Frequently Asked Questions

To get married, all you need to show me is your Virginia marriage license! A marriage license is issued by any Virginia city or county circuit court clerk’s office during weekday business hours. It is very easy to get, especially in Winchester. 

The process is super easy. All you both need is a valid current ID (Driver's license for example), $30, and any Virginia circuit court can issue you a marriage license. I've written this detailed article that shows you exactly how to get a marriage license along with some other important tips. 

Either one will work! The only difference is that if you get it from another Virginia court, I need to mail the license back via certified priority mail (to ensure delivery) and charge a small administrative fee to do so. If you get it from the Winchester, VA courthouse I can hand deliver the marriage license. 

Yes, I can! Any Virginia marriage license is valid state-wide.

No. A marriage license MUST be issued by any Virginia city or county circuit court clerk’s office during weekday business hours. A wedding officiant or marriage commissioner cannot issue the license.

Yes, you can! Anyone can get married in Virginia as long as you first obtain your Virginia marriage license from any Virginia city or count circuit court.

No to all of the above! To get married, all you need to show me is your Virginia marriage license. When getting your marriage license from any Virginia circuit court, all you need is an ID from anywhere.

I do! I file the documents with the clerk’s office where you obtained your marriage license. If your marriage license was issued by Winchester City or Frederick County, VA, I immediately file it in person or on the next business day if after hours. If your marriage license was issued by another county or city, I mail the marriage license back via certified delivery USPS mail.

Of course! If you have rings, I’ll have you place them on each other’s fingers. However, rings are not required to be married.

At the Frederick County / Winchester Courthouse in Winchester, VA, NO divorce documentation is required to obtain your marriage license. When applying for your marriage license in Virginia you are required to indicate if you have been married once or multiple times before. Upon issuing your license, the court clerk or deputy clerk makes you take a solemn oath stating that all information provided on your marriage license application is truth.

However if you are obtaining your marriage license at Virginia courthouse other than Frederick County / Winchester, divorce documentation MAY be required. Some Virginia courts request that you provide a certified copy of a court-issued Decree of Divorce to the Clerk’s Office before a marriage license will be issued. If the Decree is in a language other than English, you must present a certified document translation, signed and dated by a translator attesting to the document’s accuracy. After a finalized divorce, there is no waiting period to get remarried.

You can read this article for more information.

Yes, I do! I am a civil marriage commissioner. I officiate marriages for all couples who legally qualify and obtain a Virginia marriage license. Visit this page on my site for more information on same-sex marriages.

You can visit the office of the court that issued your marriage license and request a certified copy, or send a request in via mail, any time after I file the license with the court. Certified copies are $3 each.

It's simple! First, I ask that you fill out this contact form letting me know what you need. You then pre-pay for my marriage officiant services securely online or via phone with a credit card. It is 100% secure and no card information is retained. This books me for your specified appointment date and time.

If requesting photography services in addition to performing your marriage, a customized pricing estimate is provided. Payment in full is also required.

Yes, but it depends. I am able to perform marriages for couples waiting at the courthouse who have just obtained their marriage license if I am available. However, to ensure that I am available for a prearranged time on your marriage day, an appointment is highly recommended. This assures that I will be available for you.

I do not offer refunds as by booking your date and time you prevent couples who inquire afterwards from reserving that date and time. Payments for cancelled elopements / marriages, may be applied towards future bookings in addition to the applicable re-booking fee within 30 days of cancellation. If you wish to rescheduled for a date after 30 days of cancellation, a new pricing estimate will be provided for payment. For more information please visit my policies page.

Yes, as long as it’s in the state of Virginia! Travel fees will apply, please contact me for a pricing estimate.

Absolutely! Religion is not required to be married. I can marry you anywhere in the state of Virginia if you have a Virginia marriage license. For example I can marry you at a local park, outside your favorite restaurant, on the local city trolley, or on top of a mountain during sunset!

Yes, I absolutely can. I will be happy to incorporate any type of religious prayer or reading into your ceremony. All I ask is that you send it to me ahead of time if you have an appointment, or bring it on a piece of paper for me to read.

These are my standard legal marriage vows: "Do you____take____ to be your lawfully wedded (wife, husband, spouse, partner) to have and to hold from this day forward? Do you promise to be faithful to him/her, to love, honor, cherish, and respect as long as you both shall live?"

If you choose to exchange rings, I also add: "______, as you place the ring on ______’s finger, please repeat after me:  This ring I give in token and pledge, as a sign of my love and devotion. With this ring, I thee wed."

If you want anything added or would like these vows to be be replaced by something else, no problem! Please let me know ahead of time (or bring it with you on a piece of paper) and I will be happy to read whatever you like.

The date of your wedding is booked on my calendar rain or shine. The great news is that several of the outdoor venues I recommend provide some sort of covering for you and your guests. I also bring along a bride umbrella (white) and black umbrella (groom) for taking some creative photos of you (the couple) outside if it rains and the rain does not let up at all, such as a constant downpour.

Should it look like it will definitely rain, and you are certain you want completely dry weather for your wedding, you are welcome to change your date and time on my calendar for a $35 rescheduling fee.

If my schedule is free during the date and time you plan on having your rehearsal dinner, I will be happy to attend, but need to charge and additional fee of $50 (plus travel costs if outside of Winchester, VA). The reason for this is that attending your rehearsal dinner blocks off my calendar, which prevents me from marrying other couples during that time.

Changing your last name is a realatively easy process. The most important aspect of changing your last name after getting married is that there is no one-stop-shop way to do it. You MUST notify each individual organization or government department that you want to change your name with using certified copies of your marriage license. I wrote an article which outlines the whole process for you: How to Change Your Last Name in Virginia After Getting Married