Most couples choosing a marriage officer are looking for two things: someone who makes the legal part simple, and someone who makes the ceremony feel like theirs. It's a smaller decision than the venue or the dress, on paper — but it's the one person in the entire day whose words actually make the marriage real. Dr Heinrich Lottering, who officiates weddings across Pretoria and the greater Gauteng area through his ministry Glitter for Christ, has spent close to two decades doing exactly that — but his path to the altar is a little more unusual than most.

Before he was ever ordained, Heinrich von Herholdt Lottering trained in medicine. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Medicine & Surgery from the University of Pretoria and a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology, alongside diplomas in Medicine and Law and in Homotoxicology. It's the kind of academic record you'd expect from a career spent in a hospital, not standing at the front of a wedding arch. Somewhere along the way, theology took hold — and he went on to complete a BA in Bible & Theology (Cum Laude), a Diploma in Christian Ethics (Cum Laude), and, eventually, two PhDs: one in Christian Religion, and a second in Christian Religion & Health.

That combination — clinical training and pastoral training — isn't just a curiosity on a CV. It shows up in how he works. Heinrich is a registered Advanced Professional Pastoral Counsellor as well as an ordained minister, which means the couples he marries often have him for more than just the ceremony itself. Many come to him first for marriage preparation counselling, working through the practical and emotional groundwork of a marriage before they ever stand up in front of family and friends. It's a rarer combination than it should be — a lot of officiants are excellent on the day and simply unavailable before it. Heinrich's counselling background means the conversations that actually shape a marriage can happen with the same person who'll later stand at the front and make it official.

An officiant registered for every legal marriage in South Africa

Heinrich is a Registered Marriage Officer under the Civil Marriage Act, 1961, and a Commissioner of Oaths — the standard credentials that make a South African wedding legally binding. What's worth knowing, though, is that he's also registered under the Civil Union Act, 2006, meaning he is licensed to officiate civil union ceremonies as well as traditional civil marriages. For couples who've found that not every officiant is willing or able to marry them, that matters. It means the ceremony itself never has to be a question mark — only the details of how you want it to look and feel.

He serves as an ordained minister — described on his own listings as "Shepherd by Divine Commission" to St Francis Chapel — and brings a genuinely Christian framing to the ceremonies he leads for couples who want one. But his services aren't limited to church weddings. He officiates civil ceremonies with no religious content at all, and everything in between.

That range matters more than it might seem. A lot of officiants are set up for one kind of ceremony and one kind only — deeply religious, or entirely secular, with little room to move between the two. Couples with mixed families, different faiths, or simply different expectations of what "the ceremony part" should feel like often end up compromising more than they'd like. Being registered and equipped for both ends of that spectrum means the conversation with Heinrich can start from what the couple actually wants, rather than what the officiant is limited to offering.

Where and how he marries couples

Heinrich doesn't require you to come to him. Ceremonies can be held:

At your own venue — whichever wedding venue you've booked, wherever it is in Gauteng
At your home — for smaller, more private ceremonies
At his church office at Locus Pax Rectory in Rietfontein, Pretoria — a simple, dignified, ready-made setting for couples who want a straightforward legal ceremony without the logistics of a full venue

That flexibility is a large part of why couples come to him. Not every wedding needs — or wants — a marquee and a guest list of two hundred. Some couples want exactly the opposite: a small, legally sound, quietly meaningful ceremony that doesn't need a production around it. Heinrich's own description of his approach is "simple, legal, and personal" — and for an office-based ceremony, that's precisely what you get.

For couples who do want the fuller experience — a church setting, a written sermon, hymns, the full weight of a religious ceremony — he offers that too, describing his own ceremonies as aiming to be "deeply spiritual and romantic." Twenty years in, he's married people getting engaged for the first time in their sixties and couples who wanted nothing more than fifteen quiet minutes with two witnesses. The range is the point.

Beyond the wedding day

Marriage officiants are often thought of as a single-day booking, but Heinrich's ministry extends further than the ceremony itself:

Marriage preparation counselling — sitting down with couples before the wedding to work through expectations, communication, and the practical realities of married life
Marriage counselling — for couples further into their marriage who want support
General pastoral counselling — for individuals, not only couples
Vow renewals — for couples marking an anniversary or wanting to reaffirm their commitment
Baptisms
Funeral and memorial services

It's a fuller picture of ministry than "shows up, signs the register, leaves" — and it's part of why couples who work with him for their wedding sometimes come back to him for other moments in their life together. A wedding officiant is usually a one-day relationship. For the couples who go through pre-marriage counselling with Heinrich first, it's closer to a season of their life he's walked through with them — which tends to show in how the ceremony itself is delivered on the day.

Is Dr Heinrich Lottering the right fit for your wedding?

He's a strong match if:

You want a legally binding ceremony — civil marriage or civil union — handled by someone properly registered and experienced with the process
You'd rather have your ceremony at your own venue or home than travel to an officiant
You want the option of a genuinely Christian ceremony, without being locked into one if that's not what you're after
You value having someone with real counselling qualifications available before the wedding, not just on the day
You want a simple, dignified office ceremony without the cost or complexity of a full venue
You're planning a second wedding, a small elopement, or a ceremony later in life, and want someone experienced with exactly that rather than a one-size-fits-all package built for a 200-guest event

Twenty years is a long time to be doing one thing, and it shows less in any single ceremony than in how little seems to faze him — the paperwork questions, the last-minute nerves, the couple who wants something unconventional. That range of experience is difficult to manufacture and easy to underestimate when you're comparing officiants on a directory page.

Get in touch

Dr Heinrich Lottering officiates weddings, civil unions, vow renewals and more across Pretoria and greater Gauteng. You can view his full profile, ceremony photos, and contact details on his Wedding Directory listing — and if you're still working through the legal side of your wedding planning, our wedding planning checklist is a useful next stop to make sure nothing falls through the cracks before the big day.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dr Heinrich Lottering registered to perform legally binding marriages in South Africa?

Yes. He is a Registered Marriage Officer under the Civil Marriage Act, 1961, and a Commissioner of Oaths, and is also registered under the Civil Union Act, 2006.

Can he officiate civil union ceremonies, not just traditional civil marriages?

Yes. His registration under the Civil Union Act, 2006 covers civil union ceremonies alongside standard civil marriages.

Does the ceremony have to be religious?

No. He officiates both fully Christian ceremonies and civil ceremonies with no religious content, depending on what the couple wants.

Where can the ceremony take place?

At your chosen wedding venue, at your home, or at his church office at Locus Pax Rectory in Rietfontein, Pretoria, for a simple office-based ceremony.

Does he offer anything beyond the wedding ceremony itself?

Yes. He also provides marriage preparation counselling, ongoing marriage and pastoral counselling, vow renewals, baptisms, and funeral or memorial services.

What areas does he serve?

He's based in Pretoria and serves the greater Gauteng area.

How do I contact him?

Through his Wedding Directory profile, where his phone, WhatsApp, and email are listed.

Court & Civil

Meet Dr Heinrich Lottering: Pretoria's Marriage Officer With a Medical Degree and Two PhDs