That is a very good question. Sometimes an officiant is associated with a particular ceremony venue and rates are determined in advance. However, officiants such as pastors/reverend/priests do not always have a rate. Just because they don’t say a rate, does not mean that you shouldn’t give them something. They’re taking time away from their job/family/personal life to officiate your wedding. They may not expect anything (maybe some do) but it’s the classier thing to give an honorarium. Especially if they had to travel to your wedding, you should most definitely give them something. Of course then, the question is, “how much?”
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There is no formula to determine the amount of the honorarium. I asked once how much is the correct amount to give to a pastor. The response I got was, “let your heart decide.” I’m too literal of a person, so of course, I was confused. But in short, for a small wedding (less than 75 guests) I would give $100-200. For a larger wedding (more than 150 guests), $300-500. If you fall short of those, I really don’t think that your religious officiant will be offended. It’s the thought that counts. I’m sure they would also appreciate a gift that came from the heart.
Also, keep in mind that sometimes a worship center will require that you use their officiant if you want to use their church, especially if it’s a large church. You should take a look at the fee and see if there’s something included for the officiant. If they don’t list it, or if the fee is on the small side, then you know that the officiant is not getting paid to officiate your wedding. In this case, you should give an honorarium using the guidelines above.
Did you give your officiant (who didn’t have rates) something different than the guidelines above?
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