What is the procedure for obtaining a Marriage License?
The city of Concord has a very informative webpage that answers all of the pertinent questions about the Marriage License Application Process.
Check it out to get the most frequently asked questions answered, and please remember that this is the Concord, NH page - you do NOT need to go to Concord to obtain your license. You can get it in any city or town in the state.
How far in advance should we book our JP or Celebrant?
I recommend booking your Justice of the Peace as soon as possible. Even up to a year in advance is not too soon. Doing it sooner rather than later gives you a chance to interview a few different JPs, and gives you the time to choose someone you feel comfortable with. Although I prefer to be contacted early, I am not opposed to working with you if you contact me on relatively short notice.
What sets you apart from other JPs and Celebrants? Why should we choose you to perform our Marriage?
There are many excellent Justices of the Peace and Wedding Officiants in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine so, although it's difficult to answer this question, I'll try to offer some points that distinguish me from other Officiants:
•First, my fees are reasonable, and there are no hidden fees or extra expenses like travel fees to contend with as long as your ceremony is in the
towns I serve - the fees you see on my home page are the fees you pay.
•Second, having a Wedding Ceremony Coordinator available that will accompany me to rehearsals/ceremonies on request is a big plus. Many of my couples comment on how helpful it was to have someone coordinate their rehearsal and wedding ceremony.
•Third, I am a very involved JP. Even if it is just a simple, short marriage ceremony, I believe that my role involves more than just performing the ceremony. As soon as I arrive my work starts. Before the wedding ceremony begins, I make sure that your DJ or Musician(s) know all of their cues, and I review the ceremony with your Photographer so s/he can get the best shots possible. I make sure the Best Man, Maid of Honor, and anyone else who has a role to play knows what they need to do and when. I'll answer any last minute questions you have. Basically, I help in any way I can.
•Also, although it may not seem like a big point, my couples like the fact that I don't rush through their wedding ceremony. My style is more laid back - I take my time, and let you know what to do and say every step of the way so that you can just relax and enjoy every minute of your wedding.
•Finally, I believe the most important things are sometimes intangible. Knowing that you have an experienced, professional Wedding Officiant who enjoys what he does, who's main goal is to make your wedding day enjoyable for you, and with whom you can feel relaxed, is worth its weight in gold!
Do you have any testimonials?
I'm not really a big fan of soliciting testimonials from my couples, and it is a little too easy for vendors to "game" the wedding review sites, so I don't ask my couples to visit sites to write reviews for me, but I do enjoy what the business site Yelp* calls "organic" testimonials... unsolicited testimonials like the ones on The Knot, Google, and Weddingwire...
The Knot (scroll down a bit to reveal the reviews)
If you'd like to read more testimonials, you can find them at our Blue Sky Weddings Site. Some of those come from the years I was just beginning my JP career, the early 2000's, when we use to request that our couples give us strategic reviews of our strengths and weaknesses, but most come from the many Thank You Cards we receive.
Can we see you perform a ceremony?
Absolutely! In the following video you can see for yourself a wedding ceremony performed by me, JP John, and choreographed by Cathy at the beautiful Three Chimneys Inn in Durham, NH. The wonderful couple (Eliot & Heather) had their wedding videotaped and were so thrilled with the ceremony and all the proceedings that they have allowed us to share it with other couples so that those couples can have the advantage of seeing us, and one of our ceremonies, before choosing us for their big day.
Notice how smoothly the wedding ceremony goes - from the processional march to the Bride's father handing her off to the Groom - from the passing of the bouquet, to the reading - from the ring exchange to the recessional march. Also, notice how relaxed the couple is, and how they are thoroughly enjoying their ceremony along with their wedding party! All of this is a result of how we work with our couples to help them plan and create the perfect wedding ceremony for them. It also demonstrates the importance of a rehearsal especially for more involved weddings.
I could go on about what we did in order to have this ceremony go so smoothly, but I'll resist that temptation and just say that we usually go over all that when we meet with our couples. I wish the audio had been of slightly better quality, but you can still get a pretty good idea of our style. Also, you can hear some of the groomsmen having some fun amongst themselves especially at the beginning of the ceremony - boys will be boys! Enjoy!...