There is no fee for an LDS temple sealing, and no one to tip. The sealer who performs the ordinance is an unpaid temple volunteer, not paid clergy, and the Church’s own guidance is explicit that getting married in the temple does not cost money. This is one of the clearest “no tip” answers in wedding etiquette — what couples actually spend on is the optional ring ceremony for excluded guests and the standard secular reception.
What costs money and what doesn’t
| Item | Cost | Tip? |
|---|---|---|
| The sealer (performs the sealing) | $0 — unpaid temple volunteer | No tip |
| Temple sealing itself | $0 (a small fee applies only if you rent temple clothing at a temple where that’s offered) | N/A — no fee to tip against |
| Ring ceremony (informal repeat exchange for excluded guests) | Varies — usually led by a parent, bishop, or friend as a favor | Not typically; it isn’t a paid officiant role |
| Bishop performing a civil (non-temple) marriage | $0 — unpaid lay leader | No tip customary |
| Reception vendors (catering, DJ, photography, etc.) | Standard secular market rates | Yes — normal wedding tipping applies |
How LDS temple marriage actually works
A temple sealing is the ordinance that marries a couple “for this life and for eternity,” performed inside a dedicated sealing room where the couple kneels at an altar. It’s performed by a sealer — someone holding sealing authority who is assigned to that specific temple — and is not open to the general public the way a church or reception is.
Attendance is restricted for religious reasons, not social ones: only accountable members who are endowed and hold a current temple recommend may witness a husband-and-wife sealing. That excludes non-member guests, unendowed members, and often even close family, which is why couples plan around it rather than expecting everyone in the room.
Because the sealer is filling an assigned Church calling rather than a paid position, and because the Church explicitly states that getting married in the temple does not cost money, there’s no transaction to tip against. The only cost the Church calls out is a small, optional fee for renting temple clothing at temples where that rental service exists — that’s a clothing charge, not compensation for the ordinance or the sealer.
Role by role
The sealer
Performs the sealing itself. An unpaid volunteer assigned to the temple, not a hired officiant. No fee, no tip, no honorarium — this is the clearest possible case in the entire tipping-by-religion series.
Temple workers, generally
Sealers, ordinance workers, and the broader temple staff who support sealings and other ordinances serve as callings — the Church’s term for volunteer assignments — consistent with its wider lay-ministry model, in which local leaders “contribute their time and energy without compensation.” Nothing here changes for a wedding day specifically.
The ring ceremony “officiant”
If you hold a ring ceremony for guests who couldn’t attend the sealing, whoever leads it — often a parent, a bishop, or a close friend — is doing so as a personal favor, not filling a paid role. There’s no standard fee structure to tip against; if a bishop or a friend gives you significant time for this, a thank-you note or small gift is the appropriate gesture, not cash.
The bishop, for a civil ceremony
Couples who marry civilly rather than in the temple (for example, when one partner isn’t yet eligible for a temple sealing) can have a bishop, stake president, district president, or branch president perform the ceremony where local law allows, provided at least one party is a member of that leader’s congregation. Like every other Church calling, this is unpaid. Church guidance on these ceremonies covers eligibility and tone — “simple and dignified,” with music that’s “sacred, reverent, and joyful” — but says nothing about a fee, which lines up with the Church’s no-paid-clergy structure.
What to do instead
Since there’s no sealing fee and no honorarium expected, the money in an LDS temple wedding goes elsewhere:
- Ring ceremony: if you hold one, budget for the practical side — a simple setup at the reception venue, not a second officiant fee. It’s meant to be short and shouldn’t be styled as a duplicate wedding ceremony.
- A gift for whoever leads the ring ceremony: not required, but a handwritten note or a small personal gift is a thoughtful way to thank a parent, bishop, or friend who stepped in for that role.
- Reception vendors: this is where normal wedding tipping applies in full. See how much to tip wedding vendors for the full breakdown.
- If you want to give something to the Church: that’s a personal decision separate from the wedding, not a wedding-related expense — talk to your bishop if you’re unsure how to direct a donation. We couldn’t find official guidance tying any specific donation amount to a sealing, so don’t assume one is expected.
Tipping at the reception
Everything after the ceremony is ordinary secular tipping — caterers, bartenders, photographers, DJs or bands, hair and makeup, and anyone else on your vendor list. Start with the pillar guide to tipping wedding vendors and the individual role pages, like wedding photographer, wedding caterer, and wedding DJ, for specific ranges. If your reception is at a hotel or banquet hall, check your contract for an included service charge before tipping on top — see gratuity vs. service charge for how to tell the difference.
The bottom line
An LDS temple sealing has no fee and no one to tip — the sealer is an unpaid volunteer and the Church says plainly that temple marriage doesn’t cost money. Spend your planning energy on the optional ring ceremony for excluded guests and on standard tipping for your reception vendors, where the usual rules fully apply.
Sources
- Planning Your Temple Wedding — New Era, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- 27. Temple Ordinances for the Living — General Handbook
- 38. Church Policies and Guidelines — General Handbook (civil marriages)
- The Church’s Unpaid Clergy — Church Newsroom
- Lay Leadership: Volunteer Ministry of the Church — Church Newsroom
- How to Include Everyone in Your Temple Wedding — LDS Living (general wedding-planning site, used as a fallback for ring-ceremony logistics only)
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