Officiant costs in NJ

Paging @Celia, WW's resident celebrity NJ officiant.

$1200 seems like a lot...i am paying $200 for my officiant and we are having a non-religious ceremony and I am in NJ also

In paying $550 in nj but I think that quote is totally normal. A good officiant is so important!!

In NJ, 275 gets you a non personalized, basic ceremony delivered by someone legal but not necessarily charismatic. Trust me on this one; I know almost everyone here. You'll be married, but no one is going to be raving about how great it is. Talent costs, as it should, and if something is too cheap, it's cheap for a reason. This isn't meant to be insulting, it's just the facts. And that may be just fine if your ceremony isn't a priority.

Our full ceremonies (because we do a lot of tiny elopements too) run from 475-800.00; most lie right in the middle. That takes into account that we interview our clients, usually write personal stories and include ritual elements like sand, glass, tequila, etc. We really act as coordinators until the couple walks back down the aisle; we put processionals together, work with musicians/dj's, photographers, video (we actually refer many of them too). We also, of course, makes you legal which isn't as easy as it sounds. The NJ forms are fairly complex and the possibility for mistakes is high. And then they have to be corrected.

I personally think 1200.00 is too much unless I"m spending my entire day with you and/or traveling far away or during the Jersey shore season when a one hour drive can take three, both ways. And thus I cannot do another ceremony (typically I'll do a morning and an evening in season.)

There is much, much more to great officiating than just coming in at a cheap price. Writing skills, speaking skills, people skills, talking-the-couple-off-the-ledge skills; these all should factor into your decision because when you look at the difference between a really great officiant and a meh one, it's usually a couple hundred bucks. Not an insigificant amount, but when you can have exactly the person who will do a fabulous job for not much more than a forgettable one, it's a good way to spend money.

Hi Celia. Thanks for the info. I'd love to chat with you about your services. I sent you a note through your website. Let me know if you're available to speak with me and my fiance. Thanks! Erin