Howard Pendley, Ph.D.

Although I do have standard prices for my services, everything is negotiable. For local weddings, I have a very competitive flat rate. If I must travel beyond Augusta County, the fee will increase to compensate for mileage and/or travel expenses.

After being contacted by new customers, I do my best to convert them from clients to friends, and from friends to family. Whenever possible, I want to meet in person with the couple in order for us to get to know one another. It also allows me to find out the couple's preferences regarding their wedding ceremony. As the Shenandoah Valley is a popular destination for weddings--and people come here from all over the world--it's not always possible to meet with couples in advance. In that case, we must do our work by telephone and/or online.

I have been officiating weddings for almost 60 years. I am an ordained minister with college and seminary degrees including B.A., M.Div., and Ph.D., as well as three-and-a-half years of additional chaplaincy training. I was a parish pastor for 25 years. For the last 25+ years, I have worked as a chaplain in hospitals, prisons, substance abuse recovery, and, for the past 15 years, in hospice.

Conducting marriage ceremonies has been a part of my work as a minister for more than a half-century.

One of the most delightful parts of what I do is the opportunity to meet with an almost infinite variety of interesting and fun people. I've officiated weddings for couples from every continent except Antarctica.

I officiated for a couple, one of whom was terminally ill. It was a bittersweet experience, in that we all knew that she had only a few months left to live. I did my best to keep the ceremony upbeat, and we shared both laughter and tears.

Not often, but from time to time, I'm questioned as to the amount of the fee for what seems to the questioner a significant sum for a service that requires a relatively short time to complete. As mentioned above, I typically spend considerably more time with couples than what is involved in the ceremony. It's also good to remember that, except for the smallest weddings, my fee will be among the least expensive parts of your celebration. Consider the expenses for venue, photographer, flowers, and caterer. Their charges will be far in excess of that of the officiant. I would encourage you to finalize your officiant choice well in advance of the wedding date. Particularly during spring, summer, and fall, schedules fill up quickly. This becomes especially true if your wedding is to be on a weekend. Six months in advance is usually enough, but not always. Better to have too much lead time than too little.

One of the parts of my job is to help couples to think through their wants and needs. Sometimes they already know exactly what their preferences are, and I am happy to accommodate them. Sometimes, they have no idea of even what questions to ask. In those instances, I can call on decades of my own experiences to offer them options.