It happen again, questionable request for service!

PSAs and News
1

So, this is the second time I’ve gotten an email asking me to officiate a wedding. The big red flag is that they want my info so they can mail a deposit - they say they’re out of town. Here’s what they said to start:

"Greetings, and how are you today? Please let me know if you are available to conduct our wedding ceremony.

Wedding Date : October 18, 2025
Officiating Time: 1:00 PM ( Starts )
Length: 1 hours

Number of Guests : Approximately 50
Wedding Language : English

Additionally, the officiant will be required for the rehearsal, but the timing has yet to be determined. Finally, the officiant would assist us with the submission of marriage licenses with the courts. Please provide me with your quotes so that we can begin.
Warmest Regards."

My response was: "Thank you for considering my services for your wedding, and congratulations on your engagement. Before I can provide you with a comprehensive quote, I require some additional details:

  1. The location, scheduled time, duration, and date of the wedding rehearsal.
  2. The location, scheduled time, and anticipated duration of the wedding ceremony.

Regarding the solemnization of the marriage, in accordance with Florida state guidelines:

"A notary public is authorized to solemnize the rites of matrimony. For solemnizing the rites of matrimony, the fee of a notary public may not exceed those provided by law to the clerks of the circuit court for like services.” Fla. Stat. § 117.045. Please be advised that, pursuant to Section 28.24, Florida Statutes, the clerk of the circuit court may charge up to $30.

The base fee for solemnizing the marriage will be $30. Additional charges will be determined based on the time required for services, travel expenses, and any associated administrative duties. Once I receive the requested details, I will be pleased to furnish you with a detailed quote. Lastly, I would appreciate it if you could share how you discovered my services.

Sincerely,"

The sender last communication:

“Thank you for your response. That sounds fantastic to me and fits well within the budget.
We’re offering you $200 to officiate our wedding.
I will send a $150 deposit today and pay the remaining sum on the wedding date/venue.
We are currently out of state and would like to make all necessary plans prior to our arrival.
We will also provide you with the rehearsal date and time.
Please respond with your name and address for the deposit payment.
Thank you!”

Hey everyone, quick question: Do you guys think this looks legit, or is it probably a scam? The person didn’t answer my questions about details, but just threw out a payment amount and asked for my info for a deposit. It just feels fishy, my gut says to pass.

2

Interesting ~ I never knew some states allowed Notary Public to marry. It looks legit, keep us posted on how this goes.

3

Nope. Quite similar to a scam that’s been going on for years. Be very careful. Red Flag: No date/time/place provided.

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4

Big not legitimate from my view.

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5

@loricnotary22 , Yes, there are a few states where Notaries can perform the rites of matrimony. See - What States Can a Notary Public Perform Marriages? - LegalClarity

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@Arichter, Exactly my thoughts as well!

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:red_triangle_pointed_up: :red_exclamation_mark: sounds scammy to me .

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8

Everything about that says scam. If it was legitimate the reply would have been something like this:

Only $30? That sounds great! I hope you don’t mind accepting payment in mostly loose change. I’ll see you on the 18th.

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9

I’ve been getting warnings from the Vermont Secretary of State and my town clerk about marriage scams that try to ensnare justices of the peace. The way it works goes something like this:

The marriage planner says they’ll send a $150 deposit to the officiant.

What arrives is a check for $2000.

The marriage planner emails and says they accidentally included the photographer’s fee in the check. Please deposit the check and send back $1850.

If the officiant goes along with this, the check will eventually bounce and they’ve been scammed out of $1850.

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A.k.a. Reverend Ewing. That’s right I’m a bona fide preacher with a universal life church. I was ordained over the Internet 15 years ago. And I even have a special parking placard. I’ve officiated over a dozen weddings, some same sex, (I’m in California), a few renewing their vows. I really had fun one once with at least 100 guests, a Hispanic couple and I can’t speak Spanish. My fee was $150 and the bonus was being an honored guest at the reception. It ended when I quit advertising in the yellow pages… remember them?

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Yes, we must be extremely vigilant with emails requests for general notary work and marriage services.

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@cfletcher Your ‘spidey senses’ are Intact! :white_check_mark:

:tada: Thank You :tada: for sharing the email.

Definitively is a :prohibited: Hard Pass :prohibited: based upon the details within your Original Post [OP].

:swan: