Marriage is a solemn and exalted state,
sanctified by the church,
respected by society,
and licensed by the State.
Marriage is basically a contract
between two parties:
"The couple that is to be Wed"
However, there is a third party
to all contracts of marriage -
the State.
It is the State that, by law,
provides conditions to and
limitations of the marriage contract.
A marriage license,
issued by the State of Ohio,
must be obtained before
the Wedding Ceremony.
Application must be made in person,
at an Ohio County Courthouse
by both parties.
Please contact the local
courthouse for more details.
The License is good for 30-60 days depending on your county.
As of 1/1/2018 the fee when
applying at the local courthouse
is $50.00 for the license.
(look close, they are spelling "OHIO")
To be married within the
state of Ohio, the license
MUST be obtained in the
county in which the marriage
will be preformed.
If both of the couple are residents
of Ohio, you may obtain your license
from a Town Clerk of your residence.
If only one of you is a resident of Ohio
go to the Town Clerk of that resident.
In either circumstance,
your license will be valid statewide.
If neither partner are residents of Ohio
you must apply for your license in the
county where the marriage will take place.
In other words, a couple
who both reside in New Jersey ARE
allowed to be married in Ohio
if they obtain the license
from an Ohio courthouse in the
county the marriage will take place.
One of the questions on your
Marriage License Application
will be
"Who is expected to perform your marriage ceremony?"
so be sure to bring my legal name, which is
Kelly Gene Hess
Do NOT bring a marriage license
from your home state (outside of Ohio),
I will NOT be allowed to sign it.
It is customary for the
Best Man to bring the
Marriage License to the
Minister immediately after
the wedding ceremony has
taken place.
It is also customary
immediately after the Wedding
for the Best Man to give
the Minister a sealed envelope
with a donation of $100.
Some couples are comfortable
with a larger donation,
which is greatly appreciated.
When considering the
amount of the donation,
reflect on the amount of time
that was spent in both emails
and telephone calls refining
your customized ceremony...
When considering the
amount of the donation,
keep in mind if you requested that
the Minister be at the rehearsal...
When considering the
amount of the donation,
consider, if the Ceremony
was outside the Akron Area.
(the donation should reflect
that greater travel distance)
Oh, one last thing...
I wear a small microphone
(wireless of course)
and bring a receiving unit
that will connect to the
amplifier that your
Disc Jockey or Band
will bring with them.
The use of an over the ear microphone
(versus a microphone on a stand)
will look a lot better in your photos.
If you do not have a DJ, I have an
amplifier that I can bring with me.
(just be sure to let me know)