Tag: wedding officiant

When the officiant is a friend or family member

Posted on | Author Loretta Jay

We get it. There is a certain joy when a friend or family member stands before you and your beloved. In front of your loved ones. And you declare for the world that you want to marry each other. Naturally, there is a joy for the officiant-family member, too. The Justice of the Peace Association polled its members and asked what it was like for them, when they officiated their children, parents, friends or other family members.  Not one of our officiants regretted their choice to officiate for their loved ones. 67% said they were proud and honored to be […]

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Plan Your Romantic Winter Elopement or Tiny Wedding

Posted on | Author Carmen George

winter wedding with vermont Justice Carmen

If you aren’t keen on a big wedding, winter is a wonderful time to sneak away and elope or host a tiny wedding. It’s easy, simple, fun, less expensive, and may be a better fit for your personalities. You can always have a big party later with family and friends. Here are the steps to making it a reality. What Do You Want? Talk to your future spouse about what you would like your ceremony to be like. And where it should be. Each of you should write how you imagine your wedding day. Things to consider: Do you want […]

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

Posted on | 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 […]

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How Small Was the Wedding? Only Thee and Me!

Posted on | 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 […]

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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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