Wedding Officiant

Find a wedding officiant near Apache Junction, AZ

Find a wedding officiant near Apache Junction, AZ

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Top 10 Wedding Officiants near Apache Junction, AZ

Q & A

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

Do wedding officiants offer remote or virtual services?

Reach out to wedding officiants in your area, and ask them if they can offer a remote or virtual ceremony. Some officiants may be willing to meet in person while maintaining 6 feet of distance, while others may prefer to conduct the entire service over the phone or a video call service such as Skype or Zoom.

Familiarize yourself with the social distancing rules in your community, city and state, and move forward only if both you and the officiant are comfortable with the arrangement. 

What does it mean to officiate a wedding?

To officiate a wedding is to oversee the official union of two people in marriage. A wedding officiant is vested with the power to legitimize your union in the eyes of the court. An officiant also sets the tone for your ceremony, leading the couple through their vows and shaping the experience with the words they choose and the pace they set. An officiant may be based in a religious faith, may be an interfaith officiant, may be a secular officiant, or may be a friend or family member who has received ordination online.

You can have a traditional wedding officiated, or you can also have an officiant oversee a commitment ceremony, a vow renewal or an elopement. Once the wedding is complete, the officiant will ask you to sign the wedding certificate, and will then submit the document to the court on your behalf. This makes your marriage legal. Wedding officiants work with you no matter how simple or elaborate you would like your ceremony to be. The more involved wedding officiants are in the planning and customization of the ceremony, the more they will typically charge.

Who performs a wedding ceremony?

Anyone who is authorized by the court or a credible online source has the power to perform a wedding ceremony. Traditionally, wedding officiants were ordained members of a religious organization or civil officiants authorized by the court to legally marry two people. With the increasing customization and personalization of weddings, many couples are asking a friend or family member to become ordained and act as their wedding officiant. Wedding officiants can represent a wide range of backgrounds including Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, nondenominational, interfaith or nonreligious. There is no legally required structure for a wedding ceremony, so couples can customize the language of the ceremony and their vows in any way they desire (though members of some religions may have specific requirements). To legally validate the marriage, the couple and the wedding officiant must sign a marriage certificate after the ceremony verifying the date and names of those involved. The wedding officiant should then submit the certificate to the court, which will in turn mail an official marriage certificate to the newly married couple.

How much does it cost to officiate a wedding?

The national average cost to hire a wedding officiant is $150-$200. Wedding officiant rates are affected by the date of the ceremony, the time of day, and how far the officiant has to travel. Some officiants may charge extra for additional ceremonies like unity candles or sand ceremonies, as well as the cost of the supplies. Many wedding officiants have higher rates for larger weddings and lower rates for smaller, more intimate ceremonies. Personalizing the ceremony means a lot to some couples. Wedding officiants may have flat rates for standard ceremony templates, perhaps $100-$125, and charge more for a more customized experience, such as $150-$200. This allows the couple to collaborate with the wedding officiant as they are building a unique ceremony script. At the pre-wedding meeting, the officiant will ask whether the couple plans to write their own vows and how much input they have about the rest of the wording and flow of the ceremony. Additional planning meetings and extra communication can add up to a higher overall cost. If your venue has parking or other fees, you may need to pay on behalf of the officiant. Often wedding officiants can rent sound systems and wireless mics if you have an outdoor wedding location or venue that is not wired. These extras will also increase the overall cost.

Reviews for Apache Junction wedding officiants
Krista C.
We hired Joe over a month ago to officiate our wedding. He was absolutely positively phenonmenal! From being so couteous to assisting with finalizing the vows, he was there 24/7 for us. Never laughed at our questions and provided wonderful advice. He went above and beyond what most officiants would do. Joe completed our ceremony seamlessly and was a true pleasure to share our special day with!
Weddings to RememberWeddings to Remember
Kiersten O.
Very personable and professional. We didn't have anyone close to us that we wanted to officiate, but we didn't want it to be blatantly obvious that a stranger was officiating our ceremony. Scott met with us to get a general idea of what we want and made a genuine connection with us. He sent samples of what he would say. He customized the template to fit what we wanted in our ceremony, came to the rehearsal to nail down the ceremony timeline and asked what he should wear, arrived to the wedding early and gave us the perfect ceremony. He spoke elegantly and said everything that needed to be said without making the ceremony drag on for the guests. Thank you, Scott!
Officiant of the DesertOfficiant of the Desert
Katie G.
Coy was wonderful to work with. He made my special day perfect. He was are officiant, Dj and coordinator. He kept everything on track and all my guest loved him. My ceremony was beautiful with his help. He was a loud speaker so all your guest can actually hear you instead of them struggling to make words out.He has a wide list of music and anything we asked him to play he had. He was well dressed and very professional. If you are wanting your night to be perfect like mine was I would hire Coy Galloway. As you might think your wedding day is nerve racking but with Coy’s help it all went smoothly and stress free. Thank you Coy!!
Coy Galloway Wedding DJ and OfficiantCoy Galloway Wedding DJ and Officiant
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