How to Officiate a Wedding: What to Do When Someone Faints or Throws Up

For the first time in nine years of officiating weddings, a recent bride threw up during the ceremony.

She came down the aisle with her mom and then barfed out of nervousness before anything was even said. She handled it like an absolute champ, but was certainly embarrassed nonetheless.

If you want to really know how to officiate a wedding when someone faints or throws up, follow these steps.

  • Instruct the couple and their bridal party to eat a little before the ceremony. Don’t suggest they pig out, just have a little something in their stomachs.
  • STAY CALM! Your energy is contagious and if you freak out, you’ll make it much worse for the wedding participants.
  • Instruct the person who’s experiencing upset to squeeze their feet and toes inside their shoes. This naturally grounds us and brings our conscious awareness back to the present moment.
  • Instruct the person who’s in trouble to BREATHE. Tell them to take full, deep breaths.
  • Ask a guest or someone in the bridal party to get water for whoever about to pass out or throw up.
  • Get a cold, damp towel or handkerchief for their forehead or to wipe their mouth and clean up.
  • Act like it’s no big deal! The person who experienced the upset is undoubtedly embarrassed and if you remain calm and act like it’s no big deal, their embarrassment will be diminished and you’ll look like a pro. Celebrate their recovery and ask the guests for applause.

Having a bunch of people clap for you feels great, even when you’re embarrassed. That person will then know that his/her guests love and support them and then the ice has been officially broken before the ceremony even started. It’ll be way more comfortable for the fainter when first walking into their reception.

8) Give them a mint. Man do I wish I remembered that I had Altoids in my pocket! I carry a small tin of Altoids to hand out to the couple and their bridal party before walking into a ceremony. I would’ve looked even more professional, but it was my first time experiencing something like this and I forgot that the mints were there.

The 8 steps above work equally well for someone who faints, as long as they don’t hit their head on the ground. If they hit their head, seek medical attention!

Weddings are live events and so they don’t always go as planned. The best way to handle unexpected things is to act like you’ve seen it before and that it’s not a big deal. Stay calm, THEN ACT.