Making It Legal

Rachelle and Matt's marriage license signed by officiant, Damian King, in Columbus Ohio

I love this photo taken by a friend of Rachelle and Matt after their wedding. I felt fortunate to be the wedding officiant for this dedicated couple as they became husband and wife that day in Columbus, Ohio.

Signing the marriage license is the last step of the process. The couple's marriage certificate is signed and filed with the county, and then the probate court certifies the marriage on the county records. Then the couple can request their "marriage abstract", which is the document that says they are married. The marriage abstract is the document that a new wife presents to the Social Security Administration for her name change.

For more information about applying for and certifying your marriage in Franklin County, follow this link to the Franklin County Probate Court - Marriage License Department. They have some great information there that couples find very helpful.

Thanks for visiting my website and have a great day!

Beautiful wedding venue - The Columbus Athenaeum in Ohio

Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Athenaeum in downtown Columbus, Ohio where many outstanding weddings are held. As an officiant, I have the honor of celebrating with many brides and grooms at this very tasteful and busy venue. The staff always amazes me, because sometimes they are holding 4 weddings at the same time! Talk about the need to coordinate! But they manage all the details so well and consistently provide their brides and grooms with outstanding service in a setting that is filled with beauty and charm. Oh, by the way...the food is fantastic! Wait until you try their meatballs.

Banner outside the Athenaeum wedding venue in downtown Columbus, OhioHere is a shot of the outside of the venue. It can be deceiving because the inside is incredible.

An outside look at the Athenaeum wedding venue in Columbus, OhioIn this next shot I am with Gina Cristofani, Sales and Event Manager, and we are in the Priory discussing some wedding details. It was a fun visit and Gina does a great job as she has to coordinate many things to make the wedding day experience come together as it should. The entire staff runs like clockwork.

Gina Cristofani and officiant, Damian King, discuss wedding details in Columbus, Ohio, in the Priory.Here you can see some of the incredible architecture inside the Priory within the walls of this 1896 structure.

Beautiful architecture in the Priory at the Columbus Athenaeum wedding venueHere is a look from just outside the Priory.

A look from outside the Priory at the Columbus Athenaeum - Gina and Damian continue their chat.Open Prism Photography took this shot along the way while we were there. I thought it looked pretty cool.

An image from the Small Theater in the Columbus Athenaeum, wedding venue in OhioHere is a quick look at the Macedonian Room.

The Macedonian Room at the Athenaeum wedding venue in Columbus, OhioThe Small Theater is another amazing location for both weddings and receptions, or both. I did not know this photo was taken...

A look from above at the Columbus Athenaeum's Small TheaterI felt that this lamp base was a fitting sign for a place where so many brides and grooms commit to a lifetime of love as they become husband and wife.

"A Place for Love" - Heart shaped lamp base at the Columbus Athenaeum wedding venue in Ohio.The photographs in this entry are courtesy of Open Prism Photography and the work of Rebekah King. Feel free to visit their website at the link provided. You can call or email Rebekah for more information at 614-653-9082 or openprismphotography@gmail.com.

I enjoyed my visit to the Columbus Athenauem venue in Ohio, and I look forward to serving as wedding officiant for many more happy brides and grooms. Thanks for stopping by my website!      

OneWed "Golden Feather Award" 2012 - Thank You!

We are so grateful to the wonderful brides and grooms we have the pleasure of serving as their wedding officiant in and near Columbus, Ohio. Because of you, United Marriage Services, LLC  has been awarded the OneWed "Golden Feather Award" for 2012!

This reflects that we are in the top 5% of Wedding Pros nationwide. The annual, OneWed "Golden Feather Awards" were formerly know as OneWed’s “Best Of Awards” and recognize the top wedding professionals from the OneWed Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the OneWed "Golden Feather Awards" are determined solely by the reviews from over 1.2 million newly married brides and grooms.

Thank you so much for your kindness and appreciation that had made this honor possible! 

You can find out more by visiting our listing on OneWed. Thank you, again!

Wedding Day Dream - Brenda & Clint at Darby House

I was so glad that Brenda & Clint asked me to celebrate with them as their wedding officiant. They chose the beautiful Darby House in Columbus, Ohio as their location. It is easy to enjoy this first photo with Brenda and Clint's look of delight as they gaze upon each other on this very special day.

Brenda and Clint enjoying a fun moment, together with their wedding officiant, in greater Columbus, Ohio, at Darby House.A tender kiss for the bride and groom, now pronounced "husband and wife". They love each other like no one else and it shows!

"You may kiss the bride!" Brenda and Clint's wedding ceremony in Columbus, Ohio.Two very lovely and sweet flower girls make their appearance and add the touch of flower petals to the ceremony location. These little ladies clearly have the attention of the guests!

The aisle was laced with rose petals... In order to personalize their ceremony for them, I had the honor of sharing a few thoughts with the guests. Here is one of those thoughts - "We initially bonded over our similar taste in music and have attended many concerts together.  Our relationship was very easy right from the start – no games, no dishonesty – completely natural."

Tender moments like these are never forgotten. I am going to let these last 4 special images of Brenda & Clint's wedding day speak for themselves.

"How can we make this moment last?" Brenda & Clint at Darby HouseBrenda & Clint after their wedding ceremony at Darby House in Columbus, Ohio"These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you..."

"Let's dance this moment into the future." "I am so grateful to have found you."Azar Photography and the fine work of Andriy were responsible for the images in this entry. Please contact Andriy at the link provided or by calling 614-218-2103 or emailing azarphotography@hotmail.com.

Brenda's wedding dress was provided by David's Bridal. Their music was provided by Encore Entertainment and Trent Iguchi. Their caterer was Cameron Mitchell Catering. Flowers were by Bloomtastic and their wedding cake was by Cakes by Cecile, Columbus, Ohio.

Brenda and Clint it was such a pleasure to celebrate with you as your wedding officiant! May all your years be filled with peace and happiness! 

Danielle & Bill at Brookshire in Delaware!

Bill and Danielle asked me to be their officiant for their wedding celebration at Brookshire Premiere Event Facility near Columbus, Ohio. Brookshire sits off Route 23 about 8 miles north of I-270 in Delaware, Ohio. In this photo below I am posing with this happy couple. Danielle and Bill have a true sense of humor and also are some of the most caring people with whom I have had the pleasure to celebrate.

Wedding officiant, Damian King of Columbus Ohio stands with Danielle & Bill after their ceremony at Brookshire in Delaware. Their sand ceremony was distinctly unique. You see, this bride and groom are soldiers serving the USA and living to protect our freedoms. They obtained the grounding layer of sand from Omaha Beach on the shores of Normandy, France. If you have seen Steven Spielberg's movie "Saving Private Ryan" you have experienced a depiction of the devastation that took place on Omaha Beach, and the profound loss of lives endured when Americans began to liberate Europe from the Germans. So this grounding layer was extraordinary.

Danielle & Bill's beautiful sand ceremony after their wedding at Brookshire Premiere Event Facility near Columbus, Ohio.In this photo we were discussing just how special their own sand ceremony was and as we contemplated how fortunate we are to have men and women who are willing to live to defend the cause of freedom. They were both so humble about their own service to our country.

Wedding Officiant, Damian King, reflects with Danielle & Bill about their sand ceremony at Brookshire near Columbus, Ohio. This was a touching day in so many ways. I was very happy to have been able to celebrate with these two very special people. 

Photos in this entry were provided by Missy Gray. Missi does not have a website yet but her email address is missibsu@yahoo.com

Danielle and Bill, I wish you all the best in your years together as husband and wife!

Thanks for the privilege of celebrating with you as your officiant on your wedding day in Columbus Ohio!

Bride's Choice Award 2012 - 2nd Straight Year. Thank You!

{Columbus,OH} – February 9, 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce United Marriage Services LLC has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Officiant!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, United Marriage Services LLC was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

United Marriage Services LLC is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate United Marriage Services LLC for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that United Marriage Services LLC is one of the very best Officiants within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

To learn more about the Bride's Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

Another Beautiful Wedding at Franklin Park Conservatory

As the wedding officiant for Jessica and Daniel, I was honored to celebrate with this bride and groom. We were in Columbus, Ohio, and it was time to sign the marriage license at Franklin Park Conservatory on their big day. It was fabulous weather and a wonderful moment. I love Jessica and Daniel's expressions as they both look on at the signing. You can tell that this bride and groom are meant for each other.

Wedding officiant, Damian King, in Columbus, Ohio, signing Jessica and Daniel's marriage license at Franklin Park Conservatory.Here is a close up view of the marriage license as their wedding photographer, Comfort Witcher, captures the image.

License obtained from Marriage License Department - Probate Court, Franklin County, Ohio In this photograph Jessica and I were looking together at her marriage license. She is so happy that this day has come and we were enjoying the fact that she and Daniel are now married.

Jessica and Damian view the marriage license of the bride and groom at Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, OhioThe happy groom -  Here is a great shot of Daniel as he stands with joy and anticipation as his lovely bride will be approaching soon. Daniel, a groom filled with joy, awaits his bride with wedding officiant, Damian King, at Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, OhioI found this couple to be very kind and sweet. When they were together I was able to feel their love for each other and for other people, too. I was happy to celebrate with Jessica and Daniel on the beautiful day they became husband and wife.

Bride and groom, Jessica and Daniel with wedding officiant, Damian King, at Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, OhioAll photos in this entry are courtesy of Comfort Witcher and Comfort Photography. She does fantastic work as you can see from the images posted here. You can view more of her fine work at by following the link provided. Comfort's email and phone number are comfort@comfortphotography.com and 614-668-7609.

The DJ for their wedding was Dan Green of Encore Entertainment.

Ali Goldschmidt was the wedding event lady for Franklin Park Conservatory. Ali does a tremendous job and is very caring and attentive. I was glad to be on the same team with her that day.

Jessica and Daniel, your Columbus wedding was wonderful! Thanks again for inviting me to be a part of your day and to serve as your officiant. I wish you all the best and many happy years together!