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 […]
Wedding Vows
Make Sure your Wedding Ceremony Fits Your Circumstances!
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 The outdated Victorian notions of the “virgin” bride and groom – and […]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
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!
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
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 […]
Put Some Humor in the Wedding Ceremony
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 […]
Beyond “I Do”: Incorporating Religious Elements (or Not) in your Wedding Ceremony
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!
“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 […]
4 Reasons to Consider a Wedding for Just the Two of You
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 […]