Celebrations of Life

  Secular Ceremonies for the 21st Century©

 

Unions

“The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here.”

Robert Green Ingersoll

In the past, brides were promised, sold or given away without their consent; grooms traded titles for dowries and married women they had never met. Marriages were arranged, sometimes by a marriage broker, by village elders or by parents. There were "marriages of convenience" and "shotgun weddings." For most people, things have changed for the better -- we marry someone we choose ourselves and we marry for love. Celebrations is here to make your choice a beautiful and joyous occasion.

Sometimes a person is being married to a second or third partner.  Many times, a couple's union is not recognized by an established church, family or community.  Sometimes, one or both of the partners holds no religious belief and refuse to join a church to celebrate life's many passages. Celebrations offers unique, romantic ceremonies that are personalized to the couple.

We acknowledge the special circumstances of same-gender partners and conduct beautiful, life-commitment celebrations that two people bring to their union.  We are Humanists and recognize the rights of all humans to choose their own life paths.  Love makes a family.

IMPORTANT: Wedding license requirements for Pennsylvania.

The current rate schedule for weddings is as follows:

  • $400 Base price for all weddings
  • $100 Deposit is due at time of obtaining the wedding license
  • Balance is due on date of wedding or shortly thereafter

Links to marriage laws by state:

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Virgin Islands

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

 

 


Below is what the Bible says about marriage. These passages are the reasons I will never place my hand on the Bible and why I custom design marriage ceremonies:

Wives are Subordinate to Husbands

You wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything. (Ephesians 5:22-24)

Kill Women Who Are Not Virgins On Their Wedding Night

But if this charge is true (that she wasn't a virgin on her wedding night), and evidence of the girls virginity is not found, they shall bring the girl to the entrance of her fathers house and there her townsman shall stone her to death, because she committed a crime against Israel by her unchasteness in her father's house. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst. (Deuteronomy 22:20-21)

Wives Must Submit to Husbands in Everything

You wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything. (Ephesians 5:22-24)

All couples who want to be married in a "guaranteed secular ceremony" through Secular Ceremonies must obtain a Self-Uniting Marriage License. Due to misinformation and the lack of training given to marriage license clerks, difficulties have arisen. Margaret Downey is happy to escort all couples in order to guarantee that the proper license is obtained and that clerks will not force the couple into obtaining any license other than the Self-Uniting Marriage License. If a couple attempts to obtain the license on their own, the couple must be prepared for possible difficulties. All secular/atheist couples have the right to obtain a Self-Uniting Marriage Licenses! Do not let an uneducated clerk tell you any differently. By law, you do not have to be a Quaker to obtain a Self-Uniting Marriage License! There may be confusion in due to a lack of education and proper training, but The Pennsylvania Human Relations Department has process several complaints and has promised to intercede should difficulties arise. Remember, you do NOT have to be a Quaker to get the Self-Uniting License and this is the only way that your secular ceremony will be recognized by the state of Pennsylvania.

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