The Fee

As “wedding ministers" or "wedding officiants" in the Waterloo Region, we spend a lot of time helping each couple plan their wedding ceremony. A "good" or "great" wedding does not happen by itself. It takes a lot of planning and coordination. But there is a big difference between "price" and "cost." If the ceremony gets messed up, the "cost" will be much greater than whatever "price" you paid the officiant.

We have three main levels of wedding services available: Basic, Standard, and Full-Service. The prices vary from $250 up to $600 or more, depending on each couple's wishes. We perform weddings in all locations, both indoors and outdoors, in the Waterloo Region. If the wedding is “out of town “there are special fees for the time required to get there and back.

Basic Service. This 5-10 minute ceremony is for those on a budget, and includes pretty much only the exchange of wedding vows and rings. Often the Bride and Groom are the only ones present, plus maybe a handful of relatives and friends. If you choose to have your ceremony outside, in a restaurant, on a boat, or in a private home, etc., then you need someone like us. The price is $250, and there is no meeting or rehearsal ahead of time. We will briefly go over the basics of the ceremony on the phone, and then we'll meet at the wedding. If you are having a large wedding and reception with a lot of guests, this brief "vows only" ceremony is inappropriate.  You should have a more complete ceremony.

Standard Service. If a couple only wants a short 10-20 minute ceremony, our fee is $350. That includes a telephone interview and/or a short personal meeting (maximum 30 minutes) just prior to the wedding to cover the basics of what they want included in the ceremony. Although we do provide a custom, written "script" of the ceremony to each couple in advance, there is no in-depth planning meeting as in the Full Service. Also, we do not provide a rehearsal, but usually you can do that yourselves.

Full Service. The overwhelming majority of couples choose a really special wedding ceremony, lasting 20-45 minutes, depending on their wishes. They choose to have a celebration of love that is customized and personalized, just for them. In order to do that, we need to meet personally with them for one to two hours at a restaurant. We will go over a checklist that covers just about anything you can think of. Then we write up a completely customized wedding "script" for them, with all of their special choices included. Then 1-2 weeks before their wedding we email, mail, or fax the script over to them so they can modify it if needed. We attend and conduct the rehearsal if there is one, and walk everyone through their parts of the ceremony. As a result, their wedding ceremony will be wonderful, meaningful, and exactly what they want. It usually takes about 10 hours to prepare for a full-service wedding. The price for this service is $500-$1000 (depending on what each couple wants).

Full Service Wedding Packages Include:

• Initial consultation (maximum 30 minutes)
• One meeting with the couple to organize the details of the wedding.  (maximum 2 hours)       
• Wedding Ceremony:  maximum 1 hr or $150.00 per hour for each hour or portion thereof (must be prearranged)
• Rehearsal:  maximum 1 hr or $150.00 per hour for each hour or portion thereof (must be prearranged)
• All additional meetings: $120.00/hr payable at the time of the meeting.

A 50% deposit is required when the wedding is booked and the balance is due 30 days prior to the wedding. 

Rev. Anne Ahokangas and Rev. Randy Armstrong are both  Ministers/Spiritual Directors with the International Centres for Spiritual Living. We are licensed in the Province of Ontario to officiate weddings. We have conducted services, classes, and counseling sessions for three years in the Region.

Extras

Out of Town Weddings - $100.00 per hour travel time plus $.45 per km

Two Officiants - Add $250.00