Ohio Clergy Services 4.8 out of 5.0 4.8/5.0
Ohio Wedding Minister - all 88 counties of Ohio
PO Box 1713, Elyria, OH 44035
Check Availability
440-324-4047
  Profile   Reviews (14)   Website    

Please let this vendor know that you found them on WeddingWire!
Flag As Inappropriate

Business Info
Services: Officiant
Established: 2004
Accepts:

Awards

Vendors I Know (14)
 
About 
    1. We are a group of Ministers ordained by Church and licensed by the State of Ohio to solemnize marriages in all 88 counties of the state. 

We also perform Blessings, Baptisms and Funerals in the Lorain, Medina and Western Cuyahoga Counties 
of Ohio.

2. We Welcome Everyone: Single, Divorced, and Couples that already have children from current or a 
previous relationship

3.  We Perform Religious, Inter-Faith or Civil Wedding Ceremonies

4.  We are Officiants that Specialize in Weddings, offering Couples Reasonable Rates.  We offer:

     Intimate Elopement Ceremonies.
     Romantic Civil or Religious Wedding Ceremony.
     Bride & Groom choosing their Ceremony and it’s content.
     Small Weddings with a few Family and Friends.
     Large Weddings with a Traditional Wedding Ceremony.
     We will not turn you away due to divorce, second marriage, or children from
     previous relationship.
     Include Your Children in a Family Blending Ceremony for a fresh beginning together as ONE family.
     Inter-Faith Couples blending traditions from both Faiths.
     

Endorsements

Skyview Lodge
Ohio Clergy Services have performed many beautiful weddings at our facility. The wonderful panoramic view here at Skyview gives a dramatic background for those special wedding phoots. Reverend Rich and his staff always go the extra mile. They make all of our brides feel very special. Personal service and integrity is a must in our business. As we celebrate our 40th year in Business we recommend the professional services of the Elyria Wedding Ministry to all our brides.

Ken Love Photography
 I have worked with Ohio Clergy Services several times and they are some of the best in the business. Always friendly and professional. I'd highly recommend for any wedding.

Frequently Asked Questions for Officiant
What officiant services do you provide?
Interfaith Ceremony, Non-religious Ceremony, Single Religion Ceremony
 
What religious affiliations do you serve?
Christian (no denomination)
 
Can you accommodate the hearing impaired?
No
 
Are you willing to perform a ceremony at a non-religious site?
Absolutely, ceremonies at Bride and Grooms location of choice.
 
Are you flexible in the wording used throughout the ceremony, including the vows?
Our standard ceremony is the only ceremony where there are no selections to be made for a stress free wedding. all others there are choices to be made to personalize the ceremony to fit the Bride and Grooms personality.
 
Do you allow the couple to write their own vows, if desired?
By all means, we also insist that they have a written copy to read from, rather than memorization, the day of the wedding, when they may come down with stress amnesia.
 
Do you have a list of readings pre-selected, from which the couple must choose?
Couples may use our web-based ceremony builder, to assist in making choices or may send us any readings, poems, song lyrics to incorporate into the ceremony.
 
Do you require that premarital counseling be done?
No, by this time in their relationship they should know each other, if counseling is needed we will refer them to professional.
 
Are you willing to perform pre-ceremony rehearsals?
We do choreograph and direct all required rehearsals, see our website for details.

Additional Questions and Answers

Do you provide the Marriage License?
NO, Marriage Licenses are obtained at the County Probate Court offices.
Your Marriage License becomes your Marriage Certificate when your Officiant signs it on the day of your wedding and presents you with part of the document. The other parts of the document, will be filed with the courthouse within 30 days (O.R.C.  3104.14). Licenses in Ohio cost $40 to $60 (CASH ONLY) in Ohio ’s 88 Counties

Application for a marriage license may be made in the county of either applicant. If neither applicant is a resident of Ohio, the application must be made in the county in which the ceremony is performed.

We recommend that the couple get the License two weeks prior to their Wedding Date.

What are the Procedures Regarding Marriage Licenses in Ohio?
Both parties are required to be present at the time of making the application for the marriage license. If either, or both applicants are physically incapacitated, their physician must complete and affidavit as to the physical disability, and this affidavit shall be filed with the application for the marriage license.            Each applicant must provide a social security number

What is the Earliest Legal Age One Can be Married in Ohio?
The law requires that the age of the male applicant be EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS or more, and the age of the female applicant SIXTEEN (16) YEARS or more (unless the Juvenile Court has taken custody of either or both parties, thereby permitting such a marriage with the proper consent). Proof of age is required for applicants who are 18 years of age and younger. If the female applicant is under EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS of age, and Juvenile Court DOES NOT have custody, then the parents of the female applicant under EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS of age, if living and in this country, or the legally appointed guardians of the minor, are required to give the proper consent to the marriage. If the male applicant is under EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS of age, and/or the female applicant is under SIXTEEN (16) YEARS of age, consent for the marriage must be obtained from the Juvenile Court. If either parent of a minor applying for a marriage license, resides out of the County or State, their consent must be obtained by their appearing before a Judge of a COURT OF RECORD and consent, in writing, before said Judge, which consent will then be returned to the Marriage License Bureau here, and filed.

COUNSELING: Applicants under 18 years of age must have received marriage counseling before the license can be issued.

Why Won’t A Marriage License Be Issued To in Ohio?
Persons nearer of kin than second cousins (O.R.C. 3101.01), or when either of the applicants is under the influence of an intoxicating liquor or controlled substance or is infected with syphilis in a form that is communicable or likely to become communicable (O.R.C. 3101.06).

If One (or Both) of Us Have Been Married Before, Do We Need to Show Our Divorce Papers in Ohio?
Yes, if either party has been divorced, the Places, Dates and Case Numbers of the Divorces are required. A certified copy of the last divorce decree must be presented at the time of application.

Where Can I Obtain a Certified Copy of My Marriage License in Ohio?
To obtain a certified copy of your Marriage License the court needs to know the first and last names of the Groom, the first and Maiden (or name prior to marriage) names of the Bride, and the date of marriage.  (If the exact date is not known, give an approximate year.)  The cost of a certified copy varies from county to county, check with your courthouse.  You may either come to the marriage department in person with cash or money order, or send a request through the mail accompanied by a money order for the number of copies.  Be sure to include the address where you would like the copy to be mailed.




 

Tips and Advice
1) FIRST THINGS, FIRST  - CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT
After you become engaged, and you find the perfect reception facility or location, prior to paying your deposit. Get available dates and times. Then check with your Wedding Officiant (Clergy, Mayor, Judge, etc.) for their availability. Then pay depsoits for both, then you will have a stress free start to planning your special day.

We have had couples in the past call and state "we have the hall, dj, florist, etc.  hired for a specific date and time, the invitations have been sent, and now we are having trouble finding an Officiant. Then we ask when is it? Their response "next week".  And we do not have availability for that time (Does not happen very often with 6+ associate ministers).


2) WEDDING PLANNER’S 
Best advise we can give Couples (based on our experience of performing 900+ ceremonies) is if you are having a Wedding Planner, do not use Family or Friends. It is always best to deal with a Business, that way if a problem arises, it will not ruin relationships.

A Wedding Planner’s responsibility is to get you to the aisle, from there until you get back to aisle, it is your Officiant who is in charge.

3) REHEARSAL OR NOT !!!
If you are having more than a Maid or Matron of Honor and Best Man or a Ceremony longer than 10 minutes, you should have a rehearsal.

Your Wedding Planner, Officiant, Ceremony Musicians and sometimes Photographer should be at your Rehearsal.