Unique, Extraordinary Ceremonies
Your wedding day is the most important day of your life as a couple.
There are only a few occasions in life that are truly momentous. Your wedding is one of those very special times that deserve a ceremony as unique and extraordinary as the people involved. Your wedding ceremony should reflect you and your beliefs. Together we will create a special wedding ceremony that honors and focuses on the union and love between the two of you. You will have the opportunity to add as many personal verses, poems or readings as you wish. Family members can be involved by asking them to participate in any of the ceremonies listed below.
Typically, a ceremony format includes Opening Words, Reading, Expression of Vows, Blessing and Exchange of Rings, and the Pronouncement of Marriage. I honor all ceremonial traditions, non-denominational, spiritual, religious, interfaith or civil and can incorporate any family customs into your wedding ceremony.
Optional Ceremonies
| Blessing of the Rings | The wedding ring is the visible sign of an inward bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows made to one another. It symbolizes living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives. |
| Breaking of the Glass | The breaking of the glass at the end of a wedding ceremony usually is reserved for Jewish ceremonies. However, it is a beautiful ending to any wedding. The breaking of this glass serves as a reminder of the sanctity of marriage, and that the love of the bride and groom should last for as long as it would take to make the glass perfectly whole again. It also signifies the last time (the groom) gets to "put his foot down". |
| Love Letter & Wine Box Ceremony |
Bride & Groom have chosen to perform a Love Letter & Wine Box ceremony. For those of you who have never seen this before, this box contains a bottle of wine and a love letter from each to the other. The letters describe the good qualities they find in one another, the reasons they fell in love, and their hopes for their future together. The letters are sealed in individual envelopes and they have not seen what the other has written. Should the bride & groom find their marriage facing hardships, they will open this box, sit and drink the wine together, then read the letters they wrote to one another to be reminded of the reasons why they are together. The hope is, however, that the bride & groom will never have a reason to open this box. And if this is the case, they are to open this box to share and enjoy on their 5th year wedding anniversary, replenish and open on their 10th anniversary, and so on. |
| Rose Ceremony | The Bride and Groom give each other a red rosebud. The Rose Ceremony is performed at the end of the ceremony just "after" being pronounced husband and wife. The rose is considered a symbol of love and a single rose always means only one thing "I love you." So it is appropriate that for your first gift - as wife and husband - that gift would be a single rosebud. |
| Sand Ceremony | Two separate bottles of sand symbolize the separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends. They represent all that you are and all that you'll ever be as an individual. As the two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be." |
| Tying of the Knot | Hand Fasting is a betrothal or wedding ritual in which the couple’s clasped hands are tied together by a cord or ribbon, hence the phrase “tying the knot”. The tying of the hands may be done by the officiant of the ceremony, or by the wedding guests. |
| Unity Candle Ceremony | Two candles symbolize the separate friends, families and lives. The bride and groom each light a candle and together light a third candle. Lighting a third candle represents two lives joining together as one light, which represents the joining of families, friends and their lives as one. |
| PRE-Cruise Weddings | Some couples have asked to be married before their honeymoon cruise, since there are only two cruise lines that you can legally get married onboard the ship by the Captain. It is important to note that time is limited onboard to marry prior to the ship departing. The ceremony may also be performed just before you board or in one of the scenic wedding locations of your choice in South Florida. |
| Renewal of Vows | A vow renewal is of the same importance, if not more, and is just as wonderful as the initial ceremony. This is a great way to remind a couple why they continue the journey of life together. |
Obtaining a Marriage License
Issuance
Applicant must be eighteen (18) years old to obtain a marriage license. Sixteen (16), and Seventeen (17), year old must have both parents’ consent. If you are younger, parent's consent/consent of a County Judge, and proven pregnancy may apply, depending on the age and situation. Both applicants must appear in person at the time of application.Identification
Each applicant will need one of the following forms of identification:- Driver’s License
- Federal or State Identification card or
- Passport showing your name and date of birth
- There is no residence or citizenship requirement
- Birth certificate or green cards are NOT acceptable
- A blood test is not required
Prior Marriages
If either party was married before, the manner in which the marriage ended, and the exact date, month and year the marriage ended, is required. A copy of a death certificate or Final Decree of Divorce, Dissolution or Annulment is not required.Time Limit
The license must be used within sixty (60) days from the "effective date". Below is the effective date criteria:- If both parties are Florida residents they can both attend a premarital class and present certification of the attendance to the clerk at the time of application. There is no waiting period. If no class is attended, there is a three (3) day waiting period (from the date of issue), before the marriage ceremony may take place. This class must be taken through an authorized provider. Original certificate of completion is required at time of application.
- If only one of the applicants is a Florida resident and the Florida resident takes the course, there is no waiting period.
- If both parties are out of state residents, there is no waiting period.
Solemnization
A marriage may be performed by regularly ordained clergy, judiciary, State of Florida notaries, the Clerk of the Circuit Court, and Deputy Clerks.Cost
The cost of a license if $93.50. The exception is if both parties are Florida residents, have both provided proof of a premarital class, the cost is then $61.00. There will be a three (3) day delay in the effective date of the marriage license for Florida residents who fail to present a completion certificate.Recording of License
After the marriage, the license must be returned, within ten (10) days, to the marriage license section, where it will then be recorded in the Official Records. Until that license is received, there is no record of the marriage. After recordation, a certified copy will be returned to the newlyweds, by mail. The original license is sent to the OFFICE OF VITAL STATISTICS in Tallahassee. The process takes approximately 2-6 weeks.Clerk's Office Locations and Hours
Visit www.mypalmbeachclerk.com
