Question 1

Why does your fee seem higher than other officiants we have found?

Accepted Answer

Great question.  With a number of answers.  Primarily, though, it is due to the significant number of hours and the amount of work I dedicate to make sure YOUR ceremony is personal and custom - and not just another 'cookie-cutter' ceremony script.  You will learn all the details of the process I use to create your script in our "chemistry check" meeting if you simply complete our contact form!
 
The second reason - I want your big day to be 100% focused on you.  To charge less would mean I would have to officiate two, three or even four weddings every weekend (or in a single day even)! 
 
I believe in devoting 100% of my focus on every wedding, which is why I am able to guarantee your guests will be saying that you were "Married By The Best"!

Question 2

What kind of training or certifications do you have as an officiant?

Accepted Answer

When it comes down to it, a successful and memorable wedding ceremony requires an officiant who is passionate, and highly skilled at public speaking, presenting and keeping an audience engaged.  I have been doing these things professionally for 20+ years as a large group trainer, educator and presenter.  
 
I am authorized to legally perform wedding ceremonies in most states in the US through my ordination by the Universal Life Church.  This is the part that lets me say "through the power invested in me by the state of..." and make the day legally binding.
 
More formally - I have invested a great amount of time learning from leading Canadian wedding officiant Mark Allan Groleau.  His trademark style of "Unboring!Weddings" is exactly what I use to ensure your ceremony is your best day ever!  In fact I am the only officiant in Delaware certified to use and deliver Mark's style of ceremony.
 
In addition, I am Equality Institute Certified in order to understand the unique needs and concerns of the LGBT+ community when planning their weddings. (I am also the only officiant in Delaware with this certification)
 
Finally, I am a proud member of the IAPWO - The International Association of Professional Wedding Officiants. The IAPWO is THE trade organization for professional wedding officiants, and provides a wealth of educational resources to keep me current and up-to-date on all of the trends and practicies in the industry.

Question 3

How do we know if you have our date available?

Accepted Answer

Very simple - just take a few seconds to fill out our contact form, and I will be in touch with you!

Question 4

How does travel to our wedding work? Are there additional fees?

Accepted Answer

My fees are based off of geographic "zones" in and around the DE, NJ, PA tri-state area.  The posted fee includes all travel, including the rehearsal (however the Wedding Workshop is generally held in the Wilmington, DE area). This is why the fee is incrementally higher as the distance from my Wilmington, DE location increases.
 
Most important - the price you see is the price you pay!  There are no extra fees, ever.

Question 5

What if our venue doesn't allow a rehearsal?

Accepted Answer

Don't worry!  If the venue isn't available for the rehearsal - we will make it work elsewhere!  All we really need for a successful rehearsal is space that will allow is to imagine an aisle, and a front area to process to.  Living rooms, condo party rooms, restaurants, and even a local park can all work well for us!
 
On that note, I almost insist on a rehearsal  - that is why it is included in my fee.  I know that a short rehearsal leads to a more relaxed and confident wedding day.  No matter where we conduct it - it will set your mind at ease that we are 100% ready!

Question 6

How does payment work?

Accepted Answer

Before we even talk about payment, we will meet for a short "chemistry check".  It is so important to make sure that we are right for each other for such an important day!
 
If you choose to book with me - you can have a check ready that day, or I can send you an online payment link at anytime.  I ask for a 50% deposit as a retainer to lock in your date.  The balance is not due until we meet in person for your 'wedding workshop' - at which point you will receive a draft of your wedding script.
 
Once we are paid in full the real work begins of building your personal story into the script to ensure you have the most modern, person and fun ceremony possible!

Question 7

What if you get sick on the day of our wedding and can't do it?

Accepted Answer

This has never happened!  But in the highly unlikely event that it does - I have a 'back-up list' of other highly experienced colleagues who I would trust to officiate my own wedding!  Your ceremony script would already have been completely written by me, of course.  Any of these colleagues would be able to seamlessly step in to perform what you and I have created together!

Question 8

What is the difference between a 'custom' ceremony & 'classic' ceremony?

Accepted Answer

My modern, custom ceremonies are just that - custom written specifically for the couple to tell their personal story through the words of the script.  No two are ever alike!  This ceremony includes a 1-hour wedding workshop, where we dive into all of the details of the day, and several followup questionnaires about specifics of how your relationship got to the point where you are ready to say "I do".   Family & friends that you identify are also involved as I gather more information about you before I custom write your love story into the script!  The custom ceremony does require collaboration on your part for 2-3 months before the ceremony to get just the right feel and result.  That collaboration is what makes it truly special and 100% yours!

The 'classic' option uses a base script template that I have created in either a religious or secular feel, and allows you to choose all of the elements for the script (such as vows, and the ring ceremony wording) from a menu of options that we provide.  The classic script is often a great option for small elopements, or when you are looking for a more traditional feel to your ceremony - or when time does not allow for the custom ceremony process.

In either case, the ceremony will have a modern, personal feel that I am confident will be a wedding ceremony that you will be proud of, and that your guests will be talking about all night!

Question 9

Can you legally marry people in Pennsylvania?

Accepted Answer

Great question!!  Pennsylvania is very unique in our area in terms of their marriage law (Title 23). There are cases where couples have had a friend or family marry them (that would have been legal in most other states) and down the road courts ruled the marriage was never legally binding!

Long story short, I maintain an ordination that we are confident allows us to legally perform binding marriages in Pennsylvania. As wedding professionals, this is a conversation that we have in depth with every couple with a PA marriage license.

What is important to understand as you talk with other officiants - by the letter of the law, officiants with only an online ordination can not legally bind a marriage in Pennsylvania!

Here is a link to an extreme example of how some PA counties inform couples of the importance of ensuring your marriage will be legally accepted!

Answering all of your questions...

Why does your fee seem higher than other officiants we have found?

What kind of training or certifications do you have as an officiant?

How do we know if you have our date available?

How does travel to our wedding work? Are there additional fees?

What if our venue doesn't allow a rehearsal?

How does payment work?

What if you get sick on the day of our wedding and can't do it?

What is the difference between a 'custom' ceremony & 'classic' ceremony?

Can you legally marry people in Pennsylvania?

Contact Us: info@MarriedByTheBest.com

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