Frequently Asked Questions
Virginia allows individuals between the ages of sixteen and eighteen to be married with parental consent.
Witnesses are not required in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
No blood test is required.
Yes. The Commonwealth of Virginia does issue marriage licenses for same sex marriages and I would be pleased to serve as your officiant.
A license for marriage in Virginia is issued by the clerk of a circuit court in any county or city in the Commonwealth. The ceremony need not be performed in the issuing county or city, but may be performed anywhere in Virginia.
A license, once issued, is valid for sixty days.
A fee of $30 is charged by the clerk of court.
No, you may be married immediately after receiving your license.
You can have anyone you wish perform a non-legal ceremony while I witness it. At the conclusion of your ceremony I will take you aside and ask you to proclaim your intention to take each other in marriage. Even though it may be done in private, this public declaration allows me to make the pronouncement that will now make you legally married. I will then be able to sign and file your license with the proper authority. If this is something you are interested in get in touch with me and we can discuss the particulars further.
No! Contact any circuit court for regulations concerning marriage between individuals when one or both are not U.S. citizens.
Yes! I must verify that you have a license for the marriage to be legal. If I do not know you, both of you must also bring identification to the wedding.
Nothing. It is the my responsibility to complete the license and return it to the court where it was first issued within 5 days of the ceremony.
It is up to you. All that is legally required in the way of vows is that each party must state that he or she accepts the other in marriage. Most ceremonies take between fifteen and twenty minutes, but it depends entirely upon what you choose to include.
You may choose to have any type of ceremony you like. You might want to write your own vows but should not feel that you have to do so in order to have a personalized ceremony. I will develop the ceremony especially for you.
I will arrive twenty to thirty minutes before a wedding that has had a rehearsal, and between thirty and forty five minutes ahead for a wedding with no rehearsal. I am careful to book each wedding with enough time in between to allow for running late. I will be available for up to one hour from the agreed upon starting time.
You would be surprised at how many brides have called me a few days before their wedding in a panic because their celebrants at the last moment could not perform their ceremony! I understand that you are dependant upon me for this event to take place and recognize the time and expense you have invested. I do reserve the right to not perform a ceremony at my discretion however, it is not my intention to cancel unless some catastrophic event in my life occurs or for health or safety reasons I am prevented from being there. If this becomes the case, although I am under no obligation to do so, I will make every reasonable effort to find you another celebrant.
That is entirely up to you. If invited, and if my schedule allows, I may be able to attend. However, do not feel obligated to invite me. I realize that for catered events, the hosts must pay for each person in attendance.
There is no specific booking requirement. I can perform weddings with as little as a twenty four hour notice and since some people would rather save the money they would have spent on a formal wedding by eloping, I am happy to work to make even last minute ceremonies special. If, however, you are booking a venue and inviting out of town guests, it is wise to book as far in advance as possible.
No, you are under no obligation until the day of the event. I only ask that if you postpone or reschedule you give me enough notice to free the date for someone else.
If it is a formal event, and the men are all wearing tuxedos, I will also be wearing a tuxedo unless specifically asked not to do so, in which case I will be wearing a dark suit. Please do not feel that ordering a boutonniere for me is necessary.
If it is a semi formal affair I will be wearing an appropriate suit. In any case, I do not ever wear judges or religious robes.
Tipping is a matter of personal preference. It is a token of appreciation for a service rendered, or given as a way of thanking someone for a job well done or for good service. For this reason a gratuity is always welcomed but never required.