| Q: In which states and communities are you licensed to officiate ceremonies? | |
 Fr. Geof | A: "We mostly find ourselves in and around the Abbey's home state of Georgia. However, as an Ordained Minister since 1996, I can typically be available in any state with a little lead time. Georgia, like most of the states nearby (South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina) are quite accommodating for Brides." |
| Q: Can we read or hear your ceremony before our wedding day? | |
Fr. Geof | A: "Absolutely! It's your day. We are there to celebrate with you as you express your love for one another." |
| Q: Will you allow us to write our own vows? | |
Fr. Geof | A: "Without hesitation. I also suggest that couples who decide to do so, work together on their vows." |
| Q: Do you have a back up officiant on call, in case of an emergency? | |
 Sr. Barbara | A: "Yes, the Abbey has several Ordained Officiants who can work with you." |
| Q: Do you normally attend the reception? | |
Sr. Barbara | A: "When invited- we do, which is about half the time. It really depends on the couple's wishes, again it's your day." |
| Q: How long does the ceremony usually last? | |
Fr. Geof | A: "That depends as we customize our ceremonies for each couple. I've preformed elopements lasting just over two minutes and grand weddings which last over thirty minutes. The most common time is about eight to ten minutes." |
| Q: Will you marry couples of different faiths or previous divorce? | |
Sr. Barbara | A: "Of course! We are all-denominational, believing that Faith is a personal choice and the expression of your Faith is a beautiful thing. Love and Happiness is what makes a Marriage work." |
| Q: What documents do I need to bring to our first meeting? | |
 Br. Kenneth | A: "That all depends - for Marriages I do need a marriage license at the Rehearsal. Other than that, bring a smile to our first meeting.. we'll go over some of the steps in the process of writing your ceremony and develop the writing time line." |
| Q: How long after the ceremony do you file for the official marriage license? | |
Fr. Geof | A: "The next business day. If I'm mailing the license, instead of hand filing, I send it with signature confirmation and a postcard - addressed to you - so you'll know for sure that everything arrived." |
| Q: What kind of pre-wedding counseling is required, if any? | |
Fr. Geof | A: "I require no pre-marriage counseling. However, I do suggest that every couple, even ones who've "known each other for all their lives" take a premarital course.. In Georgia, you'll get a discount on your License - but In Life, you get a better understanding of your relationship." |
| Q: How many wedding do you officiate a year? | |
Sr. Barbara | A: "Most of our time is spent working in our Outreach programs, so we do not aggressively hunt for officiating work." |
| Q: How far are you willing to travel? Is there a travel fee? | |
Fr. Geof | A: "I love to travel. I try to keep everything as simple as possible - Goodness knows Brides have a lot of things to handle these days! So our travel is built into our different wedding packages - look at our web site for more information about the fees." |
| Q: What is your event cancellation policy? | |
Br. Kenneth | A: "Same as our payment terms - 50% non-refundable Deposit requested 30 days prior to your event date to secure our calendar. We don't double book our days, preferring to attend to one event per day. Which means, if you're running late, we'll still be there. We will also work with you as best we can in case of emergencies and reschedules. Again, this is your special day - not ours." |
| Q: What is your customer satisfication cancellation policy? | |
Fr. Geof | A: "We don't charge for consultations, if we are not a match for your special day - please accept our blessings and wishes for boundless happiness and love. I've not joined an unhappy couple - and will do my best to keep your day, special." |
| Q: What are your standard payment terms? | |
Br. Kenneth | A: "For bookings filed under 30-days a 15% cost to cover last minute travel may be added. Payment in full requested at time of event. Cash, Cheque or Money Orders Accepted. $45 fee on returned cheques." |
| Q: What makes you different from other local wedding officiants? Why should someone hire you? | |
Fr. Geof | A: "Why hire me? Only because you like me. If you don't feel a friendship with your Officiant - they why would you want his or her smiling face looking back at you from your wedding photos? Also, I know that price does matter these days - we're all on a budget. So we are usually less expensive than other Officiants in our area. Our fees are also very clearly and publicly shown on our web site, with other sites you have to guess." |
| Q: How can I join or live at the Abbey? | |
Sr. Barbara | A: "The Abbey is always looking for those persons who can bring good things to the Abbey- write our Abbot, Fr. Geof Franklin, O.L., D.D.." |
| Q: How do I address a Friar or a Novice or another member of the Abbey? | |
Br. Kenneth | A: "In our Abbey we have many different denominations so Titles and forms of address can be a little tricky. Generally, a Pilgrim or Novice who are not Ordained are referred to as Brother (name) or Sister (name). If a Pilgrim or Novice is Ordained they are titled as Reverend (name). Friars are usually Ordained and thus titled as Father or Mother, otherwise they are simply Friar (name). If you're not sure what to call someone, just ask." |
| Q: What does Fr., Rev., Br. or Sr. mean? | |
Br. Kenneth | A: "Fr. is usually the shorthand for the title of Father (Sometimes also used for Females, but generally you read it as "Mother") However Friars are also allowed to place the shorthand Fr. before their names. Rev. translates to Reverend and is used when someone is Ordained. Br. is Brother and Sr. is Sister, this title is usually used for someone not Ordained but still attached to a religious Order or institution." |
| Q: When are services offered? | |
Fr. Geof | A: "Services are held daily for the residents of the Abbey. As we are an all-denominational Abbey, service are usually are held privately by each member. We do hold public ceremonies, such as Weddings, Ordinations and Baptisms - check our calendar for more information." |
| Q: Are you a 501(c)3? | |
Fr. Geof | A: "Yes. As we are a Church and Religious Organization, we do operate as an assumed 501(c)3 under the United States Tax Code." |
Check Here to view our terms for events held on the Abbey's grounds.
Check Here to view terms for booking weddings with the Abbey.
This is a page about the structure of the Abbey, our officers and our governing documnets.
Here is our Statement of Faith.