i am getting married in a non-church setting, but still hiring a minister to marry us. how much is traditionally "given" as a fee, or gratutity to the minister for his services?
2007-01-30 06:42:52 · 15 answers · asked by shenrich03 1 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
If you are "hiring" an officiant they usually have a fee. Even ministers. And whether you give a gratuity on top of that is up to you.
Some ministers request an honorarium instead. And some make a suggestion of X number of dollars. It's a fee but is doesn't sound quite so crass.
You need to see what the average officiant in your area is charging. To find an officiant, type into Yahoo your city, state & wedding officiant (no 's' on the end). You should find a few that will meet your needs.
If you see one registered on a bridal site, viait their site. Those bridal sites make a vendor & officiant pay for your informantion, so you might not hear back from someoneone you had hoped.
2007-01-30 06:54:52 · answer #1 · answered by weddrev 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the minster charges a fee, he will let you know what it is. Depending on the part of the country, $100-$500 is typical.
Some ministers do it for "fun" and others are in this to make money.
If they don't tell you the fee, ask ("What is your fee?"). They've been asked before, I'm sure, so no offense should be taken.
If the say "no fee," then you should offer a gift of $100-$200 (again, depending on the city). If the minister has a church, a donation to the church would be appropriate.
2007-01-30 06:53:53 · answer #2 · answered by Jay 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
About $200-$400 gift to the church. I know that in the Episopalian sector a fee of $200 was also due to the organist in my church for playing at my wedding. I got married in Maryland in 2005.
2007-01-30 07:16:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We paid $50, but that was 18 years ago. I would pay $100 now, especially if they take the time to learn about you two. Remember that ministers have family lives as well, if they come to your wedding that is time normally spent with their own families or private lives. A C-note sounds reasonable.
Congratulations!
2007-01-30 06:51:49 · answer #4 · answered by jpbofohio 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its up to the minister, you have to ask. You dont want to assume anything since you might underpay.
But also, take into account any travel expenses, you will have to pay for that ontop of the fee he charges. Even if he says he doesnt need any, you should pay for them
2007-01-30 07:21:23 · answer #5 · answered by kateqd30 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was $25 for the church use; minister was gratis. We gave him $50. It was 40 years ago.
2007-01-30 06:54:53 · answer #6 · answered by lyyman 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My brother payed 400 for his but that was including the church use. I would say pay 150 at least for gas and time. Good luck
2007-01-30 14:13:02 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If there's no set fee, it can run between $100 and $250, depending on if you regularly donate/attend or not.
2007-01-30 08:38:25 · answer #8 · answered by Dan 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For me, the church charges $75, but they told us it was "customary" to"offer" the priest between $50 and $100.
2007-01-30 06:53:40 · answer #9 · answered by Just tryin' to help 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was quoted $300. It seems like so much for a 20 minute ceremony!
2007-01-30 09:56:05 · answer #10 · answered by jaye 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋