A cantor can marry you, and it's a different kind of ceremony

Someone recommended a cantor and you nodded like you knew what that meant. It's a real distinction, it changes what your ceremony sounds like, and it occasionally changes what it costs.

What's the difference between a rabbi and a cantor?

A rabbi is ordained as a teacher and interpreter of Jewish law and text. A cantor, chazzan in Hebrew, is ordained as the clergy member who leads a congregation in prayer through music. Both are clergy, both go through multi-year ordination programs, and in the United States both can legally officiate a wedding. The difference at your wedding is mostly that a cantor sings.

Can a cantor legally marry us?

In every US state, yes. Marriage law authorizes ordained clergy to solemnize marriages, and invested or ordained cantors qualify. Requirements vary by state and occasionally by county, and a few places require officiant registration in advance. Knowing that is your officiant's job.

Ask the question anyway if you're marrying in a state neither of you lives in. It's a two-minute conversation that occasionally saves a real problem.

Why choose a cantor?

Because the ceremony sounds different. The blessings in a Jewish wedding were written to be sung, and a trained voice doing the seven blessings is the thing guests bring up afterward. Couples who've been to a wedding with a cantor tend to seek one out for their own.

Some other reasons that come up often: a cantor may be more available than the senior rabbi at a busy synagogue, may know your family better through years of lifecycle events, and may have officiated the b'nai mitzvah of half the people in the room. Fees are sometimes lower than a senior rabbi's, though not reliably.

Why choose a rabbi?

For most couples it's the default, and defaults matter to families. If a grandparent's sense of a proper wedding involves a rabbi, that's a real consideration and not a silly one.

Practically: rabbis generally do more of the teaching and counseling side, so if you want several substantive conversations about marriage rather than about music, that's more often a rabbi's strength. And if you want a ceremony heavy on interpretation, with text, commentary, and a personal address about the two of you, a rabbi is more likely to build a ceremony that way.

Can we have both?

Yes, and it's common at synagogue weddings — the rabbi leads and the cantor sings. It's a genuinely good combination, and if you're marrying at a synagogue where you're members, both may be included or offered as a package.

Hiring both independently means two fees, usually $1,500 to $3,500 combined as of 2026. Worth asking whether the cantor will do a reduced fee for a music-only role rather than co-officiating, which many will.

There's a lighter version worth knowing about: hire whichever officiant you prefer, and bring in a cantor for the seven blessings only. You get the sound without the second full fee.

Will a cantor officiate an interfaith wedding?

Same answer as for rabbis, and the same movement lines apply. Cantors ordained through Reform and Reconstructionist programs decide individually, and many do. Conservative cantors are bound by their movement's standards and will not.

Ask directly, in the first email, the same way you would a rabbi. Don't assume a cantor is more or less likely to say yes.

What does a cantor cost?

Broadly the same range as a rabbi, roughly $500 to $2,500 for a full ceremony depending on metro and experience. A cantor engaged only to sing, with someone else officiating, typically runs $300 to $900.

If music is the reason you want a cantor, ask what they'll sing and whether they'll work with your musicians. A cantor with a guitarist or a small ensemble sounds different from a cantor alone, and the arrangements need to be sorted well before the day.

How do we find one?

Start with synagogues in your metro, including ones you're not members of — cantors take outside weddings routinely. Ask any rabbi you're already talking to, since clergy in a city generally know each other. And filter for it: Hey Mazel lists cantors alongside rabbis and independent officiants, with the same interfaith and Saturday policies stated on every profile.

One last practical note. If you're choosing a cantor for the singing, ask to hear them. Most have recordings, and a two-minute listen tells you more than any amount of description.