An Official Officiant!

Back in June, my wonderful friends "A" & "S" were married at the beautiful Pine Manor College just outside of Boston. They had asked me to officiate the wedding several months earlier which was a happy surprise and an enormous honor. I blogged about my officiant journey here and here. 

After receiving my certificate from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I got to work on preparing the wedding ceremony. I found a comprehensive version online, marked it up with my edits and revisions, and then sent it to A & S for their input. After a few rounds of editing, the ceremony script was completed. I then printed the script, formatting it to fit into this white journal. The journal was a nice touch as I didn't want to be fumbling with sheets of paper during the ceremony. 

I memorized the first portion of the ceremony (and practiced countless times in the mirror beforehand!) and then relied on the script in the journal for the remainder. The ceremony went so incredibly well. It was simple, yet personal, with a touch of formality and elegance. I did get a bit teary-eyed as A walked down the aisle...she was beautiful, beaming in fact. Plus, she's got the best apple cheeks I've ever seen. 

(c) HVG
....A donning her dancing shoes.

A and I have been friends for 30 years, after meeting in dance class at the age of three. She is my oldest friend. I have grown up with her and I will grow old with her. And there's nothing better than seeing her start a new chapter of life with S together. Many thanks to A & S for allowing me to participate in their wedding and for allowing me to document my journey here on HVG. 

(c) HVG

Here's to you, A & S! Wishing you many,
many years of love and laughter together.
May life bless you with few tears and
lots of hugs, kisses, and adventures! 

Happy Planning, 

Lizzie

Officially an Officiant....

In June, one of my very best, oldest, and most beautiful friends (let's call her "A") is marrying the love of her life (let's call him "S"). They are having an intimate wedding just outside of Boston and have asked me to officiate the wedding. Needless to say, I am incredibly honored to be able to participate in their wedding on such a personal level. I discussed my enthusiasm and first steps of becoming an officiant in this blog post. 

(c) Hudson Valley Green
Tulips at the New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY

As it turns out, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issues One Day Solemnization Authorization Certificates. This certificate allows me to marry my dear friend and her soon-to-be husband on a specific day and location. Any changes in the wedding date or location voids the certificate. 

Obtaining the certificate is almost too easy; just complete a simple online form and submit the form and a $20 payment online...and that's it. A few days later, I received a very official certificate in the mail, complete with a gold seal (!). 

I am currently in the throes of drafting the actual wedding ceremony. I want it to be simple yet personal, beautiful, and touching. There are several amazing ceremony templates online that I plan to use, tweak, and rewrite to make it my own. And of course, I am getting input from A and S to get their blessing on it. 

As for attire, I have purchased a tasteful slate grey dress (with pockets!!!) from Weddington Way. I plan to wear a cream shawl during the ceremony and some cool feather print shoes. Finding the perfect dress was tricky - I wanted something beautiful but didn't want the dress to compete with A's dress. I wanted to feel comfortable in it since I'll have 80 people staring in my direction. And the pockets are key...not sure if I'll be able to hold back tears during the ceremony and having a place to stash some tissues is crucial! 

More to come about my journey of planning a wedding ceremony so stay tuned...

Happy Planning, 

Lizzie

Becoming an Official Officiant!

One of my closest friends recently got engaged and ended up popping the question to me....no, not that question but the "Will you officiate our wedding?" question which I, of course, answered with a resounding "YES!". Wedding ceremonies are such a intimate celebration of two people's love for each other and to be so involved in the ceremony is truly an honor.

Because so many couples are opting to celebrate their wedding in a secular venue and need more unconventional officiant options, I decided to chronicle my journey of becoming an official officiant here on the HVG blog.

(c) The Life You Love Photography, Rachel & Wayne Wedding

I began my journey of becoming an officiant by conducting a bit of research. I found that I could become an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church which would allow me to perform wedding ceremonies in certain counties and states (I will be performing the ceremony in Boston but more on that to come later...)

Step 1.  Visit the ULC website, click the "Get Ordained Now!" button, and fill out ULC's online form. This consists of populating the name, address, and email address fields. That's it and it's free! Essentially anyone can become an ordained minister of the ULC. From what I can glean from their website, the ULC is a nondenominational organization which has the sole purpose of allowing people to officiate the marriages of their friends (this might not be completely accurate but it's still pretty cool).

Many Town and City Halls require proof of ministry, so I will purchase the official ULC ministry certificate for about $30. The ULC website also offers some very pretty marriage certificates for as little as $5. 

Step 2.  Now that I'm an official minister of the ULC, my next step is to verify that the City of Boston and the State of Massachusetts recognize marriages performed by ULC ministers. It appears as if the City Hall does recognize ULC ministers; if not, I will be able to file for a "One Day Marriage Designation" which will allow me to perform the ceremony.

Steps 3 and 4.  File all necessary paperwork with City Hall and start to plan the ceremony. Planning the ceremony will be the really fun part but more on these two steps to come as the big day gets closer!

Anyone officiate a friend or family's wedding? Please share your advice and/or recommendations! 

Happy Planning, 

Lizzie