About Our Fees
We are frequently asked how we arrive at determining a fee for the most essential professional you will contract for your wedding day. Not all officiates or ministers are equal. Many officiates obtain a license for the day or other methods of licensing.
Many couples expectation or financial category of a wedding budget can be influenced by childhood memories or family experiences of a priest or minister receiving a voluntary stipend for services rendered. Often couples equate the fee with “just officiating the wedding”, not realizing the actual amount of time involved in preparation to deliver your handcrafted and personal ceremony. From the time you first contact us, to the signing of your license, it involves hours of preparation, emails, Skype calls, in person meetings, contact with your planner, travel time and of course facilitating the wedding ceremony.
When choosing to have your wedding in the elegant Sonoma and Napa Wine Country or Bay Area setting, you are contracting with a professionally trained ordained minister and licensed therapist. Rev. Dalton is a gifted public speaker. He is experienced, articulate, and inclusive in philosophy, spontaneous in style and at the same time centered and dignified. His delivery of your ceremony will provide joyful and lasting memories for yourselves and all your family and guests. We believe you will find his presence at your wedding priceless!
Every couple that contracts with YCM will become more aware of the influence and impact your officiate has with setting the tone of your ceremony that opens your day in a joyful and inspiring way, paving the way for the rest of your wedding celebration. What Rev. Dalton witnesses during your wedding ceremony, you leave with for the rest of your lives, namely the gift of the words, Husband and Wife.
An officiator’s services need to be included in your wedding budget as you plan out the budget for the wedding site, wedding coordinator, photographer, hair stylist, musicians, florist and caterer, and even your cake! We have a range of fees for our professional services that will match up with your needs. Please take a look at the sampling of wedding packages that we offer and contact us so we can customize the perfect price to place on your ceremony.
Our primary focus is to make your day seamless and provide the best ceremony possible while being flexible to your budget.
- Weekend Weddings (full size-service weddings) include most Friday-Sunday weddings. Here is what is included in the Weekend Wedding starting at $1,800.00. All rates can be discussed depending on budgets and locations.
- Weekday Weddings or midsize weddings are available Monday-Thursday. Here’s what is included in the Weekday Wedding starting at $900.00. We aim to be flexible depending on your day and time.
- The Intimate Wedding (or sometimes referred to as an Elopement Wedding) can be just the two of you or a few close friends and family. Intimate Weddings are booked all year long but usually during a weekday. Generally, these occur either late mornings or off-season times during the afternoon when a full size destination wedding is not booked. It is possible for a Saturday or Sunday intimate wedding ceremony depending on your flexibility with timing since it may fall on the busy wedding season. The intimate wedding fee starts at $750.00. Longer travel time may require an additional fee.
- We are often requested for wedding ceremonies outside the wine country, out of state or country. If available all travel related costs, accommodations and fees would apply.
We work with many beautiful wine country-wedding locations. Many sites offer hotel accommodations. We are happy to refer you to some of our favorite wedding specialists and wedding sites for your ceremony. Contact us.
The Story of the Claddagh Ring
The Claddagh Ring belongs to a widespread group of finger rings called Fede or "Faith rings" which date from Roman times. They are distinguished by having the bezel cut or cast in the form of two clasped hands, symbolizing faith, trust or "plighted troth". Fede rings were popular in the Middle Ages throughout Europe. "Claddagh" ring is a particularly distinctive ring; two hands clasp a heart surmounted by a crown. The ring worn on the right hand, crown turned inward tells your heart is yet unoccupied, worn with the crown turned outwards reveals love is being considered. Worn on the left hand the crown turned outward shows all, your heart is truly spoken for.