FAQs - Wedding Ceremonies, Vow Renewals, Virtual Wedding Ceremonies, and Pre-marital counseling in Central Texas

FAQs

FAQ

What’s the advantage of having a Pastor as your officiant?

As a Pastor, I dedicated 4 years to a seminary education in which I received specialized training in planning and presiding at ceremonies of all kinds. I have 30+ years of experience counseling couples and dealing with a variety of people and their individual needs.

What do you charge for the consultation?

A one-time phone/FaceTime/skype/in-person consultation is absolutely free. During that time, we can get acquainted, talk through your expectations and mine, check availability. If you feel we can work well together and want to go forward, we take the next step.

How far in advance can we book you?

If you have a date and a venue, it’s time to reserve the date with me. Call/text me at 512 658-9744, or email me at ipronounceyou.today@gmail.com. Sooner is much better than later, especially if your wedding is on or near a holiday. Most couples reserve me 6-8 months in advance.

How will we plan our ceremony?

Your wedding ceremony will reflect your love story and celebrate your commitment.

Your ceremony needs to reflect your vision and preferences. So, we will spend our first meeting working out every detail of your ceremony. Do you want to give the MOTB & MOTG roses on the way down the aisle? How about a unity ritual? Do you want a traditional ceremony with traditional vows? Do you want to write your own vows? Do you want something unique, but don’t quite know what that would look like?

I have tons of resources and lots of ideas and the creativity to pull it all together into the ceremony of your dreams.

Do we need a rehearsal?

Having a rehearsal ensures a stress free ceremony…which makes for a much more relaxed wedding day. No worries over where you stand or when you turn to face each other, or anything else.

I will arrive at least 30 minutes early your venue and expect you to be on time. We will go through the ceremony twice, the first time to block out where everybody stands and the second time to actually go through the ceremony so you can get the feel for how it will go.

This may sound like no big deal, but having a rehearsal resolves any questions you may have. Such as… What’s the right tempo for the procession? Where do step-parents sit? Where does everybody stand? What happens if the flower girl/ring bearer balks? When does the bride hand off her flowers? So many considerations.

And here’s a bonus: so many times I’ve seen something profoundly beautiful happen at the rehearsal. Maybe it’s when the FOTB presents his daughter and his eyes fill with tears realizing that this is really going to happen, or when the bride and groom are ‘practicing’ their vows, holding hands, looking into each other’s eyes… those are moments of pure, brilliant love. Having a rehearsal allows you to approach your ceremony with confidence and assurance.

What happens after we choose to use your services?

To reserve your date, you will need to sign a contract and pay the fee. We accept cash, Square (credit cards), Zelle, and Venmo. The other half will be due 2 weeks before the wedding.

After you are on my calendar, I guarantee that your date will be kept. We set dates for planning session(s) and we’re off on a beautiful journey together.

Do you charge extra for holiday weddings?

Yes. Please call me for exact price: 512 658-9744. Holidays include Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve & Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day.

Are there any additional fees for travel?

$50 for travel expenses is charged if venue is over 100 miles round trip from Austin’s 78628 zip code. In remote venues, if the rehearsal is the day before the ceremony, the couple will provide overnight accommodations for the officiant. For International venues, the couple will need to supply airline travel, hotel, and per diem expenses.

Can you guarantee that you will officiate our wedding?

As you know, there are not many guarantees in life. I can promise you I will officiate your wedding unless something catastrophic (ex: hospitalization, death — mine or a family member) prevents me. In that case, I will do my best to fully prepare and provide another equally experienced officiant to stand in my place, at no extra cost to you.

How Does the Marriage License Get Filed?

You are responsible for filing your marriage license. Nancy will complete the document after the ceremony so that you can get it to the County Clerk’s office for filing.

What about making changes to my Driver’s License?

You are required to notify the Texas Department of Public Safety of a name change within 30 days. Take your existing State-issued Driver’s License and your ORIGINAL marriage license (or a CERTIFIED copy) to any Texas Driver’s License Office. A fee is required for your new license which will arrive at your residence within 3-4 weeks.