Weddings are not always about white bridal gowns and black tuxes. Tomorrow’s weddings are often far from the traditional walk down the aisle and more like a great party in a fun setting with good friends and special surprises.

Today’s wedding couples want their ceremony to reflect them – their tastes, their lifestyles, their dreams. They want their vows to be words of love, of truth and of happiness. Mostly, though, they want to create a ceremony they will remember always!

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Recently I was sharing with some friends how much I enjoyed my avocation as a Justice of the Peace. Someone asked me if there were particular words or a formula that I needed to learn that assured the couple was officially  married.

The answer is that there is no ritual, no special words that ensure that two individuals are officially united in marriage. My role is very simple - to ensure that both parties are participating freely, without any reservation and that they express a commitment to join their lives to each other.  I am not marrying the couple,  I am serving as the offical witness of their marriage to each other and whatever words or readings they chose to formalize that union are entirely up to them. And then, by the authority vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I have the privilege of proclaiming them married.

I often think about the couples and wonder how their lives have changed since our paths crossed...if they are still as in love with each other as they were the day they wed...if anything I said or did helped to ensure their happiness. It is an incredible feeling to know that in some small way I've  played a role in the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of two people and I treasure each opportunity!