Frequently Asked Questions

Religious Issues

• Will you marry us if we are of different faiths?     Yes
• Will you marry us if one of us is not religious?      Yes
• Will you marry us if one or both of us have been previously divorced?   Yes
• Do you require pre-marital or religious counseling before getting married?       No
• Would you allow another Officiant (possibly of a different religion or a relative) to take part in the ceremony?     Yes - we'd be honored to.

Wedding Vows

• Are we allowed to write our own wedding vows or to modify the ones from you?        Yes

Readings

• Are there any restrictions on the types of readings that can be used?    No     
• Can we use contemporary readings or are they required to be religious or scripture readings?           Yes: you may choose any readings or skip this altogether.

Ceremony Music

• Are there any restrictions on the type of music that can be played?      No
• Can we use contemporary songs?   Yes
• Can we bring our own musicians?    Yes

Wedding Attire

• Are there any restrictions on wedding attire?        No
• What will you wear? Typically a suit; most anything decent on request.

Photography

• Are there any restrictions on photography? No: However, some churches may limit or may not allow flash photography. Various locations may have restrictions on where the photographer may and may not stand – please check with them.
• Is it permissible to videotape the ceremony? Are there any restrictions for the videographer? See above.

Decor

• Are there any items or decorations that would be included? Such as candles, candelabras or pew decorations?   No – these are optional.
• Are we allowed to throw rice or birdseed outside the church? What about rose petals or bubbles?      Yes – but please check with the location.

Process

• What about the timing and logistics of obtaining the marriage license?
• You and your future spouse must obtain a marriage license. This usually costs $110 from the county government office and it takes them around 5 business days to mail it to you.  Please allow sufficient time for you to receive this.  You apply for the license at least 2 weeks prior to the wedding date; licenses are valid for 6 months.
• What happens if it rains? It gets wet! You may want to think of this contingency and have a backup place. We'll be there 30 minutes before the ceremony time and can start as late as 30 minutes after ceremony time, after that, we probably need to get going.
• What is your fee? Please see the services page. for most weddings in the Twin Cities – if you require our presence over 1 hour (the wedding usually takes 20 minutes, assuming it is not delayed by say,  a missing groom J). Travel is calculated at $1 / mile when traveling outside Metro Twin Cities, Ames, IA or Milwaukee. There are no other fees.
• Anything else we need to know? When I come on site, I will require the bride and groom’s IDs to make sure we marry the right people J, the marriage license and the fee.