10 Questions to Ask a Wedding Officiant Before You Book, With Our Honest Answers

The most useful questions to ask a wedding officiant are the plain ones. Can you legally marry us where our ceremony is, what happens if you get sick, what does it cost, and what do we do with the license afterward? Below are ten, grouped so you can skim, each with our own answer. A few of our answers are "no" or "it depends", and we would rather you hear that from us now.

Start with the legal questions

Nobody wants to open with the legal part. Do it anyway.

1. Are you able to marry us in the state where our ceremony is?

Our answer: yes, in Georgia and in South Carolina. We are licensed to officiate in both. The state matters more than couples expect. Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 19-3-30) allows judges, magistrates, city recorders, and ministers or other persons authorized by their religious society to perform a marriage. South Carolina is stricter. Section 20-1-20 limits who may perform a marriage to ministers, rabbis, and officers authorized to administer oaths in the state, so a friend or relative generally cannot officiate there unless they are one of those. If your venue is in North Augusta or Aiken, ask this question first.

2. Which marriage license do we need?

Our answer: the one from the state where you are standing when you say your vows. A Georgia license must be used in Georgia, and a South Carolina license can only be used in South Carolina. Georgia has no waiting period and the license is usually issued the same day. South Carolina has a 24 hour waiting period after you apply. Our guides to the Richmond County marriage license and the Aiken County marriage license walk through each court.

Questions about experience and showing up

3. How many weddings have you performed?

Our answer: more than 1,200 couples across the CSRA. There are three of us, Nick, Katie, and Jonathan. We are a preferred partner of the Richmond County and Columbia County probate courts, and we have been the go to officiant team at Windsor Manor in Augusta since 2022.

4. What happens if you are sick on our wedding day?

Our answer: we have a backup officiant system, so a ceremony is never left without an officiant. Among the questions to ask a wedding officiant, this one tells you the most about how they run their business. If the reply is a nervous laugh, keep looking.

5. Are you licensed and insured?

Our answer: yes. We hold a business license and $2 million in liability insurance. Many Augusta area venues now ask officiants for both, and more are expected to. That is a venue rule and has nothing to do with marriage law, so check your venue contract before you ask a friend. We covered that decision in our post on asking a friend to officiate.

Questions about the ceremony itself

6. Will you write our ceremony, or is it a set script?

Our answer: it depends on the package, and we would rather be clear than flattering. The Elopement Ceremony uses a set script with standard vows and a ring exchange. It is short, and every couple gets the same script. The Custom Ceremony is written from scratch for the two of you after one planning meeting. If you are not local, that meeting happens by Zoom or FaceTime.

7. Do you come to the rehearsal?

Our answer: with the Custom Ceremony, yes. The Elopement Ceremony has no rehearsal, and a License Signing has no ceremony at all. If a rehearsal matters to you, that settles which package you need.

8. Can you perform the ceremony in Spanish?

Our answer: yes. We are a bilingual team and perform ceremonies in English and Spanish. Tell us early if you would like both languages.

The money question

9. What does it cost, and are there extra fees?

If you are trimming your list of questions to ask a wedding officiant, keep this one. Vague answers hide here, so ours comes with numbers. The prices are the same all year.

• License Signing: $60 when you come to us, $100 when we meet you anywhere in Augusta or Richmond County. No ceremony, just a legal signing, and often possible the same day.

• Elopement Ceremony: $200, for up to 20 guests.

• Custom Ceremony: $400, including one planning meeting and the rehearsal.

Extra fees are for travel. Atlanta adds a $200 travel fee. Weddings about two hours or more from Augusta, such as Savannah or Charleston, add about $200 to $300. For Columbia, SC, ask us for a quote for your location. Payment plans are available on every package and they cover travel too. Split the cost into as many payments as you like. The Custom Ceremony is about $33 a month over 12 months. Our fees also support the Augusta Birth Center, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The question most couples forget

10. What happens to the marriage license after the ceremony?

Our answer: at the ceremony we complete and sign the license and hand it to you. You return it to the probate court yourselves, in person or by mail, which gets your recorded license back to you faster. That part surprises people, so we say it plainly. Taking the license back is your job.

In Georgia the completed license must be back at the probate court within 30 days of the ceremony. A South Carolina license comes in three copies. You keep the original, and the other two must be back at the probate court within 15 days. When you return it, ask for certified copies. You will need them for a name change, and Fort Eisenhower military couples need them for DEERS enrollment.

How do you judge the answers you get?

Listen for specifics. A good answer has a number or a plan in it. "We have a backup officiant" is an answer. "That has never happened" is a hope.

You do not need to fire off all ten questions to ask a wedding officiant in the first message. Pick the ones that matter most for your wedding. A couple marrying in Aiken should lead with the South Carolina question, and a couple with a strict venue should lead with insurance.

Questions to ask a wedding officiant FAQ

When should we start asking officiants these questions?

As soon as you have a date and a place. Ask before you book, while you can still compare answers.

Is it rude to ask an officiant about insurance?

No. Many Augusta area venues now ask officiants for a business license and proof of liability insurance, so a professional officiant expects the question.

Do we need witnesses to get married in Georgia?

No. Georgia does not require witnesses, a waiting period, or a blood test, and the license is usually issued the same day.

Do you offer payment plans?

Yes, on every package. You can split the cost into as many payments as you like, for example over 3, 6, or 12 months.

Can a friend or relative marry us instead?

In Georgia a friend can get ordained online in minutes, though many venues now ask officiants for a business license and proof of insurance. South Carolina law is stricter about who may perform a marriage, so read Section 20-1-20 before you plan on it.

Ask us anything

We are a veteran owned, family run business in Augusta, and we like direct questions. If you still have questions to ask a wedding officiant after reading this, send them to us along with your date and we will answer every one. Payment plans are available on every package. To hear from couples we have married, read our 5 star Google reviews.