Help.....How much should I pay my officiant?

Check with your secretary of state to make sure your wedding officiant is licensed in your state. Whether your wedding officiant is a friend, or someone you found on line, it is wise to check and make sure they are registered with your state. Ohio is similar to Virginia, you have hoops to jump through to be registered as a minister and you must be listed on their secretary of state website before you are recognized as being legal to sign off on the marriage license.

As for the fee, take into consideration what you expect from your wedding officiant. How much time did your officiant put into your wedding service for you? Was it personalized? Did you write your vows to be mixed in with the wedding service? Does your officiant offer a rehearsal?

A rehearsal is very important as this is a huge event, think broadway ;-) You want to make sure everyone knows what their lines are, where they are to stand, how to proceed down the aisle, and pulling it all together is sometimes tricky.

As a pastor- I have asked around to other churches to find a fair "rate". Obviously every circumstance is different and every pastor will do plent of pro-Bono weddings. I have found $200 to be the norm in several churches. Keep in mind- for many pastors... Weddings are "extra" responsibilities (at least by their job descriptions at many churches) and many have several hours of prep time invested per wedding. For example- a wedding I did last week required approx 16--20 hours of prep and live time (not to mention gas, dry cleaning suit, pre counseling and planning, etc)... $200 is roughly $10/hr. No matter how eloquent, the pastor DOES NOt just walk up there and speak. The pastor isn't doing it for the money--- but please recognize the cost associated with the service. Look for example at the amount paid for flowers or cake, when compared... You certainly get more "bang for your buck" even paying on the higher end of what I have seen on this forum

Warning - this is a VERY old post with old pricing!!

In 2016, engaged couples spent $300 on average on their officiant.

Use the WW vendor search to find local officiants, see pricing, and read reviews from past clients!

I'm Hindu, and our priests have to officiate a lot of rituals. My bff told me she paid $700 to hers, so I did the same for mine. I also paid for his hotel room, and gave a nice welcome bag. This was in May 2018 and we live in NY.

Factor in what exactly they're doing, how many hours they need to be there, how far they're traveling, etc.