Do you do weddings?
Yes. . .but rarely. My first priority–after family obligations–is to my church. If a wedding would cause me to miss church, it’s likely that I will recommend you choose another officiant. The thing is, being a wedding officiant is not my calling. So, I guess my answer is “That depends.”
For information on compensating your wedding officiant, see this website. Additionally, consider the person’s credentials. A trained minister with years of experience should be compensated at a different rate than a friend who downloaded their license from the internet. One more thing–take the cost of your wedding into account when determining how much to pay your officiant. For example, how much are you paying the other professionals who are assisting with the festivities? Photographer? Videographer? Musicians? Coordinator? DJ? Baker? Each of these is providing a service that requires duties outside the hours of your actual wedding. The same will be true for your officiant. She will meet with you prior to your wedding, create a custom ceremony, attend a rehearsal, and be responsible for getting your license to the necessary legal authority. In any other profession, these would be considered billable hours.
Do you do funerals, celebrations of life, graveside services?
Absolutely. I consider it an honor and a privilege to be a part of celebrating the life of your loved one. My philosophy is that an end-of-life ceremony should proclaim God’s never-ending love as evidenced in the life of the deceased. This is true whether the individual was a believer or not. On the blog, you can find several eulogies that I have done. By reading those you can get an idea of my style.
When it comes to paying officiants for end-of-life events, you can find information here. However, my opinion is that funerals (etc.) and weddings are very different. Weddings require more work over a longer period of time. A funeral is typically an extension of a pastor’s ministry. I (and this is just me) never expect–or even want–to be compensated for the hours I spend in preparation. Eulogy preparation occurs over time within relationship, in hospital rooms, while sharing meals, celebrating life events, and spending time together. Still, an honorarium is thoughtful and always appreciated.