You can find officiants for as low as $200. Todd Rodarmel charges $800 for a wedding but offers discounts for midweek or early in the day weddings. He also has an elopement rate of $400 and offers discounts for military and first responders and for last minute bookings.

Ceremony design in our initial meeting, Coordination with your planner regarding the rehearsal (I can run rehearsals for an additional charge), Performing your marriage ceremony with excellence and class, a non anxious presence to help you be calm and present, filing of the paperwork with the state.

You do not. I have religious, spiritual but not religious and completely secular options. I also have extensive experience working with couples from mixed religious backgrounds. People who are very religious often have their own pastor.

Once you have the venue booked and know the time of your ceremony (at least approximately) you can book an officiant. I offer last minute discounts if I am not booked, but I also book up for popular dates early. I rarely book more than a year in advance.

Yes! I charge extra for travel over an hour outside downtown Nashville to compensate for time and travel expenses. If it is more than four hours away there is a fee for lodging and food too. I have travelled as far as Italy and California and am happy to do it for the right couple if the expenses are covered.

I offer premarital counseling for couples whose weddings I am officiating as well as those who have their own officiant. I use the SYMBIS (Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts) assessment created by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott who wrote a book by the same name. Couples take the assessment and receive a 20 page report about their perspectives, personalities, expectations, finances, communication, conflict resolution and much more. My premarital package includes three sessions going through the report. Additional sessions can be added. It is helpful to prepare for marriage and the state of Tennessee gives you $60 off your marriage license if you do it.

Yes! I have several vow wording options I can recommend and some templates for writing your own. Most often, couples I work with choose to make it simpler by saying what they want to say to each other as more of a preamble to the official vows that they repeat after me.

My son Zac and my wife Traci are both licensed ministers who can fill in with exactly the same wedding message and ceremony flow I use if needed. I also have other trusted officiants I can recommend.

Yes. You need to go together with your ID to any county clerk office during business hours and get a marriage license. You will bring it to the wedding and I will take it from there, fill it out and mail it. You don't need other witnesses (though you can have one if you want). You have 30 days to get married after you get the license. I have three days to return it after you are married. I will send you a photocopy for your records. You will get your official certificate in about three weeks.

Whatever you choose, you are getting a minister who cares for you. The difference is in how much time we invest together. A simple elopement may just be meeting up in a park, talking about how to make your marriage work, exchanging vows and handling the paperwork. A wedding will involve ceremony design, communication by email with you and your planner, me arriving early to be a non-anxious presence and guide. Those who add counseling with feel like they have more of a pastor or marriage coach who knows them as a couple. Whatever route you choose, you will be well taken care of.