FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
My fees range from $200 to $450 for traditional weddings, depending on the complexity of the service, whether you need me to write or assist you in writing your vows, and whether or not you want me to attend the rehearsal. To reserve your date I require a 25%, non refundable deposit. I offer a 10% discount for active duty and retired military, and first responders. I do elopements. This is a simple ceremony with 10 or fewer guests, normally performed at a location convenient to the District Court. The fee for an elopement is $75.00, and there are no discounts for elopements.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
We begin with an email exchange and you completing a questionnaire that gives me an idea of what you are looking for. After that we will typically meet in person to get to know each other, discuss the ceremony and sign the contract. I will collect the deposit, which reserves your date and time. The Bride and groom must obtain a wedding license not more than 90 days prior to the ceremony. • I am NOT RESPONSIBLE for obtaining the license. • Under Virginia law I not permitted to obtain a license for you. • If you do not have the license at the ceremony, by law I cannot marry you. • I recommend that when you are obtaining the license, you discuss with the clerk how many certified copies of the license you will require, and how long it will take to get those copies. I have no control over that process. Approximately one month before the date of the ceremony, I will provide you with a proof copy of the ceremony for your approval, and make revisions as needed until we have an approved ceremony. Normally, we do this via email, but if needed we can conference via phone, video (skype, hangouts, etc.,) or in person if our schedules allow. If it is included in the contract, I will arrive at your rehearsal at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time, and will stay for one hour beginning at the scheduled start time. Please note that, unless previously negotiated, I am not your wedding planner or organizer, I may make suggestions based on my experience, but I will not be in charge. On the day of the wedding, I will arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of your ceremony, unless we have negotiated an earlier time. I will be dressed in your choice of: • A dark suit, • Sports coat and slacks, • Beach attire (think Hawaiian Shirt and slack or shorts,) • Robes, or • Other dress as specifically negotiated I will meet separately with the bride and groom, and if desired with their parents for prayer, meditation, or blessings before the ceremony. Your fee includes up to two hours of the officiant’s time on the day of the ceremony. If the ceremony begins late and you run past the two hours (thirty minutes before, and an hour and a half for the ceremony) I reserve the right, at my sole discretion, to collect an additional fee of $50 per additional half hour. After the ceremony I will return the wedding license to the issuing clerk of court via certified mail. Please note, I have no control over how long it takes the clerk to file the license and make copies available. If you need copies immediately, please state so at the initial meeting, so I can schedule time to meet you and register the license in person on the court’s next business day. There is an additional charge for this service. Currently, all of the Hampton Roads District Courts will register a hand delivered license when presented and provide copies immediately, but this is at the discretion of the court. For elopements the flow is much the same, but greatly compressed. We will exchange emails and meet, and at that meeting we will select a ceremony, either religious, non-denominational, or secular, select the location for the ceremony, sign the contract, and collect a $35 deposit. On the day of the ceremony we will meet at the predetermined location, I will perform the ceremony, and we will return the license to the Clerk of Court to be registered, and you get your copies. Please note: • I am NOT RESPONSIBLE for obtaining the license. • Under Virginia law I not permitted to obtain a license for you. • If you do not have the license at the ceremony, by law I cannot marry you. • If you plan to get the license on the day of the wedding, it is your sole responsibility to do so prior to the scheduled time of your ceremony. If the ceremony is delayed I reserve the right to charge a fee of $50 per half hour for that time the ceremony is delayed.
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
In 2012 I was asked to officiate a friend's wedding, and I discovered that I liked it, and was good at it. Over the next few years I performed a number of ceremonies for family and friends. When I retired I needed to supplement my income, and discovered a niche market that is still underserved, and began performing ceremonies for my fellow pagans. When my LGBTQ+ Brothers and sisters were allowed to exercise their right to get married I stepped up, likewise, I have performed ceremonies for those in alternative and non traditional relationships, bot legal weddings and commitment ceremonies.