Author: NH Justice of the Peace John Scuto

Performed a wedding in Portsmouth at Prescott Park last Saturday. We were located in the northeast section of the park – a place in which I had never performed a ceremony. The Bride and her bridesmaids came rolling in on the trolley! There were around 90 invited guests, and we drew quite a large crowd from those in the Park! Laurie Mantegari of Everyday Details Professional Event Planning did a superb job helping to coordinate the rehearsal and ceremony. Best Wishes to Chris & Meaghan!

Rye Harbor State Park was the site of a small wedding with a few of the couple’s family and friends that I performed last Saturday afternoon. Congratulations Joe & Krista!

Performed a small ceremony at a home in Dover on Saturday. The ceremony was held by the pool, and we all jumped in after the pronouncement of marriage! (no, not really… we did discuss it, as it was a very warm day, but reason ruled the day and we all stayed dry) Congrats Eric & Tanya!

Performed a wedding at Hidden Hollow Farm in East Kingston on Saturday. The Bride came in on a horse-drawn carriage, and the ceremony took place in front of one of the horse barns. The groom was a little late, and it was a very warm day, but the wedding was enjoyed by all! Best to Savanna & Jorge!

The Derry-Salem Elks Lodge was the scene for a great wedding I performed this past Saturday. I hadn’t been to the place since I DJ’ed way back in the day – it brought back some memories! We were upstairs in the larger reception area. The bride and groom presented charm bracelets to their children right after their ring exchange – a very nice touch! Best wishes to Michelle & Rob!

This past Friday, I performed a ceremony upstairs at the Portsmouth Gaslight Company. It featured a very cool Beer Ritual. This ceremony was the first I had ever done at the Gaslight which, it turns out, is a very nice place for a more relaxed, informal type of ceremony. Congratulations Laurie & Mark!

Ordinarily, because of the crowds, I like to stay away from Hampton Beach on the 4th of July. This 4th was different however! The couple had originally planned to be married in an elopement ceremony at Wallis Sands State Beach but, because of the rainy weather, and no shelter at Wallis Sands, they shifted the site to Hampton. They somehow got the band at the Sea Shell Stage (say that five times fast) to let them get married on stage! So, yes, a private elopement turned into a very public wedding! Despite the rain, there were quite a few people at the beach that night, and many of them watched, and took pictures and videos, as I performed the ceremony. (I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re on YouTube today – I’ll have to check). So, that was quite an experience – it’s a good thing I don’t have stage fright! Congratulations Christina & Jim!

Performed two weddings at New Castle Common this past weekend. One on Thursday (an elopement) and one on Friday. They were connected in a strange (but lucky) way. Thursday had been very unsettled with thunderstorms most of the day. As I waited for the couple in my car, in the rain, I thought for sure we would have to use the pavilion for the ceremony. But, as if in a movie script, the rain stopped just as the couple got there, and we were able to have the ceremony on the grass, by the ocean, just as the couple wanted. Now, it was still thundering and lightening at the time, and I have to admit, I was getting a bit nervous as the ceremony went on but… love conquers all, and I figured if the couple didn’t mind, neither did I. Just as an aside – a wedding in a thunderstorm is mucho romantic! Friday’s ceremony was almost the exact opposite… it had been a relatively nice day until the couple got to the Common – and the weather went downhill pretty fast from there. Still, it didn’t start to rain until we were just about done with the ceremony. So, luck was definitely on our side this weekend! Best wishes to Josh & Alicia and Adrianna & Thomas!

Couples marrying in Kingston, Kensington, East Kingston, NH; Newbury, West Newbury, Newburyport, MA; or York, Me get 15 – 25% off selected services if they book in July!

This was an experience! Now, I performed a wedding ceremony at the top of the Rear Range Light in Newburyport earlier this year, but that was inside the cabin at the top, so I figured this would be about the same thing. Not so much… My couple wanted to get married at the top, outside, on the deck. And, the railing up there is kind of sparse, and it was windy. On top of all that, I’m not that fond of heights. So, this was probably the scariest (for me) ceremony I’ve ever had to perform. Nevertheless, like the postman, nothing stops me on my appointed rounds! Anything for my couples! (well, almost anything…) This was a beautiful, spiritual ceremony. The couple wrote their own vows. And you could almost feel the spirit of God present in the moment. They had come from Virginia, and chosen this unique spot in New Hampshire to begin their life together. This ceremony also featured probably the most precarious ring situation I’ve ever had the pleasure of participating in. Briefly, if either of the rings were dropped, they would have rolled off the deck, and fallen to the rocks below, most likely never to have been found again. And yes, it was my responsibility to hand the rings to the couple during the ceremony. Thanks Will & Tamara, for probably the most exciting wedding ceremony experience I’ve ever had. And best wishes to you!