Ceremony officiant

orangehills

So, we just booked our ceremony officiant. She just happens to be a longtime family friend of mine since I was about 3 years old! She went to Fuller and is a Pastor, so it worked out quite well! Now, we are not having children at the wedding due to our budget and the space of the reception room, and by the time of the wedding she will have a 14 month old. She will also be traveling from LA up to Northern CA for my wedding. Thankfully we have people in town they know, so babysitting shouldn't be an issue. But since she is doing us a major favor, especially since it's quite a bit harder for her with a toddler at that point, what should I do as a thank you? Pay for her hotel, her flight, or just a set amount?? I'm not sure at this point if her husband will be traveling with her, so would I only pay for her or both of them? Any ideas? (And of course they are both invited to the wedding)

naomikb

That's tough, since she's a guest she would normally be coming but is also working.  Realistically I'd probably ask her what she would like as payment - if she says just her $250 ceremony fee (or whatever) then maybe add a bit to help cover her extra expenses.  I think it's worth it to be generous to her.  I don't think it's necessary to pay for all of her and her husband's expenses though.

I'd also see if you can find a cousin or friend to babysit for the day/evening so she doens't have to worry about it.

BMcLeodTeam

I would talk to her and find out what she would like. I would also look at your budget and decide how much you'd like to contribute even if she only says just the fee. It is always nice to help them out if you can, but if she doesn't want everything covered and your budget is tight I wouldn't stress yourself about it!

Our Pastor and his wife are travelling with us for our DW and we are covering the ceremony fee and their hotel room.