Pastors and ministers need options to increase their bottom line income. One way is to offer your services as an officiant; performing the wedding ceremony. Many of our pastors and ministers study for years just like any other profession. They may have college loans, and then a term of study for their chosen religious field. You would think with all this education, they would be paid more. Not true. People in the ministry field need to supplement their income and performing weddings for additional income is one way you, as a minister or pastor, can achieve this. Here are some tips to start you on the journey of wedding income:

Find online wedding service sites in your area. If you live in a city, simply type in your city name and the words “wedding guides.” If you live in a large city, you will probably discover more than one site. Most of these sites offer two choices, you can advertise, which will cost you anywhere from $99 to $200 to appear as a wedding officiant on their home page; this usually doesn’t require you to have a website. You can submit a free listing. The free listings do require you to have a website where you can post all of your education, experience and, any additional training you may have that will entice the reader to your officiant listing. When doing this, the wedding guide site you submit your listing to will more than likely request you put a link on your site to their site to qualify for the free listing.

You can submit a free listing. The free listings do require you to have a website where you can post all of your education, experience and, any additional training you may have that will entice the reader to your officiant listing. When doing this, the wedding guide site you submit your listing to will more than likely request you put a link on your site to their site to qualify for the free listing.

Local wedding coordinators are also a good source of business. You can usually find them online or in the yellowbook. These coordinators must have good wedding ministers on hand. You have the training and skills that are valuable to them and their clients. After all, the minister is a necessary part of the wedding.

Know what to charge. It is appropriate to set a fee for your services. Don’t undersell your services. Consider what other wedding vendors charge. The average wedding today costs well over $20,000. Your fee will be one of the smallest services the couple will pay for. You have the training and experience that are needed and an education that cost a lot. You can design beautiful wedding ceremonies and customize the wedding vows. See what others are charging and set a reasonable fee. Have a separate fee for the rehearsal. You might not be able to attend every rehearsal. It is also OK to receive gratuities.

There are also websites that include many wedding officiants. Some cities have sites where several ministers work together cooperatively. Look into joining one of these organizations. This will enable you to be listed as a wedding officiant on their site at a reasonable cost. This will require a resume that lists your experience, education, and fees. Look at several of these sites before joining. It may also give you a good idea of what other ministers in your area are charging.

Some wedding ministers are opting to take a quicker path and purchase a wedding training course or instruction manual. A course like this teaches the minister how to perform weddings and how to get started and find wedding ministry opportunities. It teaches pastors how to begin their own home based wedding business. The prices vary for these courses from $120 to $1,800. If you are already a licensed minister then you probably only need a wedding ministry instruction manual to get started.

If you will follow these insights you can begin earning the income you need and deserve. You should also create an evaluation form. Ask the bride and groom to fill it out and return it to you. Ask if they liked your wedding vows and ring vows. Give them a prepared and stamped envelope with the form. Doing this will give you the insights you need to improve.

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