Wedding Ceremony music is important. Your wedding ceremony music will set the tone for your wedding ceremony, romantic, whimsical, upbeat, what do you want to hear? 

It's not easy, change, but here we are again, changing the gathering guidelines. 

Here's the highlights: 

-Ceremonies can happen, must meet the social distancing and capacity guidelines.
-25 people outdoor max
-social distance per household 

So, what do we do now? Well, we follow the guidelines for gathering for your wedding. We get you married, because marriage is what you came for! Take the opportunity to get married on your date and then press pause on your reception and plan for a new date to party and celebrate when you can include everyone! 

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In the state of Michigan only the couple who is getting married can apply for and obtain their marriage license. Your Minister, Priest,Officiant or other person can't do it for you. 

Did you even know you have to get a license to be legally married in Michigan? 

Whatever county you live in, go to that counties website for the clerks office, search marriage license and view their current application instructions, their all different right now due to Covid. 

Remember your marriage license is valid for 33 days after the date of application, so apply on time and get married on time. 

That's right people, if you choose to elope you don't have to do it in secrecy, you don't have to run away without your parents permission...do people still get "permission"?

Anyway, eloping today simply put means to marry quickly with a few guests. 

So, if you choose to elope, you can gather your closest friends and or family, pick a date a few days or weeks out and get hitched! 

You can email me and we'll set it up at a local restaurant or given the current covid conditions probably outdoors. Eitherway, you're in love and you should be able to elope! 

Today is my 20th wedding anniversary. Everyday I make the choice to choose love. I fall in love with my husband over and over in many different ways for different reasons. I choose to see the love he gifts to me over and over. I choose to understand his desires and goals and to help him the best I can. I choose to know he is not perfect and to accept the possibilities that imperfection give. I choose everyday to love him in all the ways I can, even if that's from a distance or quietly or loudly and strongly. 

Everyday we're faced with many choices, love, laughter, patience, kindness, fortitude...and on and on. I would never push my hopes onto someone else but I will say this, I do hope at the end of everyday you love yourself enough to know the love you give is a choice and you make the best choices for you. 

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It's what drew me to my husband 25 years ago, in high school lol - he's honest. Sometimes too honest, but he's learned over the years when to keep that honest bits to himself and which ones to share. I love it about him, his honesty, he can't fathom lying or cheating or being immoral, it's just not part of his makeup. I'm not saying he's perfect, no one is, but he is honest and that quality I love.

In marriage honesty is important, but the delivery of your honesty is maybe even more important. Sometimes you can't just come out and say it, you need to explain, to provide some comforting information and then hit um with the honest. 

Ke kind to each other but be honest too. 

I just want to get married...NOW! Or, I'm done trying to plan all this, let's just elope! 

Sound familiar? There are many reasons why couples choose to elope and elope no longer means going to some destination secretly. In today's world elope simply means to get married quickly and hold a small event. 

That's where I come in. I specialize in small, intimate and stress free weddings. I'm talking not large venue, no large guest list and all the happiness and joy you can take. 

First up is to apply for and obtain your marriage license. In Michigan your marriage license is valid for 33 days as of your date of application. 

Once you've got your marriage license you get married, the only requirements are that two people/witnesses over 18 be present and that you declare your intention to marry each other with a simple "I do". What else you would like to include is up to you. 

You can invite a few close family or friends to attend, you can choose a gorgeous outdoor park...that's also free! Or, reserve a room at the local community center or even your favorite restaurant will usually have a side room or banquet room for use. See my suggested locationhere. 

Now that we've got the marriage license and the location picked out, email me and we can set a date! Remember you don't have to get married on the weekend, let's do lunch on a Tuesday or dinner on Thursday, time to think outside the box. 

What do I wear? You can wear anything you like! wear that wedding dress, or wear your jeans and t shirts, there is no judgement here - you do what suites you best. Just remember we're keeping it stress free! 

Oh and by all means, hire a photographer, document your wedding day! you will want those beautiful pictures to look back on. 

At your wedding, I will meet you on location, perform the short and sweet ceremony allowing you to exchange rings and vows if you like and then we will sign your marriage license to make it legal. 

​So, stop waiting, stop stressing and just elope! 

Here's the short version: 

• Clerk's office's are open today (11.4.2020) and you can apply for a marriage license - see your specific county clerk's office for their specific directions. 
• You can get married at your indoor venue - but there are new guidelines 50 people is the limit. All must wear a mask and social distance per household. 
  • This means your ceremony seating should be separated by household. All people attending the wedding have to wear a mask, bridal party and couple included. 
• You can get married outdoors venue 30 persons per 1,000 square feet of space.
  • All people must wear a mask - and must social distance per household.  

​I understand and hear you, no one wants to wear a mask in their ceremony, for their pictures, but we must, in order to save lives and keep those we love so much healthy we must. The alternative is we shutdown again and no one is able to marry. 

When you think of your wedding ceremony, what do you envision?

This is an important question, sit with it and think on it and then write that down.

For me, I thought of walking down the longest aisle I could find and staring at my future all the while. I thought of standing next to my partner and telling him how much I loved him. I envisioned weepy eyes and all the emotions one could invoke. 

What I got? Well...I got the longest aisle I could find, I did stare at my future the whole time, except I was wondering why he looked green and if he was okay (thank you to his big brother, those drinks the night before didn't sit so well lol). I got all the emotion because I was a crying blubbering mess. I mean the kind of mess where snot is running down your face, and no tissue in the world could be found, where you can hear me sniffle and sob - I mean good lord I couldn't hold it together for the life of me. We had a church wedding and discussed the ceremony with the Pastor. We stuck to tradition because I didn't have Pinterest and we were one of the first in our circle of friends to get married so we had nothing to compare to. We did light a unity candle which was sweet, but we did it because it was tradition, no other reason really. 

And that's where I turn to you, today you have Pinterest, the internet for research and pictures and heck even full blown ceremonies can be found. But put all that aside, look at your answer, what do you see? 

Maybe you see tradition also, and that's awesome. Perhaps you envision laughter and jokes during our wedding ceremony, heck to the yes! Maybe you want to incorporate our love of beer or outdoors or your joint passion for food - let's do all of that! 

Your wedding ceremony can include a unity ceremony, readings, laughter, tears and so much more...or less. That's the point, your wedding ceremony can be a reflection of what you envision and how you see your wedding day beginning.