THE PROCESS
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HERE ARE THE OFFICIAL RULES OF GETTING MARRIED IN MAINE
1. CHOOSE YOUR LOCATION - The first thing you're going to want to do is choose your location. If you have less than 25 people, you do not need a permit so you can pretty much say "I do" anywhere.
Maine offers a variety of breathtaking settings, from rugged coastlines to picturesque mountains and tranquil forests. Here are some popular Maine locations to consider: Acadia National Park; East End Beach, Portland: Fort Williams, Cape Elizabeth; Pine Point Beach, Maine; Wolfsneck Farm; and many more.
2. CHOOSE YOUR DATE - When choosing a date for eloping in Maine, consider the following factors:
Weather: Maine experiences distinct seasons, with summers being warm and sunny, while winters are cold and snowy. If you prefer mild weather, consider eloping during the spring or fall when temperatures are moderate and the scenery is beautiful with colorful foliage or blooming flowers.
Crowds: Popular tourist destinations in Maine, such as Acadia National Park and coastal towns, can get crowded during peak tourist seasons, especially in the summer. If you prefer a more intimate experience, consider eloping during the offseason or weekdays when there are fewer tourists.
Special Dates: Some couples choose to elope on a date that holds significance to them, such as their anniversary, the date they met, or a meaningful holiday.
Availability: Make sure your date is not a Saturday. Kim and Dave typically do large weddings on Saturday.
Sunset/Sunrise: Maine's coastal areas offer stunning sunrise and sunset views. Consider timing your elopement to coincide with one of these magical moments for a truly memorable experience.
Ultimately, the best date for your elopement in Maine will depend on your personal preferences, budget, and logistical considerations. Once you've chosen a date, be sure to book any necessary accommodations, vendors, and permits well in advance to ensure everything goes smoothly on your special day.
3. SECURE WITNESSES: If it's just the two of you during the ceremony, Kim (the photographer) can act as a witness but we will need one more as the officiant cannot count as one. We do provide a witness but if you would rather have your own, please arrange.
4. MAKE ANY RESERVATIONS: You may want to reserve a hotel or a restaurant. You can also make any parking reservations in advance in places such as Cadillac Mountain in Acadia
5. OBTAIN YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE: To elope in Maine, obtaining a marriage license is indeed a crucial step. Here's what you need to know about getting your marriage license in Maine:
Residency Requirement: There's no residency requirement to get married in Maine. You don't have to be a resident of Maine to obtain a marriage license.
Application Process: Both parties need to appear in person at a town office or city hall in Maine to apply for the marriage license. You'll need to fill out an application form, provide identification (such as a driver's license or passport), and pay a fee. The fee varies depending on the town or city.
Waiting Period: There is typically a waiting period of three days after you apply for the marriage license before it's issued. However, this waiting period can be waived under certain circumstances, such as for non-residents.
Validity: Once issued, the marriage license is valid for 90 days. You must have your ceremony within this timeframe.
Officiant: Dave is your officiant to solemnize your marriage. Dave is legally authorized to perform marriages in Maine as a licensed notary.
Documentation: After the ceremony, your officiant will complete the marriage license and return it to the town office or city hall where you obtained it. Once recorded, you can request certified copies of your marriage certificate for legal purposes.
Age Requirement: Both parties must be at least 18 years old to get married in Maine. If either party is under 18, additional requirements and parental consent may be necessary.
It's essential to check with the specific town or city where you plan to get married in Maine for their exact requirements and procedures regarding marriage licenses, as they may vary slightly from place to place.
6. CHOOSE YOUR CEREMONY: Choose from one of our prewritten ceremonies that we provide or you can write your own. CHOOSE FROM ANY BELOW OR YOU CAN WRITE YOUR OWN
CHOOSE FROM ONE OF OUR PREWRITTEN CEREMONIES
OR WRITE YOUR OWN
These are three short mini-ceremonies that are just long enough to be personal and meaningful, yet brief – perfect for an elopement. Choose a ceremony as-is, or mix and match readings and words to fit your own relationship. Take a look at the full-size ceremonies and other readings on this site, too, which can be shortened in length to fit your needs. (You might also choose this shorter length text: when it’s going to be 100 degrees and your wedding is in full sun, or when most of your guests are standing, or when you’ll be walking into a mosquito-filled forest.)
Elopement 1: Nice and Short
Welcome Message
We are here today to share with NAME and NAME this very significant moment in their lives as they become a married couple.
Reading
In a marriage, love is more than a feeling, it is an action. Love is the commitment you make to be present in your marriage, demonstrating your love through what you do and what you say. It’s being there for each other every day, “for better or worse, in sickness and health”. It’s having someone to laugh with, to hug and to snuggle with on cold nights. It’s someone who will get the inside jokes only the two of you will ever understand. It can be a vulnerability and sharing that is found nowhere else.
Marriage is believing in each other, and cheering each other on in life. It’s someone you know feels the same way about you as you feel about them. Marriage is having a confidant, a partner in crime, and a best friend.
Declaration of Intent
As you look at one another, I ask you each to affirm your purpose for being here today:
Do you, NAME, take NAME to be your lawfully married partner/husband/wife,
to love and respect, and to be loyal to from this day forth?
“I do.”
Repeat for other partner.
Vows & Rings
NAME, as you place the ring on NAME’s finger, please repeat after me:
“I, NAME, want you, NAME, to be my wife/husband/partner.
I promise to care for you,
to trust and respect you,
to share myself with you,
and grow with you,
for as long as we both live.”
Repeat for other partner.
Closing
Having shared your vows in the presence of these witnesses, it is my honor to now pronounce you to be officially married. You may kiss. Congratulations!
Elopement 2: Mini Cosmic Love
Welcome Message
An author named Robert Fulghum once said:
We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love—true love.
Today we celebrate the marriage of NAME and NAME, who came together as wonderfully weird individuals, and have found a mutual weirdness they call love.
Reading
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once said:
“The problem, often not discovered until late in life, is that when you look for things like love, meaning, motivation, it implies they are sitting behind a tree or under a rock. The most successful people recognize, that in life they create their own love, they manufacture their own meaning, they generate their own motivation.”
You two have created this love and made your lives mean something together.
As you two look at one another, remember that love is not just a word you say, but an action. Love is the commitment you make to be present in your marriage. That means being there for each other each and every day. It means communicating in honesty, expressing your gratitude, and doing the simple things that demonstrate your love for each other.
Declaration of Intent
With that in mind:
Do you, NAME, take NAME to be your lawfully married partner,
Do you intend to love and be faithful to them/him/her
through all of the time you share on this earth together?
“I do.”
Vows & Rings
NAME, do you have the ring? Place the ring on NAME’s finger, and repeat after me:
I promise today to be your partner/wife/husband;
to love, honor and cherish you
with every atom of my being
through all of life’s adventures.
NAME, I love you.
Closing
It is now my honor to pronounce you, NAME and NAME, to be officially married. Congratulations!
Elopement 3
Welcome Message
We are here to unite these two people, NAME and NAME, in marriage.
Reading
Today the two of you become a little more than you were before. In the eyes of the law, and in the eyes of your family and friends, your bond is one that is to be treated with respect and seriousness. You have made the choice to be together, and stay together through all that life brings, the big life issues, the small joys, the accomplishments, wins and losses, and every mundane thing that happens in between.
As you look at one another, remember what brought you here. Your love, yes, but also all of the decisions you have made to keep your relationship growing. You each have come to recognize the value in yourselves and your relationship – that you are both deserving of love and worth the effort that goes into loving each other.
Declaration of Intent
With that in mind I ask:
Do you, NAME and NAME, desire to be partners in marriage?
Do you promise to make every effort to share your love and respect for each other from this day on?
“We do.” Or “I do.”
Vows & Rings
NAME, as you place the ring on NAME’s finger, please repeat after me:
“I, NAME, want you, NAME, to be my husband/wife/partner,
I want us to co-create our life together with honesty and compassion,
and I want to be your partner/wife/husband from this day forward.”
Closing
Having witnessed your vows with those who are present here, it is my honor to now pronounce you to be officially married. Congratulations!