Rates, Fees, and How It All Works
Fees for ceremonies are based on a sliding scale. For weddings, I use a sliding scale based on the total wedding budget. For all other ceremonies, I use a sliding scale based on the household income level.
A sliding scale is a tool for building economic justice, and it requires your active participation. If a sliding scale is implemented effectively, everyone pays a similar percentage of their income for the same products or services. A wide range of payment options across the scale promotes broader accessibility, while insuring fair compensation to the service or product provider. Paying according to one’s available resources creates a more equitable system for pricing of products and services.
Sliding scales are often based on individual income levels, with people of higher incomes paying more. However, many factors complicate and affect our financial status. Some groups of people have costs that the larger population does not. Others have access to resources that are not always reflected in their lifestyle choices and income levels. Please consider both your class background and earning power when working with the sliding scale.
Consider paying more on the scale if you ...
- own the home you live in
- have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money
- travel recreationally
- have access to family money and resources in times of need
- work part time by choice
- have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education (or gender/racial privilege or class background) Even if you are not currently exercising your earning power, I ask you to recognize this as a choice.
Consider paying less on the scale if you ...
- are supporting children or have other dependents
- have significant debt
- have medical expenses not covered by insurance
- receive public assistance
- have immigration-related expenses
- are an elder with limited financial support
- are an unpaid community organizer
- are a returning citizen who has been denied work due to incarceration history
The scale is intended to be a map, inviting each of us to take inventory of our financial resources and look deeper at our levels of privilege. It is a way to challenge the classist and capitalist society we live in and work towards economic justice on a local level. While I ask you to take these factors into consideration, please don’t stress about it. (Adapted with permission from Little Red Bird Botanicals and Underground Alchemy)