Our wedding is next April, but my wedding guide says meeting with the officiant is one of the first things you’re supposed to do while planning. When should I meet with one, and how do I even find one? How much do they cost, and how long do I have to hire one for? Do they stay for dinner or leave right after the ceremony?
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Tags: advance, Find, judge/, justice, peace
February 15th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
They should be listed on the website for the courthouse of whatever city you live in. That’s how we found ours anyway. We didn’t meet with him in advance (it was just a small ceremony–we had a bigger one a few months later). And we just had it at the courthouse, so I don’t know about staying for dinner. Ours charged $100 (Minnesota).
February 15th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Usually your venue can recommend someone that has worked there before. You can look them up in the phone book ore check your county website and see if they have a list. Set up appointments with a couple and talk to them about how they normally do their ceremonies. Find someone you are comforatable with. You usually just hire them for an hour before the ceremony until it is over. The fees vary, I’m paying $250 for mine, he is a notary. Sometimes they stay. sometimes they leave right after, just ask him what he normally does. It’s really the easiest part of the planning if you ask me. Good luck!
February 15th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Check with your Mayor, in N.J. Mayors can marry you.
February 15th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Ask around, and do your research. We are having a non-denom Wedding outdoors, and in my research I was astounded at the crazy prices for Officants. On their websites, they have crazy high fees, and then they even had a “suggested” tip amount, and expected you to make a donation to their church as well… regardless of wheather or not you used it for your ceremony.
We finally found a friend (who is Wicken) that was licensed to perform ceremonies in the state of VA. Offering him money was offensive to him, as we are his friends. We offered to make a donation in his name to his church, and he accepted. Now our friend gets to be a big part of our special day, and we don’t have to be held hostage to exordiant fees/demands.
Good Luck!!!
February 15th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
A Justice of the Peace, a Mayor, and a Judge are CIVIL SERVANTS which means they are busy people. A Justice of the Peace and a Judge are part of the judicial system which means “criminals come first.”
Each county and state has their own set of rules/regulations so here is some basic information. There are many CIVIl SERVANTS who do not have the time to do wedding ceremonies or they will only perform them on a limited basis (on their lunch hour, at the end of the day or on Friday afternoons only) so don’t count on using a Justice of the Peace or a Judge or a Mayor if you are having an evening ceremony or a Saturday or Sunday ceremony.
Some of the CIVIL SERVANTS are not permitted to charge any money and some of them are only permitted to charge what their country or state government will permit (a set fee).
Most CIVIL SERVANTS do not participate in rehearsals or stay after the ceremony. Most CIVIL SERVANTS perform a five minute “I do” ceremony.
If you wish to have a custom or more personal ceremony may I suggest contacting the American Association of Wedding Officiants or rentapriest.com. The AAWO gives you the opportunity to put in a request on their website. You will need to provide the time, date, and exact location of your wedding plus your name, E-mail address and telephone number. Rentapriest.com is a group of priests who left the church for personal reasons but still have the authority to perform wedding ceremonies and funeral services. You can also try finding a wedding ceremony officiant at gatheringguide.com.
Answered by: A Certified wedding specialist / A Professional bridal consultant / A Wedding ceremony officiant
February 15th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
My fiancé and I live together (we’re getting married in June). We checked with several churches in the area who wouldn’t marry us because we live together. The justice of the peace where we live is an atheist so we didn’t want him. We got advice from an older gentleman at work, who told us to call a local funeral home director because they will do weddings as well as funerals ( I don’t know if it’s everywhere). He happened to be busy, but offered us a great reference! Sooo…I’m not sure if it works in all cases, but it’s worth checking out. I live in Wisconsin, our officiant is $75. They are generally invited to celebrate the events including the rehearsal dinner. You hire them to perform the service (it should be a set fee)
February 15th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
A JP will be through the county courthouse. As soon as you can book it will be appreciated… I don’t know that they do much advance planning because JP’s likely have a simple civil ceremony they use.
Whether they leave right after the ceremony or stay for the dinner is entirely up to you to work out in your agreement.
You can also look for a “wedding officiant” or non denominational minister who will perfor your wedding at your site. When I perform a ceremony I do not expect to stay for the reception, but have been invited to stay….
As far as cost… that is sort of a charge what the market will bear type of thing, I guess.
May 28th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
You just have to ask around. I would call the local church, the mayor’s office, and any local reception center. I imagine that if you call your city, they could direct you toward several options. Shop around for one that fits your needs, budget and otherwise.
June 25th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
it really can be interesting stuff. just be sure that you have everything planned. It is always better to have something planned and prepared then just by doing it at the spur of the moment.
July 20th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
You can call your city office and ask or check online. If you know anyone who’s lately been married, they can give you a name or two. It’s important to find someone to perform your marriage who you feel comfortable with.
July 28th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
Yeah, what everyone else has said is usually the best ways to find one. Check local websites of your local courthouse or talk with the mayors office or something like that. You will usually be able to find what you need.