Offici..what?!

It's such a wide range when it comes to officiants. I've seen as little as $150 to over $1k+. I guess it just depends on location. For us, I have a friend who is ordained and a notary so we're covered. We're still paying her for her time, of course but it all just really depends on who it is and where you are.

If we'd gotten married in DH's church, it would have been about $800 for the church and the priest.

Instead, our friend married us, and we paid him $200 or so. (I believe he gave us a discount, but he also worked really hard on a beautiful, personalized ceremony, so I hope he charges non-friends more.)

If that's people's main job, they're going to be pricey. Even as a side gig, it requires so much work! Besides needing legal paperwork, you need to be a good public speaker/speech writer, know the laws, be able to meet with couples and figure them out *quickly*, keep track of said legal paperwork, AND give up (mostly) weekends.

Without the officiant, you couldn’t get married. So, in that case, they’re actually the most important vendor in the wedding planning. But, sadly, their fees aren’t viewed with the same importance as photographers, bridal gowns, bakers (and all of the other tangible/perishable/momentary vendor services) Just a thought 🤔


But, how much is the officiant charging? That would help in determining if the rate is outlandish.

We paid $500 which included him attending the rehearsal and ceremony. It was extra for him to attend the rehearsal, but we felt it was worth it.

My brother-in-law is our officiant so we're going to make a donation to a charity that he chooses. Probably somewhere between $250 and 500, depending on how much is left of our budget when the wedding happens.

We’re paying $200.

I’ve seen as small as $100 all the way to $1800 (which is ridiculous!). Our officiant charges $400.

Aren’t you officiating your own wedding? I thought I remembered you saying your state doesn’t require an officiant.


In any case, the price of officiants range from free to a donation of your choosing to up to $1,000 (or more for celebrity officiants). Ours is charging $400

I've hear various price ranges for officiants, and it depends on location as well.

I don't have much input on that just because my FH and I aren't having a religious ceremony or preacher marry us. We asked a very close friend if he would mind marrying us, and he was totally on board. I believe he's paying for his suit (we want him in all black), but we're wanting to pay for any costs to get him officiated online, and I'm also gifting him a bolo tie to go with his suit!

Ours charges $250 for the ceremony; $500 for ceremony and rehearsal. We opted for the ceremony and rehearsal to make sure things go smoothly.

Ours is $250.

Our officiant is 200$ (for an off season weekday) and we’re giving her a 50$ tip

Ours was $300, which seems to be the average. This included ceremony and rehearsal.

View Quoted Comment Oh wow, that is indeed a wide range.

View Quoted Comment $800?!!! That's crazy. Ok can you ask your hubby, what cost does he normally see (if he has had loved ones do this) when a couple geta married in a basilica?

View Quoted Comment The minimum I've come across is $500.

View Quoted Comment Hi Veronica! I consider that to be expensive but I admit I'm a cheapskate lol

I was definitely shocked when I started planning and saw how expensive they were. I took my time in the search because I wanted to make sure I was getting my money's worth if it was going to be that much. I was expecting somewhere around $500-700 based on a lot of sites I saw. Luckily I ended up finding one for $200 on thumbtack and she's awesome

View Quoted Comment $250 is doable. $500?!! Big no for me.

View Quoted Comment Hi Kayla. Ok that is doable. Thanks for weighing in.