Reverend Smith Wedding Officiant

When I submit a quote to a potential customer it includes a standard agreement that contains my pricing breakdown.

I typically meet two times with couples. The first gives us an opportunity to see if we each believe we can work together to create a great wedding day for the interested couple. We also take some time to start talking about their desires for their ceremony. As we wrap up our first meeting, I leave the couple with a Ceremony Planning Guide that will help them get all of their thoughts and plans for their ceremony in writing. I then use that guide to write their customized ceremony. When we meet for the second time (4-6 weeks before their wedding), we go over the ceremony I have written for them, making any changes they prefer.

I studied pastoral ministry at Bethel University in Mishawaka, IN, and I have since earned three graduate degrees in pastoral fields. I have also been performing weddings for over 15 years. I've done backyard weddings, beach weddings, church weddings, vow renewals, and ceremonies in a variety of other settings. Perhaps most significantly, I have served as a pastor for 25 years and have walked with many couples (pre-married, married, and divorced), and I have developed some skills in helping couples create and re-create a healthy marriage. These skills are aided by training in skills-based pre-marital and marital counseling.

Officiating weddings is part of being a pastor, and after receiving great feedback, I decided to make my services available to people who do not attend my church. More importantly than that, though, I have seen the devastation that unhealthy marriages can cause. My desire is to help couples prepare for a life-long marriage, have a beautiful wedding ceremony, and have opportunities to grow as a couple in a healthy marriage.

I've worked with a variety of couples from college-aged to retired, from first marriages to second marriages to vow renewals, from simple weddings with only family to large weddings with hundreds of spectators.

I enjoy almost all of the couples with whom I work. My favorites, though, are those who put in the effort to begin creating a life-long marriage even before the I DOs are said. Divorce costs everybody, and nobody wants to live in an unhappy marriage. The couples who have worked before the wedding to create a healthy marriage, and the couples who have taken advantage of the free resources I offer after the wedding are the couples I enjoy the most!

Here are a few questions I would ask: 1. Is this officiant only interested in performing our wedding ceremony, or is there a genuine interest in how he/she can help us have a happy marriage, too? 2. Do we get along with this person? Would we invite them to a backyard BBQ with our friends and family? 3. Does the officiant's style match what you are looking for in your ceremony? (Are they funny, serious, touchy-feely, down-to-earth, etc.?) 4. Keep in mind that your officiant is charging you for this service because they will have time invested in your ceremony. Though it is probably one of the smaller costs to you for your wedding, your officiant will have time invested in meeting with you, writing your ceremony, officiating your rehearsal and/or ceremony, traveling to and from meetings and your wedding, and perhaps other activities to prepare. BUT don't hesitate to be honest about your budget. Most officiants want to help and are willing to cut a few corners to help you stay within budget.

You should come to your meeting/conversation with your officiant with these things in mind: 1. What kind of ceremony are you seeking? (Length, what elements, humor or serious, religious or non-religious, etc.) 2. What is your budget for the rehearsal and ceremony officiation? 3. Would you like to hire a "one and done" officiant, or would it be good to hire somebody who can help you in the future with other matters if the need arises?