Cost of Wedding Officiants & Should I have a Rehearsal?

nickandjenn33

Could you share with me the cost of your officiant? Upon a lot of recommendations by knotties, I called a kahu who I was really excited about.  He was really nice but in response to my cost inquiry, he told me he charged $230 for the 15-20 minute ceremony, $75 for a travel fee, and that didn't include a rehearsal. I didn't even ask if he required dinner.  I am in shock. 

Is that the going rate? I seriously had NO idea.  Just wondering if you'd be willing to share how much you are paying for your officiant, whether it includes a rehearsal (and how much that costs if not), and whether they require dinner.

Thanks in advance!

nickandjenn33

Oops I forgot to ask the 2nd question.  I'm guessing it costs at least $100 more to have my officiant at my rehearsal - should I just skip it? Seems really really scary to me to not have the officiant there ... have any of you done it?  I'll have a fairly large wedding party - 6 BM and 6 GM and a flower girl and ring bearer.

sharkbitemiller

I just hired mine....FINALLY...and have to say that I'm so happy I found him!

My Kahu's rates are $250 and that includes a rehearsal. Like you, I didn't ask about dinner for him but since I'm not having a fancy wedding, I wouldn't mind him joining us. He's been so wonderful to work with so far and our vows will be customized based on my preference.

Before I found him, I phone interviewed two others (I'm on the mainland) and the going rate was $200-$300.

Good luck!

Tanq&Tonic

Our officiant is my best friend so I can't be of more help, but I know our coordinator is charging us extra for the rehearsal time. 

hotdognbuns

On my officiant's website, the posted rates are $200 for the ceremony and $150 for the rehearsal but I think it states on the site that she doesn't really doesn't need to be at the rehearsal if there is an experienced coordinator present or if the bridal party is very small. I know that seems like it's taking a big risk, but she's a professional who has done this before and I believe has worked with my coordinator before also.  I'm going to put my faith in my coordinator.

No travel fee for either ceremony or rehearsal in town (Kahala to Waikiki). Hooray for small miracles!

She also says "it is not customary" to send her an invitation and it seems implied that she won't be around for the dinner. 

Travel fees outside of town vary by distance (Bayer to Moanalua Gardens, $25; Lanikohonua, Ihilani, PCove, Lanikai, Luana, etc $50; Kualoa sites $75; TBay and North Shore sites $100)

breaness

Have any of the married ladies on here been married without a rehearsal? We aren't planning on one.

carrieoz_76

I think ours was $200 on Maui, but it was included in the WC fees, so we didn't pay separately.  She was fantastic.

We didn't do a rehearsal with the officiant, which was totally fine.  DH and I did, however, do a quick walk-through on the beach with our WC a couple days beforehand, which was included in her fees, as well.  I would suggest something like that because it helped us get acclimated to who stands where, etc.  Our WC also did a nice job of explaining to the WP where they'd start and end the ceremony on the day of, so I don't feel that a full-blown rehearsal was necessary.

MrsNicole&Brian808

We had a rehearsal, but our chapel coordinator ran it, not the officiant.  Our officiant did run through the ceremony, which I found helpful.  However, if you're having a pretty straightforward ceremony without any extras and customization (readings by family/guests, sand ceremony, etc) and are flexible, you could probably get away without having a rehearsal.

I don't think officiants expect to be invited to the reception.  We invited ours only because we had developed a relationship with him throughout our planning.

If you have a WC, definitely discuss this with them.  I know some WCs require a rehearsal with the officiant.

 GL & Happy Planning!

AKWinterBride

Ours was also $200, I'm not sure if it includes the officiant or not - I'm not at all concerned if not as our coordinator knows the vows like the back of her hand. 

sparklegirl84

hotdogbuns- who is your officiant? I'm looking for an affordable oahu officiant still.

jaymers99

I think I used the same officiant as hotdognbuns.  I had a pretty simple ceremony, and a very small wedding party, but we opted for the rehearsal because we didn't have a coordinator and none of us were ever in a wedding party before.  Our officiant was great at walking us through things and advising us on things we never thought about (like the handoff of bride from father to fiance).  I think we probably could have done without it, but it gave me some peace of mind and made me feel more prepared for the big day.

sparklegirl84

jaymers - i love your wedding video, your lil puggie is so cute! Did you like the hale koa? A lot of my guests are probably staying there. 

jaymers99

Thanks, sparkle!  Hale Koa was great -- they were easy to work with and although they aren't as flexible as some of the other hotels, they are by far the most affordable.  We didn't stay in the rooms since I was kind of picky and wanted a nicer room for our getting ready shots (we stayed at hilton hawaiian village) and I gave my brother our room for the night.  The rooms aren't bad, but they are a little dated.  My brother had no complaints, and I would have been happy to stay there if it wasn't for the picture taking thing...