From my own AMA in 2013: "When you pay an officiant, you are paying for their time, their expertise, their signature and return of your legal documents, and to give you the ceremony that is right for you as a couple. Check with craigslist, bridal shops, wedding coordinators, etc for recommendations within your budget. You are also paying for the fact that you want them to be dressed appropriately, act professionally, travel at least four times to and from the site, and give you both a rehearsal and a wedding in most cases. (Believe me, people forget all about those unseen extras that we invest in!) In my area, my fee is (relatively) very low, but I still find people that want to pay me 20 bucks or 50 bucks, or believe I should be free. As I mentioned a little earlier, a great option is to have a friend or family member who is comfortable become ordained online and ask them to officiate as their gift to you. Some states allow this, some don't, so be sure to check, as you want your marriage to be legal! Good luck with your officiant search!"

"I should also mention, in regards to the how much do you actually do for the ceremony question: I may have met with a couple one or several times, helped you to find, revise, and edit your ceremony perfectly, answered phone calls and emails from the panicky bride, reassured everyone on the day of the ceremony, told the bride to carry Kleenex and showed her where, patiently waited for a late bride/groom/party member (oh yes, more than once!), repeated the instructions, twice, all the while watching folks play on their cell phones while I am giving those instructions, and answered all of irascible Uncle Herbie's questions patiently and professionally. There's just so very much more that tends to go on outside the ceremony itself! I don't mind any of it at all, but it does go unseen and generally unmentioned! :-)"

I think this still applies -- when you really think about all that a professional puts into making your event just right, it's pretty worth it. Sure, you can get some one to officiate for you, but sometimes things like that have hang ups, drama, or just awkwardness that you don't have with a pro.