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About

On WeddingWire since 2015

Hey Guys, I know choosing an officiant is tough. Check out my pictures and reviews and see what you think. I hope my reviews will serve as an endorsement of my work and passion. Honestly, I got into the wedding "BIZ" becuase i was sick of sitting through boring ceremonies. All in my 20's it was one boring ceremony over and over. Don't let that be your ceremony. Lets make sure your wedding is a celebration of love and not a funeral. If you hire me, you will be glad you did. We will have a blast and your ceremony will be fun and upbeat but at the same time intimate for you guys. I custom write every single ceremony based on your love story.

**The Socal Wedding Officiant has been in the wedding industry since 2014 and has recieved our Couples Choice Award every year of business**

A little about me:

I am happily married to my best friend, Megan. We both grew up in Orange County and now live in San Diego where I am a Pastor at Canyon Springs Church in Scripps Ranch. We have two amazing girls Ayven (2) and Sage (1). Personally, I love surfing, golfing, reading, playing with my kids and Korean BBQ (my guilty pleasure).

For my wife and I, the ceremony was the most valued and special part of our wedding. I want you to be able to say those exact same words. Each ceremony I do is crafted uniquely to the couple and is based all around your love story. Anyone can read some vows and make it official. When you hire me you are hiring a communicator – I will connect with your audience, make it personal, and still keep it concise.



Services Offered
The Socal Wedding Officiant caters to different wedding types with a 30-minute average ceremony length, including civil unions; non-religious, single religion, and interfaith ceremonies; and vow renewals. They do rehearsals prior to the event to make sure everyone is on the same page. Their religious ceremonies cover agnostic, Baptist, Episcopalian, Jewish, Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Catholic, Evangelical, Lutheran, Mormon, Orthodox Christian, and Quaker traditions. The Socal Wedding Officiant also offers counseling and custom vows.

Frequently asked questions

What is the typical price for your wedding services?

$700

What is the starting price for your wedding services?

$600

Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?

No

What is the starting price for ceremony rehearsals?

$200

What is the starting price for pre-marital counseling (per session)?

$50

What types of weddings and events do you provide services for?

Non-religious
Interfaith
Ceremony Rehearsal
Vow Renewal
Civil Union

What services do you provide?

Premarital Counseling

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Agnostic
Anglican
Baptist
Catholic
Episcopalian
Evangelical
Jewish
Lutheran
Methodist
Mormon
No Denomination
Orthodox Christian
Presbyterian
Quaker

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

Less than 30 mins.

In which states are you licensed?

CA

What languages do you speak?

English
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Reviews of The Socal Wedding Officiant

5.0 out of 5 rating
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
5.0 out of 5 rating
94 Reviews
100% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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Chad is highly recommended as a wedding officiant by multiple reviewers. He is praised for his ability to create unique and personalized ceremonies that balance different religious backgrounds and preferences. Chad is described as professional, warm, and personable, making couples feel comfortable and relaxed on their wedding day. His ceremonies are often described as powerful, heartfelt, and memorable, with guests praising his storytelling and humor. Overall, reviewers highly recommend Chad for couples looking for a meaningful and intimate wedding ceremony.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Chad is highly recommended as a wedding officiant by multiple reviewers. He is praised for his ability to create unique and personalized ceremonies that balance different religious backgrounds and preferences. Chad is described as professional, warm, and personable, making couples feel comfortable and relaxed on their wedding day. His ceremonies are often described as powerful, heartfelt, and memorable, with guests praising his storytelling and humor. Overall, reviewers highly recommend Chad for couples looking for a meaningful and intimate wedding ceremony.

Chelsea
Chelsea R. Sent on 05/12/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Choose Chad!

We eloped recently in San Diego, and searched for about a month looking for the right officiant to make our special day go as smoothly as possible. We came across Chad's information on WeddingWire and instantly reached out to see if he was available for the date we had in mind.

Right off the bat, we had a really good feeling about Chad. We met up with him and got to know him a little better before making our decision. Outside of his obvious passion for his work, it became abundantly clear that Chad was very personable, genuine, and an overall great person. It was a no-brainer decision to choose him and that decision was fully vindicated come ceremony time.

Chad will customize your vows and ceremony however you like, and really goes above and beyond to ensure that your big day comes and goes without incident. He is very professional and thorough, but also makes sure that the day is all about the happy couple.

If you're still contemplating who to have officiate your wedding/elopement, STOP. Choose Chad, you won't regret it!
E
Eric B. Sent on 11/15/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Chad Richards Wedding Ceremony Review - 11/04/2023

We had the pleasure of working with Chad to create our perfect wedding ceremony. We wanted a non-denominational ceremony that paid homage to each of our family's religions and unique wedding traditions. Chad worked with us to build a ceremony that felt balanced and wholesome for both of our families, without being overly religious in general (which was important to us). On the wedding day, Chad was overall very professional and courteous, and he brought an energy that helped us relax and enjoy the moment. The result was an incredibly powerful ceremony that our guests are still talking about! We could not be happier we chose to work with Chad - we highly recommend him for your wedding if you want a unique and memorable ceremony!
M
Megan B. Sent on 12/11/2023
5 out of 5 rating

We are so happy we chose Pastor Chad as our officiant!

We are so happy we went with Pastor Chad as our officiant! He took into account everything we wanted for our ceremony, kept our friends and family engaged, and made it personal to us. We received multiple compliments on our ceremony and how great our officiant was. We also did premarital counseling with Pastor Chad which was super beneficial. Highly recommend him for your wedding!
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Awards

94
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2021 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner

Real Weddings

Phil & Gabby
57 photos · 10/10/2020
Jessica & Bobby
47 photos · 09/29/2018

Deals

Professional Network & Endorsements

2 Endorsements
Solace Weddings Solace Weddings Wedding Videographers

A great company to work with. We highly recommend. Thank you Solace Weddings LLC

Jami Laree Photo Jami Laree Photo Wedding Photographers

Chad was a pleasure to work with! He officiated an incredible elopement I was photographing earlier this year. We hiked out to a mountain top in the freezing cold with our clients, and he was so positive and fun the whole time! It was such a pleasure to work along side him, I can't recommend him enough!

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