Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What denomination are you?
A: I am an ecumenical Christian minister. My personal beliefs are Christian-principled, without regard to any particular denominational practices. I respect and honor other religious beliefs and traditions, and I serve all who seek pastoral services.
Q: Should we get married in a church?
A: Many people prefer to hold to their own denominational beliefs and get married in their church. Others honor tradition by getting married in a church (any church) even if they are not members of that church (or any church) to satisfy their own spiritual convictions or those of family members. While this is commendable, I remind couples that this is THEIR wedding. Personal religious affiliations and family traditions are important considerations for many couples, and should be. But, in the long run, the type of ceremony you select is more important than where you hold it. This is YOUR day and it should be done YOUR way. In today's world, couples are breaking tradition and getting married in all sorts of unusual locations. Whenever religious beliefs or family traditions are important considerations, I encourage couples to find a way to incorporate those into their ceremonies, no matter where the ceremony is to be conducted.
Q: We just want a simple ceremony, couldn't we just go to the local county clerk's office?
A: In recent years many Tennessee county clerks have discontinued the practice of performing marriage ceremonies. By contracting an independent minister you have more options than you might at local clerk's offices who do still provide this service; from vow selection to the number of guests or witnesses to the actual location. At a busy government office you may also have to wait for an available clerk who will then take you to a file room to perform your ceremony... Not exactly the memorable event most couples would like their wedding ceremony to be. At World Community Ministries we give you personalized service at the location you choose with more options, and our Elopement Service will get you in and out just as fast - or faster - without the limitations or hassles. We are also a full-time ministry and can perform your ceremony at nearly any time on nearly any day, not just 9:00 to 5:00 Monday thru Friday.
Q: Do you have a particular church or venue where you perform wedding ceremonies?
A: No. I can perform your ceremony at any site you choose. However, we do offer our property for small ceremonies, at an additional expense. With over 100 acres of secluded beauty, you're sure to find an area that's perfect for your small wedding or elopement. The property is secure and surrounded by hills and woodlands to ensure privacy and security. We can refer vendors or you can contract your own. Contact us for information and pricing.
Q: We didn't really budget for an officiant. Why does the 10-30 minutes a minister spends officiating a wedding cost so much and why do some charge more if we want to include additional ceremonies in our wedding?
A: When you compare what you'll spend for all the people you'll hire to make your wedding everything you want it to be, you'll find that your officiant is one of the least expensive, and the best value. Most people don't realize how many hours are involved in creating the 10-30 minutes of wedding that you, your family and your friends will get to see and enjoy. As a minister I may spend a great deal of time beforehand creating a ceremony that is unique to each couple, and I create a script for each wedding service from beginning to end. While most weddings follow a basic format, no two weddings are the same and the time required to customize each service can be pretty overwhelming. A very basic service requires many hours of research, creative writing, editing, editing again and rehearsing before we ever walk onto the altar. When you add in other ceremonies (unity candle, etc) the pre-production work required increases exponentially. It may appear that the officiant's fees are exorbitant for a short ceremony, but when you consider the amount of time spent putting your ceremony together you will see that the minister's rates are absurdly reasonable.
You can probably find an officiant that offers a 'flat' rate for his or her service, but by paying a flat rate you may be paying for services you're not getting. Under our rate structure you only pay for services you receive.
Your wedding ceremony should be just as important as any other aspect of your wedding day - if not more so. Find an officiant who offers great service at a reasonable price and make it a wedding that you, your friends and your family will remember.
Q: What forms of payment do you accept?
A: We accept cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.
Q: Do you require a deposit? Why?
A: I require a 50% deposit when we sign the wedding service agreement, with the balance due prior to the ceremony. The deposit serves as a retainer and is refundable only if I am unable to perform your ceremony and cannot find a suitable replacement minister. There are several reasons for this: 1) Once I have 'booked' your wedding I will not schedule any other event that could conflict or interfere with my obligation to you, and will therefore be required to turn down other requests for service; 2) The overwhelming majority of my work for weddings is preparatory (consultation, research, writing, editing, etc.) and I may already have invested numerous hours creating and writing your ceremony.
Q: What documents do we need to provide?
A: A valid State-issued photo identification from both the bride and groom, as well as a valid Tennessee Marriage License issued by a county clerk, are required. I will examine your ID's at our initial consultation for verification purposes only. You will need to present the original Marriage License and Marriage Certificate to me on your wedding day before we can proceed with the ceremony.
Q: Do you submit the finalized Marriage License and Marriage Certificate to the county clerk, or is that our responsibility?
A: Under Tennessee law the "officiant who performs the marriage ceremony" is required to complete and submit the Marriage License and Certificate of Marriage to the county clerk within three (3) days of the ceremony. This is not optional and relieves you of this necessity so you can focus on more important things.
Q: Do you provide state-approved premarital counseling?
A: No. Your cost to have me provide the state-mandated counseling would be higher than the $60.00 assessed for not attending. As an independent minister I also do not require couples to attend religious premarital counseling as a condition of my officiating their ceremony.
Have questions? Contact Us
A: I am an ecumenical Christian minister. My personal beliefs are Christian-principled, without regard to any particular denominational practices. I respect and honor other religious beliefs and traditions, and I serve all who seek pastoral services.
Q: Should we get married in a church?
A: Many people prefer to hold to their own denominational beliefs and get married in their church. Others honor tradition by getting married in a church (any church) even if they are not members of that church (or any church) to satisfy their own spiritual convictions or those of family members. While this is commendable, I remind couples that this is THEIR wedding. Personal religious affiliations and family traditions are important considerations for many couples, and should be. But, in the long run, the type of ceremony you select is more important than where you hold it. This is YOUR day and it should be done YOUR way. In today's world, couples are breaking tradition and getting married in all sorts of unusual locations. Whenever religious beliefs or family traditions are important considerations, I encourage couples to find a way to incorporate those into their ceremonies, no matter where the ceremony is to be conducted.
Q: We just want a simple ceremony, couldn't we just go to the local county clerk's office?
A: In recent years many Tennessee county clerks have discontinued the practice of performing marriage ceremonies. By contracting an independent minister you have more options than you might at local clerk's offices who do still provide this service; from vow selection to the number of guests or witnesses to the actual location. At a busy government office you may also have to wait for an available clerk who will then take you to a file room to perform your ceremony... Not exactly the memorable event most couples would like their wedding ceremony to be. At World Community Ministries we give you personalized service at the location you choose with more options, and our Elopement Service will get you in and out just as fast - or faster - without the limitations or hassles. We are also a full-time ministry and can perform your ceremony at nearly any time on nearly any day, not just 9:00 to 5:00 Monday thru Friday.
Q: Do you have a particular church or venue where you perform wedding ceremonies?
A: No. I can perform your ceremony at any site you choose. However, we do offer our property for small ceremonies, at an additional expense. With over 100 acres of secluded beauty, you're sure to find an area that's perfect for your small wedding or elopement. The property is secure and surrounded by hills and woodlands to ensure privacy and security. We can refer vendors or you can contract your own. Contact us for information and pricing.
Q: We didn't really budget for an officiant. Why does the 10-30 minutes a minister spends officiating a wedding cost so much and why do some charge more if we want to include additional ceremonies in our wedding?
A: When you compare what you'll spend for all the people you'll hire to make your wedding everything you want it to be, you'll find that your officiant is one of the least expensive, and the best value. Most people don't realize how many hours are involved in creating the 10-30 minutes of wedding that you, your family and your friends will get to see and enjoy. As a minister I may spend a great deal of time beforehand creating a ceremony that is unique to each couple, and I create a script for each wedding service from beginning to end. While most weddings follow a basic format, no two weddings are the same and the time required to customize each service can be pretty overwhelming. A very basic service requires many hours of research, creative writing, editing, editing again and rehearsing before we ever walk onto the altar. When you add in other ceremonies (unity candle, etc) the pre-production work required increases exponentially. It may appear that the officiant's fees are exorbitant for a short ceremony, but when you consider the amount of time spent putting your ceremony together you will see that the minister's rates are absurdly reasonable.
You can probably find an officiant that offers a 'flat' rate for his or her service, but by paying a flat rate you may be paying for services you're not getting. Under our rate structure you only pay for services you receive.
Your wedding ceremony should be just as important as any other aspect of your wedding day - if not more so. Find an officiant who offers great service at a reasonable price and make it a wedding that you, your friends and your family will remember.
Q: What forms of payment do you accept?
A: We accept cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.
Q: Do you require a deposit? Why?
A: I require a 50% deposit when we sign the wedding service agreement, with the balance due prior to the ceremony. The deposit serves as a retainer and is refundable only if I am unable to perform your ceremony and cannot find a suitable replacement minister. There are several reasons for this: 1) Once I have 'booked' your wedding I will not schedule any other event that could conflict or interfere with my obligation to you, and will therefore be required to turn down other requests for service; 2) The overwhelming majority of my work for weddings is preparatory (consultation, research, writing, editing, etc.) and I may already have invested numerous hours creating and writing your ceremony.
Q: What documents do we need to provide?
A: A valid State-issued photo identification from both the bride and groom, as well as a valid Tennessee Marriage License issued by a county clerk, are required. I will examine your ID's at our initial consultation for verification purposes only. You will need to present the original Marriage License and Marriage Certificate to me on your wedding day before we can proceed with the ceremony.
Q: Do you submit the finalized Marriage License and Marriage Certificate to the county clerk, or is that our responsibility?
A: Under Tennessee law the "officiant who performs the marriage ceremony" is required to complete and submit the Marriage License and Certificate of Marriage to the county clerk within three (3) days of the ceremony. This is not optional and relieves you of this necessity so you can focus on more important things.
Q: Do you provide state-approved premarital counseling?
A: No. Your cost to have me provide the state-mandated counseling would be higher than the $60.00 assessed for not attending. As an independent minister I also do not require couples to attend religious premarital counseling as a condition of my officiating their ceremony.
Have questions? Contact Us