How important is the wedding officiant?

Sometimes it isn't "you get what you pay for". You said the first officiant is more experienced, so naturally her rates would be higher. As the second officiant gains experience he can start to raise his rates as well.

Is there any way you could take some time to meet them in person? That may help you to see if you click with them both in person as you had on the phone, or it may rule one out completely.

I don't really think spending more for the officiant is necessary unless there's a significance for that specific officiant. Yes, amazing officiants are great, but I've never been to a ceremony where the officiant is discussed more than about 5 minutes (unless they're specifically obnoxious). Focus that money elsewhere.

I don’t think it’s that important if you are just hiring someone except that you should know what they’re going to say and see their script first. I hired someone off wedding wire I thought was professional and charismatic and I liked the script samples he sent me which he will read word for word. I was feeling sad that I didn’t have a close pastor to do it or someone who could share cute anecdotes about us but then...At my mohs wedding in January she hired a close pastor from her church and he talked about sex the whole time and and read Song of Solomon and told everyone how they scored high on the sexual compatibility part of their pre marital counseling test, and he brought up a story about the groom texting his ex but then stopping because the bride asked him not to, which he meant to be a sweet story but we were all horrified. I am so happy my officiant will just read the script now!!

I agree with PPs. Ultimately you should make the decision that is right for you, but I don't think the officiant is someone I would spend too much money on. I would definitely find out their script though, and compare.

I think this completely depends on what you want from your ceremony. Personally, my FH and I want someone nice who speaks clearly, but we don't really care if they're great at including lots of personal details or telling stories because we want a very short, sweet, and to the point ceremony. However, I know that's really important to some people. If it were me, I might try to get some more details from the cheaper option, but realistically, I'd be on the side of saving money.

Do any of the officiants provide ceremony scripts for you to put together your own ceremony or do they just do a "cookie cutter" script? Ours gave us a pdf booklet full of sample scripts along with additional poems, prayers, vow examples, etc. that we could choose from and we built our entire ceremony script ourselves so it is uniquely ours.

You should go with the one who you have the best vibe with. I think a lot of people loose sight of the fact that the ceremony is actually the most important part of the day. The reception is fun and amazing, but the ceremony, that part is the most emotional and special for the couple.

We wanted a friend to marry us, but the laws in Canada are more strict, and it's actually very hard to get ordained. So I searched for a long time for the perfect officiant, especially since we wanted a more quirky ceremony. When I found one I thought would work, we met up for coffee which sold me on him. Chatting with him in person and getting his feedback on what we were looking for made me feel very comfortable that we made the right choice. He wasn't the most expensive and he wasn't the cheapest. But he was the one for us.

I don't recommend going with the cheaper option just because they're cheaper. You should try to meet up with both them (or more) and pick the one you know will give you a special ceremony.

We asked a friend to do - it was the cheapest option - We are not involved with any church so we don't have a priest or pastor we are close with and also really don't care to have religion be a part of our ceremony. We explored some people that offering their services online but ultimately decided that we wanted someone who was special to both of us to be the one marrying us.

I think sometimes things can not be decided on money alone (meaning if you have the means). If you can afford it, then go with the more expensive one if you feel like that is the right choice.

When we were looking for an officiant, I reached out to a couple of people. One we were planning on meeting with, but I just did not get a warm vibe from her via email (as crazy as that sounds). She had really good reviews, but then some ehh reviews that kind of confirmed what I was feeling. I reached out to someone else and the conversation just felt different. I think for things such as your wedding, as long as you are within your budget, you should pick vendors based on how they vibe with you guys and reviews over who is cheaper. You want to remember this moment based on how much of a good time you all had!

We selected an officiant who was a celebrant. She specifically writes our ceremony for us, doesn't do "traditional" vows and makes ours personal. After meeting her, we looked at each other and said "she needs to marry us". IMO, the ceremony is the most important part! I mean heck, you are getting married haha. Ignore the money, and go with your gut. The last thing you want is to have an officiant who fumbles, isn't prepared etc. You could ask the less expensive person for references as well. Speak to brides/grooms who have worked with them.

Hi all, thanks so much for your responses! We have decided on the officiant who is less expensive - not just because of the money, but also because we feel he will do just a good a job. It was great to hear the perspectives of many of you.

I definitely needed to be talked down from spending money when there really is no point. I think you're right in that 2x as much money does not mean 2x as much value. It's such an easy trap to fall into when planning a wedding!