When we meet to perform your signing or elopement wedding ceremony you may want to celebrate over brunch, lunch or dinner or grab a drink. Let me give you a few suggestions on local places to do just that.  

Holly Cafe - great for an amazing sandwich soup combo 
Bittersweet Cafe - when you want to celebrate with casual affair but also grab a drink 
Blackthorn Pub - a local gastropub with a drink and beer menu that has something for everyone
Andys Place - your go to for a beer and burger 

Andiamo - upscale dining 
Fenton Hotel - upscale but also that hometown feel 
Ciao - Italian food with that small town feel 
Fenton Firehall - part of the Union Joints family it's BBQ and Mac and Cheese are famous -and you can grab a drink on the rooftop in the summer
Crust - the perfect lunch and brunch spot, did I mention they have mimosa flights? 
Fenton House - amazing breadsticks and pizza 

Let’s talk about being a wedding Officiant. I offer all sorts of advice and tips to couples on how to have a great ceremony and where and the cost but I have not talked about how to BE a great wedding officiant. 

I’ve been officiating weddings for 14 years and the last 10 years this has been my full time job/passion. I typically perform around 125 weddings each year and I pride myself on the kind words couples have shared about working with me. I believe I have the experience and knowledge to now share with everyone else out there on how to be a great Officiant. 

Let’s begin with my top 5 commandments if you will: 

1. I vow not to speak of myself 
2. I vow to ask the couple to stand close to one another and to hold hands 
3. I vow to ask the couple what they would like for their wedding ceremony
4. I vow to recite the ceremony with warmth and kindness
5. I vow to move out of the way for my entire closing statement including when the couple kisses
   

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1. I vow not to speak of myself - I know, seems obvious, but alas for some it’s not. As the wedding officiant for a couple, they have hired you to perform their wedding ceremony which is a reflection of their love and lives lived up to the point of standing in front of you at the end of that wedding aisle. Now unless you have been their pastor or religious leader and know them intimately, their wedding ceremony is no time to speak of yourself, even if you are their friend or relative. The spotlight should always be on the couple.   
2. I vow to ask the couple to stand close to one another and to hold hands - I can’t tell you the number of wedding’s I’ve been a guest at where the couple is standing what seems like 10 feet apart and I’m all for leaving room for the holy spirt, but this isn’t a middle school dance, this is their wedding day and unless their religion dictates, they should be standing close to one another and holding hands. There’s a few reasons for this; to allow for beautiful pictures and to allow the couple to support one another. It’s a lot standing up there in front of all those people, it can be overwhelming and holding your partners hands, yes even if they're sweaty can be just the reassurance needed.
   
3. I vow to ask the couple what they would like for their wedding ceremony - my fellow Officiants, you can’t possibly write a good wedding ceremony with out asking the basics. What does the couple want in their ceremony? Sometimes they may not know and that’s where your expertise can help them find what is best for them. Do they want to share their love story, their journey to the aisle, do they want to include a family tradition or religious tradition? Ask the questions to allow yourself to writ a ceremony that suites the couple best and for goodness sake, send that draft to the couple before the wedding day! They are paying you to do a job and you want them to be happy.   
4. I vow to recite the ceremony with warmth and kindness - you have a job to do and that includes reciting the wedding ceremony with warmth and kindness not standing and speaking like a robot reading from a screen. Practice the ceremony, say it to your dog, your family anyone who will listen and offer feedback. Practice your tone, the speed of your cadence and invoking emotion. You want the guests to feel drawn in and all warm and fuzzy when you’re done. 
   
5. I vow to move out of the way for my entire closing statement including when the couple kisses - let me repeat…THIS IS NOT A WEDDING ABOUT YOU. Move, give the couple a moment to be without you hovering over them. Allow the photographers to capture a moment without you in the background. I’m sure the couple loves you but they don’t want you hanging on their living room wall, and yes even if you are a friend or family member, trust me, they don’t want your mug in the background when they kiss. Here’s my advice, pick up that whole mic stand and move to stand behind the groomsmen or bridesmaids and recite that whole closing statement from your now secret location. The guests have stared at you this whole time they know who you are so move! And stay hidden until they have reached the other end of the aisle. 

My favorite way to do elopements and intimate weddings is to utilize local parks because most of the time the are free! Or just the park entrance fee. Of course there is always the option to rent a gazebo or shelter but if your getting married during the week the chance of someone else using the facility is slim, and I don't mind winging it. 

First, let's discuss my elopement wedding package. Cost is $250 and includes performing a sweet ceremony for the two of you and up to 20 guests and of course signing and filing your marriage license. We'll exchange emails and even a call to make sure we've got everything nailed out so your day goes perfectly. 

Oh and if you want to kick your elopement wedding up a notch, get hitched and head to town for dinner or lunch or you could even bring along a picnic for everyone or KFC, whatever your style and taste is! 

Let's dive into a few of my favorite locations to host your elopement/intimate wedding. 

1. Bush Park, Fenton MI  - Just down the road from downtown Fenton is this great park. It has a covered gazebo and the park itself is so pretty with a flowing river and weeping willow trees. 
2. Seven Lakes State Park, Holly Mi - There's a great walking trail and at the entrance of it sits an open area surrounded by two lakes or there are plenty of shelters or picnic areas and if your guest list is really small I say walk the trail and find the perfect spot for you. 
3. Holly Recreation Area, Holly Mi  - There's a few beautiful spaces to use for your elopement ceremony, take a walk down the walking trails to find your perfect spot, don't forget to drop a pin on your cell phone to mark it. 
4. Independence Oaks, Clarkston Mi - I like the gazebo here as it's on the lake and very pretty, but also there are plenty of great open spaces to use. 

Remember the best thing you can do is go to the locations for your wedding day and see what suites your style best. 

If you are looking to get married you will need a person who is legally qualified to perform your ceremony and sign your marriage license in order to make your marriage in the state of Michigan a legal one. 

Let’s talk the legal talk shall we? Here is the Michigan law on who can perform a wedding. 
Marriage, performance of
Required State License(s): None
Further Information:
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.
For marriage statistics contact the Department of Health & Human  services, Vital Statistics at 517-335-8094.

There is a tax guide available from the IRS, Publication 1828, "Tax Guide for Churches and Other Religious Organizations." It is available online at www.irs.gov.

Churches may be required to have a "Church Copyright License." For further information about this license, contact Christian Copyright Licensing International by calling (800) 234-2446.
Revised: 1/2020

The person who can legally perform your marriage ceremony can go by many different names. Of course, if you belong to a church or have a religious affiliation than you most likely will utilize the person within your own faith to perform your wedding and marriage duties. 

But, what if you don’t have a specific place you practice your beliefs or a church you are a member of, what if you don’t have such a person in your life? That is where a non-denominational Officiant or Justice of the Peace would come in to preside over your wedding day ceremony and marriage license signing. 

What is a non denominational Officiant? This is a person who has received the valid certification to legally perform wedding’s in the state of Michigan. Most wedding Officiants will get ordained using an online website and once ordained through said website, they can then go forth and legally perform wedding ceremonies and sign marriage licenses in the State of Michigan. 

A Justice of the Peace or local Judge can also perform a legal wedding ceremony. However as of late, most Judge’s and court houses no longer perform marriage ceremonies or if they do, there may be a very long wait list. 
I, Nichole Bertucci am an Ordained Officiant with the Universal Life Church. I was ordained in 2007 and have performed over 100 wedding’s each year following. I am so happy to have found my passion that I can pursue as a career. 

My speciality is small pop up weddings. To keep it simple is my love language. 

To inquire about my availability for your wedding day needs please complete the contact form here. 
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