How much should I charge for a marriage ceremony? (I am an ordained minister)?

Question

I recently became an ordained minister through the Universal Life Church (www.themonastery.org). If I am asked to perform a marriage ceremony, how much should I charge? I don't plan on making this my part-time job or anything, but my family goes wild whenever I take up new activities or hobbies, and I am positive I will have family friends contacting me for marriage ceremonies. How much should I charge? Should I charge at all? I don't want it to get out of hand and I end up doing all of these ceremonies for free.

Answer 1

Ours charged us $50.  If there was travel involved (out of town), I'd charge mileage as well.

Answer 2

Isn't that the company that SELLS bogus ministerial license online for a fake church?  Honey, you don't want to perform marriage ceremonies using that thing.  You can end up in jail and pay a big fine for doing such a thing.  You need a LICENSE or the couple will not be legally married.

Answer 3

Ask for a $100 dontation to  your favortie charity--there are so many good ones--compile a list,  and when you meet the couple ask them to pick one for a donation--if in check form there is always the chance it will bounce--cash works!!

Answer 4

I paid around $200 for my wedding ceremony and I believe the officiant would charge us for travel expenses if we were beyond a certain distance.  i thought that was fair.  I am not a member of a church at this time so I went through a ministry referral service and that seemed to be relatively standard pricing.  Some ministers who are affiliated idrectly with a church do not "charge" anything but accept donations.  You will have people who are rude and don't pay you though.

Answer 5

P-l-e-a-s-e don't do this as a "hobby" as in FREE.

It takes away from those of us who DO make our living this way, as we have bills to pay & families to feed like everyone else.

Set your prices within the average of what is being charged in your area.  Here's how to find others in your area.

Type into your search engine this--your

city state wedding officiant

There will be ones in your area to come up.

Congratulations!

P.S.  Please don't take this as a criticism, since I don't know anything about you.

You might be VERY good at performing ceremonies but there is more to a wedding ceremony than reading a script.

There is experience, education, & a LOT of other things that are 'behind the scenes'.

Answer 6

you should do it for free in the name of your chosen lord

Answer 7

I am not positive but I always thought the services of the clergy was free of charge but it is customary for the couple to give a gratuity.  When I was married 28 years ago we gave the preacher $50.

Answer 8

I think maybe have them pay for your fuel (maybe charge them 20 cents a mile from your house to the location and back? Then they can google it and get an idea)... and then either $50-$100 or just a tip.

Many of the people we contacted ranged from $75-$400... we got a friend to get ordained and she's doing it free.

Answer 9

I know some pastors will perform the ceremony for free if the bride and groom (or at least one of them) are members of the church.  If you are currently in a leadership position at a church, I'd recommend that and if you aren't or for non-members, I'd say somewhere between $50 and $150.  (If you want to charge lower, you might want to have standards set in place such as: not performing any weddings more than 25 miles away unless your transportation is provided, or services over an hour without additional fees.)

Answer 10

around my area of wi im seeing anywhere from 300-700 depending on what they want done. If you do interfaith, and things like that you can charge a little more...id give discount to family friends etc.

Answer 11

If you are a minister, then you should have taken a vow of poverty.  You do this out of the goodness of your heart, and to serve God.  You don't charge anything honey.  Maybe you should quit being a minister if you are so wrapped up in earthly desires and money.  Did you learn nothing from the story of Jesus?  Did Jesus charge his disciples to study under him?  Did Moses charge to perform weddings in the desert?  Did the rabbi on Schindlers list charge to perform the wedding in the concentration camp?  Do you have only think of money?

Answer 12

My officiant charged us $225 and it all depeneded on the size/length of the ceremony, # of guests, and location. The "package" I got was one step above me and my fiance going to his office and getting hitched there... I think it's pretty expensive but since neither of us are religious or are involved with a church, that's what we had to do.

Answer 13

My Pastor told my fiancee to pay him what he thinks I am worth to him. lol. It has him in knots!!! He's still trying to figure out how much to give him.

  As for the 300. That's how much we're paying for the church. If its for a church and yourself that's fine. If it's for yourself only then it's way too much. They can get a justice of the peace for cheaper.

   Defenitly charge. As for how much?? I don't know. But I do know that you should charge for family and friends cuz they'll take advantage of you. Good luck

Answer 14

$50.

However, just so you know, online ordination may not allow you to perform legal ceremonies in all states/provinces. Each has laws which explain who is able to.

I'm ordained, same place as you, but then, so is my cat Taffy! It was a lark.

If it's something you are serious about, check into becoming a marriage commissioner (where I live, there is a very long waiting list for this), or something similar, if you aren't interested in going a traditional route to becoming a religious minister.

Answer 15

PLEASE!!! Be aware, that themonastery.org is NOT actually afilliated w/ ULC anymore.  They say they are but due to changes in leadership and possible tax/other legal problems,  ULC doesn't actually acknowledge  that site's ordination requests.  I verified this with ULC in June.  PLEASE go to www.ulchq.com and reapply to make sure your ordination request is properly registered and accepted!!!  Their other approved sites are :  http://www.ulc.net (an actual affiliated site) and http://ulcseminary.org   (she's not an actual part of ULC at this time but they work closely together and DO register her ordination requests; this site actually has a link to some information on the issues w/ the monastery)

Really, it comes down to charging what you feel is appropriate.  I am working on building a wedding business... Friends and Family I don't 'charge' a fee for but tell them whatever they feel it was worth (I offer it to them as a gift but most people WANT to pay SOMETHING for the service).  I charge a lot less than some of the sites I see on line, probably because I'm just beginning....  for a civil or basic ceremony w/o customization if I travel it's 50 - 75.  The more elaborate the ceremony and the further the travel, the more the cost.