Pregnant and due 1 week before my brother’s wedding... and I'm the officiant! Advice needed
TLDR; my due date is one week before my brother's wedding... and I'm the officiant.
Happy FTM here :) My due date is 1 week before my brother's wedding. For context, I'm incredibly close to my brother - he was my "Man of honour" at my wedding - and my future sister-in-law. I'm a bridesmaid and the officiant for their ceremony, and my husband is a groomsman.
When we first found out about our due date, my husband and I panicked. I had recently suffered a miscarriage and I got pregnant before even getting a period again, not knowing when my cycle would go back to normal, so the timing wasn't planned.
My husband and I talked about it, and spoke to my brother and his fiancée as well, telling them that we'll do our best to attend and respect our engagements, but it'll have to depend on the baby, the birth, etc. They’re super understanding and still want me to officiate, with a plan B if we can't attend.
We're planning as best as we can, but obviously by this point it's all speculation. I'd like to breastfeed, so the baby needs to stay with us. I'd hold the baby in a wrap the whole time, to avoid people touching/kissing the baby. My husband's sister will also be attending, and accepted to help us when we need. The wedding is in mid-September, outdoors and under a big tent for the meal/party, so the air will be circulating well. We're also planning on telling everyone beforehand not to touch or try to hold the baby. We figure we might have to leave after the ceremony and pictures, depending on how things go.
I'm having second-thoughts about officiating though. The plan B is to have someone else perform the ceremony with the text I wrote, and I'd sign the papers when I can. This is something I've dreamt of doing for them. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like it might be better if they found a backup officiant now, instead of relying on a last-minute plan B.
Has anyone ever navigated a big event like this with a newborn? Is it doable? Any recommendations? Would love to hear how it went or what you recommend in terms of this specific situation.
Posted Apr 15, 2025, 7:31 PM UTC