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Self Uniting Ceremony??

SVanH031506SVanH031506
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in Wedding Vows & Ceremony Discussions
Has anyone ever done or heard of a self uniting ceremony? We are getting married in Philadephia but do not want to be married by someone of a church or justice of the peace. I read that you can do a self uniting ceremony and have someone act as the officiant. 
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Re: Self Uniting Ceremony??

  • dorkus610dorkus610 member
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    I too live in the Philadelphia area and was looking into a self uniting wedding as well. I thought it sounded perfect and was the route we wanted to take, however I found out that the marriage may not be considered legal outside of state lines. If you plan on living in Pennsylvania forever, it may be a great option for you, but if there's the slightest chance you may move, I would highly suggest going the more traditional, and legal route.
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  • ChristineNBChristineNB
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    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_vows_self-uniting-ceremony?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:24Discussion:fa6f1d0a-c3fc-4ee0-a8a9-fff78476cda8Post:2fec5899-f4fa-488c-a538-5cd53ec082b3">Re: Self Uniting Ceremony??</a>:
    [QUOTE]I too live in the Philadelphia area and was looking into a self uniting wedding as well. I thought it sounded perfect and was the route we wanted to take, however I found out that the marriage may not be considered legal outside of state lines. If you plan on living in Pennsylvania forever, it may be a great option for you, but if there's the slightest chance you may move, I would highly suggest going the more traditional, and legal route.
    Posted by dorkus610[/QUOTE]
    This is not true.  Me and my fiance are getting married next month in a self-uniting ceremony in Pittsbugh.  After the wedding we will be issued a marriage license from the state of Pennsylvania, which all states, including our home state of Virginia, will honor.  A marriage license is vaid in all states, and will not state that the couple was married via self-unification. 
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  • lauramclauralauramclaura
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    We just got married in a self-uniting ceremony. It is legal and binding in all states. Be aware that you have to marry yourselves, though. Having someone officiate for you (even if they're not ordained) is not the same thing as having a self-uniting ceremony. We wrote our own ceremony and members of our wedding party said various things during it.  But we essentially married ourselves. If you want someone to officiate the ceremony, consider having them ordained online. The Universal Life Church does it for free.  http://www.themonastery.org/
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