I’m a wedding officiant in Maine. I’m a notary public not a minister or a Justice of the Peace, so if you’re looking for a secular, meaningful but non-religious ceremony officiant, you got one! You can read about my approach to wedding ceremonies.

Actually, Maine doesn’t have justices of the peace anymore. The state merged the duties of a Justice of the Peace with that of a Notary Public in the 1980’s. So, I am not a justice of the peace, but I am a notary public, which gives me the authority to perform wedding ceremonies in Maine. 

Choosing a wedding officiant is probably one of the most important decisions you’ll make about your wedding. That one person will be the facilitator of your marriage, that’s a big deal. Here are 10things to consider when choosing a wedding officiant and 5 questions to ask your officiant before you hire them.

Many people think wedding officiants shouldn’t cost very much if they only show up and read a 20 minute ceremony. But those people would be mistaken about the time it takes to create a customized and personalized wedding ceremony experience. Read more about why wedding officiants charge what we do. 

While I understand how meaningful it might be to have a friend or family member officiate your wedding ceremony, I also think it’s not always the right decision. Being the wedding officiant is an incredible honor and requires much more than just being good public speaker. Being an officiant is so much more than just reading a script.

Getting married in Maine is relatively easy. You do not need a blood test and there is no waiting period. The hardest part might be finding a town office that’s open, if it’s one of the smaller Maine towns. you can read this post which is all you need to know about getting married in Maine.

There is no one way to structure a wedding ceremony. In Maine there are only three criteria that must be met in order for a wedding to be legal: 1) You must agree to marry your beloved, 2) You must have two witnesses, and 3) Your wedding officiant must pronounce you married. Otherwise, the entire ceremony is completely up to you! We can have fun fitting all the parts together and be super creative in how we do it. You can also check out this sample wedding ceremony timeline.

I have lots of samples! I have reading and poems and song suggestions. I have lots of ideas for interesting elements to add to your ceremony to personalize it. You can also check out these love poems.

Writing your own wedding vows can be a wonderful way to personalize your wedding ceremony. It can also be a very daunting task. I did it for my wedding and I remember thinking “I want my vows to be meaningful and not cliche.” I can help you with this, and you can purchase my Vows That Wow workbook to guide you. Many people are choosing to write their own wedding vows these days. But an equal number of couples I work with are using the very traditional wedding vows that have been spoken at weddings for years. And still other couples are doing both! 

The best thing to do is start with this list of Maine wedding ceremony musicians. Then check out this list of Maine wedding bands. Many of these musicians would be great for the reception, too. You can also check out this list of Maine wedding DJ’s. 

The Irish sure do have a way with words (trust me, I dated one in college). Many people love this Irish wedding blessing and use it in their wedding ceremony.

It really depends on who you have as your officiant. If you work with a modern, professional wedding officiant, they will not expect to be invited to your wedding reception.

Make sure you know how to get a copy of your official Maine marriage license after the wedding. To help you, I’ve written a blog post about getting a copy of your marriage license after your Maine wedding. 

Maine weather is funky, you never know what you’re going to get. You can plan a wedding for July (supposedly the warmest month) and it can pour the whole day. You can schedule a spring wedding in May and it might be 75 degrees. I got married in Maine on August 26th and the day was beautiful, but it was chilly as soon as the sun went down. Here is when to get married in Maine.

There are a few other things you can do to try to pick a good time and day. here are my suggestions:

• Check the Maine tide chart for the area where you’re getting married.
• Check the farmer’s almanac for best days to get married.
• Check the historical weather for your wedding location and date.
• September weddings in maine

The wedding day timeline really depends on what kind of a wedding you want. If you’re having a small, intimate affair at a local restaurant the timeline will look much different than if you’re having a traditional wedding for 300 guests. That being said, here is my suggestion for a well paced wedding day timeline for a medium to large sized wedding. 

If you’re planning a wedding in Maine you have to consider that it may rain on your wedding day. The big joke here is that “if you don’t like the weather then just wait a minute” (and it’ll change). Some folks feel like rain would ruin their wedding day but I say “embrace it” or definitely have a back up plan if you’re not up for embracing it.

Of course I do! I have a list of wedding do’s and don’t’s based on my experience as a bride and as a wedding officiant. Head my advice, folks!