Many couples decide to have their wedding ceremony officiated by a Justice of the Peace rather than by clergy.There could be many reasons for this...second marriage, difference in religious beliefs between the bride and groom, the wish of the couple to have a specifically themed ceremony that the clergy person may not be able to or chooses not to accommodate.
The key to hiring a good JP is to find one that you and your partner feel comfortable with...this is something that you must be able to feel the very first time you meet.The JP should be willing to meet with you both at least a couple of times before the ceremony.You should come to know your chosen JP on a somewhat personal basis.You may be surprised how close you can come to feel to the person who is going to share in one of the happiest days of your lives.When you have a good relationship with your JP you are going to be able to relax.You are going to enjoy your wedding more.You trust that your JP is there to make sure that the ceremony is going to be just the way that you want it to be.
You are free to dress the way that you want whether it be gown, tuxedo, jeans or leather.you choose!You can hold the ceremony in your back yard with a barbecue to follow for your 25 guests or at the exclusive Inn down the road and serve fillet Mignon at your reception of 200 people. It is your day and you have hired a JP who is flexible and is willing to work with you in regards to the ceremony of your choice.
To start your search of a professional JP you can look in your local telephone book or online.Once you have a list of Justices that may be available to you, call each one and ask to have an interview with him or her.If the JP says that they will not be able to interview with you, hang up...quickly!You do not want to hire a JP that does not have the time to meet with you and get to know you a bit before performing your ceremony.
When you meet with the JP, whether at your home or their home or office, let him or her ask the questions first.Is he or she asking you questions like, how long have you been together, how did you meet?These may seem like very personal questions to you but relax; the JP is merely trying to get to know you both a little better.The JP may be trying to find little things about your relationship that he or she can add to your ceremony in order to make it designed just for you two.This little added service is something that you should expect from any professional JP.It is the little things like this that make the great JP stand out from the so-so JP.
Now is the time for you to ask your questions such as, how long have you been performing wedding ceremonies?Do you have referrals?What will happen if you should get sick or have a family emergency the day of our wedding, will we be expected to find a replacement or will you provide a replacement for us?When should we make our final payment to you?
Now here are some answers that you should be able to expect from your questions:
Referrals should never be a problem for a professional JP and they should be happy to give you at least several phone numbers.
In the case of illness or other emergency, hopefully the JP that you have your heart set on belongs to some sort of organization, association or at the very least has some sort of arrangement with another JP that he or she will be available to step in seamlessly and without any further stress to the couple.
In regards to the fee, it is best to have the fee paid up before the day of the ceremony...reason being that because the wedding day is going to be very hectic and probably the last thing that you are going to have on your mind is whether or not your JP got paid.I recommend that you either send your JP a check approximately one week before the ceremony or, if you are having a rehearsal, hand the final payment to your JP then.This will make everyone much happier, especially your JP.
Justices of the Peace are not available in every state so you will need to check to find out if the JP is available in your state.
In conclusion, hiring a JP for your wedding SHOULD be a big deal and it should be handled with much more care than just picking a number out of a phone book or picking one off the internet just because he or she lives the closet to you.Find a JP that you have a warm and fuzzy feeling about, one that is willing to go the extra mile for you, one that stands out as being exceptional!
The author is a New Hampshire State Appointed Justice of the Peace and the Founder of the only Organization for Justices of the Peace in NH, the NH Justices of the Peace A-List Organization, the NHJPA. The NHJPA has been in existence since 2007 and currently has 20 highly professional members and is growing at a steady pace. Our members have a strict Code of Ethics that they must adhere to at all times in order to remain a member of the NHJPA. http://www.nhjpa.org
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