Rev. Karen has 15 years of experience marrying couples in Colorado. Her goal of creating “A Colorado Wedding Your Way” was inspired by encountering hurdles when planning her own wedding to the love of her life in 2005. Whether on a mountain, in a fire station, lake side, on a ski slope, rooftop or private estate, from casual to extravagant, Karen has been honored with the opportunity to share one of life’s greatest moments with over 100 couples as an officiant. As long as it is legal in Colorado, the sky is the limit to one’s ceremony creativity!
Colorado is a destination wedding location. People fly to our fair state to tie the knot because of its natural beauty and wholesome reputation. According to The Knot, an average Colorado wedding cost in 2021 was between $30,000-35,000! This is a huge event in a couple’s life (and pocketbook!) and they want to make sure that all aspects of the celebration are optimal.
Believe it or not, an officiant is often one of the last details that a couple will think about securing. Yet, the officiant is the person who helps set the tone and provides leadership for the entire ceremony. By waiting until the last minute to secure an officiant, the couple can miss out on the best officiants as their schedules are already booked. When planning a wedding in a traditional church, the selection of officiants may be limited or you may not have any say in the matter of who officiates. And there may be little flexibility in your say of what happens in the ceremony due to church regulations.Many Colorado wedding couples choose to get married outside of a church building, even if they are religious, due to the beauty that Colorado offers. Picturesque parks, spectacular ski slopes, gorgeous golf courses, even quaint bed and breakfast courtyards can make for a breathtaking, betrothal backdrop. By choosing a non traditional location, a couple may have a lot more freedom to create a ceremony that truly reflects their personality and beliefs.
Generally the first point of contact between a couple and their officiant will be a phone call if they haven’t already met at a wedding showcase or perhaps a friend or family member’s ceremony. This can establish if the officiant is available for your special day. If you feel there may be a connection, it is optimal to set up a face-to-face meeting. Your wedding will be one of the biggest events of your life and you want to feel comfortable with the officiant. It’s best to have both wedding partners at this meeting so you can each have input for ceremony preferences. The face-to-face can be a Zoom or Facetime style meeting- especially when the couple is from out of town or they are not available to meet in person.
During this initial meeting, you will be able to establish a number of things:
- Does the offiant’s personality work well with yours? A stern person may not be able to provide the relaxed ceremony you were dreaming. At the same time, a bubbly, giggly person may not be the right choice for a solemn, conservative ceremony.
- What are their speaking skills? Do they look directly at you while you are conversing? Do they pepper their conversations with slang or curse words? How comfortable would you be with them speaking in front of your guests?
- Experience- All ceremonies have their unplanned moments- maybe the weather causes a last minute run from an outdoor location to an impromptu spot, the ring bearer may drop the rings, the flower girl may have a meltdown in the middle of the aisle, the candles may blow out during the unity ceremony… It’s important to know that the officiant is able to continue on without being flustered.
- Flexibility can be a make or break for couples. Some officiants have their script and will only stick to that. Others are very open to their couple’s desires- perhaps they want to write their own vows, have a friend or family member participate in a reading or song or even the family dog as an attendant. Is the officiant familiar with special ceremony options like unity candles, sand/wine/rose ceremonies, hand fasting, or traditions from other cultures if those are of interest to you? Perhaps you would like to create your own unique tradition. Will the officiant allow you that flexibility?
- Fees– these typically range anywhere from $350-$500 depending on the ceremony. Lower costs may be available for a simple ceremony at the officiant’s office. As with anything, you often get what you pay for. An inexpensive officiant may be cheap for a reason. Often the least expensive are also the least experienced. They may not be equipped to provide the personal expertise required to perform a wedding to remember (in a good way!) Like life, all weddings can experience some hiccups, things that may not go as originally planned. You want to have an experienced officiant you can be trust.
- Additional costs may include:
- Drive time. A couple may want a small wedding in the mountains. They think because they won’t have a lot of guests or that the ceremony won’t be extravagant, that the price should be small too. The size of the wedding is generally not a consideration for officiant pricing. It is just as much effort and prep work to speak in front of 2 people as it is 200. Colorado is a big state and even for a small wedding, a roundtrip drive time can be 12 hours (or more!) for the officiant- even during optimal conditions. Traffic, road construction or weather conditions can all play a part in how long it will take for the officiant to get to your desired location. Depending on your location, it may be worth paying for an officiant’s lodging the night prior to the ceremony- especially for a morning or early afternoon ceremony. Travel charges usually depend on time or mileage.
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- Rehearsal– An additional charge for rehearsal time is very common. Afterall, that is time that the officiant can’t accept other weddings and takes time out of their schedule. A viable option may be to ask the officiant for a copy of the ceremony ahead of time and hold the rehearsal without the officiant to save some money. Other couples insist they want the officiant at the rehearsal for peace of mind.
