Weddings are notoriously expensive. In fact, the average cost of a wedding in the United States in 2017 was about $30,000.
If you don’t want to spend a fortune or have a bottomless bucket of money, planning your wedding can be a real challenge.
So, how can you pay for everything you need to make the day special, but save money at the same time?
A great way to save extra money is to hire a wedding officiant in Denver that won’t break the bank. Keep reading to find out how you can make this happen!
Different Kinds of Wedding Officiants
No matter what type of wedding you plan to have, there are plenty of choices available. Finding a wedding officiant in Denver starts with looking at the type of ceremony you wish to have then narrowing down the field by category.
The most common wedding officiant titles and possible options are:
- Celebrant – can be hired for both religious or non-religious ceremonies
- Religious officiant – a great choice for anyone that belongs to a religious denomination
- Secular officiant – non-religious option for any type of marriage
- Interfaith ministers – brings together people of different religions
- Civil servant – a role focused on the legal and validation of the marriage
- Friend or family member – it is easy and cheap to get ordained online!
Of course, each of these types of wedding officiants will be great for some weddings and not for others. The officiant you hire will have to depend on the wedding you plan.
The good thing is that Denver is a huge city with a lot of different options to choose from, so you will be able to make that list of options and narrow down without having to settle.
Be sure to take the time to find the perfect officiant for you and your partner to make your wedding even more memorable.
Cost of a Wedding Officiant for a Colorado Wedding
A lot of brides and grooms don’t know that where they plan to get married can impact the price of almost everything they need for the wedding.
Even though a lot of other things may be expensive, you don’t have to spend a lot to get a good wedding officiant in Denver.
Something to consider when you want to save money is the type of officiant you plan to hire.
A religious officiant with a lot of experience or even a non-religious officiant that has great reviews just might cost more.
If you want a religious officiant without spending a large amount, consider hiring an intern or someone that just recently completed their training. They likely will be cheaper due to inexperience, but this doesn’t mean they won’t do a good job!
Hiring a civil servant is likely to be the least expensive option because they have the most simple types of ceremonies.
Nationally, the average cost of a wedding officiant is between $250 and $300. Consider this amount when you are finding your officiant and looking at what they charge.
The Best Ways to Find Officiants
As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of officiants in Colorado. Because of this, you may not know where to start looking!
If you have friends or family members that have been married recently near you, they may be able to give you a recommendation.
Another option, if you are religious, is to contact your house of worship. They can let you know who is available or how you can set up getting a religious officiant.
If you still need more options, you could always ask the other people you hire for your wedding. The photographers or caterers might be able to give you referrals for people they know that are great at weddings.
Lastly, you could always ask someone you know to get ordained online! It is a simple process that could be very meaningful for certain ceremonies.
Always choose the officiant you get along with and would actually want with you on the big day. Comfortability, clear expectations, and a written agreement can go a long way.
When to Hire Your Officiant
The time to hire your wedding officiant in Denver is going to depend on several factors, such as the date of your wedding and the type of officiant you are looking for.
You need to know who you are hiring and go through the hiring process, which can be extensive in some cases, at least 9 to 12 months before your wedding date.
The reason you want to do it this early is that you’ll need to be sure that your officiant has the day open and will be able to be there. It also helps them with planning what will be said and how the ceremony will flow.
Professional officiants that are experienced will know what they are doing, but still need time to prepare and learn more about the happy couple.
Remember that a lot of officiants actually enjoy doing this at weddings, so don’t feel bad for asking them questions during the hiring process. They want the experience to be positive too!
Save Money on Your Wedding Officiant in Denver
Now that you know a little bit more about finding the perfect wedding officiant in Denver, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to actually do the search! A lot of great options are out there, but since it is your wedding day, you want to make sure things go perfectly.
Weddings are always special, but they don’t always have to cost more than you want to spend. If you would like to learn more about other ways to save money on your wedding, check out this blog post to get some tips.
And for a wedding officiant in Denver that works best for you and your partner, get in touch with A Bargain Minister today. Gary Michael is an ordained minister who will customize a ceremony to your exact needs.
Whether you go formal or informal, even themed, he is here to make your day special without putting stress on you or your budget.