How much does a wedding officiant cost in South Carolina?

A brief signing-style ceremony runs about $90 to $150. A personalized ceremony with a consultation and a custom-written script generally costs $150 to $400 depending on the market and how much customization is involved. Rehearsal attendance and travel outside the officiant's home area are typically added on, and bundled packages that include premarital counseling, ceremony music, or photography run $600 and up.

Who can legally perform a wedding in South Carolina?

State law limits it to ministers of the Gospel, Jewish rabbis, officers authorized to administer oaths in South Carolina — notaries public among them — and the chief or spiritual leader of a Native American entity recognized by the SC Commission for Minority Affairs. South Carolina does not maintain an officiant registry, so there is nothing to register in advance. Confirm any specific situation with the probate court in the county issuing your license.

Can a friend or family member marry us in South Carolina?

It is common. The usual routes are becoming a South Carolina notary public or being ordained through an organization that ordains ministers, including online ministries. Because the state keeps no officiant registry and does not vet credentials in advance, the safest step is to call the probate court in the county issuing your license and confirm what they will accept before the person books travel.

What does the officiant do with the marriage license?

They must physically receive the license before the ceremony begins — performing one without it carries a fine or jail time under state law — then sign it and return the court copies to the issuing probate court within 15 days. Ask your officiant to confirm they have the license in hand at the rehearsal rather than the morning of, and ask when they will file it, since your certified copies depend on the return.

24 Curated Listings

Wedding Officiants in South Carolina

South Carolina is specific about who may perform a marriage: ministers of the Gospel, Jewish rabbis, officers authorized to administer oaths in the state (which includes notaries public), and the chief or spiritual leader of a Native American entity recognized by the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs. The officiant must be handed a valid marriage license before the ceremony, and the probate court cannot issue that license until the application has been on file for 24 hours. Fees are modest next to the rest of the budget — roughly $90 to $150 for a short signing-style ceremony and $150 to $400 for a written, personalized one, with rehearsal attendance and travel usually billed separately.

Published starting prices on this page: $90 – median $175 (15 of 24 vendors share pricing)

Charleston Wedding Officiants

See all 4 Charleston wedding officiants

Elope Charleston SC

Charleston elopement outfit running officiant, location and photography as one booking, with packages starting at $500.

Charleston, SCFrom $500

Kasey King Wedding Officiant

Ladson-based officiant with published weekday/weekend ceremony tiers, a $200 rehearsal option, and mapped-out island travel fees.

Ladson, SCFrom $175

Charleston Elopement Packages

Charleston elopement specialist of more than fifteen years, working to a fixed set of five packages capped at six guests.

Charleston, SC

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Columbia Wedding Officiants

See all 5 Columbia wedding officiants

Love in Carolina Wedding Officiants

Irmo-based Bishop David Ragsdale and his team perform sign-and-go and small ceremonies across the Midlands, including Aiken and Newberry counties.

Irmo, SCFrom $115

Midlands Wedding Services

Columbia officiant and SC notary Troy has run Midlands Wedding Services since 2013, pairing ceremonies with day-of coordination and marriage coaching.

Columbia, SCFrom $175

SC Midlands Wedding Officiant

West Columbia officiant who is also a South Carolina notary, covering religious, secular and interfaith ceremonies from $125.

West Columbia, SCFrom $125

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Greenville Wedding Officiants

See all 5 Greenville wedding officiants

Brenda Owen / Wedding Woman

An Anderson-based officiant and SC notary public performing lakeside elopements on Lake Hartwell from $150, plus custom ceremonies, since 2006.

Anderson, SCFrom $150

Magnolia Elopements

Greenville elopement specialist booking only Pretty Place and Glassy Mountain Chapel, with officiant, coordination and photography priced together.

Greenville, SCFrom $600

Weddings by Lisa

An ordained minister based near Fountain Inn, offering ceremonies from a $125 two-person elopement to full custom services with optional day-of coordination.

Greenville, SCFrom $125

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Hilton Head Wedding Officiants

See all 5 Hilton Head wedding officiants

I Thee Wed Hilton Head

Ordained minister Rev. Elizabeth Burgess publishes tiered ceremony pricing from $275, including pre-marital counseling, for Hilton Head area weddings.

Hilton Head Island, SCFrom $275

Sarah's Hilton Head Vows

Bluffton officiant Sarah Holzer Vazquez writes and delivers custom wedding ceremonies across Hilton Head, Bluffton, Beaufort, and Savannah.

Bluffton, SCFrom $300

Say I DO! Hilton Head Weddings

Ordained minister and former Miss Illinois Betsy Peterson officiates ceremonies on Hilton Head Island, from small elopements to full beach weddings.

Hilton Head Island, SC

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Myrtle Beach Wedding Officiants

See all 5 Myrtle Beach wedding officiants

Beach Occasions

Myrtle Beach beach-wedding company with twelve packages priced on the site, from a $299 ceremony to a full reception build.

Myrtle Beach, SCFrom $299

Blessed Beach Weddings

Chris Tullis, an ordained minister, and his wife Tabatha have officiated Grand Strand beach ceremonies together since 2012, with a distinct officiant-only tier from $199.

Myrtle Beach, SCFrom $199

Myrtle Beach Wedding Officiant

Eric Hunt has performed beach, resort, and in-office legal-signing wedding ceremonies from a Myrtle Beach office for 18 years, with tiered pricing by ceremony style.

Myrtle Beach, SCFrom $145

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Good to Know

Wedding Officiants in South Carolina: FAQs

How much does a wedding officiant cost in South Carolina?: A brief signing-style ceremony runs about $90 to $150. A personalized ceremony with a consultation and a custom-written script generally costs $150 to $400 depending on the market and how much customization is involved. Rehearsal attendance and travel outside the officiant's home area are typically added on, and bundled packages that include premarital counseling, ceremony music, or photography run $600 and up.
Who can legally perform a wedding in South Carolina?: State law limits it to ministers of the Gospel, Jewish rabbis, officers authorized to administer oaths in South Carolina — notaries public among them — and the chief or spiritual leader of a Native American entity recognized by the SC Commission for Minority Affairs. South Carolina does not maintain an officiant registry, so there is nothing to register in advance. Confirm any specific situation with the probate court in the county issuing your license.
Can a friend or family member marry us in South Carolina?: It is common. The usual routes are becoming a South Carolina notary public or being ordained through an organization that ordains ministers, including online ministries. Because the state keeps no officiant registry and does not vet credentials in advance, the safest step is to call the probate court in the county issuing your license and confirm what they will accept before the person books travel.
What does the officiant do with the marriage license?: They must physically receive the license before the ceremony begins — performing one without it carries a fine or jail time under state law — then sign it and return the court copies to the issuing probate court within 15 days. Ask your officiant to confirm they have the license in hand at the rehearsal rather than the morning of, and ask when they will file it, since your certified copies depend on the return.