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The Rev. Dr. Gerald W. (Jerry) Montgomery - Wedding Officiant questions |
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To apply for a Washington State marriage license you will NOT be required to take a blood test, provide birth certificates or divorce papers. You probably will be asked to provide basic identification such as a driver's license with a photo and signature or a military identification card. Washington State law requires a 3-day waiting period before the marriage license becomes valid and a marriage ceremony can be performed. The license is valid for only 60 days. The marriage ceremony must be performed in Washington State before the 60-day expiration of the license.Two adult witnesses are required at the wedding ceremony. By state law, the marriage ceremony can be performed by any minister or priest of any church or religious denomination, or by any Washington State judge or justice. The officiant at the wedding ceremony is required to file the signed documents after the ceremony. For a listing of judges and justices, please consult the county governmental listings in the telephone directory. Both parties and the two witnesses must be 18 years or older. When applying in person, both the bride and groom ordinarily must be present. Call the county auditor's office if you have a special circumstance requiring an alternative procedure. The fee must be paid in cash only. Personal checks or credit cards are not accepted Each couple receives one copy of the marriage certificate at the time of the ceremony and the officiant is required by law to retain the license itself as his or her permanent record. The officiant mails the completed certificate back to the county auditor for recording. A marriage license purchased in any county in Washington is valid everywhere in the state. You may obtain your marriage license at these Puget Sound area location:
Proper authorization to officiate at wedding ceremonies Some states have more elaborate regulations than others regarding the authority of ministers to perform wedding ceremonies, in part to prevent mail-order clergy descrdibed above from performing weddings. Ask your minister or marriage license office in the community where your wedding will occur about the rules. Many states, unfortunately, are similar to the State of Washington in accepting any minister's word that they have appropriate religious authority to solemnize marriages. When in doubt, ask about the church or denomination holding the minister's credentials.In my case, I hold national standing as an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ. Some clergy offer to perform "civil" wedding ceremonies. In fact, they cannot properly do so because they have no civil authority, only religious authority. Their standing as a religious leader is what enables them to perform religious wedding ceremonies.
Judges and
other similar officials are elected or appointed by a government body to
their office and are authorized to perform "civil" ceremonies. Judges,
obviously, cannot perform religious wedding ceremonies unless they also
are ordained clergy. Judges do not perform the religious acts of
prayer or scripture readings at weddings. They may be asked on other
occasions to lead non-religious funeral services, but they cannot baptize
new members, listen to a confidential confession, or provide a variety of
pastoral services.
What if we don't want a religious
ceremony?
I am an ordained minister and only have authority to officiate at
religious wedding ceremonies. Judges only have authority to conduct
civil wedding ceremonies. If having religious values and traditions as
part of your wedding ceremony is an issue for you, find a judge.
Please don't ask me to officiate at your wedding.
Must we participate in pre-marriage counseling?
No. 99.9
percent of all the couples married by Dr. Montgomery have not needed or
requested counseling. Couples interested in preparing themselves for the
special responsibilities of a marriage relationship are encouraged to
invest the time in a pre-marriage workshop or seminar. These events often
are conducted by professional marriage counselors and are available in
most communities.
Will you travel to other areas to perform
ceremonies?
Of course!
The practical limits are his availability and the couple's budget. If Dr.
Montgomery is not otherwise committed and the couple is willing to pay a
travel fee plus expenses, he is willing to travel anywhere. The couple
should, however, investigate local laws regarding marriage ceremonies
before making firm plans if the travel is outside the State of
Washington.
During a
Labor Day weekend, for example, I flew to Los Angeles for a ceremony.
Last October, I combined a business trip to San Francisco with a
wedding for a couple from Texas.
We're planning a "theme" wedding. Will you join in the
fun?
Yes! He
wore the costume of a pioneer circuit rider preacher for a wedding in the
log cabin of a park one afternoon.
Another
wedding ceremony was performed on the stage of a theater in 17th century
French court costume for everyone. A holiday wedding for a young family
active in a motorcycle club saw everybody but the bride wearing leathers
in the center of a circle of 50 Harley Davidson motorcycles.
Occasionally he is asked to wear cowboy boots and jeans because the
American West is being celebrated at the wedding (once in a while he also
gets to ride a horse). He's still waiting to marry a utility company
lineman at the top of a power pole and as soon as he is presented with the
opportunity, he will.
Weddings aboard private sailboats
usually are performed with everyone in deck shoes and clothing appropriate
to the weather (shorts in the sun, raingear for most other days. Please
ask if you have something special in mind
We have the church but we
need a minister? Can you do a wedding in our
church?
Yes, but
it is considered bad manners for a minister to go into the church facility
of another minister without first obtaining the host clergy's permission
and/or invitation. Ordinarily, when you ask a congregation to have your
wedding ceremony in its church building, that also includes the services
of the pastor.
If you find you are incompatible with
that pastor, you may have to find another location for your wedding. Some
churches are more open and hospitable. They will invite you to bring your
own clergy for a wedding service in their facility if you wish or their
own clergy staff is not available for some reason.
Do you have any rules for
our photographer?
Only one: don't embarrass the
bride
Sadly, many churches actively engage
in the medieval belief that earthly things will destroy the holy character
of a sacred space such as a church sanctuary. Based on this pagan belief,
they prohibit the use of cameras during a wedding ceremony. Couples are
encouraged to have their weddings videotaped as well as recorded by still
photographers. It is, after all, a special day.
Do you have any rules for
our wedding coordinator?
Just a reminder: a wedding coordinator
is not an ordained minister and those who intrude into the ceremony
are going beyond the scope of their experience and authority. The
intrusion is unwelcome and unprofessional.
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The Rev. Dr. Gerald W. (Jerry) Montgomery
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