Seven Do’s and Dont’s of Writing Wedding Vows

I love weddings. I love everything about them. It is no surprise that I am pretty obsessed with them. What I really love is the wedding ceremony. The time where bride and groom share their love with their closest friends and family, or with just each other. It is really a special and beautiful moment. Typically, bride and grooms exchange a few lovely words with each other. Some couples like to repeat the vows from the officiant, or some like to share their personal vows. What I love the most is the vows that are personally written by the couple. That is the best!

If you are a bride or groom who wants to write their own vows, we got some fabulous tips to help you out.  We asked our amazing friend and officiant, Alan Katz of Great Officiants  to provide us with the do’s and dont’s of writing wedding vows. He gives us some pretty amazing tips, which we think every bride and groom should consider when writing their wedding vows.

1. Do short repeated vows to lead into personalized words. This will give the you and  the guests the lead in to know that it is “vow time”.

2. Don’t write promise vows, “I promise this and that” because no one keeps their vows and also everyone had heard it all before. It is time to be a bit creative and unique.

3. Instead of writing “Vows” write “Your” story. Like any good story, use a beginning, middle,  and end. “when I first met you I felt this way”,”our life together has been this”, “our future is this”. This way, it is a story you know. It comes off more genuine. It shows the passion and emotion of you as a couple.

4. Make vows  similar in length. Set a word or length together so it does not sound lopsided. Make it in first person.

5. Don’t handwrite it. Type it on the computer and print it on to a 4×6 index card so it doesn’t flap in the wind or make crinkle sounds. If you fold it up and stuff it down your top or inside pocket it will really look shabby. Give it to the Officiant prior to the start of the ceremony so they can hand it to you to read.

6. Best way to display your vows? You can print it onto a nice piece of paper and place it in a picture frame. When it it time for your vows the Officiant will hand you the frame and you can read it off the frame. Then place the frame on the cake table for your guests to see, and then you can hang it on your wall at home.  This is an elegant way to do it and allows the vows to be seen and remembered for years to come.

7. Practice your vows a couple times before the ceremony to make sure it flows. When you finally read your feelings to your spouse, your  emotions will tell the story. Your guests will get a bird’s eye insight into your love story and the feelings you share will set the tone for the rest of the wedding.

No matter how you decide to do your vows make them special to you.

Wedding Wednesday: Same Sex Wedding by Great Officiants

On this fabulous Wedding Wednesday, I am thrilled to share an incredible milestone in California.  Two weeks ago on Wednesday, June 26, 2013, The Defense of Marriage Act was found to be unconstitutional. Meaning, the law barring the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages legalized by the states, is unconstitutional. Many had been standing by eagerly waiting for these results. When the results came in,  cheers of victory were heard all around. What a perfect day for this to occur! Wedding Wednesday never looked better. On today’s Wedding Wednesday I wanted to share something very special.  One of the many couples who have been long waiting for this very important decision, finally had the chance to legally marry. This couple had been waiting for thirteen years to stand in front of their friends and family, and share their love. You can imagine the joy and happiness when the results came in. Pure excitement. It makes me happy when two people who love each other can now become married in the state of California. Great news indeed.  Four hours after the decision, this couple was legally married. They were married by Alan Katz of Great Officiants in Long Beach, California.  So in love, that they could not wait to finally be married.

Here is a video of their story:

 

On Wednesday, June 26, 2013 Toni and Carol were legally married.  Happiness, joy, laughter, and all other adjectives describing a good time.  Congrats to the lovely couple! I am totally smiling right now. Yep, smiling from ear to ear. Ah, what a wonderful day indeed. My wedding loving heart is overjoyed and in full gear. Nothing but love here. Wedding Wednesday is amazing! Totally in love.

 

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If you are a couple who has been waiting to get legally married, then do not wait any longer, and head to Long Beach, California and stop by the Great Officiants.  They will issue you a marriage license and perform a ceremony for you.

For more information:

Alan Katz
Presiding Officiant
Great Officiants
www.GreatOfficiants.com
info@GreatOfficiants.com
(855) Wed-Vows  / (855) 933-8697

How to Choose the Right Ceremony Officiant

You have found the perfect guy to marry and spend the rest of your live with.  However, who is going to help you tie the knot, and make it official? Choosing the right ceremony officiant is key to a memorable wedding for you and your guests. So we want to share how to choose the right one. We asked, Alan Katz, Presiding Officiant of Great Officiantsto tell us all the details of choosing the right ceremony officiant.

Here is what Alan shared with us:

Choosing who will officiate your wedding is essential to making wedding dreams come true. Choosing the wrong one can spell disaster. Having a friend do your ceremony may sound cool, but most times it turns out less than satisfactory. There are many nuances both legal and practical that have to be contended with.

Choose a professional Wedding Officiant to perform your wedding.

These are a few questions to ask to ensure that you are getting the right Officiant.

Can you customize the ceremony?

A great Officiant should work with you to customize your ceremony. Putting in the elements you want and taking out the parts that don’t apply.

Can we do a religious or non-religious ceremony?

The Officiants job is to design a ceremony that echo’s the belief system of the couple. If they are unwilling to bend, then find another one.

Do you have sample wording/ceremonies/readings?

A professional Officiant should have ceremony samples ready to review with you.

Is Counseling required?

If you are getting married in a Church then counseling is usually required. If you hired an independent Officiant most do not. If you feel you need counseling, choose a licensed marriage and family therapist, not an Officiant.

Are you known and respected in the Wedding industry?

The best way to check out an Officiant is to look for reviews. The Knot, Wedding Wire and Yelp are great credible resources. Read their reviews. The one with the most reviews is usually the best for a reason. Ask what wedding associations they belong to.

Do you have back up in case you are sick?

Select a company with multiple Officiants to choose from. This way in the event of sickness there is always a backup.

Will you marry us if we are of different faiths or if we have been divorced or are the Same Sex?

A professional Officiant should not judge a couple based upon their lifestyle or belief. They should honor all adult couples who wish to be wed. If they do not honor all couples seek another Officiant.

Would you allow another Officiant to take part in the ceremony?

These days many couples are of mixed faiths and bringing in multiple Officiants is common place (although more expensive).

Can we choose special readings or music?

It is Your Wedding, it should be your way.

Will you give a sermon during the ceremony?

A wedding ceremony is no place for a sermon; it is a place to celebrate love. It can be enhanced by your beliefs. If you want a sermon do it in a church.

Do you issue the Marriage License?

Some Officiants are specialized Notaries for the County to issue Marriage Licenses. If they do not, they should be able guide you on how to get yours.

Will you participate in the rehearsal?

The rehearsal is an important part of the process. If needed they should be there.

Are there any restrictions as to our attire, or our bridal party’s attire?

Don’t ever let an Officiant dictate the rules of the ceremony. It is your decision alone. You can also recommend what their attire should be.

Will you allow flash photography allowed during the ceremony?

You want your photographer to capture your special day, the Officiant should do what’s necessary to ensure they get the perfect shot! Ask them to step aside out of frame for the final kiss.

Will you wear a mic if the videographer requires one to capture the ceremony?

The audio in your video is absolutely essential. Insist they work with the videographer as needed.

Remember, it is your ceremony do it your way.

 

For any questions, you can contact:

Alan Katz
Presiding Officiant
Great Officiants
www.GreatOfficiants.com
info@GreatOfficiants.com
(855) Wed-Vows  / (855) 933-8697

How to Get a Marriage License

You got the groom, the dress, the venue, and all the other fabulous wedding details to have the most perfect day. All those details are wonderful and fun, and you can not wait to see it all come together. But do you have a marriage license? With all the fun of planning a wedding, sometimes couples may forget the one item that is needed to legally be married. Without a marriage license, you can not be announced Mr. and Mrs. So, just before you check off all the wedding items off your list, make sure to add, “get a marriage license”. So how do you get one?

We asked, Alan Katz, Presiding Officiant of Great Officiantsto tell us how to get a marriage license.  Alan Katz is a well known officiant who serves Southern California. He has a local wedding chapel and provides a marriage license service.

Here is what Alan shared with us:

In order to be legally married you must first obtain a marriage License. This is your permission to get married. There are 2 types of marriage licenses Public and Confidential. Both are equally valid forms of your marriage record.

Public:

  • You can get from any county clerk’s office in California and get married anywhere in California;
  • You need one or two witness to sign the license
  • The Marriage Record is recorded and made available to the public. Anyone can access these records.

Confidential:

  • You must state you are living together as a couple;
  • You have to get married in the county where the license is issued
  • No witnesses are required
  • The Marriage record is recorded but is confidential and is only available to the two married parties.

There are two ways to get obtain a Marriage License.

1.     Go to the County Clerk’s office and stand in line for up to an hour and a half and obtain your license. Most are open Monday thru Friday from 830am to 3pm. You must apply online for LA and OC before you go down.

2.     If you are getting married in LA County… You can utilize an LA County approved specialized notary service that issues licenses on their behalf. They can either issue it to you at their offices or deliver it to you personally.

You will need to bring a valid ID such as a Driver’s License, State ID card or Passport.They must be current and not expired. If in the last two years you were previously married or in a domestic partnership, a copy of your divorce decree, annulment decree or death certificate or SDRP termination will be required. No blood tests are required.

Once you obtain the Marriage license you have 90 days from the issue date to get married.

Each county has their own prices and hours. Check their websites.

Here are the links to the Local County Clerk’s Office to apply on line:

Los Angeles County https://lavote.net/SECURED/MARRIAGE/mrglicense.asp

Orange County https://cr.ocgov.com/marriageappointment/

Here is a local service that issues the LA County Confidential Marriage license outside of the clerk’s office http://greatofficiants.com/marriagelicense

Try to get your license about a month before your ceremony. Remember it is illegal to get married without a marriage license.

Alan Katz from GreatOfficiants.com runs a local wedding chapel and marriage license service and provides Wedding Officiants for ceremonies across So Cal.

For more information and questions please contact:

Alan Katz
Presiding Officiant
Great Officiants
www.GreatOfficiants.com
info@GreatOfficiants.com
(855) Wed-Vows  / (855) 933-8697