What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Pricing is based on time and distance traveled. My home base is the Athens, GA area, but will travel up to a 130 mile radius, provided travel time is no more than about two hours one way.
My base fee for a wedding within 30 miles of Athens is $225. Base fees for other popular areas... Buford $250, Midtown Atlanta $275, Augusta $275, Greenville, SC $250. Please contact me for an accurate quote for your wedding. A non-refundable, minimum $125 deposit is required to secure a date on the calendar.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
First, I would like all potential clients to visit my website at TheATLWeddingOfficiant.com to see if they feel that we might be a good fit. If so, I like to have a phone and/or face to face consultation to learn more about the couple, wedding plans, venue, etc. and build a relationship. After a deposit is received, the date is reserved for the couple. I keep in touch by phone, text and email, doing everything possible to create a wedding ceremony for the couple that is uniquely theirs. I write a custom ceremony for each couple, sending drafts via email for approval. Occasionally the parents will pay my fee, but I work for the couple. This is their wedding! Throughout the process and when the big day arrives, it's all about them!
How soon should we book our Officiant?
Wedding Officiants work from a calendar just like your caterer, baker, dress maker, etc; however, without the Officiant all you have is a really expensive party! Please secure your Officiant early. I book weddings up to a year in advance. Waiting until the last minute not only risks the Officiant being already booked on your date, it cuts out valuable time to properly prepare your vows and ceremony scripts. Unless a simple elopement is requested, I create a custom ceremony for every couple. Time is needed to make the ceremony uniquely yours. I know you want it to be perfect! So do I!
What advice would you give a couple searching for a Wedding Officiant?
There are two important things to consider. Are you both comfortable with the Officiant, and is the Officiant passionate about your wedding and making it the happiest day of your lives? It doesn't matter if they have performed two weddings or 200; if they aren't excited about helping make your wedding day the happiest day of your lives, then you need to keep looking.
What questions should couples ask when speaking with Officiants about their wedding?
Is the Officiant comfortable with your circumstances...things like being divorced, LGBTQ, non-religious, an interfaith couple, an interracial couple, you want to write your own vows, want something totally fun and non-traditional... Will this Officiant give you what you want for your wedding?
Ask about fees, deposits, what is and is not included in the fee.
Why did you become a Wedding Officiant?
My daughter’s wedding in 2018 was the inspiration. I love weddings and have a passion for helping others. I had been considering officiating for several years. After my daughter's wedding, I jumped in and launched Athens Wedding Officiants in December 2018. Now I am expanding under a new name, The ATL Wedding Officiant to provide services to a broader clientele throughout the Metro Atlanta area. I absolutely love officiating weddings! It's fun, exciting and happiness is everywhere!
What is your education and training background?
I hold a B.S. in Business Administration from Columbia College and a Life & Health Producer's License from the Georgia Department of Insurance. I became an ordained, non-denominational minister in 2018 and have many years of professional public speaking experience. I love what I do and have been told that I do it well.
What types of couples have you worked with?
I have worked with clients from many different walks of life and religious backgrounds. I love everyone and believe that "True Love Knows No Boundaries!"
What areas do you serve?
I serve Metro Atlanta, North Georgia and Eastern Georgia, Upstate South Carolina and Eastern North Carolina. Sorry, I do not serve the state of Tennessee. The Tennessee legislature has passed a new law that requires ministers who solemnize marriages to pastor a brick and mortar church, which I do not.