certificate signing

Choose Your Own Wedding Ceremony Style

 in Ceremony / Weddings  tagged certificate signing / Full custom ceremony / personal ceremony / Vow exchange / wedding ceremony by

Choose your own wedding ceremony style to ensure that your big day reflects you as a couple. The ceremony starts the wedding day celebration and should be all you want it to be, and only what you want it to be. As our area continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic all kinds of wedding ceremonies are once again available, allowing you to choose the style that fits you best.

Full Custom ceremonies are coming back in large numbers. Now that you can gather again with family and friends many couples are busy planning ceremonies that share their story and include readings, unity rituals and all the extras. I’m working hard to accommodate couples who want big ceremonies but are working on tight schedules. Remember to select your officiant at least six months in advance if you want this kind of personalized ceremony.

When you choose your own wedding ceremony style the term “short and sweet” may come to mind. It’s helpful to define this a little more when speaking with potential celebrants. Do you want a personalized ceremony, or prefer not to share a lot of your story? If you’re looking for a 5-10 minute ceremony without a lot of personalization, a Vow Exchange or elopement style ceremony may be the perfect fit. This style allows you to write your own vows or select from a few vow options in the repeat-after-me format. There’s space for a ring exchange if you want one, and even for a reading. This style can be perfect for a shy or more private couple who don’t enjoy being the center of attention. A Vow Exchange also works well for a more casual celebration or for second or subsequent marriages.

The final ceremony style I offer is the Certificate Signing. I sometimes refer to this as a “no ceremony” option because it focuses on meeting the legal requirements for marriage in Minnesota and not much more. You respond to a simple question regarding your intention to join in marriage, I extend good wishes for your marriage, make a pronouncement and invite you to kiss. Legal paperwork is signed and the entire process takes no more than 3 minutes.

I performed many Certificate Signings during the pandemic because that’s all we could do. But now you can choose your own wedding ceremony style again. So if you’re having a big celebration and want a personal ceremony experience, ask for the Full Custom ceremony. A Vow Exchange is perfect for smaller, informal gatherings or when you’re not interested in sharing your personal story. And a Certificate Signing will always be the choice for couples who, “just want to make it legal.” Every couple is unique and has their own style, so just pick the ceremony style that fits you best.

Out With the Old and In With the New

 in Celebration / Ceremony / COVID-19 / Weddings  tagged certificate signing / COVID-19 / wedding / wedding ceremony / weddings by

Out with the old and in with the new is a sentiment often spoken as we approach the end of the year. Never was it more true than as we close out 2020 and look to the new year with hope. 2020 has been the strangest, most stressful year most of us have ever experienced. It seems years ago that we started the year with normal hopes and expectations for the beginning of a new decade. Then COVID arrived and everything changed.

Many couples with plans to marry in 2020 were left scrambling. They variously decided to hold their dates and modified guest lists, venues and more, or postponed to later in the year or to 2021. Some couples actually planned their wedding three times as postponements to later in 2020 needed to be moved into the next year as the pandemic raged on. Some lucky couples with summer wedding dates managed to hold their days mostly as planned, but even then masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing impacted the vision they had for their wedding day.

Throughout the year many couples chose a brief Marriage Certificate Signing option. This no ceremony option meets the legal requirements of marriage, but happens with just the couple and their required witnesses. We gather briefly, masked and distanced, and say the words necessary to join them in legal marriage. Couples chose this option for many reasons, but most of them were tied to the pandemic. In some cases, they wanted to hold their original wedding date, but plan to hold a celebration later. Other couples opted for a Certificate Signing due to job losses and the need to be eligible for their partner’s medical insurance. Still others worked in medical fields or simply feared the virus and wanted to have spousal privileges should they or their partner become ill.

All of these reasons reflect the state of our world today as our lives continue to be defined, or at least significantly impacted, by COVID-19. But as the year comes to a close, the phrase, “Out with the old and in with the new” takes on more meaning than usual. With vaccines beginning to be available we can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Newly engaged couples can begin planning the late 2021 or 2022 wedding they want with fewer concerns for the virus. Those who married this year in small to non-existent ceremonies can consider the outlines of a future celebration. Love always finds a way, as the many couples who found a way to marry this year can attest. Congratulations and best wishes to all the couples I married this year. May you share your stories of 2020 with generations to come, and remember the strange and unique year you began your marriage journey.

Being True to Yourselves

 in Ceremony / Weddings  tagged ceremony / certificate signing / elopement wedding / simple wedding / wedding / wedding ceremony by

Being true to yourselves guarantees that you will have a successful wedding day. It’s important to respect your personalities, style, finances, and priorities when planning your wedding. Doing so creates an experience that you are comfortable with on many levels and can remember fondly. My daughter-in-law coined the phrase that she and my son “win at weddings” to capture this idea. And you can feel that way, too.

The centerpiece of any wedding day is the ceremony – it is, after all the marrying part that is the reason for the entire experience. Your ceremony can be as simple or elaborate as you want. Options range from meeting the minimal requirements of your state’s marriage laws to constructing a ceremony full of personal and meaningful moments. Being true to yourselves when deciding what kind of ceremony you will have means that you can relax and enjoy the experience.

If you want to be married quickly with little fanfare and expense, a certificate signing might be the right answer for you. Meeting with a celebrant and your witnesses (required in Minnesota), you can be married and the paperwork signed in under five minutes. This kind of ceremony can happen at your home or nearly any public location – park, coffee shop, etc. If timing is critical, finances are tight, or you simply don’t like being the center of attention, this can be a good choice for you. And remember, if you decide you want a larger celebration at a later date, a vow renewal ceremony with family and friends can always be arranged.

Being true to yourselves could also mean planning a very small, intimate gathering that includes a simple ceremony. This allows for an exchange of vows and (optionally) rings, and provides a brief “ceremony experience”. Again, this can happen in your home or a small private room at a restaurant, or even in a park. If your priorities are to marry your partner and celebrate with an intimate circle of family and friends, this might be your perfect wedding.

Perhaps you’ve always dreamed of a big wedding surrounded by many loved ones and friends, and want a personalized ceremony that reflects you as a couple and launches you into married life. Being true to yourself then means investing time, effort, and of course money to plan and execute a day that fulfills that vision.

All these options are available to you. Picking the one that fits you and your circumstances best allows you to truly be “in the moment” on your wedding day. Being true to yourselves will always feel most comfortable and right. Then you can focus on your partner, the love you share, and the life you will build together. Best wishes for a long and happy marriage.