Below you will find
answers to common questions regarding marriage ceremonies and my
services. These are questions that couples that are getting married often
ask. Some of the questions refer to issues relating to getting married or
joined, and some refer to my specific wedding services. Please feel free to
telephone or email me with your questions. I hope some of this information and
the information provided elsewhere on these pages will be of assistance in the
planning of your special day.
1.
How does a couple actually get legally "married?"
2.
Is a commitment ceremony legal?
3.
Isn't a commitment ceremony always much smaller than a formal wedding?
4.
If our wedding is a commitment ceremony, will there be any kind of certificate
given to us?
5.
Other than a Church, where can we get married?
6.
May we include children in our ceremony?
7. Do you recommend any other vendors such as photographers,
florists or DJs?
8.
We just got engaged. What do we do next?
9.
What are the primary things that should be considered for a customized wedding
ceremony?
10. What is a Unity Candle, and why is it often used in a wedding
ceremony?
11.
What is a hand fasting ceremony?
12.
What is the Ceremony of Roses?
13.
What is the purpose of having "readings" performed during a wedding
ceremony?
14.
Who do we invite to the rehearsal dinner?
15.
Do you accept credit cards?
16.
Will you be staying after the wedding for the reception?
17. Will I have to pay extra for your travel?
18. Can we get married as soon as we get our marriage
license?
19. Are you available at short notice to perform
ceremonies?
20. What is my favorite location for a wedding ceremony?
Q. How does a couple actually get
legally "married?"
A. If both people that are to be
married are residents of Georgia they get the marriage license at the probate
court within the county they reside. If only one of the two to be married are
Georgia residents, they should get the license in the county where the one
person resides and in either case, the license is good anywhere within the state.
If neither the bride or groom are residents of Georgia they must get the license
in the county they intend to be married in and there is no waiting period
meaning the couple may be married immediately after aquiring the license. A couple is officially "married" when a legally
authorized person such as myself performs an official ceremony uniting them in
marriage, signs the County marriage license and submits the signed license to
the county probate court that issued the license. Generally there is not a need
for witnesses to sign the license although licenses from many counties provide a
place for two witnesses to sign. Persons that are legally authorized to perform
marriage ceremonies are all clergy (i.e. priests, ministers, rabbis,
etc.) and certain other persons specifically authorized such as Judges, Retired
Judges, Justices of the Peace, etc. Vows of commitment are required to be
exchanged by the couple, but wedding rings are optional and not required. For
specific information on the county you intend to be married in visit the Marriage
Laws page, or contact the probate court
office of the County in which you plan to be married.
Q. Is a commitment ceremony legal?
A. A commitment ceremony is not
formally recognized in most states as a legal marriage.
Q. Isn't a commitment ceremony always much smaller
than a formal wedding?
A. A commitment ceremony IS a
wedding, and it can be as big or small, with as much or as little detail or
formality as you choose. The only difference between a commitment ceremony and
a traditional wedding in my view is that the latter is the only one recognized
as a legal marriage.
Q. If our wedding is a commitment ceremony; will
there be any kind of certificate given to us?
A. I have a beautiful certificate
suitable for framing which you as a couple sign, and I sign as well. The
certificate that I can
provide for a commitment ceremony costs $25.
Q. Where can we get married besides
a church?
A. Generally you can get married anywhere
within the boundaries of the county in which you acquire your marriage license.
This includes all public and private buildings and property, bodies of water
(lakes, rivers, etc.), or even in an airplane!
I have performed
ceremonies on farms, in private homes, in botanical gardens, on beaches, in
parks, golf courses and in restaurants and historic buildings as well as
churches and chapels.
Q. Can we include children in our
ceremony?
A. Absolutely! There are a
number of ways to include children in your wedding. In addition to having a
flower girl or ring bearer, there are ways to include children in the vows,
readings or in the lighting of the Unity Candle.
Q. Can you recommend any other
vendors such as photographers, videographers or DJs?
A. Yes! I choose very
carefully those vendors which I recommend to people. You can be assured
that if I provide you with the name of a photographer, DJ, etc., that their
services are of the highest quality.
Q. We just got engaged. What do we
do next?
A. There are almost an infinite number of wedding planning resources online. I have several links bottom of my main page and one of them that has a wealth of information is Foreverwed.com or you can just do an online search and you will find more pages than you visit in a weekend. I highly recommend the use of a good wedding planner/coordinator for all large and elaborate weddings. If you are not systematic and organized with a lot of time available, it is easy to get overwhelmed by all the details and choices.
Q. What are the main things to
consider for a customized wedding ceremony?
A. There really are three main
things to consider in choosing your ceremony. They are:
1. The kinds of
ceremonial traditions. The choices range from a very traditional
"church-style" wedding to little or no religious references at all.
Many people like to include things like romantic readings, singing, etc. My
recommendation is to include only what is meaningful to you, and not to confuse
a wedding ceremony with a church service.
2. The kinds of
romantic imagery. The most common types of romantic expressions are
readings and the lighting of a Unity Candle by the couple. Other choices include
special music, giving flowers to mothers, drinking wine together out of a unity
cup, singing to each other (Groom serenading the Bride, etc.), original poetry,
blowing bubbles or the release of butterflies or doves after the ceremony.
There are a lot of creative ideas that you can borrow from others, or even
think up yourself, but the rule is to be true to yourself.
3. The kinds of
cultural traditions. If you have a strong tradition from another country or
culture, you may want to include that in your wedding ceremony and/or
reception. I am happy to accommodate any such rituals, etc. that you would
like. Please discuss this with me during our initial contact.
Q. What is a Unity Candle, and why
is it often used in a wedding ceremony?
A. A wedding ceremony is a pageant
of sorts, and usually includes romantic imagery. The purpose of the imagery is
to paint a picture of the words being spoken. Often couples will have two taper
candles lit to represent their separate lives, and after the exchange of wedding
vows and rings, they will light a third candle together. This "unity
candle" represents their union, the joining of their two lives into one.
It is purely a romantic image, without any religious implications.
A. In ancient Celtic times, a
couple declares during a hand fasting ritual to live together for a year and a
day. At the end of the year and a day, they can repeat their declarations
publicly again, part their own ways or get married legally. A Hand fasting
today usually is done by draping a cord over the couple’s hands which are
joined together. Some of the most beautiful and meaningful vows are
written by the two getting hand fasted. Like any ritual, you should feel free
to adapt it to your own needs and even create your own meaning for it.
Q. What is the Ceremony of Roses?
A. In the book, "Conversations
with God III", the Ceremony of Roses accompanies an exchange of vows with
red roses, and the ring exchange with white roses. I am familiar with two
other wedding traditions in which roses are used. In one, the mothers are given
roses as tokens of the bride and groom's love for family. This is often kept a
secret from the family until the roses are presented. In another, roses
are exchanged as the bride and groom's first gifts to one another as a married
couple. They can also symbolize your understanding of your vows, or any other
meaning you choose to associate with them.
Q. What is the purpose of having
"readings" performed during a wedding ceremony?
A. People have been in love since
the beginning of time. All over the world, in many different cultures and
throughout history, people have written wonderful expressions of their love in
poems, sonnets, love songs, etc. Other people may have said things about love
that are very similar to how you feel, and they may have said it more
eloquently than you or I could. Take William Shakespeare for example. His
artful creativity with weaving words together is unsurpassed in its ability to
convey romance and love in a highly unique and original manner.
It is appropriate to have a few romantic readings performed during a wedding
ceremony, especially texts that have been recognized over time as
"classics.
Q. Who do we invite to the
rehearsal dinner?
A. Traditionally, the couple invites
all attendants and their spouses or significant others, the couple's immediate
families. However, if
the budget allows, you should feel free to invite anyone else you would like.
Q. Do you accept credit cards?
A. No, I cannot. Tradition
and etiquette suggest the officiant be paid after the
ceremony by the Best Man or Groom and that the cash or check be in a sealed
white envelope.
Q. Will you be staying after
the wedding for the reception?
A. If you invite me to stay for
your reception and my schedule permits, I am happy to stay for as long as you
would like. Otherwise, I will stay only as long as necessary to make sure we
get all of your paperwork signed and any of your questions answered.
Q. Will I have to pay extra for you to travel to my wedding?
A. Unfortunately
with today’s gas prices the cost of travel is increasingly expensive, I
will travel within a 50 mile radius of
Q. Can we get married as
soon as we get our marriage license?
A. YES. There is no waiting period within the state of Georgia.
Q.
Are you available at short notice to perform ceremonies?
A. Yes, I am available at short notice if my schedule permits.
Q. What is my favorite
location for a wedding ceremony?
A. It is difficult to
say as there are so many beautiful locations throughout Georgia. For a
relatively small outdoor wedding it's hard to beat one of the beautiful squares
in Savannah. For something elegant indoors there are many spectacular
historic and antebellum homes such as the
Hay House
in Macon. One thing to remember though, if you plan an outdoor wedding, play it
safe and have an indoor backup in the event of inclement weather.