I can't marry you,
but I can certainly officiate your wedding!
As a Civil Officiant, I
am authorized by law to celebrate the rites of marriage by the 20th Judicial
Circuit Court of Virginia in Fauquier County, for the Commonwealth of Virginia,
at large. That is, if you choose me to officiate your wedding, I may
perform the ceremony for you anywhere in the entire Commonwealth of Virginia.
Virginia is for Lovers
is the slogan of
our Commonwealth!
Couples who wish to marry
in Virginia may obtain a marriage license at any circuit court (civil
division) in the Commonwealth of Virginia. You don't have to be a resident
of Virginia to be married in Virginia and there's currently no waiting period
in our beautiful state. Of course, you do have to be of legal age which is 18,
or no younger than 16 with parental consent. Virginia does not
require a blood test.
To obtain a marriage license in Virginia, the couple must appear together at
the Clerk’s office with proper photo identification, complete an application
for the license, and pay the current fee for the license. (As of January 2011,
the fee for a marriage license in Virginia remains $30.00; however, other fees
may apply, depending on jurisdiction). If one or both individuals who wish to
marry are under age 18, the parent(s) of the under age person(s) must appear
with them at the Clerk’s office to give consent.
A marriage license in Virginia is valid for sixty (60) days from the date on
the license. If you wait one day too long to use the license, the license
becomes invalid and you must re-apply for the license at the circuit
court and pay the fee again.
So, if you think you're ready to marry your beloved and you think I'm the one
to officiate, or, you simply have questions that I may be able to answer about
a civil ceremony, feel free to call me at (540) 349-4773 or send an email to RoseMarie. I am happy to do my best to
accommodate same day weddings and just as happy to schedule your event in
advance of that special day.
If you require services apart from the actual ceremony such
as special vows, appearing for a rehearsal, meeting(s)
prior to rehearsal, designing and printing
invitations, mailing lists, etc.,
additional charges apply.
Caveat Emptor (that's Latin
y'all, for Buyer Beware!):
§ 20-25. Persons other
than ministers who may perform rites.
Any circuit court judge may
issue an order authorizing one or more persons, resident in the circuit in
which the judge sits, to celebrate the rites of marriage in the Commonwealth.
Any person so authorized shall, before acting, enter into bond in the penalty
of $500, with or without surety, as the court may direct. Any order made under
this section may be rescinded at any time.
Any judge or justice of a court
of record, any judge of a district court or any retired judge or justice of the
Commonwealth or any active, senior or retired federal judge or justice who is a
resident of the Commonwealth may celebrate the rites of marriage anywhere in
the Commonwealth without the necessity of bond or order of authorization. (Code
1919, § 5080; 1938, c. 152; 1981, c. 295; 1981, Sp. Sess., c. 15; 1983, c. 64;
1985, c. 195; 1987, c. 149; 2003, c. 228; 2004, cc. 612, 680.)
Note: Civil Officiants may
charge for round trip travel at the current mileage rate allowance authorized
by the current Appropriations Act of Virginia.
MARRIAGE IN VIRGINIA
For additional information
regarding marriage, see Marriage in
Virginia, published by the Virginia State Bar. It's an excellent read for
any couple, married, or planning to marry, in Virginia.
For confirmation or verification of the contents of the information of this page, please contact the Circuit Court in which you desire to be married.
HERE ARE SOME FAQS
Below are answers to questions I'm frequently asked:
Can a Virginia Officiant perform our ceremony
in DC or some other state than Virginia?
Unless the Officiant is specifically authorized
by a court in the state you wish to marry, no.
Virginia Officiants may only perform marriage ceremonies in Virginia.
Can we use a license from another state to
marry in Virginia?
No. To marry in Virginia, you must first obtain
a marriage license through any circuit court in Virginia.
Are Civil Officiants clergy?
Civil Officiants are appointed by the circuit
court and are not usually ordained ministers.
Is a Civil Officiant the same as a Justice of
the Peace?
No. A Justice of the Peace has authority to perform
other legal services that a Civil Officiant may not.
Is a Civil Officiant the same as a Notary
Public?
No. In Virginia, unless a Civil Officiant is
already a Notary Public, the Officiant may not perform notary services.
Likewise, Notaries Public in Virginia can not perform marriage ceremonies.
If we want a religious ceremony, can we still
be married by a Civil Officiant?
Yes. There are a few statements that must
be included in any wedding ceremony performed in Virginia, however,
other than those required, it's your wedding and you can have the ceremony the
way you want it.
Are wedding rings required for us to get
married?
Nope! Rings are not required.
Is it legal to tip a Civil Officiant?
Actually, it is if it has not been solicited by the Officiant, but it's not
required.
Do we have to get married in the same county
where we get our marriage license?
No. You can obtain your marriage license anywhere in the Commonwealth of
Virginia and use it to get married
anywhere in the state.
How long do we have to wait to get married
after we get our license?
You only have to wait as long as it takes the Clerk to hand it back to you!
Yep, you can get married that quickly
after you get your license and have someone to perform the deed for you.
How many witnesses do we have to have at our
wedding?
In Virginia, the only people required to be at your wedding are the bride,
groom, and the person officiating the wedding.
How long is the wedding ceremony?
It depends on how you want your ceremony and
the person officiating the wedding. Literally, the actual ceremony can
take as few as 5 minutes up to as long as it takes to include all the things
you've requested to have in it, if anything.
Some people elaborate the ceremony with a variety of mini-ceremonies within the
main ceremony. Two such mini-ceremonies
are the Unity Candle ceremony and the Unity Sand ceremony. Some people include
a recorded song or something sung
by a family member or friend, others have music played live or recorded, some
have the Officiant or a family member
or friend read a poem.
Do we have to have a ring bearer, best man,
maid of honor, bridesmaids and groomsmen?
No. As noted above, the only people required to be at your wedding are the groom,
the bride, and the Officiant.
What does "at large" mean?
"At Large" basically means for the entire area for which one is
authorized. In my case, for the entire state of Virginia.
Is same sex marriage legal in Virginia?
No. At this time, Virginia defines marriage as between a man and woman.
Can we include our dog in our wedding
ceremony?
Yes, you can. It’s YOUR wedding. I've done
weddings in which one couple's dog trotted down the aisle in a frilly dress;
another's Chihuahua wore a tuxedo!
Do we have to dress up for our wedding?
Of course not; it's YOUR wedding. Some people
enjoy very formal weddings while others prefer to marry in jeans.
It's your choice.
What kinds of weddings have you done?
I've performed many kinds of weddings and have
enjoyed them all. Some include very serious, very formal weddings,
Halloween costume weddings, jeans weddings, casual and dressy weddings, western
attire weddings, biker weddings
complete with riding attire and motorcycles, picnic weddings, (Asian) Indian
attire weddings, and most recently,
a semi-"surprise"-wedding, among others.
This list will grow as new and different
questions are asked. If you have a question about getting married in Virginia,
feel free to send an email to RoseMarie and we'll try to
get an answer for you.
The information herein is provided as a courtesy, as is, and without warranty
of any kind. The author of this web site is not an attorney
and does not play one on TV or in real life.
