Elopement Planning

Elopement Ceremony – Secular

This is a planning form for Secular Elopements that allows clients to provide and choose their custom elements. It follows the outline of an elopement ceremony.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
We will create your unique elopement ceremony from the outline In the email associated with this questionnaire. As you go through this questionnaire, refer to the outline, and discuss the options you want. The fields in this worksheet reflect the available customization and notes in the outline. If you can’t find your copy of the outline, hit the button to download a fresh copy.
Download “Elopement Outline”

Cover Page

Let’s ensure I have the correct information for the cover page. Please provide your details in the blocks.
Provide the first name of the person who is listed first.
Provide the first name of the person who is listed second.
Please verify where we’re conducting your ceremony. If you don’t have a location, yet, you may leave this blank. We must have a location by two days before your scheduled ceremony.
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Please confirm the date of your ceremony. Remember, if you need to change the date, just let me know.

Welcome

Wedding ceremonies are rituals, or a story in which we find ourselves. Like all good stories, these ceremonies have a beginning, a middle, and a conclusion. The Welcome section is the opening of our story. It establishes our purpose in gathering. We formally acknowledge that we have gathered to see you married.

Assent

The assent is a legally required element of any wedding. This is where you both affirm that you are freely entering the marriage contract, prepared to join your life to another’s. Legally, this means you swear that no one is forcing you or paying you to marry the other person. As you see in the outline, the question is simply, “Are both of you willing to give your hand to the one whose heart you hold?” You respond to the question with “Yes, I do,” or “Yes, we are.”

Reading

short reading is a traditional way to give the couple time to contemplate their love and commitment to each other. You may choose one reading from the booklet attached to the email, or download the booklet by clicking on the button. When you settle on a reading, choose the the title in the list below.
Download “Poems & Readings”
Our Reading(Required)
Choose your selected reading from the list below.

Vows

Your vows for your elopement meet the legal requirements. You choose between “Repeat After Me” vows, as in the outline, or the “I do” vows you know from movies and television.
Type of Vows(Required)
Check your provided outline for a sample of the vows.

Rings

Most couple choose to include a ring exchange. Occasionally, a couple chooses to skip this part.
Ring Exchange(Required)
Tell me whether you want to exchange rings during your elopement ceremony.

Pronouncement

The Pronouncement is where I legally declare you married. It’s the third legal requirement for a ceremony in Washington. This part is also famous for the kiss, of course.
The Kiss(Required)
You have a couple of choices for how I call you to kiss. There’s a lot of history in this moment, and we can talk about that later. Here are your choices.

Closing Words

Just as we opened the ceremony with a welcome and statement of purpose, we close the ceremony with a reminder of what happens next for the audience, and an opportunity for them to wish you well in closing.
Use the paragraph block to share with me any information I should tell your audience. You might have a lunch or picnic with your friends, or maybe we’re done following the ceremony.

Choose Your Closing Words

In the list below choose the text from the “Closing Words” booklet to as a well-wish from your audience. If you don’t have your “Closing Words” booklet, hit the button to download a copy.

Download “Closing Words”
Untitled(Required)

Presentation

The Presentation is the last section of the ceremony. It’s also the final legal requirement, where I’m required to present you to your, witnesses, your audience, and the universe as a married couple. You have a few options.
Presenting…You!
This is the other memorable bit about a wedding, feature in books, movies, and television. It used to be part of the pronouncement, and more recently comes at the very end of the wedding as the couple marches off to their future. Choose one of the presentation models, ranging from traditional to very modern. If your honorifics are other than Mr. or Mrs., do let me know in an email.