Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Book a Ceremony ("the Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

2. The Platform

Book a Ceremony is a nationwide online marketplace connecting customers ("Clients") with independent ceremony officiants ("Officiants"). We are not a party to any service agreement between Clients and Officiants. Officiants are independent contractors — not employees or agents of Book a Ceremony. We are not responsible for the quality, safety, legality, or performance of any ceremony.

Self-officiated ceremonies ("Marry a Friend"). The Platform also offers self-officiated ceremony packages, in which a Client purchases digital guidance and tools so that a friend or family member of their choosing (the "Celebrant") can become ordained and perform the ceremony. In that case we provide ordination assistance, state-specific legal-requirement guidance, ceremony-writing tools, and license-filing tracking — we do not perform the ceremony, are not the Celebrant, and do not act as an officiant. The Client and their Celebrant are solely responsible for meeting their state's legal requirements (ordination, registration, marriage license, witnesses, and filing). All marriage-license and other legal information provided on the Platform is informational only and is not legal advice.

Officiant legal authorization. Marriage and ceremony laws vary by state, county, and municipality. Each Officiant represents and warrants that they are legally authorized to perform the ceremonies they offer in the locations they serve — including any required ordination, registration, certification, or licensing — and is solely responsible for obtaining and maintaining that authorization. Book a Ceremony is a booking platform; it does not independently verify an Officiant's legal authority and does not guarantee that any ceremony will be legally valid. Clients are responsible for confirming that their chosen Officiant is authorized in their jurisdiction and for completing any marriage license or filing requirements. Any "verified," "credentialed," or similar badge reflects only the limited information an Officiant has provided and is not a legal determination of authority.

AI matching and recommendations. The Platform uses automated and AI-assisted tools to rank officiants and surface "recommended" or "best match" results, match scores, and short explanations, and to notify waitlisted Clients when a matching Officiant becomes available. These results are suggestions to help you choose and are provided "as is" — a match score or recommendation is not an endorsement, a guarantee of availability, quality, legal authority, or fit, and AI-generated explanations may contain errors. You are responsible for reviewing each Officiant's profile and confirming suitability and legal authorization before booking. Book a Ceremony does not guarantee that any couple will be matched with an Officiant, that any Officiant will be recommended, or that any notification will be sent.

AI trust & safety review. We use AI-assisted tools to review Officiant profile content — including bio text, service descriptions, and profile photos — for compliance with our platform policies (see Section 8). Automated scans may flag content that appears to contain contact information, redirect language, QR codes, social media handles, or other policy violations. Flagged content is reviewed by our team and may result in a request to update the profile or, for serious or repeated violations, account suspension.

Officiant business tools & AI-generated documents. The Platform offers Officiants optional business tools, including AI-assisted generation of draft documents such as service agreements (contracts), invoices, and ceremony scripts, a client list compiled from their bookings, and year-end income summaries. All AI-generated documents are drafts and templates provided "as is" for convenience only — they are not legal, tax, or financial advice, may contain errors or omissions, and must be reviewed and adapted by the Officiant before use. Income and tax summaries are estimates generated from booking data and are not official tax documents; Officiants are solely responsible for their own bookkeeping and for reporting and paying applicable taxes. Officiants and Clients should consult a qualified attorney or accountant before relying on any such document.

Agreement records (not electronic signatures). The Platform may let an Officiant share an agreement with a Client who can acknowledge it by typing their name and confirming consent. This feature records a simple acknowledgement (such as the typed name, a timestamp, and related metadata) as a convenience only. It is not a legally binding electronic signature, is not certified, and does not constitute a contract with, or any guarantee or endorsement by, Book a Ceremony. Any agreement is solely between the Officiant and the Client; Book a Ceremony is not a party to it and assumes no responsibility for its content, validity, or enforceability. For a legally binding contract or electronic signature, consult a qualified attorney.

Translation & embeddable widgets. The Platform offers AI-assisted translation of interface text, officiant bios, and ceremony content into various languages as a convenience; machine translations may contain errors and the English version controls in case of any discrepancy. The Platform also offers embeddable widgets that display an Officiant's public profile information (such as name, photo, tradition, and starting price) on third-party websites; only already-public profile information is shown, and bookings continue to take place on the Book a Ceremony platform.

3. User Accounts

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity under your account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information. When you submit a booking request, a customer account may be automatically created using your email address — you will receive a link to set your password. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

4. Payments and Fees

All payments are processed securely through Stripe. At the time of booking confirmation, Clients pay a deposit (typically 50% of the ceremony fee) plus a platform service fee (as shown at checkout). The remaining balance must be paid through the Platform via Stripe before the 48-hour cancellation window. Prices are shown in full before submission — there are no hidden charges. The platform service fee is refunded in full if the Officiant cancels or if the Client cancels 48 or more hours before the ceremony; it is retained for within-48-hour Client cancellations.

Self-officiated ceremony packages. If you purchase a package for a friend or family member to officiate, the package fee pays for the digital guidance, tools, and services we provide — including ordination assistance, jurisdiction-specific legal-requirement guidance, ceremony-writing tools, and license-filing tracking — and not for the ceremony or the marriage itself. You may request a full refund within fourteen (14) days of purchase, provided that your chosen officiant has not yet completed ordination through our partner and you have not yet unlocked your full, personalized ceremony script (free previews generated before purchase do not count). Once either of those services has been delivered, the package fee is non-refundable, because the services have been substantially provided. Government fees — including the marriage license and any officiant-registration fee — are paid by you directly to the issuing office and are never collected, controlled, or refundable by us. As described in Section 7, we do not guarantee that any officiant is legally authorized or that any marriage will be legally valid; the package fee is not contingent on the legal outcome of any ceremony.

5. Cancellation Policy

The following cancellation terms apply unless otherwise stated on the Officiant's profile:

• Officiant cancels: Full refund to the Client — deposit and platform service fee returned in full within 5–10 business days.
• Client cancels 48+ hours before ceremony: Full refund — deposit and platform service fee returned in full within 5–10 business days.
• Client cancels within 48 hours: No refund of the Officiant's portion — the Officiant receives 75% of the Officiant's deposit as a kill fee for the time reserved; the Platform retains the remainder plus the platform service fee.
• Package bookings (Officiant + Vendor). The terms above apply to the Officiant's portion of the booking. Because a Vendor does not perform when a booking is cancelled, the Vendor's portion is always refunded to the Client on any cancellation — including within 48 hours — and the within-48-hour kill fee is calculated on the Officiant's portion only, not the Vendor's.

6. Officiant Payouts

Officiants must connect a Stripe Express account to receive payouts. All payments — deposit and remaining balance — are processed through the Platform via Stripe. Payout timing: funds are held on the Platform's Stripe account and released to the Officiant's connected Stripe account no earlier than five (5) calendar days after the ceremony date, and typically within 5–7 business days of that release becoming available, provided no disputes or chargebacks are open. This hold protects both parties in the event of a cancellation, dispute, or chargeback that arises before or shortly after the ceremony. For fully-paid bookings, the full service fee is transferred after the ceremony; for deposit-only bookings at the time of payout, the deposit amount is transferred, with the balance following once paid. Officiants are responsible for reporting and paying any applicable taxes on their earnings.

By creating a Stripe Express account, Officiants also agree to the Stripe Connected Account Agreement, which includes the Stripe Services Agreement. Payment processing, payouts, and identity verification are provided by Stripe and governed by Stripe's terms. Stripe is the payment processor and licensed money transmitter for this Platform; Book a Ceremony LLC is not a bank, money transmitter, or financial institution. Funds in transit are held by Stripe, not by Book a Ceremony LLC.

7. Officiant Eligibility and Verification

Marriage and ceremony requirements vary by state, county, and municipality. As a condition of using the Platform, each Officiant represents, warrants, and attests that they are legally authorized to perform the ceremonies they offer in every location they serve — including any required ordination, registration, certification, or licensing — and agrees to obtain and maintain that authorization at all times. Officiants are solely responsible for their legal authority and for complying with all applicable laws.

Identity verification is performed by Stripe as part of payout onboarding; we do not collect or store government identity documents. Credential documents (such as a letter of good standing or officiant registration) are optional. When an Officiant provides them and they are reviewed, the Officiant may display a "Credentialed" or similar badge. Any such badge, or a "Verified" indicator, reflects only the limited information available to us and is not a legal determination of an Officiant's authority or qualifications.

Book a Ceremony is a booking platform and does not independently verify, and does not guarantee, that any Officiant is legally authorized or that any ceremony will be legally valid. Clients are responsible for confirming that their chosen Officiant is authorized in their jurisdiction and for obtaining any marriage license and completing any filing requirements. Officiants are responsible for properly completing and returning the signed marriage license to the issuing office by the applicable deadline; any post-ceremony reminders or "license filed" status indicators the Platform provides are a convenience based on the Officiant's own confirmation and are not a guarantee that a license was returned or recorded.

8. Prohibited Conduct

You may not use the Platform to:

• Share personal contact information (phone numbers, email addresses, social media handles, website URLs) in profile fields, bios, service descriptions, or messages in order to circumvent the platform booking system;
• Upload profile photos, images, or other visual content that contain phone numbers, email addresses, website URLs or domain names, social media handles or platform names, QR codes, business card designs, or any other content intended to redirect clients to an off-platform channel;
• Reference or promote external booking platforms, personal websites, community groups, or social media profiles in any profile field for the purpose of directing clients away from the Platform;
• Solicit payments outside the Platform or instruct clients to pay via cash, payment apps (Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, CashApp, etc.), or any channel other than Stripe through the Platform;
• Post false, misleading, or defamatory information;
• Harass, threaten, or harm other users;
• Impersonate another person or entity;
• Engage in any fraudulent, unlawful, or abusive activity.

Automated enforcement. We use AI-assisted tools to scan profile text and uploaded photos for violations of the above rules. Photos are scanned at the time of upload. Profile text is scanned at least quarterly; additional scans may be triggered at any time at our discretion, without advance notice, and on a randomised schedule so that no fixed scan cadence can be anticipated. Content that is flagged as a likely violation will be reviewed by our team. You will be notified and given an opportunity to update non-compliant content before further action is taken, except where the violation is severe. Violation history is tracked: repeated or serious violations result in progressively escalating consequences including warnings, account suspension, and forfeiture of any pending payments. Where flagged content is confirmed to violate these rules, we may remove the specific offending content from your profile — including profile text, service descriptions, and photos (which are deleted from storage) — without prior notice; each removal is recorded on your account. You may upload compliant replacement content at any time.

9. Reviews

Only Clients who have completed a paid booking may leave a review. Reviews must be honest and based on direct experience. We reserve the right to remove reviews that violate these Terms or appear fraudulent.

10. Referral Program

Book a Ceremony may operate a referral program in which partner organizations or individuals ("Partners") share a unique referral link. When a user arrives at the Platform through such a link, the referral source is recorded and associated with any booking the user subsequently makes within 30 days. This information is used solely to attribute bookings to Partners for program-tracking purposes and does not affect the price, availability, or quality of services provided to the user. Referral source data is stored in your browser and on our servers as described in our Privacy Policy.

11. Vendor Program

Book a Ceremony operates a vendor referral program connecting Clients with independent wedding-service providers ("Vendors") such as photographers, DJs, makeup artists, florists, musicians, and similar categories.

• Lead fees. Vendors pay a per-lead fee to receive a Client's contact information after the Client has opted in to vendor introductions. The fee is stated before purchase. Payment of a lead fee purchases an introduction only — it is not a guarantee that the Client will respond, hire the Vendor, or enter into any agreement.
• Lead fees are non-refundable. Because contact information is disclosed immediately upon payment and cannot be returned, all lead fees are final. We may, at our sole discretion, issue a credit if a lead contains materially inaccurate information (e.g., an invalid email address and phone number).
• Permitted use of Client data. Vendors may use a Client's contact information solely to discuss the Client's event. Vendors may not resell, share, or transfer lead data, add Clients to marketing lists without their separate consent, or contact Clients about unrelated services. Violations result in removal from the program without refund.
• Independent businesses. Vendors are independent businesses, not employees, agents, or partners of Book a Ceremony. We do not supervise, endorse, or guarantee any Vendor's services, pricing, or conduct. Any agreement formed between a Client and a Vendor is solely between those parties, and we are not a party to it or liable for it.
• Package bookings. A Vendor may also be booked as part of a ceremony package, in which the Client pays for the Officiant and one or more Vendors in a single transaction. For package bookings, the Platform collects the entire payment and retains a service fee of 15% of the total package amount (covering the Officiant and Vendor portions together); the Vendor's share is paid to the Vendor's connected Stripe account. To be eligible for package bookings a Vendor must connect a Stripe Express account for payouts. The lead-fee model above applies only when a Vendor is introduced separately and is not booked as part of a package; the Platform does not charge both a lead fee and a package service fee for the same booking. Founding vendors (the first twenty-five Vendors to become active on the Platform) are exempt from the package service fee on their own portion of a package booking during the Platform's launch period. The Platform may end the launch period at any time, after which the package service fee applies to all Vendors, including founding vendors. The separate lead fee is unaffected and continues to apply.
• Vendor payouts. For package bookings, the Vendor's share is held on the Platform's Stripe account and released to the Vendor's connected Stripe account after the ceremony, on the same post-ceremony hold and dispute-protection terms described in Section 6, provided no disputes, chargebacks, or refunds are open. Vendors are responsible for reporting and paying any applicable taxes on their earnings. Payouts are provided by Stripe and governed by the Stripe Connected Account Agreement.
• Eligibility and removal. Vendor participation requires our approval and may be suspended or terminated at any time, with or without cause. Leads expire if not accepted within the stated window.

12. Intellectual Property

All Platform content (text, graphics, logos, code) is owned by or licensed to Book a Ceremony. You retain ownership of content you submit (profile descriptions, photos) but grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display it on the Platform and in promotional materials.

AI-generated materials. The Platform offers AI-assisted tools that generate draft wedding vows and ceremony scripts. The vow writer and free previews are available at no charge; the full, personalized ceremony script is a paid feature unlocked with a self-officiated ("Marry a Friend") package. AI-generated drafts are provided for your personal use as a starting point, may contain errors, and are not reviewed for legal sufficiency. You are responsible for reviewing and editing any generated material before use, and you may use it to plan and personalize your own ceremony.

13. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Platform and all content and services are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement. We do not warrant the availability, accuracy, or reliability of the Platform, or the quality, safety, legality, or validity of any ceremony performed by an Officiant or any Officiant's legal authority to officiate. Use of the Platform is at your sole risk.

Without limiting the foregoing, all AI-generated content — including matches, explanations, draft contracts, invoices, ceremony scripts, and income or tax summaries — and all agreement-record acknowledgements are provided "as is," may contain errors, are not legal, tax, or financial advice, and are not a substitute for professional review. You are solely responsible for verifying and adapting any such output before relying on it.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties, so some of the above exclusions may not apply to you.

14. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Book a Ceremony LLC and its owners, officers, employees, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from or related to your use of — or inability to use — the Platform, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall our total aggregate liability for all claims exceed the greater of (a) the total platform service fees you paid to us in the twelve (12) months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law, including liability for gross negligence, fraud, or willful misconduct. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of the above may not apply to you.

15. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Book a Ceremony LLC and its owners, officers, employees, and affiliates from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your access to or use of the Platform; (b) your violation of these Terms or any applicable law or third-party right; (c) any content you submit; and (d) for Officiants, your performance of or failure to perform any ceremony, your lack of legal authorization to officiate, or any claim that a ceremony you performed was not legally valid.

16. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles, except that the Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of the arbitration provisions in Section 17. Subject to Section 17, the state and federal courts located in Fairfax County, Virginia have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute not subject to arbitration.

17. Dispute Resolution; Binding Arbitration; Class Action Waiver

Please read this section carefully — it affects your legal rights, including your right to a court trial and to participate in a class action.

Informal resolution first. Before filing a claim, you agree to try to resolve the dispute informally by contacting us at bookaceremonyllc+support@gmail.com. If we cannot resolve it within sixty (60) days, either party may pursue arbitration.

Binding arbitration. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform that is not resolved informally will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, rather than in court, except that either party may bring an individual claim in small-claims court. The arbitration will be held in your county of residence or another mutually agreed location, or by video/telephone.

Class action waiver. You and Book a Ceremony agree that each may bring claims against the other only in an individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims or preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding.

30-day opt-out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement within thirty (30) days of first accepting these Terms by emailing bookaceremonyllc+support@gmail.com with your name and a statement that you opt out of arbitration. If the class action waiver is found unenforceable as to a particular claim, that claim (and only that claim) will proceed in court; the remainder of this Section survives.

18. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Platform at any time, with or without cause or notice, including for violations of these Terms. You may stop using the Platform at any time. Upon termination, any confirmed bookings are handled under the Cancellation Policy (Section 5), payouts owed for completed services are processed through Stripe, and Sections 7 and 12 through 18 survive termination.

19. Miscellaneous

Eligibility. You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to use the Platform. Entire agreement. These Terms and our Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and Book a Ceremony LLC and supersede any prior agreements. Severability. If any provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect. No waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver. Assignment. You may not assign these Terms; we may assign them without restriction. Force majeure. We are not liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control. No agency. No agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment relationship is created by these Terms.

20. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes via email or a prominent notice on the Platform. Continued use after notice of changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

21. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at bookaceremonyllc+support@gmail.com.