Help: We need a hiking minister

Hello fellow hikers, etc.

I'm one of the new guys here.
My hiking fiancee' and I wish to be wed on a mountain summit this summer. We have completed the 48 4ker's and plan to be married on one (to be disclosed later on). We feel that the mountains are our sanctuary so we need a minister who is somewhat like-minded.

Anyone out there with interest or knowledge of an accommodating reverend that could marry us?

Thanks for your help! Send me a PM.
Zak

What a great first post!

I don't know of any ministers, but a huge congratulations to you!

Best wishes to you and your fiance.

We got married on NY's Whiteface. This was a way of having friends and family able to attend, (it has a road), but allowing others to hike to the summit. You probably already know this, but Cannon, Wildcat, and The Big Boy all fit the bill. However, check ahead, because Whiteface had a fee, since it was state land, and we were using a building.

In any case, congrats and good luck!

And oh, BTW, if you ask the state what qualifies as a 'minister', you might find the requirements are pretty relaxed. If a ship's captains or a justice of the peace can do it, you might even find you have a friend who qualifies!

How about a Justice of the peace instead of a minister? There's one in Whitefield, NH, who has performed summit weedings in the past, including one atop Bondcliff.

Make that "weddings" and not "weedings." Wouldn't want anyone to think this JP was uprooting fragile alpine vegetation.

And going along with what Tom said, if you don't know someone who qualifies, you might find a sage hiker friend who can be ordained through the internet! I've known people who did this so they could officiate at a wedding. Obviously it's not so good if you're concerned about denomination, but otherwise its legit as far as I know, and free. (I think they just hope you'll buy a lot of ministerial swag after you're in.)

Universal Life Church is one I've heard people refer to.

Tom Rankin said:

And oh, BTW, if you ask the state what qualifies as a 'minister', you might find the requirements are pretty relaxed. If a ship's captains or a justice of the peace can do it, you might even find you have a friend who qualifies!

Click to expand...

In the state of New Hampshire marriages may be performed by:
• A Justice of the Peace commissioned in New Hampshire and in good standing;
• An ordained clergyman, resident in New Hampshire who is in good standing with his congregation.
• An ordained clergyman, who is not a resident of New Hampshire. Must obtain a special license which can be used only for that particular marriage;

Unfortunately, NH, unlike MA, does not allow for any individual to get a one-time-only officiant permit.

There's actually a business of wedding officiants if you don't have any luck here.

Congratulations!

Hey thanks everyone!
Ginger and I are determined to find a willing and able minister but we have considered having a JP officiate. We do not belong to a particular church nor do we have a preference as to denomination. We are looking to do a very simple ceremony with no wedding party -just some hiking friends. Sometime in late August or early September.

Any additional input is appreciated.

Zak

There was a minister in Troy, NY who used to like to hike, I think. But, he may be dead.

I did attend a wedding on top of Bear Mt. (CT) several years ago. It was officiated by a J.P.

If you are interested in a Maine mountain, send me a private message.

Congratulations on your engagement!

Spencer

congratulations! You may want to try Judith Gooch of the Plymouth United Church of Christ in Plymouth NH - she's pretty willing to do different things and I know she does some hiking too you can find the church online, just google it - its the first one that comes up.

cushetunk said:

And going along with what Tom said, if you don't know someone who qualifies, you might find a sage hiker friend who can be ordained through the internet! I've known people who did this so they could officiate at a wedding. Obviously it's not so good if you're concerned about denomination, but otherwise its legit as far as I know, and free. (I think they just hope you'll buy a lot of ministerial swag after you're in.)

Universal Life Church is one I've heard people refer to.

Click to expand...

I'm an ordained minister through said church, and yes it seems like they just want to make money off of the ministerial items. I did it as a backup for a friend's wedding. Keep in mind, this only means I could marry a couple "in the eyes of God" but I do not have the official capacity to marry a couple "in the eyes of the State", at least in Massachusetts. Do your homework.

My wife and I were married by a JP. Before the wedding she gave us a binder full of ceremonies she had performed over the years, and we selected parts from several of them. She then wove them creatively together into a 15 or 20 minute ceremony that, according to our guests, was one of the nicest ceremonies they had ever witnessed. My point is, a wedding performed by a JP doesn't have to be just a 3 minute "Do you take thee..." ceremony. There are some really good ones out there if you do some searching.

Good luck!
Smitty