"I'm on a budget!"  (Aren't we all?)  Let me tell you why $300.00 is such a value:

So, if you've been secretly wondering why the rate for some officiants seems high for the amount of time it takes to deliver your ceremony, let me clarify things. First of all, let's look at the actual time that is included:

• Most ceremonies last 20-30 minutes.
• Officiants generally arrive up to 30 minutes prior to the ceremony to facilitate last minute coordination, and stay an additional 15-20 minutes after the completion of the ceremony to sign the license, congratulate the couple and pose for photos.
• The initial getting acquainted meeting lasts 45 minutes to an hour.
• It takes an hour to write the ceremony.
• Driving time to and from the ceremony must be included.
• There is generally an additional 30-45 minutes of email time during the course of our pre-ceremony relationship to answer questions. We advise couples on everything from marriage licenses to the name charge process to wedding etiquette.

• I usually ask, "How did you find me?"  The usual answer is, "I Googled".  That's probably only partly true but being able to be "Googled" (or the Internet really) does not come for free. Nor does our website that we pay to design, maintain and host in order to give prospective clients complete information on our services as well as access to other helpful resources.
• Add in the cost of gasoline, car insurance and maintenance to get us to the ceremony on time (always a plus!)
• Office expenses, ministerial vestments, binders, phone costs, bank fees, postage, business taxes, membership dues, paper, ink, postage and that fancy black pen that you get to use to sign your license!

A professional wedding officiant is going to be able to handle anything that comes along on the day of the wedding. It's not as simple as showing up and reading the script. Consider the following mishaps that have happened to couples whom I've wed: microphones die during the ceremony, bridal party members faint, ex-spouses feud (openly!), brides and/or grooms cry uncontrollably during their vows (or laugh!), flower girls get stung by bees, Dads need reassurance, Moms need reassurance, lines get flubbed by the bride and groom, the ring bearer throws up on his way down the aisle, the ring gets dropped. A thunderstorm unleashes halfway through the ceremony, Unity Candles won't light                  
                                          Gads...I could go on with this list all day!!!

And then there are the last minute details--coordinating with the music providers, the photographer and the venue staff. Bridal party members need to be lined up and inevitably some key person is in the bathroom come ceremony start time. Is the Unity Candle lighter in place? Where are the roses for the rose ceremony? They were forgotten? No problem, the officiant plucks some out of a centerpiece and saves the day. Does the best man have the rings? Oh dear! The reader forgot her reading--good thing the officiant has an extra copy. Who has the marriage license? Which side is the bride's side and which is the groom's? The FOB (father of bride) is MIA. Oh, there he is--on the balcony having a cigarette with his girlfriend (who by the way can't stand the ex and refuses to sit in the same row). The bride, starting to stress, turns to her officiant, who offers her a reassuring smile. All is well.

The ceremony is filled with wonderfully creative ideas that the officiant has provided. It is delivered by a proficient public speaker who projects loudly enough for even those in the back row to hear. Along the way, the officiant has offered support, guidance, and encouragement. A professional wedding officiant is equal parts emcee, etiquette advisor, coordinator, script-writer, organizer, frayed nerve-soother and legal resource.

Compared to the cost of the whole wedding, the wedding officiant is one of the lowest wedding vendor fees that a couple will pay - but having a bad one can ruin what should be the couple's most special day. (Let alone the couple who says, "A friend of mine has volunteered to photograph.  We've seen way too many unhappy brides when they wind up with NO pictures.)  While we respect the right of each couple to prioritize their wedding spending, it is always surprising when a couple spends copious amounts of money on things like cake, cutesy favors and limousine, only to seek a bare bones ceremony (and photographer) --which is the heart of the wedding day. Down the road, I think you will want to remember the words of commitment you spoke as being meaningful and poignant as opposed to how yummy your cake was or that you had an open bar at the reception.

Beware the officiant who charges a ridiculously low fee, does not require a deposit or doesn't issue a contract. I can't tell you how many calls we get from panicked brides because their "professional" wedding officiant backed out of the wedding a week before. If you haven't given them money and signed a contract, then the deal is not sealed.

Here's the bottom line: expect to pay a fair price for a professional service. Then, sit back and allow your officiant to show you how to create a wedding ceremony that upon which you will look back and smile about for many years to come!