Oakdale, Minnesota
E-mail: tom@tgarmstrong.com
Oakdale, Minnesota
E-mail: tom@tgarmstrong.com
Yes, Virginia, Judge Tom Armstrong is a real Judge. He became a Judge the old fashion American way – he won an election. Tom was first elected as a Washington County Judge in 1980 at age 33, when he ran against an incumbent Judge. The Minnesota Supreme Court didn’t like this. They like Judges to be just like them – political party appointees selected by governors – not by the voters. Oh well, you can’t please everyone – sometimes by ballots Democracy gets to win. Sometimes a person with no political party connections – like Tom – gets elected as a judge.
Tom was reelected four times as a District Judge, and he retired at the end of his term on January 3rd, 2011, after 30 years of elected service. Retired Judges can perform weddings – and that is all the judicial work he wants to do. Wedding are all Tom does and he does them well. No more criminal trials, traffic court, conciliation court, juvenile court, divorces, and other sad, bad and mad cases. In retirement he only performs marriages for happy couples. Thirty years of court cases, arguments of lawyers, problems and turmoil was enough for his lifetime. Now just happy weddings.
“Tom” is just fine. Remember – no more courtroom work – so “Tom” is what he likes to hear. Tom is working to help you with your wedding ceremony and to make it a memorable day.
This was posted by a couple in 2012 for a wedding at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul. The sound isn’t the greatest – it was a windy day and the microphone recorded the noise in the background – including a siren during the Processional.
No. As a retired Minnesota Judge, he can only perform weddings in Minnesota.
It’s difficult to set up a time and a place for a face-to-face meeting, and it’s also not necessary to meet in person. Tom can answer all your questions with e-mails and phone calls. Preparing the ceremony can’t be accomplished at a meeting around a table. It’s best done back-and-forth over time using the Internet and all the samples in the Ceremony Library. Tom is always available to help with any aspect of the ceremony. You have unlimited phone calls and e-mails as part of his service.
There are Officiants who meet in person, some even twice before the wedding, but they charge more than Tom and use these meetings as a way to pad the bill. We live in the modern world with Amazon as an example. Ever been to an Amazon store? However, unlike Amazon, Tom will be there for your ceremony. Everything else in preparation can be accomplished by the Internet and telephone.
Every word in your wedding ceremony should be your choice. You can select ceremony wording from the website Ceremony Library and samples, write your own vows, get wording from other sources, etc. Tom then takes your selections and puts everything in his formatting. Then he sends it back to you with any questions or comments. You can download a Completed Ceremony Sample by clicking on Sample Ceremony on this Welcome page. Designing a ceremony is best done over time, back-and-forth with e-mail and by phone. It’s not something that can be done at a meeting.
Here is a 2010 e-mail from a Bride.
“When my sister got married, the Judge just came to her on the day of her wedding and asked her to pick out of 2 ceremonies which one she wanted. We like that we can have our ceremony just how we want it and your website works perfect for people like us!”
Tom will perform your ceremony at a location you select. To see what other couples have to say about his services, click the References button to see some of the Thank You letters that he has received. For information on Rehearsals see that question below and also click on the Rehearsal Information button. All officiants charge extra to lead a rehearsal. You can do your own Rehearsal. Click on the Rehearsal Information button for step-by-step details.
You can call or e-mail Tom Armstrong with questions. He has performed just over 4,725 ceremonies and has seen almost everything. He can tell you what problems to watch out for, what works well, and what to avoid. You will have the full benefit of Tom’s experience. A wedding isn’t something you want to get good at – it took about 500 weddings before Tom felt he was a qualified expert. You don’t want to have that much experience at getting married.
When Tom arrives, he talks to everyone involved in the ceremony – the wedding party, readers, musicians, DJ, etc. He makes sure everyone knows what to do and when to do it. He takes a very active part in assuring that everyone and everything is ready and that all will go well.
Tom will complete your Marriage Certificate and get all the necessary signatures. Usually he gets the signatures before the ceremony, but sometimes it can be done after the ceremony. He then files the original Marriage Certificate with the county where you purchased it. The officiant is required by law to keep the Marriage License. He will then send you copies of the Marriage License and the original Marriage Certificate with full information about what to do for name changes. Click on the Name Changes button for more information.
Tom performs renewal ceremonies. In the Ceremony Library there is a section about Reaffirmation and Renewal Ceremonies.
The cost for a Renewal of Vows ceremony is the same as a marriage ceremony. Tom will present the couple with a Certificate memorializing their Vow Renewal.
A Renewal Ceremony is a gift to family and friends and to each other from the Bride and Groom. It’s a great way to celebrate an anniversary.
Can we line up several Officiants for meetings and then let them know if we want to book a certain one?
First check their References to read what other couples have to say. The best officiants get many more calls for weddings than they can perform. Sometimes when you contact a group of officiants you may not even get the one you talked to. It’s best to interview an officiant by phone – you get to hear his or her voice – which is important for any wedding. His or her personality should be friendly, kind and flexible. See the References button to find out what other couples say about Tom.
It’s also difficult to set up a time and place for a meeting. Tom likes to meet by phone. It saves time and gasoline. Before your wedding many questions will come up. Tom is available – just call him 651-773-4092. He is retired and weddings are what Tom likes to do. E-mails and phone calls work much better than attempting to meet in person.
Tom will perform marriages at any location all over the Twin City area and beyond. Weddings can be held at homes, apartment party rooms, parks, reception sites, ceremony sites like the Como Conservatory and the Fort Snelling Chapel, excursion boats, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, churches, country clubs, on a bus – See Wedding Stories #29, etc.
It’s important to select an exact time and to have the ceremony start within a few minutes of the time on the invitation. Guests don’t want to wait. If you change the time, inform Tom immediately.
Tom is retired and will perform ceremonies anytime, on weekends, holidays, and on weekdays. (Well, not on Christmas – Jeanne would be very upset if Tom booked a Christmas wedding.) If Tom is on vacation, or otherwise unavailable on the date of your wedding, he can refer you to a Judge who is qualified, friendly, and available.
All Judges are not created equal – some are real jerks – Tom only refers you to the best – nice people that he trusts. Not the judges who have “black robe-itis.” A disease that is acquired by some judges who are very important, look down on everyone, are arrogant, rude and, did I say, not nice. Over 30 years Tom has met, or heard the stories about, these “bad judges.”
Tom has received last minute phone calls from couples who have had a “bad judge” with “black robe-itis” not show up on their wedding day. On five occasions, he was able to perform their ceremony as soon as he could get there. Once it was two hours later at their reception site – Tom was out doing his scheduled wedding and then went to perform their ceremony. Don’t let this happen to you – contact Tom first – don’t wait until the bad officiant fails to show up.
The basic fee of most Officiants is $300.00. Tom also has some reduced rates – contact him to find out. Outside the metro area there may be an additional charge for the distance. For instance a fee for a ceremony performed in Red Wing would be $400.00, because of the distance and the extra time. Rehearsals can be up to an additional $250.00 in the metro area, and extra depending on the distance outside the metro area. Rehearsals on a Friday evening or on a weekend are $300.00 – the same as a wedding. But Tom can walk you through what needs to be done at a rehearsal by phone. There is no extra charge you have unlimited phone calls to him – well, within reason and not at 2:00 a.m.
Judge Armstrong requires a minimum $50.00 deposit to hold the date. The deposit is not refundable. The deposit is a credit on the fee, and the balance of the fee can be paid at the ceremony or mailed before – however you would like.
Tom doesn’t have a special contract form. The e-mails, your deposit, and Tom’s e-mail commitment are the contract. This has always worked well.
Tom can lead your rehearsal, but there is always an additional charge. The extra time involved is like performing two weddings. If the rehearsal is on a Friday evening, Saturday, or Sunday, the fee may be up to $300.00. Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays are prime times for weddings and therefore Tom charges more for a rehearsal on those days. Other times the fee would be less – depends on the time and distance. Click on the Rehearsal Information button for more information. You can do the rehearsal yourself. Tom can answer your questions by phone – there no extra change for his advice – that’s part of his job.
Once you have selected the ceremony wording and have finalized it, he doesn’t need to be there for the rehearsal. A rehearsal is a good thing for the wedding party, but an experienced Officiant doesn’t need a rehearsal. He is the first to walk out and the last to leave. Click on the Rehearsal Information button on the Welcome page for detailed information.
You should find a friend or relative, who is not in the wedding party to act as a coordinator or personal attendant. You need someone who can act like a Sergeant Major when she needs to get everyone organized and lined up. You could have a man as the coordinator, but it may be better to have a woman. The coordinator can take care of flowers, dress problems, etc. – things that are not within the job description of most males.
Judge Armstrong gets the ceremony ready in advance based upon your selections. There will be lines for instructions. The Bride hands her flowers to the Maid of Honor. The Best Man hands the Bride’s ring to the Groom, etc. Click on Sample Ceremony to see how a completed ceremony looks. The coordinator stands in Tom’s place for the rehearsal with the ceremony in hand. She runs through the Processional and Recessional with everyone two or three times.
At the rehearsal, when everyone is up front, the coordinator goes through the movements. Judge Armstrong will say this and then you pass your flowers, etc. There is no need to go through the ceremony word-for-word – just the movements – passing rings, passing flowers, lighting the unity candle, presenting flowers to parents, readers – where they will stand, etc. Once everything is worked out at the rehearsal you have a trained coordinator who knows everyone and can run the ceremony on the day of the wedding. The coordinator should be responsible for the flowers, candles, lining everyone up, giving the word to start, etc. Too often the Bride has these responsibilities and you have to get yourself ready. Tom will be there early to go over details, talk through the ceremony with everyone who has a part, and get the Marriage Certificate signed in advance.
You can download a Sample Ceremony format and detailed Rehearsal Information on the Welcome Page. If you have questions you should call or e-mail Tom. He can tell you ten different ways to do each part of the ceremony. There have been several ceremonies with the family dog as the ring bearer. Once a ceremony had an 82 year-old ring bearer – the Bride’s Grandfather, another had a 23 year-old flower girl. She had missed being a Flower Girl in her youth and needed the experience. Being overqualified because of her age – she did an excellent job. Tom knows all the options for the Processional, Recessional, Unity Candles, and every part of a ceremony.
With the written ceremony ready in advance, a strong willed coordinator, and a rehearsal and/or a talk through just before – for the wedding party, all will go well.
A double wedding, two brothers as Grooms. or two sisters as Brides, can get complex. Judge Armstrong has done five of these double weddings and has more information which is not shown on the website. E-mail Tom for this information if you are planning a double wedding.
Sometime during the ceremony the Bride and Groom must make a verbal indication that they would like to be married and then Judge Armstrong says they are married. All the words are your choice. Rings, etc. are all traditions and all your choice. For the simplest legal ceremony, click on Nine Sample Ceremonies in the Ceremony Library and find Marriage Ceremony No. 9.
Bring the Marriage License and all the papers and return envelope that came with the license. You also need two witnesses who are at least 16 years old. Now and then, couples forget the marriage license at home. There doesn’t need to be any delay in the ceremony. Judge Armstrong can complete the Marriage Certificate by mail after the ceremony, but it’s much easier to do it that day. The ceremony is what makes you married. A delay in the papers doesn’t delay the moment of your marriage.
One inflexible officiant, a Ramsey County Judge with “black robe-itis,” (not on Judge Armstrong’s referral list), delayed a wedding 90 minutes while a family member drove 45 minutes each way to get the forgotten marriage license papers. It was at the Como Park Conservatory, which only has 90-minute time slots. The Como staff are good people and they stayed open later to accommodate the couple. You don’t want an inflexible officiant. Tom is a problem solver – not a problem maker.
Yes – every word should be your choice. Judge Armstrong’s website will give you ceremony information and choices. Everything listed on the Welcome page was put there to help you with your wedding ceremony.
You can write your own ceremony, get material from any source, change the samples to whatever you like, cut and paste, change the words, etc. The Internet is full of sites that offer help with ceremonies. Just Google “wedding ceremonies” or “marriage ceremonies” and you will have thousands of sites.
Tom will take whatever you send him and put it into his formatting. He uses the same formatting for every wedding because it’s easier for him if all the headings, spacing, type font and size, etc. are the same. But you don’t have to worry about that. Just send Judge Armstrong what you would like in rough form and he will format it. If he sees a problem – like a Unity Candle outside – he will note it to you and suggest hurricane lamps for each candle. If you forget something – like a Pronouncement or Introduction – he will suggest wording – or note the heading with ?????. As long as the minimal legal requirements are met, the ceremony is 100% your choice.
Yes. There are prayers, scripture passages, etc. in the Ceremony Library. Judge Armstrong performs ceremonies with prayers, Bible passages and religious references. You can have Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, and civil wording in your ceremony – all mixed together, as you wish, – you pick every word of your ceremony.
Judge Armstrong has conducted many ceremonies with a religious co-officiant. The other officiant was not authorized to perform the legal ceremony, so Tom did the legal part and the religious officiant did the rest. In one case it was a Catholic Priest. The Groom had been divorced and had not yet obtained an annulment from the Church. The Priest said prayers and Judge Armstrong did the marriage. In another ceremony the Groom’s brother was in Divinity School, but was not yet ordained as a Minister. Judge Armstrong just did the Vows and the Pronouncement – and the Groom’s brother did the rest of the ceremony.
Tom has also done a short separate ceremony at the ceremony site before the wedding. The couple were first legally married by Judge Armstrong, the Marriage Certificate was signed, and then another person performed the wedding ceremony with all the guests watching. The guests were none the wiser. Guests never check the credentials of the “officiant.”
Tom has even performed a marriage where the couple thought the minister was authorized to marry them. He had not filed his credential in Minnesota, and their October wedding was not valid. In January, before their marriage license expired – six months in Minnesota – Tom married them for real in their living room. See Wedding Stories #25 for more about that ceremony.
If there is time, it’s good to have the ceremony completed a couple of months in advance. You will have many last minute requirements for your wedding and the ceremony wording can be completed early. It’s never too early. Some couples have had ceremonies ready a year in advance.
For your sanity get your selections to Judge Armstrong as early as possible. You shouldn’t be picking out the ceremony the day before the wedding. E-mail always works best for sending your selections. Some couples just send numbers – Welcome #4, Convocation from Sample Ceremony #6, Vows #12, Ring Exchange #16, etc. Judge Armstrong can cut and paste these all together and then send it back for your approval.
It depends on the location. If the ceremony is at an inside location, like the Como Conservatory, Tom doesn’t need a microphone. His voice carries very well. Depending on the number of guests, and background noise – like a waterfall or traffic – a mic may or may not be needed. Tom has done weddings at hundreds of locations and can tell you if a mic will be needed at your location. Sometimes one of the readers has a soft voice and will need a mic.
Tom doesn’t need a microphone stand. He can hold the microphone, then extend it to the Bride and Groom when they speak. For repeat-after-me, Tom holds the mic for the Bride and Groom and says the words just to them and then they repeat into the mic. Tom can hand the mic to any readers, or there can be a second mic on a stand off to the side for the reader or singers to use when needed.
Judge Armstrong has no rules for photographers. It’s your wedding. You make all the rules. Many photographers have told Tom about ceremony officiants who have strict rules and limitations about taking pictures during the ceremony. Tom is not on a power trip. It’s not his place to set limits on the photographer. The couple sets the rules. Judge Armstrong is just there to perform the ceremony – not to irritate anyone. It’s a happy day and everyone is going to get along splendidly.
Tom wears a dark business suit with a red tie. Years ago he happened to wear a red tie to a ceremony for a Chinese couple. They were very happy because in their tradition red means good luck. Since then he has always worn a red colored tie. Tome has over 20 ties with red in each one. You can’t have enough good luck.
Judge Armstrong knows other Judges – competent, nice, friendly judges – and they do back each other up. So far, Tom has never needed a backup.
This has only happened with several months notice. Tom will find a replacement if that happens. See above – “competent, nice, friendly judges.”
Military, Renaissance, Country Western, 1930s, etc.
There are all types of weddings. Judge Armstrong has detailed experience with Military Weddings, the Renaissance Festival, Hawaiian themed ceremonies, County Western, with the Bride dressed in blue gingham and everyone wearing cowboy hats, and a hot air balloon wedding with the couple in the basket and taking off once the ceremony was over – like the Wizard of Oz. A 1930’s themed wedding had Groomsmen who looked like Mobsters. They were only missing their violin cases with a Thompson submachine gun inside. It was at the Caves of Wabasha – once an actual hangout for 1930’s mobsters.
Judge Armstrong has done five ceremonies where the guests didn’t know it was a wedding until the announcement was made and the ceremony began. Judge Armstrong wore a t-shirt and blue jeans to one so no one would be tipped off by a suit and tie. The Bride and Groom momentarily disappeared to change and then reappeared in a bridal gown and tuxedo. Tom took out a black robe from a brown paper bag and began the ceremony to cheers and applause.
He has performed two surprise weddings at Halloween parties. At one the Bride and Groom were dressed as a Bride and Groom – except he was the Bride, in a white dress a little small for him, and she was the Groom, in a nice rented tuxedo. (Yes, even at this wedding the Bride was better dressed than the Groom.) Some of the people didn’t have a costume and Judge Armstrong came in a suit – saying he came as an insurance salesman. It was outside in a backyard. The wedding party stood on the back deck while the guests, a couple feet below, were told it was a real wedding ceremony. The Groom was the roughest looking “bride” ever married – he hadn’t shaved in days and his bridal gown did not enhance his appearance. He over-flowed out of his dress in all the wrong places – like the sleeves.
Tom once did a wedding that was a surprise on the Bride. The couple had purchased the marriage license and hadn’t set a date yet. The Groom and Judge Armstrong showed up at her work place on her birthday. It was break time and the Bride, with twenty co-workers, was about to cut her birthday cake. The Groom knew his girl and she was delighted. Think of all the planning and expense you could save. The Groom could also save money each year by giving his wife a combined birthday/anniversary present instead of two separate gifts. See Wedding Stories #13
If possible, have a backup indoor site at the same location. You can then decide inside or outside on the day of the ceremony and the guests come to that location regardless of the weather. If the outside location has no indoor backup, you should have a large canopy – then you know it will work – rain or shine. If the day is hot and sunny you also have protection from the sun.
Once there was a ceremony in a large backyard with a heavy rain falling. The rented chairs with stuffed seats were too soaked to be used. All the guests stood with umbrellas and the Best Man held a large umbrella over the Bride and Groom. There were two large tents, but those had the tables for the reception. It worked. Plan for rain just in case. Some couples have had rented umbrellas available in case of rain.
Having two locations for a ceremony can be an invitation to disaster. Once upon a wedding, the couple had an outside location and the backup was at the reception site ten miles away. The invitation said both locations at the same time – one if the weather was good and one if it was raining. What if it’s not a sunny day, but overcast with a threat of possible rain – one of those 50-60% chance of rain days? What if it is raining in the south metro and just cloudy in the north metro area? When there is a threat of rain, no one is sure where to go. There is no way to contact all the guests.
With one rained out wedding the ceremony started 90 minutes late at the reception site. The invitation only listed the outside site for the ceremony. It had been raining hard all day and the guests went to the outside location – over twelve miles away in Eagan. A groomsman had to be stationed there to direct people to the downtown St. Paul reception site.
One wedding in October had rain and temperature as potential problems. The string trio wouldn’t play if it was wet or below a certain temperature – 60 degrees. The invitation said it was either the Regional Park in Lake Elmo or a downtown St. Paul reception site – over ten miles apart. It was too complex of an arrangement. The cold weather drove it inside, but many of the guests didn’t make it to the ceremony until it was over. You can imagine how happy they were to go to the park, and then find out it was too cold, and then they had drive to downtown St. Paul.
Keep it simple. Two separate locations on an invitation doesn’t work. A back-up site miles away doesn’t work. Don’t ruin your day with bad planning.
Should the couple give Judge Armstrong a flower to wear – a boutonniere of some sort?
It’s up to you. About 95% of the time the officiant doesn’t get a flower.
There is no need to send an invitation to Tom – but parking passes are always appreciated. Tom’s wife, Jeanne, and their three boys expect him to come home after the ceremony – and most times bring pizza. So – don’t invite Judge Armstrong to a nice dinner and raise his hopes – he will be having pizza with Jeanne and the boys.
It’s 12 hours of classes that will save $75.00 on your license fee – reducing the fee from $115.00 to $40.00. The cost of the counseling is probably more than that. There are websites that have information on counseling.
Here is a link to the reduced fee form on the Washington County website.
Look at the Quick Links on the right hand side of the Washington County webpage.
All counties have a reduced fee form. The county websites are all at www.co.(county’s name).mn.us – Just put in the name of the county and once you get to that county’s website follow the site to marriage licenses.
Send an e-mail to Tom Armstrong