Congratulations on your engagement!
Congratulations on your engagement and upcoming marriage. Thank you for the honor of inviting me to solemnize your wedding. I am grateful for your trust and delighted to walk with you during this important season of discernment and preparation.
I am a vocational member of the Christian clergy, duly educated, ordained, and in good standing. I hold apostolic succession as a presbyter (priest) within the Anglican tradition through the Anglican Union for the Propagation of the Gospel, an international confraternity of oratories under episcopal oversight. In addition to my Anglican priestly orders, I also maintain clergy status within other Christian traditions, reflecting a long-standing ecumenical ministry rooted in historic Christian faith and practice.
Above all, I am a follower of Jesus Christ, committed to proclaiming the Gospel and serving God’s people with integrity, reverence, and pastoral care. My ministry is shaped by the riches of Anglican liturgy and sacramental theology, while also respecting the spiritual heritage of the wider Christian family and the diverse cultural backgrounds that inform faithful discipleship. Despite my commitment to Christian Unity and ecumenical ministry, marriage ceremonies celebrated by me will be in accordance with canon law, the norms of the Anglican tradition, and according to the rubrics (with some flexibility) of the Book of Common Prayer.
Because Christian marriage is a holy covenant instituted by God, I solemnize weddings only where both the man and the woman are committed to the Christian faith and understand marriage as a lifelong, faithful union. The most essential foundation of marriage is not merely affection or compatibility, but a shared commitment to God and to one another before Him. It is also important to note that if you or your fiancé have been previously married, to please reach out to me by phone or e-mail before you complete this form as next steps may be different.
Accordingly, I strongly encourage and sometimes require premarital counseling for all couples preparing for marriage. I can recommend several counseling options for you or completed with me. Completion of premarital counseling may also provide practical benefits, including eligibility for a marriage license discount and the waiver of the statutory waiting period, depending on local regulations.
If you choose not to complete premarital counseling, I must nevertheless be assured that both parties have been instructed as to the nature, meaning, and purpose of Holy Matrimony, and that you understand marriage to be “a physical and spiritual union of a man and a woman, entered into within the community of faith, by mutual consent of heart, mind, and will, and with the intent that it be lifelong.”
Typically, we will meet at least once prior to the wedding to review your Wedding Ceremony Request Form and to discuss the structure and content of the ceremony. This meeting will ensure that we are clear, aligned, and fully prepared so that the rehearsal and the wedding itself proceed smoothly and prayerfully.
I do not charge a fee for ministry. However, I do customarily accept an honorarium to help offset the time and expenses involved in preparation, rehearsal, and the service itself.
Marriage is a sacred gift and a lifelong vocation. It is meant to be honored, nurtured, and lived out in faithfulness to God and one another. I pray that your marriage will glorify Christ in all that you do and say, and that it will be a source of grace, joy, and witness throughout your lives together.
By completing this form you enter into an agreement with me as your celebrant and acknowledge that:
1. The form must be completed 30 days prior to the rehearsal
2. That I as the celebrant have the right to decline officiating your ceremony in the event this form is not completed on time.
3. That as your officiant, I reserve the right to suspend or decline proceeding with your ceremony in accordance with State Laws, the Canons of the Church, and the precepts of the confraternity that I am bound by.
I look forward to our first meeting as we begin your preparation for this holy and joyful covenant.
Faithfully in Christ,
Scott +