Your Marriage Vows — Real Or Fairytale?

Posted on | Author Loretta Jay

You want your wedding day to be a dream come true. But should it also be a fairy tale? When you write your marriage vows or talk to your Justice of the Peace about what s/he will say at your ceremony, are there stars in your eyes or are you taking an honest look at your future together? How realistic should your marriage vows be? You know that half of all marriages end in divorce but you don’t expect yours to be one of them. Still, would it make sense to say “I do promise to do my utmost to love you, for […]

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Connect The Past And The Future: Wear “Something Old” At Your Wedding

Posted on | Author Carolyn Egan

There are so many ways to make your wedding ceremony meaningful, but perhaps nothing makes it more so than when you wear something old that belonged to one of your ancestors.  Traditionally, many brides wear the gown their mother or grandmother wore as she walked down the aisle — with possibly a few alterations to keep with the spirit of the times. But how about that ring? Perhaps you are the lucky one who inherited your mother’s or grandmother’s wedding ring. How much more meaning will your “I dos” carry as that ring is slipped onto your finger (or as […]

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5 Tips To Writing Your Own Wedding Ceremony

Posted on | Author Carolyn Egan

While it may be true that the ceremony is the radiant sun of your wedding day, around which every other wedding festivity orbits, it is also true that many brides (and grooms) put off until the last moment the design of that all-important center to their nuptials. Why, you ask yourself, why did you tell your JP that you and your fiancée would write the ceremony? Is it too late to ask for help? It’s never too late, until it is. So call your JP now! (and read these tips to snap you out of your panicked brain freeze.) 1. Get Help from […]

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Three Reasons To Plan A Wedding Ceremony Rehearsal

Posted on | Author Carolyn Egan

Here you are only months from your wedding, a day you’ve been looking forward to your whole life, and cash is flying out the door! Who knew getting married would be so expensive? All those details – from the $$$-dollar gown to the $$$-dollar venue and everything in between…. Cha- Ching!! So where can you cut corners? Well, if you are like some less-than-prudent brides and grooms, the first place you look is the marriage officiant.  How about shaving off that extra $100 she is charging to attend the rehearsal? That’s $100 you can put towards something more important, like […]

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Is A JP Right For You? Five Reasons To Say YES

Posted on | Author Carolyn Egan

So you are ready to select your wedding officiant and you are wondering if you should forgo the pomp and circumstance of a religious ceremony and choose a Justice of the Peace instead. But how do you know for sure if a JP wedding is right for you? To help you decide, take a look at the five most common reasons couples choose a JP as their wedding officiant. You want simple and quick. Finding a JP who can preside over a simple wedding at your town hall or local park for a modest fee is easy. If you wake up one morning with a […]

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Make Sure your Wedding Ceremony Fits Your Circumstances!

Posted on | Author Warren Turner

How times change! Not so long ago, the idea of living together before marriage was socially unacceptable.  While some couples dared to try it, they dared not do so openly – for the judgment of society could be cruel.  Gay couples also were in jeopardy of social condemnation. In 2014, however, living together before marriage is the rule — the “new normal.”  And gay relationships too are becoming mainstream in the eyes of most Americans.  Often the old words and assumptions underlying the “traditional” wedding ceremony don’t work anymore and need to be updated. The outdated Victorian notions of the “virgin” bride and groom – and […]

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Future Shock: The Wedding Ceremony of 2050

Posted on | Author Carolyn Egan

While our concept of marriage continues to evolve, surprisingly the wedding ceremony itself has remained remarkably the same. Ask any Justice of the Peace and she will likely confirm that even the most modern couple will not abandon those features of the wedding ceremony that connect them to romance and tradition, most notably the opportunity to voice “I do!” So what is changing about the wedding ceremony? What will it look like in 35 years? If today’s trends are any indication (and of course they are), many weddings will be all about technology. (Surprise!) Virtually married? Bi-location: Your children’s wedding […]

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Here Comes the Sun: Is it Time to Renew your Wedding Vows?

Posted on | Author Carolyn Egan

Spring is just around the corner, right? Isn’t the season of renewal a great time to renew your marriage vows? With the help of a Justice of the Peace, you can design a special ceremony – as elaborate or intimate as you choose – to celebrate the life and love you’ve created together. Why renew? Many experts believe that the decision to renew your vows should arise from a feeling of shared joy and fulfillment, not from a need to fix a marriage that may be broken. However, if you have weathered a difficult time in your marriage and emerged […]

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Surprise Your Guests: Get Married!

Posted on | Author Barbara Jay

After living together for 14 years, whenever we talked about getting married, the biggest obstacle was the wedding itself. My  kids were teenagers, his were married with young children of their own. After all this time living like an old married couple, we were embarrassed to make a big deal of it. Yet we wanted our friends and family to be present. On the Friday before a planned party to celebrate his 60th birthday with all the kids and a few friends coming, I had a light bulb moment. Here was the perfect opportunity to have it both ways! (He […]

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The Rainbow Logo

Posted on | Author Warren Turner

One of the most meaningful wedding ceremonies I have performed as a New Hampshire Justice of the Peace was on Loon Mountain in September, with a panorama of the White Mountains before us. Rather than that priceless vista, however, it was the couple and our special connection that made it memorable. It all started when they came across a picture of me standing in front of a rainbow flag. The two women had wanted to be married for years but were stymied by the laws of their home state, North Carolina. When the US Congress repealed the infamous DOMA, the […]

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A Winter Solstice Wedding Ceremony

Posted on | Author Carolyn Egan

Aren’t you smart to have chosen December for your wedding! Your celebration will match perfectly the festive mood of the holidays.  But could there be another reason why this time of year feels so right, one stirring deep in your DNA? Quite possibly! What is it about the month of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year for those who live north of the equator? In ancient times, our ancestors celebrated the solstice with a long night of revelry and feasting. Living closer to the rhythms of Nature, they understood that the solstice marked the beginning of lengthening […]

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A “Thank You” Theme for Your Holiday Wedding Ceremony

Posted on | Author Carolyn Egan

The year is rolling up like a long carpet and you may feel as though you’ve been on a magical carpet ride ever since he (or she) popped the question. On top of it all, it’s that time of year again. For some of us, Halloween kick-starts those end-of-year jitters: the pressure of planning for the holidays; the dread of colder and shorter days. Yet you’ve got more to be jittery about than most because you are getting married! Yes, you planned it last year. (Or, maybe, last week.) And for very good reasons you timed it squarely in the middle […]

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Put Some Humor in the Wedding Ceremony

Posted on | Author Carolyn Egan

So you’re determined that your wedding be “one of kind” and extraordinary.  You’re even thinking about adding a bit of whimsy to your ceremony to capture the spirit that makes the two of you such a signature couple. But how do you strike the right tone?  Let’s face it, your wedding day is supposed to be a solemn occasion.  You’ll be entering into a serious life commitment.  You don’t want to come across as silly or disrespectful. Yet, a little humor can go a long way towards lightening up the tension and encouraging appreciative smiles among your wedding guests. With […]

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