SOME GOOD INFORMATION TO KNOW…

Call or text: 919.345.4608

What Should You Look For In An Officiant?

an experienced professional minister who has been seminary ordained (ministers ordained online are not authorized to officiate weddings in NC)
a professional officiant who respects your beliefs and lifestyle
a wedding minister who is open to your ideas, easy-going, flexible, caring, and with whom you feel comfortable and can relate to easily
a wedding minister who is professional, organized, and trustworthy
a minister who believes your ceremony should be about your beliefs and feelings and co-creates your ceremony with the two of you.
an officiant who delivers your ceremony on your wedding day with confidence and grace and really engages with your guests.
a wedding minister who handles last minute changes without getting ruffled
a minister who is a team player with your other vendors

What Will Kayelily Say in Your Wedding Ceremony?

The short answer is: "Only what you want her to!" To make sure your ceremony is an expression of the two of you and that everything is just the way you want it, Kayelily invites you to choose what you love from her exclusive collection of ceremony material so that it fits your personalities and beliefs. Most couples these days appreciate having the creative freedom to put together their own ceremony with Kayelily's guidance, so that it is truly customized to them. (For an elopement ceremony Kayelily will write a ceremony based on what you tell her you want, then you can modify the proposed ceremony script to your liking.) Once you have made your choices, Kayelily expertly weaves them into a beautiful ceremony which includes everything that will be said at your ceremony, including the story of how you met and fell in love, what you love about each other and what you are looking forward to in marriage. There will be no embarrassing surprise sermons! The script also includes the processional, recessional, stage directions and props list, so that we all envision the ceremony the same way from start to finish. And, because you know in advance what she will say, you can relax and really enjoy your ceremony!

How long are Kayelily's wedding ceremonies?

The ideal length of a wedding ceremony is between 20 and 25 minutes but if you prefer shorter or longer, it is your call. (20 to 25 minutes is about the attention-span of your guests.) Elopement style weddings can range from 5 to 12 minutes.

How Do We Get Started?

The initial complimentary consultation with Kayelily usually takes less than an hour. She meets with couples by Zoom since the pandemic came along in 2020. Zoom meetings work just as well as in-person meetings and are much more convenient and easier to schedule. She listens intently to your ideas for your ceremony and answers your questions. She will explain the ceremony creation process and what is required in the ceremony for your marriage to be legal. She gives you a crash course on getting your marriage license and the name change process.

Once you have completed a contract and paid her fee, the ceremony creation process begins. You always have the final say on the ceremony script so that it is exactly what you want and you look forward with joyful anticipation to “living it” on your wedding day. Emails, texts and phone calls are unlimited. Kayelily is happy to help you with any issues or questions you may have along the way.

What Are Kayelily's Fees?

Long gone are the days when the groom slipped $25 cash after the wedding into the hand of the family minister who received a salary from the congregation! These days you have professional officiants like Kayelily who are independent trained wedding officiants who specialize in weddings and couple counseling. The seminary education and ordination, time spent on the ceremony, the travel time to and from the rehearsal and wedding, time at the wedding (2 hours) and the rehearsal (1 hour), completing the license, as well as the expertise and experience of the officiant is what you are paying for. Remember, the wedding minister/officiant is the only vendor legally required for the wedding!

Formal wedding ceremonies: Kayelily’s fees range from $600 to $850 for a wedding with a Bells & Whistles ceremony depending on the distance she must travel to and from your wedding and rehearsal. Once she knows where your wedding will be and if you are having a rehearsal, she is happy to quote you her fee.
For a small private elopement-style wedding with no preliminary consultation, no rehearsal, and a Sweet and Simple wedding ceremony, her fee can range from $350 to $450 depending on the distance she must travel.
Her Marriage 101 course is $800, a real bargain!

Does Kayelily Conduct the Rehearsal?

Kayelily will conduct your rehearsal or co-conduct with your professional director if you have one. If you have a friend or relative acting as your wedding director, she will train that person what to do at the rehearsal. She allows one hour, more than twice the length of the wedding ceremony, to be thorough so everyone knows where to stand, the order we enter, etc., although it usually does not take that long. When we are done, everyone will be comfortable with their role in your wedding and your processional, ceremony, and recessional will flow smoothly on your big day.

On the Wedding Day....

Kayelily arrives on site an hour before a Bells & Whistle ceremony to set up her sound system or connect her wireless microphone with the DJ’s sound system and do a sound check. Then she makes sure everything is set up just right, touches base with the wedding director, DJ/musicians, photographer, videographer, pins on boutonnieres and corsages, etc. She will also be checking in with you offering her calming presence and answering any questions. You can relax and enjoy the rich anticipation of this once-in-a-lifetime moment knowing that Kayelily is in charge of the ceremony.

Where do all Those Pictures on Instagram and her Blog Come From?

Kayelily's dear husband, Dave, comes to weddings with her. He helps Kayelily set up the sound system and do a sound check to make sure that your guests can hear every word of the ceremony. He takes pictures of your wedding for Kayelily with her iPhone. Dave is very careful to not interfere in any way with your professional wedding photographer and has worked with most photographers in the area. With your permission, photos of your wedding will be posted on Kayelily’s Instagram usually within a day of your wedding. Kayelily is happy to email these “non-professional” photos to you if you want them.

What Other Ceremonies Does Kayelily Perform?

For couples wishing to celebrate their milestone anniversaries, Kayelily conducts Renewal of Vows ceremonies. These ceremonies are very similar to wedding ceremonies and if the couple has their original ceremony script, it can be modified for their renewal of vows but not necessary. If they have children we always include them in the ceremony.

Baby Blessing or Christening ceremonies are a joy and not only for the couples she marries but also for any parents wanting to celebrate the birth of their child into the world. Kayelily has a Baby Blessing Blog you can peruse to read about these sweet ceremonies.