Tag: wedding venue

Summer Weddings

The blissful warmth of summer sets the perfect stage for outdoor wedding ceremonies, where love and nature unite in harmonious celebration. With its vibrant colors, gentle breezes, and abundant sunshine, the summer season offers an idyllic backdrop for couples to exchange vows and embark on a lifelong journey together. Summer outdoor weddings continue to captivate hearts. Beautiful Settings One of the most enchanting aspects of a summer outdoor wedding ceremony is the natural beauty that surrounds the venue. Lush gardens, blooming flowers, and breathtaking landscapes create an unparalleled atmosphere. Imagine saying “I do” beneath a cascading arch of vibrant blooms […]

Plan Your Romantic Winter Elopement or Tiny Wedding

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 […]

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 […]

How Small Was the Wedding? Only Thee and Me!

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 […]

Whom should you ask to marry you? A JP, of course!

Having been a Justice of the Peace for several years, and having been married more than once myself, I think it is safe to say that I have heard the question “Will you marry me?” probably more than most people. Usually it starts with a phone call that goes something like this: “Hi, I’m getting married and wanted to talk to you about your JP services.” Or “I found your name on www.findajp.com. I’m getting married in February. Can you help me?” And more than a dozen times, “Your listing on findajp.com says you do short notice. My wedding is […]

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 […]

Weddings Don’t Have to be Expensive

While big expensive weddings remain popular, many couples confide that they just cannot afford a fancy affair. Thus I offer the following suggestions for having a beautiful and memorable occasion without all the cost. First, let’s talk about location. Banquet halls are lovely, but they often come with a steep price tag. For those who want to avoid that expense, options abound. Couples can save  money by having their wedding at home. If that isn’t possible, perhaps a friend or relative might offer theirs. Or if the couple met while walking their dogs in a local park, they might want […]