In life, we typically get what we pay for and when it comes to hiring an officiant for your special occasion, there is no exception to this rule.

Formally educated, well trained and experienced officiants charge more for their services because the investment they have made in their profession is greater than those who are untrained, Internet ordained, or state officials working for the courts. It is important to ask the right questions when interviewing officiants.

What are your credentials?
You may be surprised. With a click if the mouse, anyone can become an ordained minister over the Internet. Ask where they were ordained and how many years of formal ministerial education they received.

How much training have you had?
Training is very important. The officiant you choose for your ceremony must know the state laws particularly those pertaining to marriage. Your officiant should be able to explain the marriage license procedure to you and what their responsibility is regarding completing and filing the legal documents.

A trained clergy will know how to structure a ceremony properly, create and perform it with confidence as well as follow through, in a timely fashion, on any questions or concerns you may have.

How much experience have you had performing ceremonies?
Officiants who have been formally educated and trained in the administration of the sacraments find it easy to convert their classroom experiences into the real thing. Those who have years of experience will be able to give you references. References may include written testimonials from couples or families they have served in the past or professionals who have worked with the officiant time and time again. Professionals would include banquet hall managers, caterers, florists, musicians, DJs, and others involved in the ceremony industry.

Do we get something in writing that says you will perform
our ceremony?

Asking the officiant for some form of written agreement is a
smart thing to do and it should not offend the officiants you interview. Professional ministers understand the importance of their role in the sacrament for which they are being hired. If a written agreement is not offered, request one. It should state the responsibilities of the officiant, the fee for his/her services, how the fee will be paid and the legal requirements if any, such as acquiring a marriage license.

Who will perform our ceremony if something happens to you?
The officiants you interview should be willing and able to assure you that if something beyond their control prevents them from performing your ceremony, they will do everything in their power to help you find someone who can cover for them.

EZ Ordination
In today's world, it is easy to become an ordained minister if one decides to do so. It takes no time, no training and no education! One can simply go to their computer and call up one of many web sites offering "Instant Ordination", fill in an application form, give a credit card number, and in no time that person is "Reverend So-and SO of the Whateveryouwannacallit" Church. They now have a fancy looking certificate that allows them to perform ceremonies in any state. The sad thing about this... they can
and it's legal.

Any religious organization can authorize their members to perform the sacraments, be it marriage, baptism, burial, etc. Because marital status is connected with income tax concerns, marriage is the one sacrament that involves state governments. Try as they might, some states, like Utah, have banned Internet ordained ministers from performing wedding ceremonies only to have their rulings reversed based on the fact that they are not allowed to decide what is a religion and what is not. The old separation between church and state thing.

Some States Require Registration
The most common state regulation regarding wedding officiants is that they require clergy to register in their state in order to perform weddings there. Clergy persons are required to fill out a form, provide a copy of their ordination, submit a letter saying they are in good standing with the organization from which their ordination came, and pay some dollar amount to cover the court clerk's time. After that, they are asked to raise their right hand and swear to uphold the laws of the state. That gets an officiant in the door of most states requiring registration.

Because of discrimination law suits some nontraditional religious organizations have brought against state courts over the years, the states now tend to allow any and all officiants the right to perform weddings with the hope that the basic legal requirements will be followed. States have designated fines built into their laws for those officiants who don’t adhere to the laws.

Business Minded Clergy
Because weddings involve the laws of the state, it is very important that the person you hire for your ceremony not only know how to officiate your ceremony, they must also know how to fill out the marriage license properly, which copy of the license must be filed with the court system, where to file the document and when it needs to be filed. The officiant is acting as an agent for the state and they are responsible for the proper filing of the legal contract into which the bride and groom have entered.

Your officiant must also be a good business person regardless of the type of service they will be providing. They should return phone calls, be able to answer your questions without hesitation, address your concerns, be organized and prepared, be on time for meetings and all other obligations. They must also be able to keep an accurate accounting of the fees they are paid and maintain their paperwork in a professional manner.