Looking for a comfortable way to make money on the side? Become a wedding officiant and learn how to earn some extra cash while celebrating love and commitment.
If you’re the type of person who loves connecting with people but doesn’t like the hard work of a 9-to-5 job, officiating a wedding can be a great way to experience that feeling. , could be a great way to make a little money. The good endorphins that come from sharing a couple’s special day. Unlike many jobs in the wedding industry, the officiating job is fairly recession-proof because an officiant is always needed to perform a wedding.
Whether you’re looking to build a full-time professional wedding business or simply want to supplement your gig economy income, wedding officiating is a relatively easy business to start. It’s also one of the few jobs that offers a bonus for working from home. cake shape.
How I became a wedding officiant
My journey into the world of wedding officiating began with a request from a close friend. Although she had recently become engaged, she found it more difficult than she expected to find a nondenominational pastor to meet her needs. Then she remembered that many years ago I had signed up as one of the pastors of Universal Life Church. Universal Life Church is an online ministry where anyone can register for online ordination.
After researching my state’s priest requirements, I printed my ordination certificate and headed to my county clerk’s office. With just a little paperwork, my contact information was added to the County Clerk’s online catalog of wedding officiants. They briefed me on the process of filling out a marriage license, gave me a proxy application number, and sent me on my way.
With the registration process completed, I started writing the script for my friend’s wedding. After the dream-like ceremony, my friends got happily married and I became an experienced wedding officiant.
Build Your Personal Ministry
Like many ULC pastors, I really had the opportunity to hone my skills as a priest in 2015 when same-sex marriage was legalized. I know several couples who waited years for the official announcement and couldn’t wait a second longer, including one couple who even traveled all the way to Massachusetts to unite in a civil union. Ta.
Knowing how much my marriage to my husband since 2001 has meant to me, and eager to share that joy with others, I took to social media to We spread the word that we were marrying couples who wanted to get married that summer. People took me up on this job and I quickly developed a talent for helping couples transform their wedding day vision into reality by creating beautifully worded ceremony scripts. He gained a reputation as a nondenominational pastor. Also, in my state, many couples with non-mainstream faiths or unique personal aesthetics find a partner with legal authority who can also perform their preferred ceremony. I also understand that you are having a hard time.
After that summer, I decided to continue officiating weddings on the side, focusing on providing affordable, heartfelt ceremonies and meeting difficult requests. I use my skills as a writer to tailor the words for every ceremony, giving each couple a ceremony as beautiful as their relationship. As part of my personal service, I promised to marry anyone who needed me, within my means. I once gifted six packs of soda to my teenagers.
That may sound like bad business, but it really isn’t. Soon, people were tagging me on Facebook whenever they needed a flexible, professional moderator to think outside the box and host.
work as a wedding officiant
One of the things I love most about running my Wedding Minister business is the opportunity to connect with clients, especially those who are looking for people like me. There is a lot of room for flexibility when it comes to how hosts choose to run their business. Since my focus is on personalized weddings, I usually start by communicating with the couple well before the wedding to get a better understanding of their personalities and what they are looking for.
In my home state, it’s up to the couple to receive a marriage license. However, I believe that it is also part of the Minister’s duty to ensure that the two witnesses required on the day of the ceremony are remembered. When we sign their marriage certificate, I walk them through step-by-step instructions and remind them to return the signed license by the required deadline after they step out of the wedding glow. I will.
How much does a wedding officiant make?
I price my officiant based on the complexity, time, and mileage involved in the couple’s request, which can vary widely from ceremony to ceremony. I have married many couples who wanted to meet me in a park or at their home for a five-minute ceremony with family and other loved ones present.
On the other hand, I married couples with elaborate wedding requests. One was a complex theatrical production that required several rehearsals. In another, an interracial couple asked if I could use Martha Stewart’s skills to make a ceremonial broomstick for them. I’ve practiced hand fasting, solemn religious rituals, and rituals that look like something out of a Guns N’ Roses video. And I had so much fun doing all of that.
According to Wedding Wire, the going rate for a wedding officiant ranges from about $100 to more than $650, with the average officiant paying about $300. The amount you’ll be charged will also depend on the average cost of a wedding officiant in your area and whether they offer any special services.
Start as a wedding minister
Laws surrounding marriage law may vary from state to state. American Wedding Ministries (AMM), another site that offers online ordination for ministerial licenses, has a long list of marriage law resources by state, so you can check the rules where you live. Masu.
According to AMM, online ordination is legal in all states in the United States, but some states require priests to register proof of ordination with the marriage office assigned to that state. Please also note that these laws may change over time. For years, my state required the minister to register and use a license number, but Oklahoma no longer requires registration with the county clerk.
Once you are officially inducted, decide on your niche and start preparing for your wedding or ceremony. Here are some great places to start.
- A book filled with wedding samples
- poetry reading session
- A scene from a movie
- bible reading
- classic literature
- lyrics
Also, consider drafting a wedding day contract to protect yourself legally. All you need to do now is establish your social media presence and start building connections. Sharing photos and reviews of beautiful weddings and building relationships with other wedding related businesses will also go a long way in building your wedding officiating business.
Become a wedding officiant: a fun and easy home business
Wedding officiating is an easy job for people who like interacting with people, can stand in front of a large number of people, and can remain calm even when emotions run high on the wedding day. It’s also one of the few home-based businesses you can start for almost no money.
Although businesses tend to be seasonal, it is very easy to build a business with minimal investment. The financial benefits may be great, but there’s nothing like basking in the bliss of a wedding after-party while munching on gourmet cupcakes that the bride and groom recommended.
