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Who Should be Your Officiant: A JP or Your Best Friend

Posted on | Author Cynthia Dumont

Friend officiating wedding ceremony

Your wedding:  imagine that magical moment when you say “I do” and your life changes forever. Who could be better than your best friend to join you in marriage? STOP.  Are you sure about that? In recent years, some states have relaxed the rules for who can officiate a wedding, authorizing almost anyone to be “officiant for a day.”  Fill out a one-page form, bring it to your town hall, give them a check, and voila! For one day, you’re official. From the government’s perspective, it’s an easy way to generate a little revenue. In Vermont, for $100 any adult can now […]

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NH Special Marriage Officiants: What Happened 2019

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In the spring of 2019, the Justice of the Peace Association persisted in its opposition to the New Hampshire House Bill 295-FN-A, an act establishing a special marriage officiant license. Despite the odds, the bill eventually died in conference. Following is what transpired. It was early January 2019 when New Hampshire Justice of the Peace Cynthia Dumont called JPus to alert us to HB 295-FN-A. This bill, if passed, would temporarily authorize an individual to solemnize a marriage in the state. JPus members in Massachusetts and Vermont made us aware of how amateur officiants have negatively impacted their business. The town clerks […]

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Oppose Temporary Marriage Officiant in NH

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Your Voice Counts! HOW TO SUBMIT TESTIMONY The New Hampshire legislature held public hearings about HB295-FN-A, an Act establishing a special marriage officiant license. JPus created this guide for JPs and town clerks, because the legislators needed to hear from stakeholders to get their perspective of this legislation. All the effort paid off, and the bill died without passing. Written Testimony You may submit written testimony by email to your own legislators so they are aware of your position. If you don’t know who your Senator is, click here. Please also send a copy of your testimony to JPus at [email protected] so we can submit it to […]

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JP Ceremonies ~ Meaningful with History

Posted on | Author Loretta Jay and Sarah Jay

For many, the term Justice of the Peace (or JP or JOP) has become a catchall phrase on discussion forums, social media and blogs referring to any civil marriage officiant. “Going to the JP” means to hie oneself (or selves) to town hall for a quickie marriage. This is a disservice to the many Justices of the Peace. Especially, members of the Justice of the Peace Association. They are professional marriage officiants who customize beautiful and personal ceremonies. Beyond that, these pros guide their couples in every aspect of the wedding service. Professionals All Around In addition, members of the […]

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About Massachusetts JPs

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Looking for a Massachusetts wedding officiant? Visit findaJP.com to learn more about Massachusetts wedding laws and to search for a Justice of the Peace. Are you a Massachusetts JP? See the state’s summary of duties for commissioned JPs Learn more about the benefits of a JPus membership. Becoming a JP In Massachusetts, a justice of the peace is appointed by the Governor for a seven year term and confirmed by the Governors Council. Each city/town is allowed one justice for every 5000 residents. In addition to affirming marriages, JPs may take affirmations, oaths, and depositions. Sometimes they may call meetings. Applications […]

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Survey – Officiant Qualifications & Appointments

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Each state has a different process to appoint marriage officiants. We frequently hear about problems in Connecticut. There, justice of the peace appointments are political – even though there is nothing political about the role. The resulting problems are multifold, as evidenced by the many complaints reported to JPus from our members. In response, JPus is working with legislators and the Secretary of the State’s office and interviewing stakeholders. The plan is to formulate the research into a white paper to enact legislative change. A related matter is qualifications – especially when comparing professionals with amateurs officiants.  At JPus, we […]

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Massachusetts JPs

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Looking for a Massachusetts wedding officiant? Visit findaJP.com to learn more about Massachusetts wedding laws and to search for a Justice of the Peace. Becoming a JP In Massachusetts, a justice of the peace is appointed by the Governor for a seven year term and confirmed by the Governors Council. Each city/town is allowed one justice for every 5000 residents. In addition to affirming marriages, JPs may take affirmations, oaths, and depositions. Sometimes they may call meetings. Here is a summary of duties. Applications may be obtained from the Governor’s Council. Non-residents, including JPs from other states, can marry people in […]

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New Britain Herald: 10/25/2008

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Justices Welcome Same-Sex Marriages Saturday, October 25, 2008 By: Jennifer Sprague DURHAM – Justices of the peace from throughout the state weighed in on the issue of same-sex marriage Saturday at their annual conference, held at Durham Town Hall. Although town clerks were told by the state’s Department of Public Health that Tuesday is the official release date of the court’s gay-marriage decision, Ben Klein, attorney for the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, said Oct. 10 same-sex couples will not be able to wed until mid-November. Regardless of the effective date, town clerks have not been told when the […]

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JPs By State

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About JPs by State: Connecticut JPs | Florida Notaries | Maine Notaries | Massachusetts JPs | New Hampshire JPs | Vermont JPs A Brief History of JPs Along with their meager possessions, the early English settlers brought to the new world a well-developed set of ideas about laws and justice. And though they sought freedom from an oppressive monarchy, they kept one of the king’s institutions: the Justice of the Peace. In the American colonies, every state had a Justice of the Peace system at one time or another, although specific duties varied from state to state, and still do. Since they […]

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Registration Open – JPus Conference 2021

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The Justice of the Peace Association is celebrating 20 years with our first virtual conference. This event will bring together keynote speakers, presentations and workshops in an informative and engaging format. We’re striving for a creative environment where civil officiants can re-imagine weddings, learn new skills, and nurture relationships with others through networking opportunities. Tickets Get your conference tickets here and take advantage of our early-bird pricing. This conference is for professional marriage officiants and Town Clerks. Early-bird registration is open until February 15th at 5:00 pm. At that time full-price registration and ticket sales will open until March 12, 2021 at […]

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What’s the Difference Between a Legal Marriage and a Wedding Ceremony?

Posted on | Author Matt Loter

Updated: Legal Marriage vs. Marriage Ceremony, published November 23, 2020 A bride-to-be posted a great question on Ask a JP because it gets at one of the most commonly confused facets of getting married: the distinction between the legal and the ceremonial. When we think of weddings, we tend to think of the legal and the ceremonial as being intertwined and integral to each other. While this is typically the case, it doesn’t have to be. Here in Connecticut we have very specific laws about who is eligible to marry, who may officiate a marriage, and other technical details associated […]

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