Not Sure Where To Begin With Your Wedding Planning
Take our Style Quiz and we’ll pull together a custom wedding vision and vendors to match, just for you. After that, create a free, personalized wedding website to keep your guests informed about your plans, and a time-saving Guest List Manager to organize your attendees. Even better? You can sync your Guest List Manager and wedding website to update everything at once.
What If You Dont Want To Get Married In One Of The States That Allows Self
Its still possible to have a just us ceremony anywhere and still get legally married. The trick is to do the legal paperwork before or after your commitment ceremony. It wont make your ceremony any less special, but it will let you focus on the most important details rather than stress over legal logistics! In fact, most couples that elope abroad do this.
Can We Have Guests At Our Self
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Yes! This does not affect your self-solemnization what so ever.
Self Solemnizing is such an empowering way to make the best day of your life everything you want it to be and nothing that you dont. A memory only you and bae will have, or maybe you share your self-solemnization with a few loved ones. Self Solemnization removes the need for unnecessary, performative, wedding traditions.
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Don’t Forget To Make It Official
A quick final note after performing the ceremony, make sure to fill out the marriage license! IMPORTANT: Laws vary by state, but marriage licenses are generally only valid for a period of 30-90 days. Visit ourState Marriage Laws page for more information. Communicate with the couple and do your homework the license should not be obtained too far in advance, and should be returned promptly to the correct authority after the ceremony to ensure that it doesn’t expire. In a majority of states, this is the officiant’s responsibility. While it is acceptable to mail the license, dropping it off in person is preferred in order to avoid any unforeseen complications.
Once the paperwork has been submitted, you have officially completed the wedding ceremony. Congratulations!
Note: this guide provides a basic overview of how to perform a wedding ceremony. More in-depth information and guidance can be found in the literature shown below.
How To Get A Michigan Marriage License
Licenses are issued by the County Clerk’s office, and will be picked up by the couple. As a minister, it’s your responsibility to know how marriage licenses work in Michigan and its individual counties. For example, if the couple plans to get an Oakland marriage license, you should double-check if there are any rules specific to Oakland County. In the state of Michigan, the license is valid for 30 to 33 days depending on the county. There is a mandatory 3-day waiting period between the time it is picked up and when the ceremony can be legally performed. Finally, the signed marriage license must be returned to the issuing office within 10 days of the ceremony.
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But What If I Dont Want To Go Through The Hassle Of Getting Legally Married Abroad
We recommend going to your local courthouse in the US and following the requirements of your city for legally getting married, THEN having your wedding abroad. You can still have a ceremony, with all the traditions involved, but you will already be legally married and wont have to deal with the red tape of getting legally married in another country.
A Justice Of The Peace
Contact the county clerk’s office where you will get your marriage license. They should have a list of local Justices of the Peace who are willing to perform wedding ceremonies. You can, of course, look in the phone book, but it’s better to get the referral from someone who knows for sure that they are legally certified. Start by calling the ones close to you to get a sense of their personality, then ask if you can meet with them to learn the kinds of weddings they perform.
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How Soon Can We Use Our Marriage License After We Pick It Up And When Does It Expire
Your marriage license is valid and ready to be used for your Colorado self solemnization as soon as you get it !
You simply have to sign it within 35 days of acquiring it, and it must be returned within 63 days. Seriously, solemnizing your own marriage in Colorado is really that simple.
If youre local to Colorado, I recommend getting your marriage license at least a week before your Colorado self solemnization, because its one less thing to have to worry about before you elope.
If youre traveling to Colorado for your self solemnization elopement, make sure you arrive on a weekday to pick up your marriage license before your self solemnization.
How To Officiate Your First Wedding
You can help a friend or loved one turn their special day into something remarkable, if youre willing but getting ordained is the easy part.
- Read in app
You dont need to go to seminary to officiate a wedding. In fact, depending on where you live, it may take only a few clicks of a mouse. Heres everything you need to know about officiating your first wedding, from getting ordained to writing the ceremony and why youd even want to in the first place.
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Why Not To Have A Friend Or Family Member Officiate At Your Wedding
I am an author, mentor and speaker who helps others to raise their consciousness so they can thrive from the inside out.
There is a popular trend these days to have a friend or family member go online to receive an ordination certificate in a matter of minutes so they can “legally” officiate at your wedding. While on the surface this might sound like a fun idea, a look below the surface reveals some really good reasons why this is NOT a good idea. As an interfaith minister who has been officiating at weddings for over twenty years now and as author of the bestselling book on wedding ceremony design, here are my top three really good reasons why you should hire a seasoned professional to officiate at your ceremony.
Some states do not recognize some online ordination credentials. The last thing you want to find out after your wedding is that you are not legally married. So, tread with caution. It is the state where your ceremony takes place, not the state where you live that has jurisdiction. Just as state laws about who can get married are changing, so are the laws regarding who can officiate at weddings. Not all online ordinations are equally acceptable, so be very specific in researching what sites are and are not acceptable in your state. Keep yourself informed about any changes that occur in these laws during the course of your wedding preparations.
Super Easy: Couples Can Officiate Their Own Wedding In The District
When he spotted the small white fountain in downtown D.C., Scott Bovarnick knew. He knew the same way he knew he would marry Lucille Convery after a shared glance years ago on a drive.
This is pretty, he said, turning to Convery, 27. She knew what he was really asking.
Yes, lets get married here, she said.
Five minutes later after Bovarnick, 26, gave a short speech thanking a half-dozen guests, signed a piece of paper and kissed Convery twice the two were married. Well, almost: They still had to walk back to the nearby H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse to file the paperwork.
Bride, groom, loving onlookers, vows of devotion all there. But on a sunny Monday morning last week by the Andrew M. Mellon Memorial Fountain, there was no minister, priest, rabbi, judge or third-party officiant in sight.
Bovarnick and Convery, who live in the District, opted for what is known as a self-uniting marriage: a ceremony in which one member of the couple getting married acts as the officiant. In their case, it was Bovarnick, meaning he signed the light-blue piece of paper provided by D.C. Superior Court.
This kind of wedding is legal in a handful of states, including Colorado and Pennsylvania, and the marriages are legally recognized everywhere.
I am seeing a change in how people are getting married, she said. And I see people come from all over.
With that, theyre hitched. Super easy, Bovarnick said.
I love the adventure of it, Bovarnick said.
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How To Legally Officiate A Wedding
Most weddings are officiated by a notary public, members of the clergy, justices of the peace, judges, and in some states even the mayor is qualified to perform a wedding. If you have been picked by your friends or family to officiate their wedding, however, and you dont fit into any of these roles, it is important to find out the rules of the state you are under. To legally marry the couple, you would have to become a temporary officiant under the statutes of the state so that their marriage can be legal. So, depending on the location, it is important that the couple:
Place The Hashtag On Decor Throughout Your Wedding
If guests forgot your wedding hashtag on the big day , then make sure they remember it by placing it throughout your wedding. Cute cocktail napkins, chalkboards, or a photo display are all prime locations for putting it out there for guests to see. Make sure to strategically place the wedding hashtag around the most memorable parts of your wedding, including the wedding cake, the photo booth, near the gifts table, and anywhere else that holds special meaning to you. That way, your guests are more likely to snap photos of the things you most want to share online.
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The History Of Quaker Weddings
Quakers are members of the Religious Society of Friends, a branch of Protestantism that split off from the Church of England in the 1650s. To escape religious persecution in England and later in the Massachusetts colony, Quakers established communities in the Delaware Valley. This included present-day Pennsylvania, which was founded by a Quaker scholar named William Penn.
Quakers believe they have a direct connection to God and dont need a middleman, explains Register Gordon. To that extent, they also dont require a minister or officiant to sanctify a marriage in the eyes of God. In contrast with Protestantism, Quaker weddings happen without much pomp and ceremony. Couples who wish to marry present their intent to their meeting, or congregation, and then, on a selected date of worship, they participate in the silent worship of the meeting until they feel moved or called to declare themselves married.
As religious freedom became a founding principle of the United States of America, so followed the freedom to marry as one deemed fit. In modern years, several U.S. states have adopted the Quaker tradition of self-uniting marriages as a way to allow citizens to uphold their personal religious beliefs and still become officially married in the eyes of the law.
Explain How The Ceremony Works
These are more spiritual ceremonies than religious, and everyone marches to the beat of their own spirit, says Chimento. I do not think there is a wrong way to host your Quaker wedding. That said, it will help things run more smoothlyand help guests truly appreciate the solemnity of the occasionif you explain ahead of time how the ceremony will run. This can be done in a ceremony program distributed to guests as they enter the ceremony site, or with an announcement at the start of the ceremony.
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Are Blood Tests Part Of Marriage Requirements
Many states have done away with mandatory premarital physical exams or blood tests, but some still require blood tests for venereal diseases, and a few also test for rubella, sickle-cell anemia, and tuberculosis. There’s no mandatory HIV/AIDS testing, but most states require that marriage license applicants be offered such tests or information on test locations.
What Are Some Quaker Wedding Ceremony Tips
1. Be confident in your decision to self-unite and make important decisions together. This is often the first time youll create a tangible experience that will demonstrate how youll make important life decisions in the years ahead, notes life-cycle celebrant Alisa Tongg. If youre stepping away from your familys tradition to wed in your own way for your peace of mind and every holiday discussion for the rest of your lives make sure you take every precaution. It is impossible for people to be looking at you in judgment when they have tears in their eyes from a genuine ceremony.
2. Carefully plan out the ceremony program, and think about how your guests will play a role. Christina and Hank, for example, had attendees share stories, read poems and give advice during their ceremony some planned and some unplanned. Create a program for the wedding that will make it feel intimate for you and your partner, and inform guests of that plan. Be clear in advance about whether youll open the floor for guests to speak. Make sure that some remarks are planned, but also leave time for unscheduled remarks.
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Ceremonies With Texas Prisoners
Previously, Texas law allowed prisoners to marry by proxy, a process that allows an appointed person to stand in for the absent applicant at the ceremony. Section 2.203 of the Texas Family Code was amended in 2013, and now proxy marriages are only available to active-duty military members stationed in another country.
For those wishing to formally marry someone who is currently incarcerated with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice , a wedding ceremony will need to be conducted on TDCJ property. See the resources below for how to apply for a ceremony with the Department.
Who Can Officiate A Wedding
Its not only official clergymen who can officiate weddings. Any friend or family member is chosen by the couple for this role can actually officiate the wedding. While you can pick just about anyone, you would want someone of legal age, well-rounded, and able to give a good speech. This person should know the bride and groom well to a level where he/she is comfortable talking about their relationship.
Consider the speech you want them to give, the location, their availability, and also how welcome they would be to the idea of officiating at the wedding. It might not seem like much of a responsibility, but when wondering, how to ask a friend to officiate your wedding, I think theres another question to ponder. So, who can officiate a wedding?
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