Q. A friend is the wedding director, what is the appropriate fee that we should pay? How much to you pay the officiator of the wedding?
A. Someone once said, “You get what you pay for.” There is no easy answer to this question. How much time is your friend spending on planning, are they using their car to run errands for you, how much time will they spend helping you on the wedding day, will they needing lodging, is this part of their business? Without answers to these and other questions, my best advice is to consider the total amount of time they are “giving to you”, attach an amount to each hour, write a check to them for that amount and a note offering your most sincere appreciation for their help. My personal experience is to make sure I don’t come up short in this kind of situation. Be generous, you may need their help again. Begin with $100. If they have given marriage counseling, you will want to include an additional amount for their time and expertise. Counselors receive from $50 to $100 per hour. If they must travel more than a reasonable distance for the wedding rehearsal and service, you should include an amount for gas. Best wishes.
Gloria Griffin
Wedding By Design Instructor, “Planning My Wedding”
at Forsyth Technical Community College
