Traveling Wedding Officiants & Public Speakers

I usually ask 65 cents a mile each way (so $1.30 per mile one way), plus the thumbtack fee (average of $60 for weddings as thumbtack changed their policies, $150 for motivational speaking, etc) plus a fee for the ceremony, which depends on many factors. My average fee with traveling is $250 to $400 for a civil or non-denominational wedding, and $450 to $1500 for a Jewish wedding. I always offer to beat any other price quoted, even if my expenses aren't met. I do not charge travel fees for local weddings in my own town, but do accept any gift offered, which is usually between $75 to $150, to recoup costs from Thumbtack. Same is for Virtual Weddings, where legal. I usually do not do weddings on Friday evenings or Saturdays, but I can do so if there is lodging within walking distance, and i am able to sign paperwork before or after the sabbath. Generally, prices for Saturday weddings start at $500 plus travel and lodging. I do not ask for a deposit, but if you mark me as hired and cancel within less than a month, there is a cancelation fee - usually $100, especially for a weekend ceremony. If it is less than a week, the cancellation fee is $175. If less than 72 hours it is the full price. In general, a wedding on a Sunday starts at $275, but could be lower if it is last minute and local. If you are further away (for example, in the Philadelphia area, Finger Lakes area, Harrisburg area, etc.) the price is $300 to $400 usually. Weekdays near Scranton or Monticello tend to start at $200 to $275, but could go lower, especially if it fits in my schedule. I do not answer email, text, or phone from sundown Friday night until about 105 minutes after sundown Saturday nights, nor major Jewish holidays. Cancellations made during that period are subject to full cost cancellation fees. I do not perform weddings in violation of Jewish law (two biological males, halachic Jews with non-Jews, Cohen to halachic divorcee or otherwise prohibited to Cohen, etc.). Marking me as hired, and/or giving me the time, place, and date of your wedding creates a contract between us. While i do not require deposits, i do request cancellation fees, particularly for Sunday weddings, especially if cancellation is made less than 30 days before the date, and is higher if 72 hours before the scheduled time for wedding, unless we reschedule for a new time or date.

Hopefully, I only do one wedding with you, but I can also do other services such as non-religious baptisms, baby blessings, funerals, memorials, bar and bat mitzvahs, and other services. I will send you some sample ceremonies and you can pick what you like, or add or subtract anything you like. I just basically need the address of the venue and a number to reach you in case I get lost. I do not require a deposit. I only perform weddings which are allowed by הלכה.

I am an ordained rabbi and I have a BA degree. I also work as a chaplain, and I serve a regularly established congregation, as is required by Pennsylvania law to perform all weddings. I am registered to perform weddings in NYC and Virginia, and am legally eligible to perform weddings which do not require registration or congregational affiliation for clergy, such as NJ, CT, MD, and most states. I have also registered my credentials in DE. I can perform weddings in MA, but I need an out-of-state waiver each time I perform a wedding there, so it may not be possible to perform a last-minute ceremony there.

I always wanted to perform weddings, and I started doing it as a fundraiser for my congregation when I served a congregation in Virginia. I did my first weddings in 2007 and have done hundreds since then.

I mostly specialize in quick, weekday elopements. But no wedding is too small or too big for me. I have performed weddings for people all kinds of religions or none at all. Even though I am a rabbi, most of my weddings have been for people of other faiths than Judaism, or none at all. I have served Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Wiccans, Atheists, and more.

Look around, be open minded, make sure you are not wasting money on anything that is not needed, unless you can afford it... Also, if you are getting married in Pennsylvania, make sure that your officiant is legal in the state. PA law requires clergy to serve "a regularly established congregation", as I do, not just "do weddings" as many officiants on thumbtack do.

One major issue is if the clergy person you hire is legal in your state or municipality. Pennsylvania, for example, has very complicated laws, and most officiants who advertise here are not legal under normal circumstances in Pennsylvania. NYC requires officiants to be registered, so if you are getting married in any of the 5 boroughs of New York City, make sure your officiant is registered. I meet the requirements in Pennsylvania and I am NYC registered, as well as Virginia registered. I am also legal in all other states that do not require registration, and can get registered in any other state that requires registration.