Savannah Custom Weddings & Elopements

The Simple Signing Service

I offer a marriage license signing service for couples who need to get married quickly and do not wish to have a formal ceremony called the Simple Signing Service. We’ll take care of the minimum necessary legal components so we can sign your marriage license in a relaxed and fun style.

Our Simple Signing Service package is performed at the Savannah Cozy Chapel. Here is a quick overview about this service.

• The cost is $75 on weekdays or $100 on Saturdays (limited availability).
• You must have a valid marriage license that I can sign.
• We do not allow guests over 13 (there is nothing for guests to see!).
• Signing Services must be booked at least 24 hours ahead and cannot be booked more than two weeks in advance.
• Payment must be made in advance via our online system and is non-refundable to avoid no-shows. 

Couples who use our Simple Signing Service are eligible for a 10% discount on future officiating services.

You can schedule your Simple Signing Service directly using our officiant calendar. Fill out the form at the end of our Simple Signing Service page, and the calendar will be sent to you.

Frequently Asked Questions &

Important Notes About My Packages

Scheduling, Booking and Fees

How do I find out if you are available for our wedding date?

Please contact us with your date, time and package option, and we’ll go from there. Your date and time will be locked in once you provide a retainer and sign your contract.

I also work with amazing Partner Officiants who perform ceremonies I prepare and conduct Simple Signing Services when I am booked so we likely have someone available for your event, even if it is not me personally.

Because we work with so many couples, my Scheduling Manager & Client Concierge, Shannon, answers our initial inquiries to make sure everyone gets timely responses. You will likely work primarily with her through the booking process until you become our client.

We know we want to work with you! How do we formally book and pay you?

Once you let us know that you’d like to move forward, Shannon will send you a new client email with a link to an order form, contract, and invoice and it is due back to us within three days. We’ve made it an extremely simple process, so you can focus on more important things! 

A 50% retainer is required to book your ceremony. I accept every major credit card. Your balance is due the week of the ceremony and can be paid online or at the ceremony via cash or credit card. I do not accept checks.

Because we turn away potential customers for your date and time once we book you, retainers are non-refundable.  

How far in advance should we book your services?

Our most popular dates and times are usually booked out at least six months in advance. In 2017, we began turning away weddings for October in July. However, if you are flexible about an elopement, you can book us closer to your wedding date.

We take bookings up to a year in advance, or further in the future if you already have a contract with a venue. If you are planning to rent a square or park for your wedding, the City of Savannah will only rent it out a year in advance.

Do you offer any discounts?
I do, though I change them from time to time. I currently offer the following discounts. They cannot be combined.

• 10% off all packages for couples who first book us for a Simple Signing Service and later hire us to officiate a ceremony.
• 10% off all packages for active military members. I will honor the discount if you (1) are the bride or groom and contact me via an official military email address or (2) show me your active military ID before the ceremony.

Do you travel outside of the Savannah area to officiate weddings?

We do, frequently! I do charge an additional travel fee for ceremonies that take place on Tybee Island, St. Simon’s Island, and Jekyll Island, or in Richmond Hill, Hinesville, Statesboro, and Beaufort County (Hilton Head) in South Carolina. Other locations in Chatham County do not require a travel fee. I will also travel out-of-state and to other locations in Georgia. Contact me for customized travel estimates.

What other costs should I think about as I plan my wedding ceremony with you?

I have a number of optional add-on services that you may be interested in, also. If you would like me to attend a rehearsal, the fee is $75. I can also run the rehearsal for that fee if you’d like. We can give you advice on whether we recommend a rehearsal for your event. The All In package includes the rehearsal fee. Following the ceremony, I can also expedite marriage certificates at the courthouse for an additional fee. 

I have reviewed your information and am curious … how do you determine your prices?

That is a great question! If you do not work in the wedding industry, you may think that an officiant’s main job is to show up on a Saturday and read a ceremony for a few minutes. In reality, the performance part of the job is usually the least time intensive of all the work I do for my clients.

Most of my work is spent in writing your ceremony and preparing for your day, as well as answering questions leading up to your ceremony. Compared to other officiants, I also spend a fair amount of money on technology and staff. This is my full time job and it shows in the level of service we provide. 

According to WeddingWire, the nationwide average cost of a professional officiant is $300 and my prices fall right in that average.

I have questions about the services included in your Ceremony + Photography packages, including the concierge and photography services. Where can I find more information about those packages? Can we customize the amount of photography or eliminate the concierge option?

You can visit our elopement packages page for more information on these options. If you are interested in the Intimate Destination Wedding package, I recommend reviewing our planning guide.

Each of our Ceremony + Photography packages have specific guest limits and services included by design, based on our work with hundreds of couples and families, and knowing what it takes to have a successful event.

If you are not interested in a bundled services package, you can always book us for your officiating needs with a Ceremony Only package and get custom quotes from photographers and other vendors.

Ceremony Information

How does the process work after we book you for our wedding or elopement?

That is a great question! I wrote a blog post that explains how we work with our clients, including communicating with them, and when I do specific types of tasks in the preparation timeline, like writing your ceremony.

Where do you perform your weddings? How many guests can attend?

We perform my ceremonies in the location of your choice. Clients are responsible for choosing their location and securing permits if required.

I have galleries that serve as a guide to squares, parks, and other wedding and elopement locations in Savannah. The guide includes instructions on securing permits, if needed. 

With the exception of the Tracy’s Choice package (50 or fewer guests), there is no limit on guests for your ceremony unless you are purchasing a Ceremony + Photography package. Limits on guests for Ceremony Only packages are only constrained by the location or venue you choose.

I also own the Savannah Cozy Chapel, an inside venue for very small, intimate weddings with limited seating (20 or fewer guests).

If you are planning a large wedding and need planning assistance, I am happy to refer you to my favorite wedding planners and vendors.

What kind of wedding ceremonies do you perform? What information do you use to create your ceremonies?

One of my favorite parts of being a wedding officiant- especially in a town that services couples from all of the world- is that I work with a very diverse group of couples who come from all sorts of cultural backgrounds. About 70% of couples choose one of my custom ceremony packages, which could include personal touches, rituals, or special vows, and about 30% choose my Tracy’s Choice package which includes a pre-written ceremony from my personal library that I choose for your day.

To prepare your ceremony, I’ll take inspiration from an extensive questionnaire about your ceremony preferences, as well as notes taken during an in-person consultation if one is included in your package.

About 50% of my couples request a spiritual ceremony that mentions God in some way, and about 50% request a non-religious ceremony. I believe in modern marriage and my ceremony content reflects that by focusing on themes like romance, adventure, friendship and teamwork. I also love including pop-culture and literature references if they resonate with the couple. My Harry Potter inspired ceremony is the most visited page on my entire website!

All my clients have access to a password protected Client Portal with ceremony planning tips, including exclusive tips on preparing personal vows and choosing rituals, collected from my experience. 

Can you explain what you mean by spiritual wedding ceremonies? What won’t you include in a ceremony?

If you would like to include your spiritual beliefs in your wedding ceremony, I am happy to create a ceremony that calls in and includes God, or whoever you believe in, as part of your day. I believe it is my job to facilitate YOUR faith. That could include an opening prayer, a closing blessing or simply mentioning that we are in God’s presence.

While I shy away from complete, standard ceremonies that come from specific religions, I am also happy to include biblical quotes that you identify and weave them into the ceremony text. However, I do not write custom religious content for my ceremonies and do ask that any religious content provided to me is inclusive and optimistic in tone.

As for content I will not include, I stay away from messages that encourage the submission of a wife to her husband, including rituals and biblical quotes that emphasize that dynamic. I will also not use words like “obey” in a ceremony. As a woman who advocates for inclusive and gender balanced views of marriage, these are important values to me.  

I can’t decide on a package! Any advice?

Absolutely! Let us know which packages you are considering when you send in your inquiry and we can definitely give you guidance. I would ask myself these questions, also, and give us your answers, which can help us provide suggestions.

• How important is the ceremony content to me? Do I have personal touches that I want to contribute?
• How personal of a touch do I want from my officiant? Is it important that I meet with her- and when and how often- in the process?
• If I am planning a destination wedding in Savannah, how much time do I personally have to spend on planning the ceremony?

I am looking for someone who can conduct our wedding in Spanish. Can you do that?

I can conduct wedding ceremonies in Spanish. I am not 100% bilingual, but after schooling, I am proficient in reading and speaking the language and I can read with the correct pronunciations.

Here is what I offer/require for dual-language ceremonies.

• I can have any ceremony piece professionally translated. That is included in any package except for Tracy’s Choice and the Popup Elopement Package.
• I do have a general rule that any ceremony piece I say in Spanish, I also say in English. It is not hard and fast, except for the vows which are the legal part, but this makes me more comfortable.
• As I am not 100% fluent, I keep all of my conversations with clients and family members in English outside the performance of the ceremony.

Are you supporter of same-sex marriage? This is very important to us.

I am an advocate for marriage equality and I am excited to help honor your commitment or that of your friends. When same-sex marriage became legal in Georgia in 2015, I threw a celebration in Forsyth Park that was covered by the local media and even appeared on the national edition of NPR’s All Things Considered!

Do you perform vow renewals or commitment ceremonies? What if we are already legally married?

I also love doing vow renewals and commitment ceremonies! I’d be very happy to help you create a ceremony that reflects your relationship. All of my packages can be applied to a vow renewal or commitment ceremony. If you were legally married before your ceremony, that is okay too, even if no one knows except me.

Marriage Licenses

What do we need to do to be legally married? What parts do you take care of as the officiant?

Obtaining a marriage license is very different in every state. In Georgia, you must obtain a valid marriage license on your own prior to the ceremony by applying together at the courthouse with your government ID, and if you have been married before, a certified copy of your divorce decree. In Georgia, and specifically our county, Chatham, this is relatively easy. You can get your marriage license the same day as your ceremony, or years in advance as they never expire.

After the ceremony, I will sign your marriage license. In Georgia, only the officiant signs the marriage license and there are no witnesses required.

If you are a permanent resident of the state and using a marriage license from another county in Georgia, I will return the marriage license back to you after the ceremony. If you are using a Chatham County license, filing your marriage license with the courthouse after the ceremony is free, but you may not receive your certified copy for 3-6 weeks after your ceremony through their mail service. If you need your certified marriage certificate sooner, and cannot file it in person, you can elect to have me file it for you at the courthouse and then express ship the certified copy of your marriage certificate within one week for an additional fee of $40.

Do you marry couples from other countries? What is required?

Yes! I have married many international couples, including those who have visited Savannah from Canada, Mexico, Sweden, the UK, Nigeria, and Australia, among others. You will need the same documents to apply for a marriage license- a government ID and a certified copy of your divorce decree, if you have been married before.

If you are in a country governed by the Apostille Convention, you will need to take an extra step to have your marriage certificate notarized and receive an Apostille certificate, which is usually easy.

Book your service or send me your questions!

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