Wedding Officiant Cost

The Perks of Being a Marriage Officiant

Being a marriage officiant offers a lot of advantages for anyone interested in a career that's a little bit non-traditional. Though the job of officiating a wedding is most often associated with rabbis, ministers, and other heads of religious congregations, there is actually no restriction as to who can become an officiant. For a growing number of couples who are non-religious or who don't belong to a specific congregation, an unaffiliated officiant is a great way to get experience the ceremony associated with a wedding without having to compromise their religious sensibilities. Here are some of the benefits associated with becoming a marriage officiant.

There's No Shortage of Work

The number of people choosing to get hitched shows no signs of slowing down, and, with the recent burst of legal support for same-sex couples, there doesn't look to be any shortage of weddings in the near future. This means that the average wedding officiant may have to plan for a marriage off-season in the dead of winter or dog days of summer, but is unlikely to ever encounter a long dry spell where he or she is unable to find work. Unlike with other professions, a good officiant can count on a fairly steady stream of jobs to support them.

A Chance to Work with People

Officiants get to see people at their happiest because they get to be with them on one of the best days of their life. Though the time leading up to a wedding is stressful for many people, the ceremony itself is almost always a joyous occasion. As a marriage officiant, you get to work in this joyous atmosphere all the time, seeing people at their best and most grateful.

Receive Fair Pay

In general, officiants charge by the hour and will have several paid duties outside of the wedding itself. The wedding officiant cost may vary depending on the officiant's experience and the complication of preparing for the wedding, as well as where the ceremony is being held. We've heard that the average officiant makes about $250 for a simple ceremony. In addition to getting paid for actually performing the ceremony, the marriage officiant cost also includes the rehearsal, as well as any additional work such as securing the venue that the officiant performed.

Perform a Variety of Duties

Depending on how involved the couple wants the officiant to be, duties may extend far beyond showing up at the ceremony and reading some words. Officiants may also be asked to help plan the ceremony or look over a venue to help get it ready for the event. In addition to this, they often handle the legal side of the wedding, filing the appropriate paperwork for the couple.

Work Your Own Hours

Officiants can work part time or full time, depending on how much they want to devote to their job. They can choose to avoid working on weekends, weekdays, evenings, or any other time that they want as long as that time can also be cleared with the couple.

Most wedding Officiants choose to start out their career slowly, and many never progress beyond doing it part time. However, as you build connections you may find you have more people looking for your services than you ever thought possible.