Wedding of Your Desire by Carol J. Merletti
Massachusetts Justice of the Peace and Ordained Minister
AUTHOR AND CREATOR OF THE WINE, BOX, AND LOVE LETTER CEREMONY
45 Lillian Road
Malden, MA
ph: 781-322-8857
carol
News
New Hampshire Kills Gay Marriage Repeal Bill
by Norma Love
Associated Press / March 21, 2012
CONCORD, N.H.—New Hampshire lawmakers on Wednesday rejected a bill that would have made their state legislature the first one to repeal a gay marriage law, an action that the governor had promised to block.
The state House voted 211-116 to kill the measure, ending a push in the Legislature to rescind New Hampshire's 2-year-old gay marriage law. Nevertheless, both sides are pledging to continue fighting into the fall elections.
The Republican-backed bill called for repealing gay marriage in March 2013 and replacing it with a civil unions law that had been in place in 2008 and 2009. Gay marriages occurring before the repeal took effect would still have been valid, but future gay unions would be civil unions. The bill also would have allowed voters to weigh in on the issue through a nonbinding November ballot question.
Tom Czapieo, 63, of Keene, watched the House debate from the gallery with his partner, Mike Bellrose, 61. Czapieo said he was surprised and thrilled by the vote, even though he and Bellerose have no immediate plans to marry.
"I was born this way. I should have the right to marry who I want," he said.
Bellrose noted that the House session began with the Pledge of allegiance, and quoted the ending passage: "with liberty and justice for all."
"This certainly is a big step toward that," Bellerose said.
If the House passed the repeal measure, it would have gone to the Senate; both houses are controlled by Republicans. Democratic Gov. John Lynch had promised to veto the bill if it reaches his desk.
Repeal opponents hope to solidify what they argue is public support for gay marriage, while supporters hope to reverse the law in a region of the country that gay rights groups have strength.
The National Organization for Marriage has pledged to spend $250,000 to help lawmakers running for re-election who support repealing the law. On the other side, the New Hampshire Republicans of Freedom and Equality PAC is raising money to back Republicans who vote to retain it.
Democrats enacted both the civil unions and gay marriage laws when they controlled the Legislature, and Lynch signed both. After Republicans took control of the House and Senate in 2010, repeal legislative was introduced, but held over until this year.
The repeal legislation, sponsored by state Rep. David Bates, would ensure the 1,906 existing same-sex marriages would remain valid if the gay marriage law is repealed. Bates said it would replace the current "illegitimate definition" of marriage with one defining it as between one man and one woman.
Same-sex marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland, Washington and the District of Columbia. New Jersey lawmakers recently passed a gay marriage bill, but the governor vetoed it. An override vote could come as late as January 2014.
Since 1998, 31 states have had ballot measures related to same-sex marriage, and opponents have prevailed in every state. Those states include Maine, where voters in 2009 rejected the state's gay-marriage law.
Last month, a federal appeals court declared California's same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional. The ruling could mean the bitterly contested, voter-approved law will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Associated Press writer Holly Ramer contributed to this report.
Free Marriage Ceremonies (Only) Available For Active Duty Military Personnel
PLEASE NOTE that although the Massachusetts Justices of the Peace are offering this to Servicemen / Servicewomen who are stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan, that I am offering my ceremony services free of charge (This excludes Prenup Meetings and Rehearsals. Those fees still apply.) to anyone who is currently active in the military regardless of where they are stationed, providing that the appropriate paperwork from the Military is presented.
More than 170 members of the Massachusetts Justices of the Peace Association, Inc. (MJPA) have volunteered to officiate free of charge at weddings of any U. S. serviceman or woman currently on active duty serving in or being deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Justice Elizabeth Brennan Gemelli, former President of the MJPA, who announced the service, explained that the serviceman or woman must be or soon will be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. This service also applies to those active duty military personnel who are home on leave from Iraq or Afghanistan and wish to marry, she said, adding, this offer is being made in recognition of their service to our country.
She explained that MJPA members are volunteering their time and expertise to qualified active duty military personnel who provide proper documentation and a valid Massachusetts Marriage License.
A list of Justices of the Peace who are participating in this service can be found on the Massachusetts Justices of the Peace Association website www.mjpa.org by clicking on the Click here for the 2006 & 2007 JP's who volunteered to officiate at military weddings & Pro Bono.weddings.
The list, which is updated frequently, is prepared alphabetically by city and town of the participating Justice of the Peace. Servicemen and woman are encouraged to call the Justice of the Peace closest to where the wedding will take place. Justice Carol J. Merletti of Malden has volunteered to provide this service. She can be contacted at 781-322-8857 781-322-8857 by e-mail at carol@weddingofyourdesire.com.
Blood Test For Marriage License in Massachusetts
On October 29, 2004 the Governor signed into law Chapter 388 of the Acts of 2004, formerly known as House Bill 75. This law repeals section 28 of c.207 M.G.L., eliminating the premarital medical (blood test) certificate requirement for marriage in Massachusetts. Therefore, effective January 28, 2005 (90 days after signing) medical (blood test) certificates will no longer be a requirement for issuance of a marriage license.
In Need of a Videographer at an affordable price?
Some time ago, a bride expressed her wishes to hire a videographer who was not expensive. She was not looking to have the most perfect video. She only wanted her special moments to be caught on video.
Since most of the videographers that I have worked with are a bit pricey, as most are, I told her about a gentleman that I know by the name of Chris Gaines.
Mr. Gaines is the Director of Real to Reel Film School and works with a youth organization called Raw Art Works in Lynn, Massachusetts.
He is also an accomplished, award-winning filmmaker, photographer and designer. Mr. Gaines shares his talents by teaching at-risk kids at Raw Arts. The Film School students' films have won national awards and have been shown at Film Festivals.
As an instructor at Raw Arts, Mr. Gaines primary goal, along with the other instructors at Raw Arts are to:
- Build job skills and an develop a work ethic with his students
- Help them to become productive members of the workforce
- Develop meaningful mentor relationships with youngsters
- Learn and teach principles of meditation and use art to deal with high-risk behaviors
- Motivate themselves and the kids they work with to stay in school since they are seen as mentors, solid students, positive leaders, and role models
I contacted Mr. Gaines and asked him if he would be interested in having his students work at weddings with me. He jumped at the opportunity. I have had the pleasure of working with these kids, and they do a great job! It was such an honor for them to be asked to video a wedding. Mr. Gaines accompanies his students at these weddings, as well as teaches them how to edit the videos before presenting it to my clients. It is a great feeling knowing that I can help contribute to Mr. Gaines' great contribution by helping these kids. I encourage you to take the opportunity to think about contributing to this good cause as well. Mr. Gaines can be reached at:
Raw Art Works, 37 Central Square, Lynn, MA 01901, 781-593-5515 781-593-5515 chris@rawart.orghttp://www.rawart.org
At Fenway Park, Couple Caps Off Lovestruck Dream To Wed
By Julian Benbow, Globe Staff, October 25, 2007
Carol Merletti waited four years to officiate the marriage of a couple like Annette and Larry Rine.
Annette grew up in Vermont a huge Red Sox fan. Larry watched his first game ever live at Fenway Park. The fact that they live in New York, of all places, made it all the more enticing.
Annette grew up in Vermont a huge Red Sox fan. Larry watched his first game ever live at Fenway Park. The fact that they live in New York, of all places, made it all the more enticing.
The two discovered Merletti's website, Weddingofyourdesire.com, and sent her an e-mail stating their dream: a wedding at Fenway Park.
That was Merletti's dream, too. A justice of the peace in Malden, Merletti has married couples in hotels, in parks, and on the Boston Common. But she really was hoping to land a couple seeking to tie the knot at Fenway.
The Rines had a few other ideas - Niagara Falls, Las Vegas. But Larry Rine said, "We came up with Fenway and we looked into it more and, before you know it, we were up on the Green Monster getting married."
Merletti couldn't have been more excited.
That was Merletti's dream, too. A justice of the peace in Malden, Merletti has married couples in hotels, in parks, and on the Boston Common. But she really was
hoping to land a couple seeking to tie the knot at Fenway.
"It's been on my website begging brides to have them get married there," she said.
Merletti married the couple on the top of the Green Monster during the seventh-inning stretch of the Red Sox' regular-season finale on Sept. 30 against the Minnesota Twins. And, aside from accepting Boston's 3-2 loss, the wedding went off without a hitch.
The Rines wore matching jerseys, "Mr." on the back of Larry's uniform top and "Mrs."on Annette's. As the middle of the seventh inning approached, a quiet buzz became a crowd of love-struck onlookers.
"They were all excited" Annette Rine said. "One guy asked where the cake was."
They were the center of attention at a Red Sox game, quite a feat. The fanfare was nice, but Larry Rine just wanted to make sure the essentials - mainly, the "I do" - didn't get lost in the shuffle.
"We were kind of nervous" he said. "I wanted to make sure everything was going to go well and go smooth. So I was a little nervous that people were starting to crowd in more and draw attention, but it went really well, and I was pretty impressed that it went as smooth as it did."
For that moment, it seemed like everyone was happy for the newlyweds. Everybody but Rine's brother, Jared, a diehard Yankees fan.
"We had a reception dinner that night in New Hampshire" Annette Rine said. "And he wore a Yankees hat to protest."
Welcome to the family.
(C)Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
45 Lillian Road
Malden, MA
ph: 781-322-8857
carol
