Wedding Ceremony Archives

Wedding Ceremony

Make Sure your Wedding Ceremony Fits Your Circumstances!

Posted on April 6, 2014 | 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 The outdated Victorian notions of the “virgin” bride and groom – and […]

Future Shock: The Wedding Ceremony of 2050

Posted on March 2, 2014 | 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 […]

Surprise Your Guests: Get Married!

Posted on January 20, 2014 | 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 […]

A Winter Solstice Wedding Ceremony

Posted on December 8, 2013 | 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 […]

A “Thank You” Theme for Your Holiday Wedding Ceremony

Posted on November 9, 2013 | 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 […]

Put Some Humor in the Wedding Ceremony

Posted on October 24, 2013 | 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 […]

Make the Most of Getting Married: Do It Again and Again!

Posted on October 7, 2013 | Author Carolyn Egan

People in the wedding biz are noticing a strange movement afoot. More and more couples are choosing to have several wedding ceremonies. Indeed, a recent ABC news article confirms that this “serial wedding” formula is becoming fashionable among the younger set: “One of the hottest trends when it comes to weddings…is for ‘nearly-weds’ to plan for multiple wedding ceremonies.” Most bride-groom marriages in the U.S. are recognized in all 50 states. So why are so many couples getting married twice or thrice, or even more times? Because they want to! Are you considering the multiple-wedding route? Here’s a typical scenario that […]

Beyond “I Do”: Incorporating Religious Elements (or Not) in your Wedding Ceremony

Posted on September 17, 2013 | Author Warren Turner

If you are planning a wedding, you may be wondering which elements of your marriage ceremony are absolutely required by law and which are optional. How much of the ceremony can you create from scratch to reflect your and your fiancé’s beliefs and sentiments? Saying “I do” before a person licensed by the State to marry you is all you need to get married. But that is not nearly enough for most couples. Most desire a much richer ceremony, one that is particularly meaningful to them. And we Justices of the Peace are eager to help you fashion the wedding ceremony that you […]

Your Wedding Vows: Write Them Yourself!

Posted on September 3, 2013 | Author Carolyn Egan

“I do!” In most weddings, these two classic words are all the bride and groom are required to say. But if you are thrilled by the chance to express what your partner means to you in the presence of family and friends, why not consider writing your own marriage vows? Writing your vows can be easy, joyful and result in a beautiful and intimate central feature of your wedding ceremony if you keep the following principles in mind. Four Hints to Writing the Perfect Vows 1. Write your vows from the heart. You love him so much that you are […]

A Unity Ceremony can make your Wedding Unique

Posted on August 16, 2013 | Author Barbara Jay

Is your heart set on a wedding ceremony that is unique? Are you searching for the perfect signature elements that will capture the intensity of your commitment to one another or the bonds of the new family you are creating together? If so, here are three of the most popular trends in “ceremonies within the ceremony” that might be just the thing you are looking for. A longtime favorite is the Unity Candle Lighting ceremony, in which the couple lights a candle to solemnize their joining. Today Justices of the Peace are seeing more and more variations of this symbolic […]

Make Your Wedding Ceremony Your Own — the Modern Way!

Posted on August 1, 2013 | Author Dianne Daniels

If you are determined to break with convention by designing your own wedding, you are not alone. These days, Justices of the Peace are being asked to officiate at more creative and non-traditional wedding ceremonies. This trend is seen in the chosen attire, the wording of the ceremony, the style of music, and even in the way a couple travels down the aisle. Modern weddings often reflect a couple’s lifestyle and personality. Wedding attire, for example. I’ll never forget the couple who dressed quite casually — in jeans, while the groomsmen wore vests and the bridesmaids wore cowboy boots. The bride placed no requirements […]

4 Reasons to Consider a Wedding for Just the Two of You

Posted on July 16, 2013 | Author Barbara Jay

Weddings represent a rite of passage in most of our lives. They represent a turning point and a new dream of the future. Why then – on such an important occasion – would you choose a ceremony just for the two of you (and the wedding officiant)? Here are the top four reasons why an intimate “just the two of you” wedding may be right for you. 1. A “just the two of you” wedding is affordable. Fancy weddings can cost tens of thousands of dollars and in today’s uncertain economy saving for future major expenses may make more sense than […]

How Small Was the Wedding? Only Thee and Me!

Posted on June 29, 2013 | Author Barbara Jay

With the pandemic, tiny weddings are increasing in popularity. That makes this throwback even more relevant for today ~ editor, July 2020. My favorite (actually, only) weddings are the smallest possible: only the couple and me, the officiant. In my years as a Justice of the Peace, I’ve only officiated at two weddings but I’ve married three couples. Yes, one of the weddings was a double ceremony. (And one other thing made this event unusual: they were all women.) That wedding took place at the home of one of the couples. The four women had created a moving ceremony in which […]