Our Lay Chaplains are available to facilitate and officiate at weddings, memorials, and other services or rituals for life’s important events. Each ceremony is tailored specifically to you, to meet your desires and needs, and to give meaning to you. As wedding officiants, our lay chaplains are licensed by the province of Saskatchewan, like Marriage Commissioners, Justices of the Peace and Clergy. They willingly serve people in Saskatoon and surrounding areas, at a location of your choosing.
You do not have to be a member of this congregation to have a wedding, memorial, or other ceremony officiated by our Lay Chaplains. These services are available to all – regardless of age, race, religious affiliation, or sexual orientation.
Lay Chaplain Services
Our Lay Chaplains have taken training provided by the Canadian Unitarian Council and are willing to work with you to create ceremonies that have meaning to you and yours. Here are some examples of the services and ceremonies our Lay Chaplains can perform.
- Weddings: Conventional, Alternative, LGBTQ, Handfasting, Interfaith
- Memorials & Celebrations of Life: Customary, Alternative, Graveside, Scattering of Ashes, Giveaway of Possessions
- Children: Birth, Adoption, Naming, Dedication, Loss
- Pet Services: Birth, Adoption, Loss, Scattering of Ashes
- Life Milestones: Graduation, Retirement, Coming Out
- Rites of Passage: Anything meaningful that you want to create
Chaplaincy Fees
Weddings, Memorials, Funerals and Celebrations of Life: $310
Planning your own memorial service w/Chaplain: $125
All other services and rituals: $125
There may be additional charges for rehearsals and mileage
For more information
306-653-2402
Our Lay Chaplains
Pam Fichtner
Pam enjoys crafting services with individuals, couples and families that honour who they are, and their life experiences. Whatever your tradition, whether religious or not, spiritual or secular, Pam skilfully draws on your values to create ceremonies that represent you. Pam also has experience leading Handfastings and Giveaway ceremonies. “I really enjoy a context where people can celebrate with a sense of dignity, respect, and love for all humanity.”
Testimonials
Pam was absolutely wonderful. She provided us with some great inspiration to help us pull together what we wanted for our ceremony, and then offered assistance to finesse it into the most perfect ceremony we could have asked for. We didn’t want anything conventional, and really felt WE were able to shine through the whole thing. Tessa and Torin, wedding 2016
Pam was very knowledgeable about a variety of spiritual beliefs. She took the time to show us different options and honoured our process and ideas. She has a gentle and calm approach that helped us to relax and have fun. She facilitated a beautiful ceremony. We were so blessed to have Pam marry us. Auralee & Travis, hand-fasting wedding 2016
Laura McNaughton
Laura has been a member of Saskatoon Unitarians for nearly a quarter-century. In that time she has served in many capacities, often creating rituals and ceremonies for children, youth and families. She completed the training to be a Unitarian Lay Chaplain and in 2018 became one of our Chaplains. She loves creating meaningful rituals and rites of passage for everyone. For her one of the most important gifts Unitarian congregations give to a suffering and hurting world is deep, meaningful rituals. She believes that even those who spend most of their lives firmly in the secular world require ritual and time with spirit when they celebrate rites of passage and when they experience loss and grief.
Facility Rental
Our Sanctuary can be rented for a wedding, memorial service, or other events