Ceremonies

Civil  ~  Non-Religious  ~  Religious  ~  Inter-faith  ~  Vows Renewal

No two weddings or couples are alike.  I have a great respect for the individual needs, desires and the wealth of diversity of the people I serve.  I will do my best to help you create the ceremony you desire.

Special Rituals and Ceremonies: 

Unity Candle  ~  Sand Ceremony ~  Celtic Handfasting  ~  Rose Ceremony

The above are just a sample of some of the special features that can be included in weddings.  For example, the Sand Ceremony can be performed by the couple alone, or can be used as a way of involving children in the creation of a blended family. I can assist you in creating your own special features and traditions.

Special Locations and Times:

Forest  ~  Park  ~  Hilltop  ~  Canoe

As an avid camper, hiker and canoeist, I have a love for the outdoors, and an understanding of the desire to be married in a unique time and place. I travel all over Massachusetts to  perform my duties at a variety of hours and locations, be it a lake by moonlight, a hilltop at dawn, a canoe on a lake, or your own back yard or living room.

Specialty Weddings

Colonial  ~  Fantasy  ~  Renaissance  ~  Medieval  ~  Victorian

Most people dream of having a wedding that is magical.  Some dream of having a wedding that is uniquely magical.  While I maintain the utmost respect for the dignity of both marriage and my office, I do believe that people can indulge their desire for whimsy without hurting either.  With over forty years of involvement in theatre, I’m quite comfortable in clothing of other eras.

Special Circumstances: 

Hospital  ~  Nursing Home   ~  Incarceration

Most people people can choose the location for their own ceremony, but sometimes life intercedes and it’s not always possible.  I will work with you to make the most of your situation and circumstances.

Creating Your Ceremony:

When you are being married by a Justice of the Peace, the ceremony can be personalized in many ways.  While there are a few simple statements that the JP should make, there are no set rules or formats for the ceremony. 

A ceremony can take many formats.  I do not shoehorn couples into using a stock format of mine. If requested, I send each couple a set of sample ceremonies to either choose from, or to use as a starting place for creating their own.  The goal is to help you create the ceremony you want.

Here are some traditional components often found in ceremonies:

Intentions:  “John, do you promise to love, honor etc…  followed by I do.”

Vows:  This is the part that often starts: “Mary, please repeat after me…  I Mary, take thee etc.” Many couples like to write their own unique vows to recite to each other rather than repeat.

Exchange of Rings:   Usually accompanied by a statement of the rings’ meaning to one another.

Pronouncement:  Here the officiant declares that you are married!  “I now pronounce you….”

Readings: Ceremonies usually include readings of various types. In a religious ceremony it might be a prayer, psalm, Bible or Torah reading. Readings may also be poems, song lyrics read as a poem, essays, quotes or excerpts from a book.

As mentioned above there are a variety of rituals and special ceremonies, that are often part included in weddings. Some are old traditions, some new, some derived from older rituals.  Here are some examples:

Rose Ceremony The couple exchange roses and declare that at any time in the future, when they have difficulty finding the proper words, they leave each other a rose to demonstrate their feelings and commitment.

Unity Candle  Two small tapers representing each partner’s family and friends are used to light a single larger (Unity) candle.

Sand Ceremony  Similar to the candle, the couple pours two glasses of sand together into a single container.

Wine and Box  There are a number of variations of this, the most common being that the couple places a bottle of wine, and a letter to each other in the box, to be opened during a difficult time, or on their fifth anniversary.

Blended Family  When either or both of the people getting married have children, many couples want to celebrate the creation of the resulting new family.  There are a variety of ceremonies in which children of either or both people can be involved, such as the exchange of some sort of special memento or piece of jewelry, (such as the Family Medallion ceremony), a modified version of the unity candle, or the Sand Ceremony, where each member of the family empties a vial of sand into a glass or goblet mixing the grains of sand.  One variation of this includes colored sand where the resulting mix takes on a particular color, and yet each grain retains its own color and identity. Other variations can be created to match your particular situation as well.

The items above are just a sample of what may be included. Some couples like to include other family and friends in the ceremony by asking them to do a reading. Readings such as poems, a song lyric, a biblical or psalm reading, a passage from a favorite book, or a prayer can make a ceremony more substantial and personal. You may insert as many of these as you wish.  Some couples like to include the giving away of the bride.  The ceremony may be tailored to be long or short as you wish. 

A good approach it is to pick a format you prefer and then make your own modifications.  For example, instead of the basic vows, you may wish to write your own vows that are personal to the both of you.  You may wish to create your own opening statement that describes your feelings and hopes for the day.  If you choose to create longer vows, don’t worry about memorizing.  While short vows can be stated by me, and repeated by you, for longer vows, I can provide you with small, matching leaflets to read your vows from. Combine the elements of any of the samples I provide, and add ideas of your own.

Once you have decided on your vows I will check them to make sure the requirements of the Commonwealth are met, and format them into the printed book format I use on that day.  It is my custom to provide each couple with the actual copy that I use during their ceremony.