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If you would like to have a private celebration for the two of you, the  sweetheart ceremony may be your answer. 

 

Many couples search far and wide to find a wedding minister to perform their quick wedding, because they don't want to be married by a justice of the peace or a court clerk in the courthouse.    

As a nondenominational minister, I provide several wedding services.  Even though,  I am not a justice of the peace, I will offer a fee that is  comparable to one.  These fees only apply to the sweetheart ceremonies performed in my home in Bowie Maryland.

This is not the only wedding service I provide.  As a traveling Maryland wedding minister, I will come to your location.  A location can be a yacht, country club, house, park, church, garden, banquet hall, etc.  For more details, please visit the wedding page.

All marriages in my home or adjacent lake will require a valid Prince George's County marriage license from the Prince George's County Circuit Court, where they no longer have a justice of the peace performing civil marriages; rather a court clerk now performs them from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon.  

If those hours are not convenient for you; and you are adamant about not getting married in a courthouse, consider my flexible schedule and the sacredness of my home.  

Couples have traveled from different parts of Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC; to have their private wedding celebration performed by me.

Prior to your arrival, my house is decorated, blessed, and purified for the administration of the holy sacrament of matrimony.  

Peek into my house below. 

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If you are traveling from out of town and want to enjoy your two day stay in Maryland; kindly visit my Bowie Page.  This page has hotel, dining, and entertainment recommendations.

 

Premarital coaching is available, but not required.  For additional information, kindly click the coaching link below.

 

Private Weddings are Performed

Monday - Sunday

When available*

(Including Holidays)

*Weekend and Holiday Weddings:  Priority is given to larger ceremonies.  However, your wedding date and time can be booked; when it is requested the same week of the wedding.  

 

If your request comes beyond that period, your time slot cannot be guaranteed, but the date can be confirmed.

Your ceremony date and time must be confirmed.  An inquiry is not a confirmation.  Confirmations come in the form of a deposit which secures your date and time.

 

For short noticed weddings, I will use my desertion to determine if enough information has been provided to confirm your wedding time.  

 

Kindly be aware that all ceremonies are planned.  A personalized script is created, my home is prepare with wedding decorations, the ceremony space is blessed, purified, and cleaned  for the sacrament of marriage.  In addition,  I prepare myself for the wedding ritual.

 

I care about the ritual of marriage being performed properly.  So I take the extra effort to make the space you enter into sacred for your ceremony.  These weddings differ from courthouse marriages; because I officiant them from a platform of service to God  and to mankind (secular ceremony).

 

 

Sweetheart weddings are performed by a

Maryland Wedding Minster, Prince George's County Officiant

An alternative to courthouse marriages

Prince George's County Marriage License Required

Ask about Valentine's Day Weddings 

 

Private Weddings - Elopement Ceremonies - Vow Renewals

Couple only (no guest)

 

Fee:  $275 (Bowie MD near the lake below)

 

 

You may choose one of the following prewritten ceremonies that can include the mentioning of new family members:  

 

Christian

Civil (Nonreligious - Secular)

Same Sex

Nondenominational 

Spiritual

Vow Renewal

 

The above fee is based on the convenience of evening and weekend weddings, a private wedding in my home, a personalizing prewritten ceremony with slight modifications, officiating the ceremony, set-up and clean up, filing the county marriage license, my time corresponding and meeting with you, and other logistics; and (if applicable) a holiday wedding fee ($60) is added to the base cost. 

 

Along with your Prince Georges County marriage license, you will receive a complimentary keepsake certificate (that includes your vows) and the ceremony.  

The private wedding fee is not available for any other wedding services I provide.   

For weddings at your venue of choice, kindly visit the Weddings  page.

 

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After reserving your wedding date and time with me, you may secure my services with a $100 nonrefundable deposit.  This payment can be made by check, cash, money order (balance paid in cash).  

 

If no deposit is made, a cash payment in full is due at the time of the wedding.  House rules, please read.

 

House Rules:

 

Reserved time: ˝ hour is allotted from start to finish (this includes picture taking)

 

Early Arrival:  Arriving early does not guarantee that I will be ready for you.  So please check with me, when you are arriving more than 10 minutes before your scheduled time.   

 

If the couple arrives separately, they must synchronize their time, so that they arrive at the same time or a few minutes apart.

 

Tardiness: If you are running late, you must check with me to see if I am available at your new start time.  Not checking with me does not guarantee my availability. 

 

The following fees apply to lateness: 

˝ hour late - $50 will be added to your balance (beyond the 30 minute grace period)

 

If tardiness exceeds 1 hour, the wedding ceremony will be cancelled. 

    

Cell phones: must be turned to vibrate or silent.

 

Parking:  The parking spaces in front of the houses are marked RESERVED.  These parking spaces are for residents only.  There is ample street parking on Lottsford Vista Road, Morning Glory Way, and Morning Glory Trail.   

 

Photographer: He/she must arrive with you.   

Your photographer is welcomed to take pictures during the ceremony.   He/she must respect my personal space and stand one arm length away from me. 

 

When we meet, I will provide you with a list of recommended photographers  I worked with in the past.  If you are interested in having a professional photographer for your private wedding, you will be responsible for contacting that person and making the necessary arrangements.   

 

Keep in mind that my house is used for a 1/2 hour block of time.  If you reserve a photographer for more time than that, consider using your remaining time by taking pictures by the lake.

 

 

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If you would like a professional photographer, please visit the vendors' page.

 

Reverend Starlene Joyner Burns 

Prince George's County Officiant and PG Wedding Minister

Please call between

1o:00 am - 9:00 pm

to check my availability for your wedding.

202.253.3629

Since the sweetheart ceremony is a private wedding of just the couple (only) no guest will be allowed.

My services is an alternative to a courthouse wedding.  It  provides the privacy many couples seek and the days and times they wish to have their ceremony.

 

I am, Reverend Starlene Joyner Burns a nondenominational - interfaith wedding minister, wedding celebrant,  and wedding officiant.   In addition, I am the founder and director of SJB Ministries LLC; and the founder of God's Center for Divine Healing.  The healing center is dedicated to providing distant healing energy and prayer to those outside the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. 

 

I studied four consecutive years to become an ordained minister of Spiritual Science.  Prior to that I was ordained in the Christian faith.  With more than six years of ministerial experience, I am prepared for the responsibilities of an interfaith - nondenominational wedding minister.  I received further training in the administration of the holy sacraments, under the direction of a well known master administrator of the rites of passage.   

 

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In addition, I have a Toy Fox Terrier, who (from a distance) you may hear bark upon entering the house.  Of course, this will add a special touch of uniqueness to your wedding day memories, knowing that you were properly announced.  Meanwhile, check out Eckie's Treats.

SJB Ministries LLC 

 Reverend Starlene Joyner Burns 

MD Wedding Minister and MD Officiant 

4722 Morning Glory Trail

Bowie, MD 20720

202.253.3629

Weddings and meetings are by appointments only.

Serving MD, Northern VA, and Washington DC