Wedding Officiants & Ministers

Selecting an officiant to perform your ceremony is one of the most personal choices you will make as a couple.  Deciding on an officiant may depend on your affiliation with a church, or your religious preferences. 

How do we select a wedding officiant?

First, you will want to decide whether you would like to have a religious ceremony, or a secular ceremony.  Religious ceremonies are often performed by an officiant, minister, or priest through the couple's place of worship, or religious affiliation.  A secular wedding ceremony is usually one that incorporates more of the couples' personalities and personal beliefs of the couple.  These weddings are typically non-traditional, non-denomination, and non-religious, but might incorporate a few traditional ceremonial rituals into the wedding ceremony to express the couple's intention to each other.    Once you have decided on the type of ceremony, you will want to meet with wedding officiants in the area where you will marry.  You will want to share with them your wedding date, wedding location and then describe yourselves as a couple, your beliefs, your wedding day vision, and ask them what their requirements are to perform wedding ceremonies.  Some officiants will require couples to have a marital counseling session, others will not.  Your meetings with officiants can be done over the phone, in person, or on zoom. 

What fees are associated with a wedding officiant?

Officiant fees vary greatly, depending on whether you are planning a local wedding, eloping, or plan to head to a destination for your wedding.  You should anticipate paying between $500 - $750 for an officiant, then other factors might determine the actual cost such as wedding location, the need for an additional witness for elopements, assistance with vow writing, or destination wedding travel fees.