How Much Should I Pay?

Serving a diverse community since 2004

with over 500 satisfied couples

 

 

Unless it's raining money, people want to know; just how much they should be paying a wedding minister to officiate their wedding ceremony.  Some ministers provide services outside of their church as a way of earning a living and may only serve their church voluntarily.  Therefore, do not expect their fee to be the same as those on payroll at an institution.

I have seen websites that advocate that a minister who charges the average fee will provide average services, while a minister whose fees are higher will offer better services for the money.  More bang for the buck sought of speak, going the extra mile.  What are average services?  

Rev. K who trained me and many other Spiritual Science ministers in the Washington and Baltimore Metropolitan areas (for weddings), fee in 2004 was $350 within the Baltimore area.  This included parts of Baltimore City and Baltimore County.  Her fee was within average, and she went beyond the call of duty.  Every minister she trained, she planted this seed of thought "do more than what is required." 

This includes:

• Have a get acquainted meeting (at no charge),
• Create a brochure for couples (mailing option),
• Create a wedding workbook for the couple's use which offers a selection of readings, rituals, etc;
• When meeting the couple, dress professionally, but causally when appropriate,
• Write and revised the wedding ceremony according to the couples wishes,
• Coordinate and direct the rehearsal including working with the DJ,
• Be flexible and understanding of the couple's desires,
• Discuss your ministerial attire for the wedding, so they can decide what you should wear,
• Know when to step aside and when to take charge,
• Arrive early for the ceremony,
• Arrive on time for the rehearsal,
• Take the wedding license in your possession as soon as possible to avoid not having it at the ceremony site (for non-home weddings),
• Practice the ceremony before arrival and read it again prior to the ceremony,
• Prepare the space for the marriage ritual with prayer and purification,
• Give the couple a bound copy of the ceremony along with a keepsake marriage certificate,
• Bring a minister's emergenc kit to the wedding,  
• Know the marriage laws for the jurisdiction in which you're performing a ceremony,
• Sign the marriage license, give the couple their copy, and mail the official copy to the appropriate court clerk, on time.

• Help the couple when asked:  suggesting venue, marriage licensing procedures, ceremony program format and contents, wedding music, supplies (see link below), etc.

 

An affiliate of the knot.

 

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If the above services are average, then what is higher quality service?  When you have the answer to that, please email me at the link below.

What I have outlined does not make the minister a wedding planner; it just makes that person open, friendly, flexible, and helpful.  Quality should not be determined by how much you pay for something, but it should be gauged by the personalized respectful services you receive.

I have created a spreadsheet that shows the wedding officiant cost of living increase from 4 percent (average) to 7 percent (high).  The based wedding officiant cost was taken from my wedding in 1992.  Rev. M offered me a sliding scale of $200 to $300.  I chose to pay $200, and I was not offered an opportunity to customize my ceremony.  His travel distance was less than 4 miles from Washington, DC to Silver Spring. In addition, he did not offer counseling, but gave us an opportunity to discuss with him any issues that arrived from the premarital take home questionnaire.  His services in my opinion, was the minimum, even if I had opted to pay $300.  

After I became a wedding officiant, I looked over the documents I received from him and found that he offered customized ceremonies, but neglected to offer it to me, as well as, the ceremony selections.  Now that I am a wedding minister, I do not make this mistake based on affordability or other criteria.  Customized services are offered to everyone I serve, including those who want a quick wedding.

The "What to Pay" spreadsheet will allow you the opportunity to see the salary trend for officiants in the Greater Washington DC area from 1992 - 2005.  When you select a minister or officiant, please keep in mind that each person will have his or her own fee structure, and those fees may not be based on a cost of living increase, but on popularity, experience, investment, or work load.  

I did not create this site to compete with my colleagues.  It was created to answer a call from those who tugged at my heart string.

I hope the "What to Pay" spreadsheet for wedding officiants helps you understand the ministerial cost for weddings.  My fees are located below.  

Sincerely,

 

"Quality lies in a person's willingness to do the best job he or she can do.  This does not mean that an unnoticeable mistake will not be made."

 

 

I am, Reverend Starlene Joyner Burns a nondenominational - interfaith minister of healing, wedding minister, wedding celebrant, wedding officiant, artist, and the founder of SJB Ministries LLC and God's Center for Divine Healing.  The center is dedicated to providing distant healing to those outside the Washington Metropolitan area. 

 

In addition, I am a minister in good standing at the National Spiritual Science Center (NSSC) of Washington, DC.  And after four consecutive years of ministerial study (and as part of my program), I became an ordained minister of Spiritual Science.  Prior to that I was ordained in the Christian faith. 

 

With more than six years of experience, I am prepared for the responsibility of an interfaith - nondenominational wedding minister.  I received further training in the administration of the holy sacraments, under the direction of a well known master administrator of the rites of passage.   In addition, I am compassionate, ethical, and professional.  So, I will work hard with you to ensure that your wedding ceremony is memorable.  

 

My office of services include, weddings, commitment ceremonies, healings, funerals (including pets), baby blessings, baptisms, premarital and marriage coaching, spiritual counseling, house blessings, and other rites of passage.

 

The territory in which I will be offering my services as a wedding minister, wedding officiant, funeral minister, marriage coach, and premarital counselor are:  parts of Southern Maryland that includes;  Prince Georges County, Calvert County, St. Mary's County, and Charles County.  

 

In addition, I will extend my services to; Montgomery County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Frederick County, Carroll County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Northern Virginia:  City of Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, and Washington, DC.

 

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Reverend Starlene Joyner Burns

Wedding Minister and Wedding Officiant

Elopements, Small or Large Weddings 

Monday - Sunday

Including Holidays

1o:00 am - 9:00 pm

202.253.3629

revsjburns@gmail.com

revsjb@comcast.net

Fees

$385 to $625 (Within the DC Metropolitan Area)

$385 to $795 (Outside the DC Metro Area)

 

Please call or email me to book your ceremony time.