As a "wedding minister" or "wedding officiant" in the Chicago area, I spend a lot of time helping each couple plan their wedding ceremony. A "good" or "great" wedding does not happen by itself. It takes a lot of planning and coordination. But there is a big difference between "price" and "cost." If the ceremony gets messed up, the "cost" will be much greater than whatever "price" you paid the officiant. It will cost you less to have a first-class professional, someone you can count on to conduct it properly. And the price difference between a "cheap" officiant and a top professional is the cost of a couple of dinners. As in everything, if something is good, it's not cheap, and if something is cheap, it's probably not very good.

I have three main levels of wedding services available: Basic, Standard, and Full-Service. I perform weddings in all locations, both indoors and outdoors, in the greater Chicago area and suburbs. 

Basic Service. This 20 minute ceremony is for those on a budget, and includes pretty much only the exchange of wedding vows and rings. Often the Bride and Groom are the only ones present, plus maybe a handful of relatives and friends. If you want to have your ceremony outside, in a restaurant, on a boat, or in a private home, etc., then you need someone like myself. I also have a small chapel available for your use. There is no meeting or rehearsal ahead of time. We will briefly go over the basics of the ceremony on the phone, and then we'll meet at the wedding. If you are having a large wedding and reception with a lot of guests, this brief "vows only" ceremony is inappropriate, and won't look right to your guests. It may even look like you don't take your vows seriously. And any latecomers to the ceremony may miss the whole thing. You should have a more complete ceremony. (Click here to ask about Minister Walsh’ availability for your wedding.)

Standard Service. If a couple only wants a short 45 minute ceremony. That includes a telephone interview and/or a short personal meeting just prior to the wedding to cover the basics of what they want included in the ceremony. Although I do provide a custom, written "script" of the ceremony to each couple in advance, there is no in-depth planning meeting as in the Full Service. Also, I do not provide a rehearsal, but usually you can do that yourselves. And since Saturday evenings from May through October are "prime time", I usually reserve those times for couples who will want my "Full Service." (Click here to ask about Minister Walsh’availability for your wedding.)

Full Service. The overwhelming majority of couples I've met with (over 90%) have wanted a really special wedding ceremony, lasting 45minutes to 1 hour, depending on their wishes. They have chosen to have a celebration of love that is customized and personalized, just for them. In order to do that, I need to meet personally with them for one to two hours. We will go over a checklist that covers just about anything you can think of. Then I will write up a completely customized wedding "script" for them, with all of their special choices included. Then 1-2 weeks before their wedding I will email, mail, or fax the script over to them so they can modify it if needed. I will attend and conduct the rehearsal if there is one, and walk everyone through their parts of the ceremony. As a result, their wedding ceremony will be wonderful, meaningful, and exactly what they want. It usually takes me about 10 hours to prepare for a full-service wedding. (Click here to ask about Minister Walsh’ availability for your wedding.)