faq's
{and answers to questions you didn't know you had}

What is the process?
If you haven’t already, read about some of the service options we provide then get in touch by providing some information through my contact form.

I’ll check your date and details and respond with some additional information. At that time, if you’re interested in talking in more detail, we can schedule a complimentary consultation call/video chat.

Following that “get-to-know-you” meeting, if we decide to work together, I will send a digital Service Agreement outlining the terms of our agreement and an invoice for a 50% nonrefundable deposit.

Depending on the service package booked, we’ll likely schedule our first meeting 2 months prior to your event. I will send you a questionnaire to fill out with your partner prior to that meeting so that we can make the most of our time together.

I will then draft your ceremony. We will revise the ceremony draft as needed and require a final signature 2 weeks prior to the wedding date along with your remaining balance.

If you have included a ceremony rehearsal in your service package, I will be on-site to coordinate with any other vendors, otherwise, I will arrive at least 30 minutes before the ceremony to get set up, touch base with the couple, and prepare to deliver the ceremony we’ve prepared together.

Following the ceremony, we will submit your marriage license to the proper Courts and ensure you have the information to get your official copies.

Is Sarah Pete an ordained minister? Will we be legally married?
I am not ordained by a religious organization or church.

I am “ordained” through the Universal Life Church, a non-denominational religious organization that grants ordinations to anyone who wants to be ordained [read: it doesn’t really mean anything]. In the same fashion, I am also “ordained” through the American Marriage Ministries - another online ordination website.

I am legally authorized to perform marriages because of my endorsement from the American Humanist Association as a Humanist Celebrant [read more About Humanism]. This process required an application process, applied knowledge of Humanism, and an interview, followed by approval by a panel. I am held to a Code of Conduct and required to perform a certain number of ceremonies each year to maintain my endorsement.

Despite the service package you book, I will be sure either I provide the legal marriage ceremony or you have all the information you need to ensure your marriage is legal.

I thought you were a Wedding Planner. Will you plan & design my wedding?
I’m so grateful that someone either recommended me or that you found me through my previous work as a wedding planner & designer. I’m now in wedding planner recovery and the only planning and designing I do now is for a few Elopement Packages each year.

My planning background is a huge benefit for you! I am happy to offer advice and recommendations for incredible vendors. I understand exactly what is needed to have a flawless wedding day.