OFFICIANT FEES

Just got a quote of ... $800 w/rehearsal or $700 without. I know behind the scenes there is work taking place, but for a 30 minute ceremony it does seem quit high. If there's a good rapport then it may be money well worth spending.. so we'll see.

We used an officiant for our ceremony and are so hapyp we did. They wrote out a completely customized ceremony for us. The officiant spent at least 2 hours on the phone with me leading up to the wedding and I lost track of all the e-mails we sent back and forth. My offciaint arrived 45 minutes before the ceremony was scheduled to begin and we were running an hour late so they were there for over an hour and 45 minutes and then performed a 25-30 minute ceremony. Adding all those hours up, I think we got a steal at $300. I ended up sending them a tip of $50 later on because of the patience and understanding as we ran late. I think $300 is pretty average for what we received.

As a wedding officiant, I've been going back and forth on whether or not to increase my prices, or charge for attending a rehearsal. I knew going into this profession (notice that I didn’t call it a business) that I would not become rich doing it, and anyone that thinks this is completely off base, or in the wrong line of work.

I became an officiant because I enjoy making people happy, love the challenge and thrill of getting everything ready to conduct a “perfect” ceremony for one of the most important days in the couples’ lives, and most importantly, the awesome feeling I get from actually performing one of the most sacred ceremonies on earth. The only feeling that comes close is witnessing the birth of your children.

Let’s discuss prices….. Many have given valid examples of time, effort, quality, “wear and tear” on vehicles, etc. Only a small business person really understands the costs associated with running a legitimate small business, and there are many direct / indirect

And tangible / intangible costs that the bride and groom don’t realize. One that hasn’t been mentioned is advertising costs. If people don’t know you exist, you don’t! And like anything else, you get what you pay for. Advertising is very expensive. Another expense is taxes, both Federal and State (I live in Calif.). How about gas and vehicle insurance? Both on the rise, and again, I live in Calif.

How about an officiant who doesn’t charge for attending a rehearsal, which happens to fall on a Friday or Saturday, normally the most popular days of the week to be married. They have just eliminated the possibility of booking a wedding on that day, a potential loss of several hundred dollars! Let’s say they charge $75 dollars for attending the rehearsal. Is it worth it to you to have them there to oversee the wedding party “going through the motions,” in preparations for the actual wedding? I’d propose that it’s well worth the cost!

So in closing , you can hire a cheap officiant, and probably get a jewel from time to time, or hire one that charges more (some way more), and maybe get a rotten egg from time to time also. What you should do is meet them, talk for awhile and get to know them. Ask good questions you can get from the internet, and then decide if they’re the right fit for you. Just remember that there are no do-over’s on the wedding day after you’ve purchased that “great cheap deal,” and wound up getting a lemon. In ten years, family and friends won’t remember that the shrimp weren’t that great from the caterer, but they will remember how great (or bad) the officiant was.

I think it's fair that officiants charge for their services. Realistically it is more than 30 mins of work, considering commute, rehearsal, etc. I do think that some officiants overcharge, but that is par for the course in the wedding vendor biz. I actually had my mom perform my ceremony, she was ordained through www.theamm.org and I think the whole process was less than $50 bucks and much more memorable than hiring someone.

What a great topic! As an officiant, I charge $375 for a customized wedding ceremony. That means, I spend time meeting with the couple, getting to know them, listening to their ideas of how they would like to have their wedding ceremony, creating and coming up with the ceremony that reflects their own vision and style. Many times it takes multiple phone calls, meetings and follow ups to create the unique ceremony that they desire. I know that sometimes couples may think it is only 20 or 30 minutes because that is all people see, but it is really the research and the behind the scenes planning work that creates the cost. The more unique the ceremony the more time. For example, if it is an interfaith ceremony, or new age, or involves children or unique situations, it may take more creative work. Also I provide a Name Change Kit and keepsake booklet for the ceremony. So, in the big picture, the officiant costs less than the cake!!! Is your ceremony worth more than the cake???

In addition, if my couple are Florida residents, I provide them with the marriage prep course that allows them to receive a discount on the marriage license and I DO NOT charge for a rehearsal if one of the couple is an active member of the Military.

I'm in Northern Virginia/DC area. My officiant is charging $550 for the ceremony, rehearsal, and travel. I really didn't budget this much, so it really came as quite a shock. On top of that, our ceremony is completely nontraditional with a mix of Hindu and western traditions, so FH and I wrote the entire thing ourselves. Basically we're paying $550 for him to read our script!

But on the other side of the coin, we met with him and he seemed very nice and genuinely interested in helping us have a successful wedding. He comes highly recommended and is very professional. Since the ceremony is the main purpose of the wedding, we decided that it was worth the extra cost and we simply cut back on less important things. It's all about priorities.

I am a wedding officiant and I would never charge anyone 500.00!! This is supposed to be a happy time for the couple. I feel charging that much would be against my core beliefs and values. I only charge $75.00.

In NYC I usually charge anywhere between $350 - $500. It varies depending on travel, costs, and personalization.

My fee runs $150 to $250 depending on the distance I have to travel.
This fee is reasonable if you look at all that is involved. I have to make three trips,
first meeting, Rehearsal and then the Wedding. I spend an hour at each one.
I provide a Ceremony Wording Guide book both on line and a paper copy to help
put together the Ceremony Script personlized. I spend time putting the ceremony together in a keepsake book. I am available for all the consulting that a Bride & Groom need by phone or email. I am also part planner, cordinator, consultant and Officiant. So I feel like I earn my Money. And I Love my Job. Rose Budd of Amore By RoseBuddWedding

In the Virginia/Maryland/DC area, Virginia/Maryland/DC Civil Ceremonies/Wedding Ministers is a great choice for experienced wedding ministers. They perform your ceremony exactly the way you write it. There are no sermons as the expensive ministers do.

Fees vary depending on location and ministerial travel, but your ceremony will be performed your way. I just emailed my ceremony to my minister and am waiting for the big day.

The wedding day is probably the most if not one of the most important days of your life! I can only speak for myself, but I charge a flat fee for the service, no matter if its a traditional ceremony all the way to a custom ceremony. Its not the ceremony that I charge for, but rather the time I invest into each wedding I perform. It is true that many clergy who are affiliated with a church will charge much less than one that is not. The reason is simple, its their career to focus their time on weddings. The clergy affiliated with a church will charge for the time and use of the church, as well as purchasing flowers or the charges for the cleaning crews and musicians.

For me, I don't charge for the initial consultation with the bride and groom. I understand that you are still looking for the right officiant, and there are plenty out there. I look at this as a working interview, not only are you the bride and groom looking at me, but I am already starting on your wedding ceremony, even if nothing comes out of it. I use templates to help you get a feel for what you want to give to your families, and will work with you to create the ceremony that you want. I don't use a template to read from, so each wedding I do is essentially custom, that's why I don't charge different rates for the styles I offer. I charge for the rehearsal, since I, as an officiant, am not essential for the rehearsal. If you request that I be there to facilitate, and make sure everyone knows what to do, then yes, I believe charging a rehearsal fee is appropriate.

Let me break it down a bit for you as far as time is considered:

Consultation over the phone: 30 minutes.

In person consultation between 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes

Writing the first draft: 40 Hours ( this is time spent doing research on your specific wishes, reviewing questionnaires, going over notes, incorporating special ceremonies; unity candle, wine ceremony, handfasting, sand ceremonies, reviewing the background on the couple to incorporate their personal touch into the wedding service)

Writing the Second draft: 1-2 Hours (Depending upon the couple and what they have asked to have included, or removed.)

Education: 2 Hours (Not only is your ceremony important to you, it is important that you learn about the ceremony that you have chosen, and what every part of it means for you. Remember that your wedding ceremony completes a religious and legal contract, I wouldn't want to sign any contract I didn't read and understand first.)

Rehearsal: 2 Hours (Normally a couple will ask for a 1 hour rehearsal, but generally people will not arrive on time, or be confused with the ceremony walk, music entrance and entrance/exit cues, I won't rush any couple through the process, its not something you should rush through anyway.)

Before the Ceremony: 1 Hour ( I arrive early to assist where I am needed, if I am needed. I will sign the license and distribute the Marriage Certificate for signing at this time.)

Ceremony: 15-30 Minutes Depending on the length of the final ceremony which has already been approved by the bride and groom.

Post Ceremony: This is a mingling time, where you have asked your celebrant to meet the families and give their blessing to all who is available. This could be at the reception (if I am invited, which may or may not happen.) 1 Hour

Total: 45.5 Hours to 48 Hours

Hourly pay is average $11.00/hr

At $500 per wedding, I feel that it is very reasonable! As a Doctor of Divinity and a Ph.D. this is a rate that most other Doctors would laugh at. From a business plan perspective, these fees would not qualify for even a small business loan, so I would suggest that you listen and learn from your officiant, because I'm not planning on raising my prices, so let us work for you, to make the celebration that more special, because part of our "pay" is seeing you happy!

My fees are reasonable: I try to have a base (starting rate) of $100. From there I will not exceed $300. My formula is basic: Unlimited Consultation, Personalized Ceremony, Gas/Mileage, Daily Per Diem, Rehearsal and Wedding Ceremony.

In response to the question of Wedding Officiant Fees, let me share a few thoughts to consider. From the moment you book an Officiant, he/she is working for you. Whether the wedding is a year away or just a few days/weeks, the officiant is on the clock preparing for your special day. Here are a few things to consider. The officiant is providing some form of initial consultation (usually free) and then additional (unlimited) consultation all the way up to the moment you walk down the aisle. The officiant is drafting and preparing a personalized ceremony that includes a small talk/sermonette to share during the ceremony on the topic of love, commitment, togetherness, and other themes to make your moment special and memorable.

The officiant has personal items to take care of to include a suit, shirt, tie, shoes, Clergy Robe or collar, and other preparations for the day (of course those things are different for female officiants). He/She must be groomed and that may mean a trip to the barber or salon in the case of a female. The car must be gassed and prepped in case of a long trip to both the rehearsal and wedding. Then, like all other professionals, there is a daily per diem, especially if the officiant is spending an approx 3-4 hours during rehearsal, pre-wedding ceremony, wedding ceremony, post wedding ceremony w/pictures, and the reception (the time can surely be longer).

The fee must also take into consideration any changes, delays, postponements, cancellations, and other events outside his/her control. Say you take your car to a mechanic and he tells you (a standard) 2 weeks. You tell him you need it sooner. What does he tell you? It will cost more for a rush delivery! Another consideration is also the time between the booking and the ceremony.

So in my humble opinion, when an officiant quotes a base rate of say $150-$300, more/less, there are numerous factors that play into the fee besides just the 15-30 minute (standing in front of the Bride/Groom) during the ceremony.

There are different ways to do weddings. A simple 7-10 minute wedding that is not written custom for you would be cheaper. But if your wedding is set to take 30 minutes then your officiate probably talked with you for 30-45 minutes or more to find out what you want in a wedding. Then they have to write it....a process that generally takes a couple of hours even if you have written weddings before. Then you send it back and forth to finalized the text and make the changes. Let's say another hour. Then the officiate has to load up the "props", drive to the location, and unload. Set up. That's an hour or more, but let's say one hour. I always show up an hour early so I can set up before the guests start arriving. Then a half hour ceremony, and another half hour to get all the signatures and pack up. And the drive home, completing the paperwork requirements to satisfy the state and mailing it off. A total of about 7 hours. But price for the officiate is a very small part of the wedding cost. You would spend more on seat covers at the reception than the cost of the officiate. Think about this....its the biggest day in your life and all eyes will be on the bride, the groom and the officiate so the difference between "officiate in a box" cheap and a personal, custom and romantic ceremony written and performed by an experienced professional is very small in comparison. But if all you care about is cheap....go on the internet....get your uncle Ralph ordained at an internet church for free or $30 tops and go for it.

Interesting perspectives. I am amazed that brides will pay up to or in excess of $1,000 for a dress and balk at a fee of $200-500 to have a one-of-a-kind ceremony to commemorate their special day. As an officiant, I do not do "standard" ceremonies. I put the time, thought, effort, love and experience in getting just the right mood, the phraseology, and intimacy of each couple's story, and share it in a profound and beautiful way to their friends and family. I may negotiate on my price, but not on my standards.

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View Quoted Comment Great response Sharon. Sadly many don’t realize the time (plus all you indicated) that a dedicated Officiant provides to each unique couple. I too am an Officiant et I truly LOVE pretty much every aspect of it BUT we must depend on our income to continue providing top level care to all. Cheap or free doesn’t always mean you are getting quality. So I encourage my potential clients to do their “diligence of research” before only looking at cost! Your Officiant should be one of your 1st decisions after setting your date! As I often get panicked calls from frantic couples that have an entire Wedding planned but no Officiant or monies for their fees. Just some thoughts when planning a Wedding! Best wishes everyone!

View Quoted Comment Great response. Thank you.