WE PERFORM PRIMARILY
NONDENOMINATIONAL CEREMONIES

 The Officiant is present well before the service,  calming  nerves, holding a clock to the timing of the important elements of the ceremony, and structuring how all must proceed toward the altar.  Considering that bride is the primary focus, all else should be a  respectable backdrop.      
 Like a good stage production, cues must be heeded and it’s up to the competent officiant to determine if all the wedding party are alert to them, and are in their respective places to begin.  
 During the ceremony, those moments that could look awkward such  as the exchange of the rings should already have  been dealt with. Also addressed is integrating the movement of the photographer and the prompts to the person handling the music. 
 After the ceremony it is often appropriate for the officiant to give a  blessing at the reception.

 Officiants have expenses. They must design the wedding ceremony and work toward a final rendering of the words to be said. This may involve a great deal of editing on the part of the officiant and the couple about to be married. Officiants must advertise, maintain a home office, establish internet access, design and manage a web site, travel, develop materials (vows and ceremonies), respond to e-mail and phone calls, coordinate face-to-face meetings (preliminary to the ceremony), stay in touch, keep records, organize elements of the ceremony at the rehearsal, perform the ceremony, and make sure the license reaches the court in a timely manner.

Notes

• Marriage licenses in the State of Ohio may be procured from the county Probate Court (where you reside or where the ceremony will take place). The Clerk of Courts also gives the marrying couple instructions on name change etc. Do not get the license too far ahead of time
• The license has a tear off portion which the officiant signs and returns to the court. The marrying couple keeps the principal portion of the license.
• The rehearsal is often desirable when the ceremony takes on some complexity or when children are involved. Sometimes a rehearsal suffices to reduce levels of nervousness. We have a number of suggested wedding formats which we offer the marrying couple. The purpose here is to work toward a comfortable ceremony, the enemy of which is the awkward moment.
• The ceremony can be very religious or not. We address all faiths and design ceremonies so that the couple find a private solace in the words expressed during the ceremony. The couple compose these words often times.  
• Don’t forget to ask about a unity candle or the sand ceremony

Ask yourselves the question, should couples go into debt to pay for their wedding?

Finding a comfortable fee: 

Best Beginnings               

1. Simple exchange of vows.               $125           

2. One-on-one conference of the wording of the ceremony plus preliminary conferring on vows, wedding party, music cues, venue, special elements (sand ceremony, unity candle, readings, prayers, tribute to parents, etc.)   $25


3. Rehearsal       $50                                    

Transportation charged for distances greater than thirty miles.                                                                              

• Besides the ceremony, an attractive keepsake certificate of marriage is given to the marrying couple.

    Also--A copy of the ceremony is
     provided.
 
The officiant signs his or her portion of the marriage license and submits it to probate court