Civil ceremony in Vegas

[jenfaifel]

Here is the deal, we decided to elope in Vegas, since neither of us wants a traditional relatives/friends ceremony. However, I am Jewish and would like to have an officiant rather than a minister marry us (civil ceremony).

I have already booked a chapel with a minister (just to have something if i dont find anything). So, my question is do guys know of any chapel that might have an officiant for a civil ceremony in hand?

On option is to get hitched at the County office, but they require a witness and since we are eloping....we have none. A chapel would provide one, so it just seems like a catch 22.

Any info is appreciated.

 

[surfgirl]

Jen, please do a search online to see if there are any rabbi''s (if you want that) or you could call the hotel where you''re staying at and ask their wedding coordinator if she can put you in touch with either a rabbi, a judge, or a non denonimational officiant. FYI, I''m from a Jewish family although I''m more agnostic now, and my husband was from a Catholic/something else family and he''s sort of agnostic too. We''re more spiritual but not with organized religion. SO...keeping that in mind, when we eloped last summer, we were in a remote location and didn''t have many options so we found a wonderful officiant who did all manner of ceremonies ranging from full on Christian ceremonies to non denominational to nature based ceremonies. We made our own ceremony by cutting and pasting some more traditional non denominational elements with nature elements and it was just the most amazing ceremony. I highly encourage you to do some research and try to find a non denominational officiant who can provide you with options that you will be comfortable with, but that also will give you a memorable and wonderfully meaningful ceremony. Just because you''re eloping doesn''t mean you''re not entitled to a special ceremony sweetie!

 

[jenfaifel]

Thanks Surfgirl!

I can see how all this can turn into long planning (which i was trying to avoid by eloping). Google search for officiants in Vegas turns up not much, plus if i am inviting my own officiant, i have to also find a photographer. phew!

The chapel option (albeit a cookie cutter) is looking pretty good now since it''s all included and organized for you and you can do a civil ceremony (by a minister).

It would be cool to have a chapel that provides an officiant instead of a minister for a civil ceremony. How come the simplest options are always the hardest to find? lol

i guess i will keep looking

 

[LegacyGirl]

Date: 3/28/2008 12:17:41 AM
Author: jenfaifel
Thanks Surfgirl!

I can see how all this can turn into long planning (which i was trying to avoid by eloping). Google search for officiants in Vegas turns up not much, plus if i am inviting my own officiant, i have to also find a photographer. phew!

The chapel option (albeit a cookie cutter) is looking pretty good now since it''s all included and organized for you and you can do a civil ceremony (by a minister).

It would be cool to have a chapel that provides an officiant instead of a minister for a civil ceremony. How come the simplest options are always the hardest to find? lol

i guess i will keep looking

It always seems this way doesn''t it??

 

[surfgirl]

Actually Jen, I forgot to add that our officiant is officially a "Minister" but she''s a crunchy minister

and was totally okay with a ceremony with no mention of God, Jesus or anything like that so...please dont feel weird because your officiant might be a "minister". It doesn''t have much to do with the ceremony if that''s what you were concerned about. You just have to be sure that they''re okay with a non denominational ceremony.

 

[jenfaifel]

Surfgirl, that''s a good point. I did ask them whether they do civil ceremonies and they said yes they do, but it is still performed by the same minister.

i guess my confusion comes from the fact that here in Canada, we have marriage commissioners that are not ministers/rabbis but are legally able to marry people(usually appointed by the province government) . So, i was looking for something like that in the states, but i am not sure if it even exists. That would be purely civil.

But, i have decided to make my life simpler