayer.

Be sure that when selecting your readers that they have a voice that sounds and carries well. The meaning of a passage read aloud is more effective when your guests can hear it properly.  Also make sure that the chosen readers do not have a speech impediment that might embarrass them in front of an audience.