NH Justice of the Peace Wedding Journal

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!

The Kingston VFW is right on Route 125 in Kingston, NH, but someone better tell Google and my GPS, because neither was able to get me there Saturday. And, unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one who had a problem finding it – so did some of the guests. As a result of those guests not arriving on time, the ceremony started a little late. As an aside, when I stopped to ask for directions along the way, the person I asked just happened to be a bridesmaid from one of the ceremonies I had performed the day before. What were the odds of that? Despite the late start, it was a wonderful, sweet wedding ceremony. Best wishes to Cindy & Jason!

Great Island Common in New Castle has to be one of my favorite places to perform ceremonies, and I’m doing a lot there this year, so you’ll see a lot of posts about it. Did one this past Saturday. It was a beautiful day, and the Common was about as crowded as I’ve ever seen it – and, as is usually the case, it was still not all that crowded. The ceremony was spiritual in nature, and featured the Lord’s Prayer. Best to Jack & Tracy!

Performed two ceremonies at Three Chimneys Inn in Durham, NH this past weekend – one in the Upper Garden, the other in the Lower Garden. One featured a Sand Ceremony, while the other featured a Unity Candle Ceremony with the Parents involved. Both were great ceremonies. Mother Nature behaved herself, and provided light winds for the Unity Candle lighting. Only glitch… one of the honor attendants forgot the ring – luckily, she realized it just before the ceremony officially started, and I was able to call a quick time out while the Best Man retrieved it. All’s well that end well! Congrats to Emma & Ryan and Courtney & Brandon!

Performed a ceremony in Goffstown, NH this past Sunday. The couple came in from San Diego to be with their family and friends. Congrats Robynne & Steve!

What a beautiful evening for a beach wedding on Saturday! The couple drew a large heart in the sand, and I performed the marriage as they stood in the heart. They also had a trellis transported to the beach. The groom’s son played guitar music for the prelude. The tide was coming in and, if we had started the ceremony much later, it would have impeded upon the ceremony site. Luckily, we finished in time and we all stayed dry! This was a great site for a ceremony. It’s located just across the bridge from  the Lobster Pound Harborside Restaurant in York, Maine. The groom is familiar with the area and said it is rarely crowded there, which makes it an ideal site for a wedding. Best Wishes to Richard & Karen!

Performed a ceremony at Castleton in Windham, NH Friday. Also helped with the rehearsal the evening before. It was a beautiful evening, and you can’t beat the view of Cobbetts Pond from the ceremony site. Congrats Jeremy & Ashley!