How much do you charge?
This is the first question asked by many couples - even before they know if we're available or not! Please see the Rates & Services page.
How soon before the wedding should we be looking for an officiant?
That depends on the month your wedding is scheduled. In June or October, booking a year to year and a half ahead of time is common as they are really popular months. But, it never hurts to ask if we're available - no matter if you're getting married next week, next month or next year! Lori has been given the nicknames of "Last Minute Lori" or "The Procrastinator's Choice". While she prefers to have time to work with a couple in order to co-create a ceremony, she loves what she does and enjoys creating magical moments with those who choose to elope or book her at the very last moment!
How far do you travel for weddings and rehearsals?
If you want to pay for our airfare and accommodations, we're willing to travel to any locale, provided our ordination is recognized. Otherwise, travel to wedding sites within an hour of our home is included in our regular fees. Sometimes we need to look at both time and mileage because as we all know, traffic can make a huge difference! Beyond this, we may charge an extra travel fee. We'll talk more about this during our consultation.
Lori has lived in the Santa Cruz area and loves to have an excuse to go to the coast for the climate change and to visit friends, so she continues to perform weddings there without charging any additional travel fees.
Can we meet with you before we book your services?
Absolutely. We like to schedule face-to-face meetings with couples whenever possible. These
meetings are generally scheduled M - Th evenings (though other times are available) at a mutually convenient Starbucks,
Daily Grind or Peet's coffee.
When meeting in person doesn't work due to distance or schedule, we can discuss the same things by phone or email.
How do I book you to
perform my ceremony?
First, please fill out the "Request to be Contacted" form and e-mail us. If you're requesting Bob or Lori specifically, include this information. We will respond, generally within 24 hours, to let you
know whether we are available for your date. At that time, we schedule either an in-person or phone interview time. At the end of the interview, we will provide you a contract and give you three days to think it over. Once we receive your booking fee, we place you on our wedding calendar/s.
Do you provide a contract?
Yes. It makes sense to ensure that all parties feel secure and have some
fine print to refer to in the unlikely case of a disagreement.
Therefore, I ask all couples to read and sign an agreement when sending
their deposit.
What types of payment do
you accept, and when?
The booking fee can be made by cash (if paid in person), check, money order, or credit card (via
PayPal). The balance is due at the rehearsal or just prior to the ceremony. After the ceremony you will be focused on the photographer and your guests and really won't want to be bothered with a payment request. If you would
like to pay by credit card, let me know and I will email you a PayPal
invoice.
What are
your qualifications to perform legal marriage ceremonies?
We have been ordained by the Universal Life Church. We will
introduce ourselves as the "Minister" at the rehearsal when meeting the
family for the first time, but most often we refer to ourselves as
"Wedding Officiants" as we do not have a regular church. We can perform marriage ceremonies
anywhere within California, in most other states, and these marriages
are valid world-wide.
Do
you perform Commitment Ceremonies? How about Vow Renewals?
Lori has performed marriages (while they were legal!) and continues to conduct
commitment ceremonies for gay and lesbian couples. Bob is willing to but just hasn't been booked for one yet. We are interested in but
haven't yet performed any vows renewal ceremonies.
What is the usual length for a
wedding ceremony?
Our ceremonies generally last between 15 to 20 minutes. You want your ceremony long enough that your guests don't question "That's it?" but not so long that they begin to squirm. If you wish to make the ceremony a
bit longer, we can include an additional reading or poem, a sub-ceremony like a Unity Candle, Sand Blending or Wine Box or a song by a talented friend or family
member.
Can we include our children in
the ceremony?
Absolutely! There are many options for including children from previous
marriages. Some samples will be added to the Ceremony Elements page in the near future.
Do we need a
rehearsal?
As a guideline, if you have more than four people in
your
processional, it makes good sense to have a rehearsal.
It is very easy
for attendants to be confused about when/how to walk and
where to stand.
If you have children in the bridal party or are having
parents or grandparents seated, a
rehearsal is even more important.
- What happens
at the rehearsal?
When contracted to attend the rehearsal, and if you don't have a wedding coordinator, we start by arranging everyone as they will be standing during the ceremony. We then recess, go to where everyone will start and practice the processional. If parents and/or grandparents are to be seated, we will practice this portion of the processional as well. We then run through everything one more time. I give many tips and ideas about
how to make sure
it all flows smoothly for the real event. The rehearsal
takes between 45
minutes to an hour. Sometimes a portion of this time is spent just waiting for everyone to arrive.
- Does your officiant have to
attend the rehearsal?
Not necessarily. You may have a wedding coordinator who will handle the rehearsal and will direct the officiant just like everyone else. Then all we would do is go over the vows one last time with the bride and groom to see if any changes need to be made.
- If however, you prefer to direct your own
rehearsal, we generally arrive 45 minutes to an hour before your ceremony will start and you can inform us of the ceremony details during that time.
- Generally, you will give your marriage license to your officiant at the rehearsal. That way, you won't have to remember to give it to them before your ceremony.
How do we get our marriage license?
You must have a valid California Marriage License before you can be married. AND your officiant needs to have it in-hand before performing your ceremony.
There are 2 kinds of marriage licenses available in the state of California. If you choose the "Confidential" marriage license, your wedding ceremony must take place within the county from which your license was issued. You will not need witnesses with this kind of license. If you choose the "Public" marriage license, it is valid at your ceremony in any county within the state. You will need at least 1 witness over the age of 18. There is space for 2 witness signatures. Most frequently your witnesses would be your best lady and best man, but that isn't set in stone, you could ask your mother's or father's to sign as witnesses.
When you apply for your Marriage License:
- Both
parties must appear in person and bring valid picture
identification to the County Clerk’s Office to apply for a marriage
license in California. Valid picture identification is one that contains
a photograph, date of birth, and an issue and expiration date, such as a
state issued identification card, drivers license, passport, military
identification, etc. Some counties may also require a copy of your birth
certificate.
- There is no blood test or waiting period but your ceremony must be performed within 90 days of the issuance of your license. If
you do not get married within 90 days, the license will no longer be
valid. You must purchase a new license.
- If
you have been married before, you will need to know the specific
date your last marriage ended, and how it ended (Death, Dissolution,
Divorce or Nullity). Some counties may require a copy of the final
judgment if your previous marriage ended by dissolution or nullity.
- All fees and hours of issuance for a marriage license may vary by
county.
What happens to our marriage
license after the ceremony?
After your ceremony, we will have your 2 witnesses sign while you're working with your photographer. We will then complete the portion we need to complete. Generally, we take the license and mail it back to the clerk's office, from which it was issued. It must be returned within 10 days. If it is not returned within 10 days, it will no longer be valid.
You will NOT receive a copy of your marriage license after you have
been married unless you request and pay for a certified copy from the
County Clerk- Recorder. You can get a certified copy by going back to the Recorder's office or mailing in your NOTARIZED application for a certified copy.
ALL information on the marriage license MUST be legible, unambiguous
and reproducible. DO NOT change any information on the license, cross
out information, use white out, etc., as that will require the payment
for and issuance of a duplicate marriage license. Contact the County
Clerk’s Office if you have questions about completing the marriage
license and/or incorrect information contained on the marriage license.
Can you help me find a ceremony location? How about other wedding vendors?
Although I am not a wedding planner, I can give some recommendations for vendors or locations that I am familiar with. My "Preferred Vendor" page is still under construction. While our list will have many fabulous vendors, there is no way it can be a comprehensive list of everyone we have ever worked with or that is available. To include everyone, our fabulous vendor list would become a book!