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After you've decided who you want to officiate your wedding, you'll want to understand the costs associated with whomever is your preference.

Officiant fees can run anywhere from $ 50 to around $ 400 on average. How much you pay will depend on a number of things, such as the type of officiant you use and the services they will provide to you. You'll likely find that the fees charged by a Justice of the Peace / county clerks / Notary Publications are among the lowest. You can expect to pay between $ 50 and $ 100 for these folks to perform your ceremony. Current or retired judges may charge you between $ 100 and $ 200 on average. Clergy members are the wild card because the prices they charge are all over the board. Generally speaking, the more experienced they are, the more you're going to pay. A brand new, recently ordained, or an intern minister may only charge you $ 100, but a priest that's been running his parish for 10 years may charge you $ 300 or more.

Many clergy folk leave their fee up to the couple. If you do not know what the going rate is, and you do not want to look foolish, dial up the church office and ask what most couples give the officiant you are going to be using

While you may have been blown away by the figures I discussed above, there are certainly plenty of clergy members still left that do not charge for this service. There's always the possibility that you know someone who has been ordered online that would perform the service for you at no charge. But, as a common court, be sure to offer an honorarium in either case. The minimum acceptable honorarium these days is $ 100. If your officiant is from out of town, offer to pay for their hotel room as well. If your budget allows for it, you may also want to consider paying for all of their travel expenses as well.

Of course, you can always hire a professional officiant, but understand that the cost for these folks is generally much, much higher. Do not be surprised to pay in excess of $ 500 for one of these folks. Many professionals will provide you with services you have no interest in, so the value really is not there with these folks.

An interesting twist to having to locate an officiant is available to those living in Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. A couple can actually marry themselves with a special kind of marriage license. This could be an interesting way to conduct your wedding – no to mention a very cost effective method.

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Source by Becky McLaurin