Hiring an officiant

The Wedding Officiant May be The Most Important Person You Hire For Your Wedding

Don’t wait until the last minute to hire someone to officiate at your wedding. Remember, without a Wedding Officiant, you are not legally married. So, the Officiant may very well be the most important person you hire for your wedding day.

Choosing the right Officiant can be tricky, so here are some things to consider:

1) Is the Officiant legally permitted to perform a wedding in the State/Parish/County where your wedding is being held? And, are they familiar with the rules and regulations of obtaining and filing marriage licenses there?2) Is the Officiant able to provide the type of ceremony you are looking for? For instance, if you are marrying someone of a different faith, are they willing to do an interfaith ceremony? Or if you are totally secular, are they willing to do a non-religious ceremony? 3) Are you comfortable talking to and sharing with the Officiant? Do you feel they are listening to you and communicating effectively with you?4) Can you have input into the ceremony? (writing your own vows, special readings or rituals, etc.)5) What are their fees and what do these fees include? I strongly recommend hiring a professional to be your Officiant. A professional wedding Officiant (especially if they are also clergy) brings a great deal of knowledge and experience with them. You can feel certain that your wedding will be legally (and religiously) valid and that all paperwork will be filed correctly and in a timely fashion.

What are you getting when you hire me to be your Wedding Officiant?

1) You are getting a professional – someone who has extensive knowledge and experience in performing a variety of types of weddings. I have performed Jewish weddings, Interfaith weddings (with and without other clergy), Multi-cultural weddings, LGBTQ+ and Same-Sex weddings, Non-denominational weddings, non-religious weddings, handfasting ceremonies, commitment ceremonies and renewal of vows ceremonies. I am also someone who has studied to receive clergy ordination to be able to perform weddings legally.2) I am an expert in listening to your wishes and crafting a unique, personal and meaningful wedding ceremony just for you. I work hard to make sure that everyone attending the wedding feels welcomed and comfortable, always explaining traditions and rituals used within the ceremony. 3) You are not just paying for that 20-30 minute ceremony. Much more time and effort goes into creating your ceremony. From the moment you hire me, I am available to you via phone, email, or text to answer questions and discuss your ceremony. It takes me between 6-12 hours of time to complete a personal ceremony for a couple. I spend time meeting with you, reading your questionnaires that I send out to get to know you better, crafting and editing your ceremony until I have a finished product.

The following things factor into the fee an Officiant is paid:

• Date of the wedding (weekends and holidays may cost more because they are highly desired)• Location of wedding in proximity to where Officiant is located• Meetings with the couple• Time spent in writing and editing the ceremony• Travel time (to meetings, the ceremony, etc.)• Coordinating the ceremony with the wedding planner • Incidental travel expenses such as overnight accommodations, ground transportation, mileage, food, flight, parking, etc.• Attending a rehearsal (there is usually an extra fee for this)• Coordinating and signing papers at ceremony• Filing your marriage license with the proper agency