Do you want to elope or host an intimate wedding ceremony in and around Clarkston Michigan? Let us at A Simple I Do Wedding Officiants help you! We've got a few key locations to suggest and can help you plan the perfect intimate wedding ceremony. 

When hosting an elopement or intimate wedding ceremony in and around Clarkston you'll want to keep the guest list limited. The whole idea of an elopement or intimate ceremony is that, well, it's intimate. It can be as simple as the required 2 witnesses only or you can expand the list to include a few of your favorite people. We like to keep the wedding guest list to 20 or under as that number is typically easier to find a venue without paying too much.

Now that you have your wedding day guest list nailed down let's talk about ceremony locations. There's several options for your intimate wedding. Do you want to host a small reception or have cocktails? Do you want to do it indoors or outdoors? Would you prefer a simple meet up at the park and say I do? Once you've answered this question you can really dig into these suggested locations for your intimate or elopement wedding ceremony in Clarkston Michigan.

Let's get to it! 

The Fed in Clarkston is a great restaurant known for its amazing atmosphere and decor. They have two options for gathering your favorite people for an intimate ceremony. They have the vault and private dining room downstairs. Both are lovely for dinner or brunch and getting hitched! 

Buckshots in Clarkston offers two options - keeping it really small you can use an outdoor igloo or invite a few more folks and take advantage of their banquet room.

Depot Park is the perfect spot for your outdoor wedding. They have a gazebo you can rent to assure private use or wing it and show up and pick the perfect spot. 

Independence Oaks is a good option for an outdoor wedding. They have a pretty gazebo that is lakeside as well as a venue to rent to host your reception. 

Above all else remember to hire A Simple I Do Wedding Officiants to assure you have the best wedding day and ceremony.   

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Hey, I'm Nichole, owner of A Simple I Do. I absolutely love officiating weddings. Talking with couples, learning about their love story and sharing this monumental moment with them is inspirational in so many ways. 

Writing wedding ceremonies and talking with couples about how to best serve them on their wedding day always leaves me inspired and wanting for more wedding talk. 

I have been officiating for over 15 years and being a wedding officiant is pure magic, spending time with couples on their wedding day, seeing their joy and their love is always the best part of my day. 

How to elope in Clarkston Michigan, or anywhere near there. At A Simple I Do we like to keep things simple and an elopement is ultimately anything you want it to be but at a much simpler scale. 

You'll need a few things before you head off to your elopement. You will need your marriage license, at least two witnesses and a wedding officiant - that's the really simple list. Let's dive in. 

Marriage license; in the state of Michigan you must apply for and obtain a marriage license to get legally married. You will apply for your marriage license at your local county clerk's office, sometimes they require an appointment so check their website for specific directions. 

Witnesses - the state of Michigan requires that 2 witnesses over 18 years old sign your marriage license with you. It can be anyone except your Officiant. 

Officiant - the state of Michigan requires that a legally ordained wedding officiant sign your marriage license and perform a wedding ceremony with you. 

Now the fun parts, what else do you need to elope in Clarkston Michigan? We recommend finding the perfect spot for you, it can be anywhere from a free park or a restaurant or even your home surrounded by your loved ones. Eloping in Clarkston Michigan can be beautifully simple. 

Lot's of couples dream of a cute little courthouse wedding in Michigan only to learn a lot of courthouses no longer offer them or if they do it's one specific day a week and there is a long waiting list. 

Lot's of couples choose to get married in a court house for many reasons. The simplicity of it is lovely, set a date, grab a few folks and meet up at the courthouse to get legally married. 

But what do you do when the courthouse no longer provides wedding ceremony services? You hire us at A Simple I Do Wedding Officiants. We specialize in intimate weddings right down to the simplest of wedding days to grand events. We love meeting with couples to keep it simple and get them legally married. 

We have a few services that may suit your needs just well - and none of them take place in a stuffy courtroom!

• Simple Marriage License Signing  - for this service we meet with the two of you and at least two witnesses. Often times it's at a cute little coffee shop or over dinner at a lovely restaurant. We will meet with you, complete your marriage license and then direct your witnesses where to sign. We'll offer a brief exchange of vows and then pronounce you married. 
• Elopement/Intimate Wedding Ceremony - for gatherings of around 20 folks, we can help you find the perfect location, a local park, hello free venue! or a restaurant or even a private studio for a small rental fee. We will draft a custom ceremony to include bits of your love story and then on your wedding day we will organize your guests, perform the ceremony and sign the license. 
• Full Ceremony  - More than 20 guests - this service is usually for folks who have booked a venue and caterer and band, or the like. We will write a custom ceremony, see to a rehearsal and then of course signing your license. 

Your marriage license is required to make your marriage legal in the state of Michigan. This legal document will be used if you choose to change your name, show to insurance companies and any legal proceedings after marriage. 

Key things to remember: 

1. Apply for your marriage 30 days before your wedding date 
2. Check all the information on the license is correct 
3. Follow your clerk's instructions when signing the marriage license 
4. Have 2 witnesses over 18 also sign the license 
5. Hire a Pro to help you and make sure your marriage is legal! 

It's a common question, who the heck can legally perform wedding ceremonies in the state of Michigan? Let's site the actual Michigan law first; 

Required State License(s): None

To perform marriage ceremonies a person should be an ordained minister, magistrate (a civil officer with power to administer and enforce law -- Justice of the Peace), mayor of a Michigan city or a judge.

An ordained minister of the gospel recognized by a church may perform marriages whether or not the church has filed a charter with the State of Michigan, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporation Division or an elected government official. To determine if a church has filed a charter, telephone: 517-241-6470.

Marriage licenses are obtained at the county clerk's office.

Now that that's out of the way, let's break it down - who can legally perform weddings or marriage ceremonies in the state of Michigan? People who have been legally ordained, hey that's me! 

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