Wedding Officiant Services
Celebrating Families Through Marriages
1. Swan Lake Iris Gardens Pop-up Wedding Ceremonies:
If you are planning to have a Pop-up Ceremony with 20 guests or less at the Swan Lake Iris Gardens' Gazebo or any Swan Lake Iris Gardens' location, decorations and chairs are not allowed. However, if you want to decorate and set-up no more than 20 chairs, you will need to sign a contract with the office of Swan Lake Iris Gardens. The refundable security deposit is $100 and the rental times are available in two-hour increments, at a cost of $50 for each two-hour block of time. Also, Swan Lake Iris Gardens is not available for rent during the month of May and December.
2. Here is what you can expect for a wedding planned 3 months to a year or longer from today:
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If you are seeking a Wedding Officiant for a ceremony and/or rehearsal, you may email a Wedding Officiant Services Request to: detailedweddingsandevents@gmail.com to inquire if the officiant will be available for your ceremony date.
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After contact is made via phone or email, the officiant will begin services once a contract is signed and a 50% non-refundable retainer fee is paid. The remaining balance must be paid two weeks before the ceremony The fee is $53.50 to officiate a ceremony and $107 for the officiate to attend a rehearsal. The cost for the officiant to officiate a ceremony and attend a rehearsal is $160.50.
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If the couple request to read and approve a draft of their customized love story (if applicable) before the ceremony day, the couple will meet with the officiant four times before their ceremony. If the couple wants the customized love story to be a wedding day surprise, they will meet with the officiant three times, before the ceremony. If the couple wants a traditional "I Do, I Will or a Repeat After Me" ceremony, the officiant will provide an initial consultation via phone to obtain pertinent information necessary for the development of their selected ceremony vows style listed below at #4.
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The officiant will provide unlimited draft revisions as needed.
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The officiant will assist with finalizing the order of ceremony, to include adding any ceremony readings, special music, unity ceremony, other details or remembrances to create a wedding ceremony program that you can hand-off to your wedding coordinator or printing service via email.
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A courtesy email or text will be sent to confirm the arrival of the Wedding Officiant on the ceremony day to the Wedding Coordinator or designated person.
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The officiant will return the sign marriage license to the probate court within 15 days for Sumter County.
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A courtesy email will be sent to inform the couple when the sign marriage license was returned to the court.
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A photo of the couple will be uploaded to this page.
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The newlyweds will receive a request to provide a Google review and feedback to American Marriage Ministries (AMM) after the honeymoon.
3. Here is what you can expect for a wedding planned 2 months or less from today:
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If you are seeking a Wedding Officiant for a ceremony only, you may email a Wedding Officiant Services Request to: detailedweddingsandevents@gmail.com no later than two business days prior to the ceremony date to inquire if the officiant will be available for your planned ceremony date.
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The officiant will correspond with the couple via email and by phone
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The officiant will provide the couple's choice of ceremony vows style listed below at #4 on the ceremony day
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A courtesy email or text will be sent to confirm the arrival of the Wedding Officiant on the ceremony day
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The officiant will perform the ceremony, after the couple's driver's license, military ID or state ID is viewed by the officiant to match identifications cards with the names on the marriage licenseand a the contract is signed.
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An event-day team member will arrive with the officiant to obtain cell phone pictures of the ceremony only, and the free pictures will be sent via email.
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Payment of $53.50 is required on the day of the ceremony
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The officiant will return the sign marriage license to the probate court within 15 days for Sumter County.
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A courtesy email will be sent to inform the couple when the sign marriage license was returned to the court
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A "Just Married" photo of the couple will be uploaded to this page
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The newlyweds will receive a request to provide a Google review and feedback to American Marriage Ministries (AMM) after the honeymoon.
4. Ceremony Vows Styles The officiant will need a minimum of 48 hours or longer, to prepare for your ceremony. All ceremonies will include the Declaration of Consent and Prouncement or the Statement of Intentions and Pronouncement to be legally binding. If desired, the couple may include personal written vows, provide their unity ceremony item or a cultural tradition item to any ceremony vows style below:
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Baptist Traditional Ceremony
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Blended Family Ceremony (includes names & participation of bride & groom's children)
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Blended Family Ceremony (includes love story, children and sand blending unity ceremony)
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Catholic Inspired Modern Ceremony
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Catholic Traditional Ceremony
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Christian Ceremony
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Christian Ceremony Script (includes marriage prayer and recognition of children)
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Christian Ceremony Script (with Cord of Three Strands unity ceremony)
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Custom Personalized Ceremony (includes details of your relationship in order to tell your love story)
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Episcopal Ceremony (includes the Lord's Prayer)
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Intercultural Ceremony
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Muslim & Jewish
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Interfaith Ceremony
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Jewish & Christian
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Muslim & Christian
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Jumping the Broom Ceremony (includes the standard I Do & personal vows)
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Methodist Ceremony
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Moment of Remembrance Ceremony (remembering a deceased relative during ceremony)
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Non-religious Ceremony
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Protestant Ceremony
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Romantic Wedding Ceremony (includes details of your relationship in order to tell your love story)
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Sequel Ceremony (a larger second ceremony occurring after a small first)
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Shortest Ceremony (be married in 2 minutes or less)
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Sign & Go Ceremony (this is a Marriage License Signing Ceremony at the altar)
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Simple Ceremony (includes the standard I Do vows & silent rings exchange)
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Simple Ceremony (includes the standard I Do vows & with this ring, I marry you statements during rings exchange)
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Simple Vows Renewal (includes recognition of children)
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Traditional Ceremony
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Vows Renewal Ceremony
5. Fees
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A non-refundable 50% retainer is required to activate a contract. The remaining balance must be paid two weeks prior to the ceremony date or on the day of the ceremony if the ceremony date is within two months or less.
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Any wedding ceremony that starts 30 minutes late or more after the ceremony's planned start time, will incur a "late-start" fee of $53.50 and it is payable before the officiant signs the marriage license. Also, couples can also expect to pay an additional “convenience fee” of $53.50 if they book a wedding on any of the following holidays:
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New Year’s Eve
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New Year’s Day
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Easter
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Memorial Day
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July 4th
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Labor Day
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Thanksgiving Day
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Christmas Eve
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Christmas Day
6. Premarital Course
For couple's desiring a six-hour SC Premarital Course together that is taught online with a Relationship Expert (Psychologist) and a Minister, at a cost of $24, you can enroll in the SC Premarital Preparation Online Video Course. The course must be completed within one year of purchasing a marriage license. As of May 25, 2022, a couple can submit a copy of their Premarital Certificate and the SC Department of Revenue Premarital Preparation Course Tax Credit Form (TC32) to determine if they can claim a tax credit in the amount of $25 for each individual or $50 jointly. Read about it here: SC Newlywed Tax Tip For the SC Premarital Preparation Online Video Course, click the course link here: Course Link
7. Per Diem Rates Apply if the Wedding Officiant is Needed to Work More Than 50 Miles Away
If the officiant must reside overnight because the travel distance is greater than 50 miles (a one-hour drive one-way), the client must pay the officiant's per diem as follows:
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Meals (covers breakfast, lunch, dinner and any incidental snacks)
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Lodging (covers the cost of the hotel or other accommodation) and
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Incidentals (covers small miscellaneous expenses like tips, transportation to and from the airport, parking fees or other minor costs).
To determine the per diem rate, find the distance from Sumter to the city of the venue using Google. If the distance is 50 miles or more, use the GSA Per Diem Rates Link below to search, by using your state, city or zipcode to view the Per Diem Rates listed, in order to determine the cost for the officiant's lodging, meals and incidentals.
GSA Per Diem Rates Link
IRS Announces 2023-2024 Per Diem Rates For Taxpayers Who Travel For Business (forbes.com)
8. SC Marriage License Information
When purchasing your marriage license, be sure to inquire someone at the probate court, in case a policy change occurred and you didn't hear about it, if the marriage license will expire any time before your ceremony date? However, the information at the SC Marriage License Information Link states that a SC marriage license does not expire. Also noteworthy, is that witnesses are not required for SC wedding ceremonies, nor is a blood test required of the couple. For more info, read the following link: SC Marriage License Information Link
For Sumter County marriages, you can purchase additional certified copier machine copies of your marriage license after it has been returned to the probate court by your wedding offician within 15 days of the ceremony. The cost is $5 per certified copy, as of the summer of 2023, and the price may increase without notice. Nonetheless, additional certified copies of a marriage license can be printed while you wait.
9. Marriage & Renewal of Vows Certificate Information
Marriage certificates are not available at the probate court, but you can purchase a ceremonial marriage certificate to frame, display or pass on as a memorable keepsake at a cost of $7, $9 or $11. Orders take as long as two weeks or earleir. Shipping methods and charges are as follows:
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Media Mail (7-14 Business Days) (No Tracking)$0.00
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First Class Mail (3-5 Business Days + Tracking)$5.50
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Priority Mail (2-5 Business Days + Tracking)$9.50
All orders have a one-business-day processing time. AMM ship orders Monday through Friday, not including holidays. Delivery times are measured from the day your order ships and sees movement in the postal system, not the day you place your order. For example, if an Express order is placed on Friday, it will ship Monday, and likely be delivered Tuesday or Wednesday.