Navigating the nervous excitement of your wedding day can feel like a daunting endeavor. Seasoned wedding officiant Stacy Prouty has found the antidote to calm those jitters. “I tell each partner, if you feel your partner is nervous, don’t wait for me to ask you to join hands. Give their fingers a small squeeze as you look them in the eye. That touch is magic – brings down blood pressure and helps the person be fully present,” she shares.
As the lead officiant and owner of Say “I Do” on the Suncoast, Prouty’s gentle approach, combined with her two decades of experience in officiating weddings, has proven to be a balm for nervous couples. This tranquil setting is especially poignant when set against the serene backdrop of Anna Maria Island, one of her favorite locales.
Prouty embraces the opportunity to tailor ceremonies to couples’ unique personalities and love stories. “Unity traditions are optional but can help speak to what’s meaningful to you both,” she explains. And on Anna Maria Island, she gets to exercise her creativity: “At the beach, the sand ceremony takes advantage of the venue, using sand to represent blending two lives into one, and comparing the constancy of your love and devotion to the constancy of the tide—something we can count on day in and day out.”
With her team of officiants spread across the Suncoast, from north Fort Myers to Tampa and all the islands and beaches in between, Prouty ensures that each ceremony is conducted in accordance with Florida law. As an ordained non-denominational minister and a state-certified Florida notary public, she meets the legal requirements for officiating weddings in the Sunshine State. But for her, it’s about more than just legalities—it’s about the couples and their love stories.
Prouty’s unique role allows her to advise couples on the intricacies of a wedding ceremony and even the finer points of obtaining a marriage license in Florida. She also navigates the small but impactful details that can make a big difference, like ensuring the person officiating steps out of the way during the couple’s kiss for the perfect photo-op.
One of the most personal aspects of any wedding ceremony is the vows. Prouty assists couples in choosing or writing vows that accurately reflect their love and commitment. “Most people aren’t public speakers. What looks good on paper doesn’t always flow well in a spoken setting,” she shares, underlining her role in helping to guide couples to find just the right words. Her personal touch and experience allow her to bring each couple’s love story to life, celebrating their unity in a way that is as constant and enduring as the tide.