Commitment
Ceremonies
Taking
a stand for love is the beginning of showing the world who you are
and the power you have for making choices. It is the building blocks of creation that
joins two spirits together in this world.
 My service as a wedding
minister and wedding officiant,
is to help you carve
and shape your commitment ceremony into a reflection of your love. I
will work with you to create a uniquely special celebration that
demonstrates who you are.
Even if you choose not to
participate in the writing of your commitment ceremony, I will create one for you
that's built from your inner feelings, uniqueness, beauty, and beliefs.
Either way, your ceremony will show a glimpse into your future.
Commitment
Ceremonies:
Christian
Nondenominational
Non-Religious
Interfaith
Spiritual
Vow Renewal
Traveling
to your wedding site is not a problem. I will come to a
home (in safe communities only), garden, park, mansion, banquet hall, country club, ballroom, hotel, restaurant, yacht, etc.
Letting
me know where, when, and how to get there; puts me at the right place
at the right time.
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Planning Suggestions
Planning a civil union or unity celebration is no different from
planning a wedding or some other life changing event. So relax and get
ready to plan your special day.
I have provided some friendly ceremony
planning tips to take the mystery out of planning a commitment celebration.
So start planning your special event with these
tips and suggestions.
For
a list of recommended venues, please visit the vendors
page. The vendors listed on that page are only suggestions to simplify
your task. Please feel free to select your own vendor.
Changing Your Name
If changing your name is important to you,
then you must file a petition with the Circuit Court in the county or
city where you reside. Links for the forms are provided below:
Maryland Form
Virginia Form
Washington DC Form
If you need more information, kindly
contact the Circuit Court Clerk in your jurisdiction.
Maryland
Virginia
Washington
DC
Until the law changes in Maryland and
Virginia for
same sex couples, you may want to register your domestic partnership in
Washington DC. This registration benefits DC residents and DC
Government employees. However, you do not have to be a DC resident
in order to register your partnership.
Domestic Partnership Registration Form
Maryland's New Domestic
Partner Laws
On July 1, 2008, Maryland passed 2
laws to protect the rights of same sex couples. These
laws also apply to heterosexual couples in domestic
partnerships.
Law I
"This law extends 11 protections to
domestic partners in the areas of health care, medical
decisions and other related areas."
Law II
"This law adds "domestic
partners" to the list of family members that a
person can add and remove from a deed to
residential property without paying recordation
and transfer taxes."
The above information is from the website
of
Equality Maryland.
For more information kindly visit their page.
Since the laws for domestic partnerships are weak in MD and
none in VA, learn how to create an
affidavit to protect your partnership rights.
Go to
Equality Maryland and learn how.
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Fees:
Same Sex Celebrations
Commitment Ceremonies - Gay Weddings
- Civil Unions - Lesbian Weddings
$385
to $625
(Within the Greater Washington DC Area)
$385 to $795 (Outside
the DC Metropolitan Area)
Upon
booking your wedding with me, you will receive a free ceremony workbook with sample ceremonies, rituals, and lovely
readings. In addition, you will receive a personalized draft
ceremony, and a pre-commitment questionnaire.
The
above fees are based on writing and revising the ceremony,
traveling to and from the wedding site, rehearsal attendance, wedding party direction and coordination
(if needed), my time corresponding
with you, officiating the ceremony,
advertising cost, website hosting, 5% cost of living increase, other
logistics, and (if applicable) a holiday
wedding fee ($60 is added to the base cost).
You
may reserve your wedding date and time with a $100 nonrefundable cash deposit. This payment can be
made by mail with a check or money order. I
normally collect this fee at the conclusion of our first meeting (in
person or over the phone). The balance is due 60 days before the
ceremony.
Prewedding
coaching is available, but not required. For additional
information, kindly click the coaching link.
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Reverend Starlene Joyner Burns
Lesbian
Friendly Wedding Minister and Officiant
Commitment Ceremonies, Civil Unions, or Holy Union Celebrations
Please call between
1o:00 am - 10:00 pm
to check my availability for your wedding.
202.253.3629
or complete the online form
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 I
am, Reverend Starlene Joyner Burns, a Nondenominational -
Interfaith wedding minister,
wedding celebrant, wedding officiant, and the
founder and director of SJB Ministries LLC and
God's Center for Divine Healing. The center is dedicated to providing distant healing to
those outside the Washington DC Metropolitan area.
After
four consecutive years of ministerial study at the National Spiritual Science
Center in Washington DC (and as part of my program), I became an ordained minister of
Spiritual
Science.
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. Moreover; I am compassionate, ethical, and professional,
and I will work hard with you to ensure that your commitment ceremony is
memorable.
The territory in which
I will be offering my services are: parts of Southern Maryland
that includes; Prince Georges County, Calvert County, St. Mary's County,
and Charles County.
In addition,
I will extend my outreach to;
Montgomery County, MD; Howard County, MD; Anne Arundel County, MD; Frederick
County, MD; Carroll County, MD; Baltimore County, MD; Baltimore City, MD;
Arlington County, VA, Fairfax County, VA; and Washington, DC.
If you would like to read my
5 star
reviews, click the link.
Meeting (Initial Consultation)
Once we have agreed on a meeting date and time; kindly confirm it with
me the day before or the morning (after 10:00 am) of our meeting. This way I will know that you are sincere about your
wedding plans and meeting with me. If I do not hear from you, I will
assume that you are no longer interested in my services.
All meetings are held in my home in Bowie, MD. Kindly do not
bring kids to this meeting. Children can be very distracting for this
type of business discussion. Try to consider this a sacred time for
you and your fiancé.
If you have no choice but to bring your children, the meeting will be
held at Panera Bread in the Vista Gardens Marketplace: 10531 Martin
Luther King Jr. Highway, Bowie, MD 20720. The shopping center is
adjacent to my community.
If you would like to reserve my services at the end of our meeting, you will
need and a $100 cash deposit. Checks and money orders are also
accepted.
Click here for directions to my home office.
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 Sometimes
I am asked, "Why do you do this" (perform commitment weddings)?
During
my ministerial freshman year, my
class composition was 60 percent homosexual and 40 percent heterosexual. My gay
and lesbian classmates shared their stories of pain, frustration, and the psychological impact of
being mistreated (for expressing their God given free-will) by those they loved and respected.
These people included and are not limited to their family,
friends, church leaders, and others.
Their words echoed throughout my body, touching every fiber
of me that stands strong against passive and aggressive acts
used to control another.
My
African American history has shown me the sadness of discrimination.
I believe in equality for all. Therefore,
I support same-sex partners to marry and have equal protection and
rights under the laws of our nation and state.
Civil
marriage is a human right for those wanting to celebrate their love
in building a life-time partnership of equality. One day it will
no longer be a desire, fight, or dream for gay and lesbian couples; but a
reality.
Sincerely,
Gay
and Lesbian Friendly Wedding
Minister and Officiant
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Firefly
From the struggle of darkness,
comes the birth of a beautiful light.
That light is the light of the soul
illuminating the path of determination.
It's your light of righteousness, to be who you
are.
When mankind holds himself hostage
to hate, judgment, and discrimination;
he loses the battle of love and being godly.
Therefore, he plunges himself into the depths of
darkness,
shackled by his own ignorance.
Those who discriminate, do not know God.
Those who hate, do not know love.
Those who seek to hurt others
by their actions, words, and deeds; do not know
truth.
For God is love, truth, and harmlessness.
An inspired
writing by:
(Written after I officiated the commitment ceremony of
Ione and Nicole on February 24, 2007.)
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Gay and Lesbian
Weddings
SJB Ministries LLC
Reverend
Starlene Joyner Burns
MD Wedding Minister
and MD Wedding Officiant
4722 Morning Glory Trail
Bowie, MD 20720
202.253.3629
revsjb@comcast.net
Serving MD, Northern VA,
and Washington DC |
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Same
gender marriages are not legal in Maryland, Washington DC,
or Virginia.
So many
couples are celebrating their love through a jumping of the
broom rituals such ask;
commitment
ceremonies, unity weddings, or declaration of love
celebrations.
However,
DC has domestic partnerships.
Reverend
Starlene Joyner Burns supports Nondenominational
Wedding Officiants and Wedding Ministers across
the nation who perform
same sex weddings or domestic partnership ceremonies.
SJB Ministries LLC
is offering Gay Weddings,
Commitment
Weddings, & Same Sex Ceremonies
service to a diverse spiritual community Serving Maryland, Washington, DC and Northern Virginia
Gay
and Lesbian Friendly Wedding
Minister and Officiant
Baltimore Weddings
Black
Weddings
Civil
Weddings
Nondenominational
Weddings
Virginia
Weddings
Washington DC Weddings
Waterfront Weddings
Planning Resources
GayRites NETwork
GayWeddings.com
Purple Unions
©All
Rights Reserved
SJB
Ministries LLC 2008
Revised September 28, 2008
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There are many terms to
describe the sacred union of same sex couples who want the right and
freedom to marry:
Lesbian Weddings, Gay Marriages, Gay Weddings,
Commitment Ceremonies,
Civil Unions, Holy Unions,
Same Sex
Weddings, and Domestic Partnership Ceremonies
I am a Maryland Lesbian
Friendly Wedding Minister, MD Gay Friendly Officiant,
Washington DC Lesbian Friendly Officiant,
and Virginia
Lesbian Friendly Minister.
And I
have performed more Lesbian Weddings than Gay Weddings,
but I am
available to serve
All Faiths & All People
in Maryland,
Northern Virginia, & Washington DC
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