If I had to do it over I wouldn't go with him. He and I just had different personalities, and that might not be the case for everyone. -- We asked for a sample of the ceremony several weeks out, we had to ask every day, he wouldn't send it. It irritated me, because I felt it was really important to know what we'd be saying in the ceremony, but I'm a control freak. His attitude was very much "I've done this a million times, don't worry your pretty little head, no bride has *ever* complained about my work. People try to write their own vows and their own ceremony and it always turns out terrible. Just leave it to me." That just didn't go over very well with me, especially since when we booked him, it was because he said he would work *with us* to create a ceremony that fit us.. which never happened.
The day of the rehearsal, it was more of the same.. We were discussing where everyone would stand, and I asked him to stand somewhere different than he usually does.. We had been to a friend's wedding a few months before and I wanted the same setup they had. He argued with me, and repeatedly tried to tell me that "I really didn't want that" and I would regret it later. Everyone started laughing, bacause that had been the running theme of our whole wedding "You really don't want to do that" and anyone who knows me, knows that I am one of the most intentional people you will ever meet, I take full responsibility for my decisions and I rarely have regrets (and if I do regret it later it's my problem not yours..)
When he was going over what he would say, he mentioned some readings.. we asked if we could see them or if he could email them to us, and he said no. We asked him to recite them and he said it was a little of this and a little of that.. which concerned us, because we specifically told him we wanted a completely secular ceremony.
In the end we had a secular ceremony and it was fine.. Personally, I didn't like the ceremony at all, the words didn't feel meaningful, but I can live with it, it won't irritate me forever, and I'm sure I'm the only one bothered by it. Like I said, I'm type A and picky! Your experience, needs and expectations may vary!
--Heather