"When you make a sacrifice in marriage, you're sacrificing not to each other but to unity in a relationship."
-- Joseph Campbell
What are the usual fees for a ceremony?
Most people quite reasonably want to know what they're paying for. A lot of work goes into planning a wedding ceremony, and just as you will pay for food, drinks and transportation, there are fees involved with hiring a professional minister to perform your wedding service.
My first meeting with you is always free. I like to give couples the option of gracefully backing out should our personalities clash, or if in some other way I do not meet their needs. However, I do work at that first meeting! I gather information, ask a lot of questions, and have on my best face so that you, the couple, can get to know me. The information I receive at that first meeting is what guides my hand in the hours of ceremony-writing, later.
I generally spend between eight and 15 hours writing a unique wedding service. This includes meeting time, research, and actual writing time. For a very elaborate ceremony I might spend as many as 25 to 30 hours on planning alone! As a wise man once said, you do get what you pay for.
My base fee for performing a wedding ceremony is $350.00 USD, split into three payments. At our first official meeting, $50.00 is due, and this is considered a non-refundable deposit. At our second meeting, a further $50.00 is due. The balance of $250.00 is due the day of the wedding.
This purchases a personalized service (and all my attention on your special day, as I never book two weddings on the same date) lasting about 20 to 30 minutes in length. It includes the initial meeting (always free), plus two informational meetings for the creation of your service. If you wish, one of those meetings can be held at the rehearsal dinner, AS the rehearsal. You also receive unlimited email communication with me, and reasonable telephone and Skype/Google Hangout conversations. I am available between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, excluding booked wedding dates -- when a couple pays for their day, they get the whole day! I will fill out and file all necessary paperwork, solemnizing your marriage with the state.
For weddings far from my home or office, I may charge a small fee for travel expenses. Also, if there is a fee which I am required to pay in order to conduct a service in your state (such as Vermont, which requires a fee for every wedding performed by non-resident ministers), then I must pass that cost on to you. Additional meetings between us can also be purchased, for planning purposes or if you wish me to attend a separate rehearsal dinner. Extra meetings cost $50.00 per meeting, due on the date of the meeting. I can also design the Order of Service that you can hand out to your guests, to show the order of events, and to share any prayers, scriptures, or other information that the guests may need during the ceremony.
There are certain things you are responsible for:
There are certain things I am responsible for:
You can find a sample contract here. While your contract may be slightly different, this is the template I use for creating a contract satisfying to both the couple and myself.
Other Fees
For information on the average cost of other ceremonies, such as baby namings, funerals, or coming of age rituals, please contact me by email ([email protected]) or telephone (978-616-9654). Such ceremonies are intensely personal and private. You may find examples of a variety of ceremonies here. I do not have a standard fee associated with any other religious services, because circumstances behind them are vastly different from a planned and orchestrated wedding. If you require a religious ceremony, we will find a way to make it work within your budget.
Most people quite reasonably want to know what they're paying for. A lot of work goes into planning a wedding ceremony, and just as you will pay for food, drinks and transportation, there are fees involved with hiring a professional minister to perform your wedding service.
My first meeting with you is always free. I like to give couples the option of gracefully backing out should our personalities clash, or if in some other way I do not meet their needs. However, I do work at that first meeting! I gather information, ask a lot of questions, and have on my best face so that you, the couple, can get to know me. The information I receive at that first meeting is what guides my hand in the hours of ceremony-writing, later.
I generally spend between eight and 15 hours writing a unique wedding service. This includes meeting time, research, and actual writing time. For a very elaborate ceremony I might spend as many as 25 to 30 hours on planning alone! As a wise man once said, you do get what you pay for.
My base fee for performing a wedding ceremony is $350.00 USD, split into three payments. At our first official meeting, $50.00 is due, and this is considered a non-refundable deposit. At our second meeting, a further $50.00 is due. The balance of $250.00 is due the day of the wedding.
This purchases a personalized service (and all my attention on your special day, as I never book two weddings on the same date) lasting about 20 to 30 minutes in length. It includes the initial meeting (always free), plus two informational meetings for the creation of your service. If you wish, one of those meetings can be held at the rehearsal dinner, AS the rehearsal. You also receive unlimited email communication with me, and reasonable telephone and Skype/Google Hangout conversations. I am available between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, excluding booked wedding dates -- when a couple pays for their day, they get the whole day! I will fill out and file all necessary paperwork, solemnizing your marriage with the state.
For weddings far from my home or office, I may charge a small fee for travel expenses. Also, if there is a fee which I am required to pay in order to conduct a service in your state (such as Vermont, which requires a fee for every wedding performed by non-resident ministers), then I must pass that cost on to you. Additional meetings between us can also be purchased, for planning purposes or if you wish me to attend a separate rehearsal dinner. Extra meetings cost $50.00 per meeting, due on the date of the meeting. I can also design the Order of Service that you can hand out to your guests, to show the order of events, and to share any prayers, scriptures, or other information that the guests may need during the ceremony.
There are certain things you are responsible for:
- getting the marriage license from the correct state and/or county license agency (depending on state, fees range from $30 to $85)
- any music you wish to have (although I will gladly help incorporate it into the ceremony)
- finding and paying for a site for the ceremony
- your own decorations, food, favors, and programs, if you want them
There are certain things I am responsible for:
- planning and writing the ceremony itself
- accommodating your wedding needs (in regards to vows, readings, personalization, etc.)
- performing the wedding service itself
- filling out and filing any and all paperwork associated with the legal aspects of the marriage
- being available to you to answer questions, make changes as required, and provide information
You can find a sample contract here. While your contract may be slightly different, this is the template I use for creating a contract satisfying to both the couple and myself.
Other Fees
For information on the average cost of other ceremonies, such as baby namings, funerals, or coming of age rituals, please contact me by email ([email protected]) or telephone (978-616-9654). Such ceremonies are intensely personal and private. You may find examples of a variety of ceremonies here. I do not have a standard fee associated with any other religious services, because circumstances behind them are vastly different from a planned and orchestrated wedding. If you require a religious ceremony, we will find a way to make it work within your budget.
