The ceremony
Most couples want something short and meaningful: a welcome, the vows, the exchange of rings, the declaration and the signing. Twenty minutes, and it feels like yours rather than like a form being processed.
If you want to write your own vows, say them in Spanish, include your children, or keep it to the legal minimum with two witnesses in a garden, all of that is fine. Tell me what you have in mind and we shape it together beforehand.
Where I officiate
Lakeland and the rest of Polk County: at home, in a garden, at a park or lakeside, at a venue, a restaurant, or at the courthouse steps if that is the plan. Winter Haven, Bartow, Auburndale, Plant City, Lake Wales and Haines City included.
Ceremonies are performed in person only. An online session cannot marry you, whatever else it can do.
The marriage licence, step by step
You get the licence yourselves, before the day, from any Florida County Clerk of Court. It does not have to be the county where you marry, and the ceremony has to take place in Florida.
A Florida licence is valid for 60 days, so do not collect it too early. Florida residents face a three-day waiting period unless both of you complete an approved premarital preparation course, which also reduces the fee. Residents of other states and countries usually have no waiting period.
After the ceremony I complete the licence and return it to the clerk within the time the law allows, and the clerk then issues your marriage certificate.
What you need on the day
- Your valid Florida marriage licence, in date.
- Photo identification for both of you.
- Two witnesses if you want them. Florida does not require witnesses for the ceremony itself, but many couples like having them sign.
- Rings, if you are exchanging them.
Bilingual ceremonies
I officiate in English, in Spanish, or in both, which is what most bilingual families end up wanting: the vows in the language of the couple and the rest in the language of the grandparents. Nobody sits through a ceremony they cannot follow.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a marriage performed by a Notary Public legal in Florida?
- Yes. Florida law lists notaries public among those who may solemnize marriage. The marriage is exactly as legal as one performed by a judge or a member of the clergy.
- Do you provide the marriage licence?
- No. You obtain it from any Florida County Clerk of Court before the ceremony. I complete it afterwards and return it to the clerk.
- How far in advance should we book?
- A few weeks is comfortable, but last-minute ceremonies are often possible. Ask, even if the date is close.
- Can you marry us at the last minute if our officiant cancels?
- Often yes, if the date is free. It happens more than you would think, and the licence is what matters, not who was originally named.
- Do we need witnesses?
- Florida does not require witnesses for the ceremony, but you may include them if you wish and have them sign.
- Can the ceremony be outside Florida?
- No. My commission is from Florida, so the ceremony has to take place in Florida.