"You made the process easy." - Preston G., bride's brother who performed his sister's wedding and legally filed their marriage certificate
Custom-Written Ceremonies
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Would you like to have the best of both worlds - a family member or close friend perform your ceremony AND also have a custom-written ceremony that speaks to who the two of you are, what you believe and what you really want to say instead of something out of a book or printed off the internet?
I meet with you either in person or virtually, and get to know you. Then I create your ceremony. I send a draft to you for your approval, before forwarding the finished ceremony to your designee to deliver. |
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"We hired Ronnie to help us write a custom wedding ceremony & to help our friend learn how to be an officiant at our wedding. After two zoom calls with Ronnie she was able to create the perfect personalized wedding ceremony. Our officiant also had a call with Ronnie and felt super confident and prepared to marry us. Ronnie even took the time to hear our personal vows and provide feedback. Thank you Ronnie for all your help! Our ceremony received many compliments from our guests and was flawless." - Kallie Sersch-Bolano, Bride
Thank you for the thorough preparation! - Lauren B., friend of a bride and groom, after marrying them and successfully filing their marriage certificate
Novice Coaching*
Many times a family member or friend agrees to officiate a ceremony without knowing what's actually involved in assuring the rehearsal and ceremony come off with just one hitch - yours!
They certainly have no education in what elements need to be included in the ceremony to assure its legality, and what needs to be done to assure the paperwork afterward is handled in accordance with the laws governing marriages in the county, state or country in which it is performed. If you are marrying in another country, out-of-state, or even in another county, additional requirements regarding sponsorship, prior registration of credentials, etc. may also apply. I am educated in all these areas and stay on top of changes as they occur.
I am happy to offer the following services to your chosen person AND you:
*Please note that not all states recognize marriages performed by those who have been ordained online by organizations offering ordination credentials in seconds, minutes or hours, even if they say a person's application 'has been reviewed' and that a person is 'in good standing.' Legal battles are currently being fought and lost in several states regarding the validity of these marriages. New legislation is being passed to prevent the acceptance of instant ordination, even going so far as to state "Persons receiving online ordination may not solemnize the rite of matrimony" (Tennessee, 2019). A sample of other states as of this writing who either have conflicting decisions regarding their legitimacy or specifically ban instant ordained ministers include New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania, among others. Please check with the state(s) in which you live or anticipate living to assure the legality of your marriage will be upheld before choosing an officiant through these organizations. Examples of those that may not be recognized include the Universal Life Church, American Marriage Ministries, the Rose Ministries, the American Fellowship Church, and First Nation Church among others. If this is or may become important to you down the road, consider hiring an officiant who has been seminary-trained and formally ordained now to perform your wedding.
**Please note that marriages cannot be spiritually blessed unless your officiant has been ordained in a physical, formal ordination ceremony that includes a laying on of hands by a spiritual authority and a seal of oil on their forehead, granting them a divine blessing and permission to spiritually bless marriages and perform other rituals. Should you wish to join a congregation at some later point in time, you may be required to undergo an additional ceremony at that time to spiritually bless your marriage before joining, baptizing a child or having a child receive education through the church, temple or synagogue. If this is or may become important to you down the road, consider hiring an officiant who has been seminary-trained and formally ordained now to perform your wedding who can spiritually bless your marriage. This can be included in your ceremony now and help you avoid this complication later.
They certainly have no education in what elements need to be included in the ceremony to assure its legality, and what needs to be done to assure the paperwork afterward is handled in accordance with the laws governing marriages in the county, state or country in which it is performed. If you are marrying in another country, out-of-state, or even in another county, additional requirements regarding sponsorship, prior registration of credentials, etc. may also apply. I am educated in all these areas and stay on top of changes as they occur.
I am happy to offer the following services to your chosen person AND you:
- All consultations and communications to create your ceremony;
- A custom-written ceremony that reflects you, your beliefs and your love story, leaving room for your designee to add their own touches if you'd like;
- Coaching your onsite designee in how to:
- Run your rehearsal;
- Create the wedding processional lineup;
- Orchestrate your ceremony;
- Help your person obtain the appropriate designation to perform your ceremony;
- Provide resources to your person regarding any legal requirements to officiate at your location;
- Ensure the marriage certificate has been completed properly, and
- File the necessary paperwork afterward and within the specified time constraints and location.
- Then I follow up with you with information on how to obtain certified copies of your marriage certificate for purposes of name changes, new driver license, etc.
- My physical participation at your rehearsal or ceremony including attending, officiating or offering a blessing at either the rehearsal dinner or reception;
- Spiritually blessing your marriage**;
- My signing of your marriage certificate nor filing of any related paperwork.
*Please note that not all states recognize marriages performed by those who have been ordained online by organizations offering ordination credentials in seconds, minutes or hours, even if they say a person's application 'has been reviewed' and that a person is 'in good standing.' Legal battles are currently being fought and lost in several states regarding the validity of these marriages. New legislation is being passed to prevent the acceptance of instant ordination, even going so far as to state "Persons receiving online ordination may not solemnize the rite of matrimony" (Tennessee, 2019). A sample of other states as of this writing who either have conflicting decisions regarding their legitimacy or specifically ban instant ordained ministers include New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania, among others. Please check with the state(s) in which you live or anticipate living to assure the legality of your marriage will be upheld before choosing an officiant through these organizations. Examples of those that may not be recognized include the Universal Life Church, American Marriage Ministries, the Rose Ministries, the American Fellowship Church, and First Nation Church among others. If this is or may become important to you down the road, consider hiring an officiant who has been seminary-trained and formally ordained now to perform your wedding.
**Please note that marriages cannot be spiritually blessed unless your officiant has been ordained in a physical, formal ordination ceremony that includes a laying on of hands by a spiritual authority and a seal of oil on their forehead, granting them a divine blessing and permission to spiritually bless marriages and perform other rituals. Should you wish to join a congregation at some later point in time, you may be required to undergo an additional ceremony at that time to spiritually bless your marriage before joining, baptizing a child or having a child receive education through the church, temple or synagogue. If this is or may become important to you down the road, consider hiring an officiant who has been seminary-trained and formally ordained now to perform your wedding who can spiritually bless your marriage. This can be included in your ceremony now and help you avoid this complication later.