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Conference 2021 – Sponsors & Exhibitors
Highlight your products and services with civil marriage officiants before, during and after the JPus 2021 virtual conference. The Justice of the Peace Association is celebrating 20 years with a virtual conference. This event will bring together professional marriage officiants and town and city clerks who are eager to learn more about their profession and hone their skills. In addition to Sponsoring, which gets your brand in front of our attendees, we will host opportunities for Exhibitors to connect with attendees in interactive booths. This is a unique opportunity to get in front of a very specific target audience. Join […]
Six Degrees of Separation
2020 Spring & Summer Weddings Even with these challenging times, your wedding can still be intimate and memorable. With beautiful green lawns, and flowers exploding with color, spring and summer offer a wonderful wedding backdrop. Things to keep in mind… With many businesses and town halls closed to the public, be sure to check out our tips on navigating marriages during the pandemic. This will help expedite the process. Location, Location, Location If you’re thinking about a spring or summer wedding, one of the best venues can be your own home. It’s easy to control social distancing and other safety necessities. In […]
Become a Justice of the Peace in Connecticut
The good news about becoming a JP in Connecticut is that there are no special requirements, no exams to take or fees to pay. Many people become a JP because they want to perform marriage ceremonies. They join the Justice of the Peace Association to receive professional development, network with other JPs, and get their profile listed on findaJP.com, where couples go to find their perfect officiant. How the Process Works People to Talk To If you Belong to a Political Party If You are Unaffiliated The Process The state of Connecticut regulates the activities of JPs and determines how many […]
JP for a Day
In support of JPs, JPus opposed JP for a Day. The bill died in committee. In March 2018 a bill came before the Connecticut General Assembly’s (CGA) Judicial Committee to create a JP for a Day. JPus mobilized our membership and engaged with the Connecticut Town Clerk Association. As a result of our advocacy both submitted testimony opposing this legislation (SB-396). In addition to testifying before the Judiciary Committee on March 9, 2018, JPus submitted written testimony. We were successful, and the bill died in committee. Read all about the behind-the-scenes activity here. Related Links See all of JPus’ efforts to address the problems […]
Is A JP Right For You? Five Reasons To Say YES
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 […]
Justice of the Peace embosser
Give your marriage documents an official seal, or use this embosser when taking an acknowledgement. This pocket seal is light-weight and versatile yet rugged, engineered to produce higher pressure with minimal effort. It is designed for travel. The 2″ die is personalized with your Name, Town and State around the circumference and “Justice of the Peace” in the center.
JP Appointment Process White Paper
In response to many complaints from Connecticut JPs and Town Clerks, in 2022 the Justice of the Peace Association researched how civil marriage officiants are appointed in the state. Given that, the following white paper summarizes our findings and legislative recommendations. Related Links On March 10, 2023, JPus testified to the Connecticut Planning and Development Committee. See JPus’s survey results about officiant qualifications and appointments. See how JPus is advocating to address the problems with amateur officiants Learn about the JP and notary role, state-by-state We advocate on other marriage-related issues
Find JP by State
Justice of the Peace, Notaries, and Wedding Officiants Listing on findaJP.com for: ★ Connecticut ★ Florida ★ Maine ★ Massachusetts ★ New Hampshire ★ Vermont
I Love Small Weddings
I’ve married people in all sorts of places – from town halls to “posh” venues. Yet so often the weddings that move me deeply are the small, unassuming affairs. They are the kinds of weddings that I think about again and again, over a cup of coffee the next morning or the next year. These lovely little weddings occur in the corner of someone’s living room in front of a china cabinet or in a back yard under a blossoming apple tree. The bride is always beautiful in a freshly ironed dress. The groom is always handsome in a freshly […]
NH Special Officiants
The Problem In New Hampshire, under ethically questionable circumstances, legislators passed a bill allowing amateur wedding officiants. This happened despite the significant problems with Vermont and Massachusetts’ lay-officiant rules. Beyond belittling professional JPs and creating loopholes that put vulnerable citizens at risk, town clerks in both states complain that temporary officiants have doubled their workload and jeopardized the validity of marriages. Now with the coronavirus, they increase the risk of community spread, too. Legislative Activity 2020 A bill to allow special marriage officiants, HB1599, was introduced for the 2020 legislative session; it died in the House. Under guise of the […]
MA One-Day Solemnizers
The Problem Justice of the Peace Association members have long decried the problem of the lay officiant. In Massachusetts the One-Day Solemnizer causes particular distress. The Governor’s office appoints both One-Dayers and JPs, but treats each differently. This puts professional JPs at a disadvantage. In response to a request from Governor Baker’s office, JPus submitted a white paper that identified four problems with the rule: The state treats lay and professional officiants differently and unfairly, to the detriment of JPs. Municipal town clerks complain that as many as 90% of One-Day Solemnizers made significant legal errors, doubling the amount of […]
Gender Neutral Terms
All of the New England states that JPus is active in use gender-neutral terms on marriage licenses. However, this wasn’t always the case. The History We were pleased to learn that in 2019 Maine started using gender-neutral terms when referring to marriage or familial relationships. This prompted JPus to conduct a quick survey of the other states that we serve, asking what terminology was used. Vermont and New Hampshire allow couples to check a box indicating bride/groom/spouse, and only the term checked is on the license. Massachusetts uses gender neutral terms: Party A and Party B. At the time, Connecticut’s […]