Questions & Answers

• What makes you different from other local wedding officiants? Why should someone hire you? My ceremonies are completely unique. There is not another wedding officiant who provides the type of personalized service that I do. No one that I know of gives their clients as beautiful a ceremony as I do. My clients all agree that I go out of my way to make their ceremony the most stress-free part of their wedding day, which is my goal. .

• What are your standard payment terms? Standard wedding terms: 50% deposit at the time of the booking; balance due 2 weeks before the date of the wedding..

• What is your customer satisfication cancellation policy? I have never had a customer complaint, therefore, I have never had cause to refund money. I suppose if someone were completely unhappy with my services, I would refund a portion of their money, but not give a complete refund; after all, they already ARE married at this point, so services have been rendered. .

• What is your event cancellation policy? You may cancel your ceremony at any time, however, the initial 50% deposit that was paid to hold your date remains non-refundable..

• How far are you willing to travel? Is there a travel fee? I am willing to travel within a 50-75 mile distance, and yes, my accountant has demanded that I charge the travel fee! It is now $1.00 per mile, round-trip..

• How many wedding do you officiate a year? About 100 to 150, as I often do elopements during the week..

• What kind of pre-wedding counseling is required, if any? I do not require pre-marital counseling, but if you desire it, I certainly recommend it. I use a Biblically based program which takes only a few weeks to complete..

• How long after the ceremony do you file for the official marriage license? In the state of South Carolina, the officiant hands you the "official" completed and certified marriage license immediately after you are married. You need not wait for anything from the county. The document you receive from your officiant is what you use to change your name, your insurance, your bank accounts, etc..

• What documents do I need to bring to our first meeting? To our first meeting, you need only bring yourselves. You do not need to bring any documents at all, unless we are meeting immediately before the wedding, to which you must bring your marriage license. Normally, the first meeting is a "getting to know you" consultation..

• Will you marry couples of different faiths or previous divorce? I have no restrictions on the couples that I will marry, except that you must be able to provide me with a valid state marriage license. If you love each other, I will marry you..

• How long does the ceremony usually last? Depending on what type of ceremony you have chosen, and the scope and size of the entire wedding, including how many guests and attendants you have, a wedding ceremony can take anywhere from 5 minutes for a simple elopement, to 30 to 45 minutes for a full, formal ceremony with many elements. .

• Do you normally attend the reception? No, I do not, unless I have developed a very close relationship with the couple, and then, only rarely. I do not like to impose addition expenses such as these on the couple. Although the ceremony writing process does create a relationship between the couple and myself, I am still a vendor. If I were the couple's family pastor, then it would be proper etiquette to invite me, but in this case, it is not required..

• Do you have a back up officiant on call, in case of an emergency? Yes, I do.

• Will you allow us to write our own vows? Absolutely, I will even provide you with resources to do so..

• Can we read or hear your ceremony before our wedding day? There are sample ceremonies recorded on my website if you wish to hear them, but these are very basic ceremonies. Because I custom-write my ceremonies, I prefer for my clients to hear at least most of the ceremony for the first time on the day of the wedding. I do have the couples pick out their vows, but the body of the ceremony is usually a surprise. This way, the emotion is fresh and the reaction to words being spoken is real..

• In which states and communities are you licensed to officiate ceremonies? I can solemnize marriages in almost all 50 states, except, I believe in New York, where it is required that I have a church presence. I practice my ministry in South Carolina, but have also performed weddings in Georgia and North Carolina..

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