Wedding Officiant

Find a wedding officiant near Newark, NJ

Find a wedding officiant near Newark, NJ

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Top 10 Wedding Officiants near Newark, NJ

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. 

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.

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.

Reviews for Newark wedding officiants
Juan S.
Pastor Aida did a great job officiating the wedding.
Pastor Aida Crespo, Bilingual Wedding Officiant,Pastor Aida Crespo, Bilingual Wedding Officiant,
Haowen Y.
Parth is very nice and professional. We were glad to have him officiate our wedding!
Wedding Officiant NY/NJWedding Officiant NY/NJ
Patrick O.
Amy Voltaire is a wedding officiant par excellence who cares about the needs of the couple. She has plenty of helpful hints and has good anecdotes that make even the most nervous bride feel at ease. Very professional and supportive. She will give you value for your money! Thank for making our day very special!
Amy Voltaire Wedding Officiant Inc.Amy Voltaire Wedding Officiant Inc.
Gerardo V.
It was a tremendous pleasure working with Juan to officiate our ceremony. From the first message I sent him, he was always very responsive and answered any questions we had. We scheduled a call to speak with him in order to better understand his character, and it sealed the deal for us. It was an easy decision to make in choosing him to officiate. He provided us with sample ceremony programs to look over, we spoke with him about changes we wanted to make, and we were able to have English and Spanish for all of our guests to understand. Even a few days before the ceremony he was available to call us to go over last minute details to ease our minds. After the wedding, many family members and friends came to tell us how perfect they thought the ceremony was. Again, it was a pleasure working with him and he will truly help anyone have an amazing experience on their special day!
Juan Enrique ToroJuan Enrique Toro
Chinece P.
I just have to say that hiring Heather was the best decision I made in planning my wedding! She is and was more than just an officiant in our wedding! Prior to the vows, Heather frequently checked in with me and my now husband to ask how we were and to make sure we did all we were supposed to so we were set for our big day. She provided assistance with vows for us and had the ceremony completed so we knew what to expect word for word. Not only that BUT during the ceremony my husband has beautiful pictures of him and his groomsmen thanks to Heather. She offered to take very nice pictures of them which he will cherish. The photographer was only set up with me so those pictures that Heather took was very helpful. NOT only that but even after, Heather snapped so many wonderful pictures of me and the reception we were able to look at so many different views before our professional ones were done. One of my favorite things I’m so blessed that Heather played apart with was making my guests feel comfortable while waiting for a very late bride. I have pictures of them waving in unity at Heather smiling as she assured them that the service will start soon and to smile for the bride and from. My friends, family and co workers all told me about how she was such a major part in the waiting bc she was so entertaining. The best part of it all was that she made us feel so comfortable exchanging our vows. My husband was so nervous but he says that Heather really helped him to calm down. Originally we went with Heather bc she was one of the most affordable officiants on Thumbtack but we got way more from her. She definitely deserves more than she asks. I just believe that this was another sign from God making a lot more out of a little. Thank you thank you Heather!
The Bubbly Wedding OfficiantThe Bubbly Wedding Officiant
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