Customer Support

Frequently Asked Questions/FAQs

Where does the website name mean? What does it mean to ‘jump the broom’?

The name of the site, Jump That Broom, comes from a tradition in many cultures. The ceremony of jumping the broom comes from several different traditions.

• Marriage did not occur for enslaved people, who took it upon themselves to create a way to recognize their union.
• In Wales, the church did not recognize marriages of Roma people. They held ‘besom’ (a type of broom) weddings.
• In Christian traditions, the broom has specific symbolism: the handle is said to represent God, while the bristles of straw represent the families of the couple. There is often a ribbon on the broom as well, which is a symbol of the ties that bind the couple together.
• In Pagan traditions, the broom handle represents male … ehem … energy, while the bristles represent female energy.

What if we don’t want any of that? Will you still officiate for us?

Absolutely! I am available for your needs, whether you want a civil wedding to make your union legal, if you want a ceremony with faith-based or religious readings, or if you want a quick ‘I do’, I’ve got you covered.

You don’t have to identify with a particular belief or background to include Jump That Broom in your special day. I welcome the opportunity to discuss your West Virginia wedding needs to see how I can help. If I can’t do what you need done, I’ll point you to someone who can.

We really don’t want a ceremony. Can you help?

Yes, of course — If you’d like to make it official with no extras, I can make sure it’s done right so your union is legal.

We want to write our own vows. Is that okay?

We’ll work together to make your day just as you’d like it. You can write your own vows and if you need help, I’m here and can provide some guidance. Or, if you’d like me to write them for you, I can do that too.

Are there any kind of ceremonies you can’t officiate?

I can officiate your non-denominational or faith-based ceremony, but I am not ordained by a denomination. If there are religious passages or scripture verses you’d like, include them as part of your request.

As an officiant in the state of West Virginia, I am bound by the law. I am not able to officiate without a properly executed marriage license. Please see here for specific information about West Virginia requirements about how to get your marriage license if you haven’t done so already.

We are West Virginia residents but want a ceremony out of state. Can you marry us?

I am ordained to conduct ceremonies in the state of West Virginia. I am happy to officiate a legal ceremony for you in the local area and you could have another event out of state, where you celebrate with family and friends.

We are from out of state but are here in West Virginia and decided to get married. Can you marry us?

I can! All you need is a properly executed marriage license from a municipality in West Virginia. You’ll find a list of requirements to get a West Virginia marriage license here.

We want to get married at our home/friend’s home/family member’s home. Will you officiate for us?

The primary radius of service for Jump That Broom is within a twenty (20) mile radius of Charleston, WV (the radius includes locations Charleston, South Charleston, Dunbar, St. Albans, Nitro, Cross Lanes, Teays Valley, Winfield, Liberty, Goldtown, Poca, Sissonville, Mink Shoals, Clendenin, Pinch, Belle, Dupont City, Seth). Locations farther than the primary radius will be charged an additional one dollar ($1) per-mile rate for round-trip service, billed separately before your date is confirmed. If you live outside the primary radius, you can also choose a public location somewhere in between and I can meet you!

I can officiate in an alternate location, such as a private residence, but for privacy will do so outside the home.

We’d like to include our pets in the wedding. Is that okay?

Family is bigger than humans 🙂 I would be honored to meet your pets. However, let’s connect because even the most mild-mannered pet can decide it doesn’t like a stranger. I am a big fan of dogs and cats, as well as large or farm animals like horses, pigs, and cows. I tend to avoid snakes and other reptiles, rats and other rodents, and all bugs or spiders.

Now that you officiated our ceremony, what happens next?

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day! In West Virginia, your marriage license is good for sixty (60) days, so from the time you get it, you have that long to have your wedding officiated. Now that you’ve completed that step, the license needs to be recorded. I can send it in for you or you can take it to the County Clerk’s office that issued your license. If you want copies of your marriage certificate (and you will — you need one to change your name if you plan to do that, so I suggest ordering at least two copies!).

To get official copies, you pay a fee. See the information on obtaining a license in West Virginia for more information (NOTE: the actual fee may be outdated on the page, so you might want to call the County Clerk’s office wherever you are).

I will also reach out to you with a reminder about ordering your copies if you decide to take care of that yourself.

I will then reach out to you again to make sure you received your copies.

You don’t have to do this last bit, but I’ll also ask you to send me a screenshot or pdf of your official license for my record book. You will always be able to come back and ask me to send you a copy of the image or pdf if you happen to need it or misplace yours.

Jump That Broom Terms and Conditions

General Terms

No matter what you call the moment – getting married, nuptials, a wedding, getting hitched, tying the knot, jumping the broom, holy matrimony, or something else – the joining of two people is serious business. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time or nth time and it doesn’t matter if you’re young in age or mature in years: it’s a moment with lasting effects.

For that reason, it’s important to me as your officiant that you understand how I am here to support you.

Jump That Broom follows the regulations of the state of West Virginia regarding marriage. As noted here, there are rules that you have to follow as the people getting married and there are circumstances where you aren’t able to do so (you’re too young under state law, even with parental consent, for example).

Because I am a private officiant (in other words, I am not a public official working for the state like a judge or justice of the peace), I do respectfully decline to participate in certain types of ceremonies. I make these choices entirely on my own, due to my beliefs. There are not many situations in which I would decline, but they are non-negotiable for me.

• I officiate ‘G-rated’ events, meaning the language, style of dress, and overall behavior should be appropriate for viewing by young people (even if they aren’t present). That means Jump That Broom may not be your choice if you have certain adult hobbies and want to include elements of those in your event.
• I officiate ‘clean’ events, meaning no cussing in the vows you write or have me write for you. In other words, like the ‘G-rated’ events point, no ‘foul’ language, even if you use that language for each other.
• I officiate non-denominational ceremonies. However, in the state of West Virginia, ‘civil’ and ‘religious’ have different meanings. I am required by law to indicate on your license that I have officiated a ‘religious’ ceremony. Officiant in West Virginia must identify this way. If you’d prefer to have a ‘civil’ ceremony, you will likely need to have your event officiated by a judge or other person authorized to perform it.
• I officiate faith-related ceremonies. I am ordained as a minister under American Marriage Ministries as a wedding officiant. I can work with you to incorporate passages, verses, and/or scriptures from your tradition. Please see the information on the Products page for how you can identify your tradition. If you don’t see it listed there, feel free to send a message and I’ll let you know if yours is one I can accommodate.
• When I complete your paperwork, regardless of whether your ceremony is non-denominational or faith-based, you will see my title (Minister), church name for this service (American Marriage Ministries), religious denomination (non-denominational, since I am not ordained under a specific denomination such as Southern Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, or other), and ceremony type (religious).
• I am available to consenting adults who wish to join their lives in marriage. I am always up for a party! I honor any couple who identify as married. I have friends and family members whose identities are different than mine who have gotten married, but that term means something specific to me, personally. I separate my duties as an officiant and as ‘any person on the street’, but there are ceremonies I cannot officiate because of the tenets of my personal faith. If you are a couple who don’t identify as a male husband and female wife, Jump That Broom is not the service for you.

Financial and Location Terms

All payments for service are expected up front as noted on the Products page. Payment options are available for certain services through Afterpay, which allows you to pay over time. Jump That Broom has no authority over Afterpay approvals or denials of service. If for any reason you try to use Afterpay and are not able to, you will need to contact their customer service directly.

Jump That Broom provides services within the state of West Virginia only at this time. Updates to wedding locations will be made, without specific notice, to all Product and informational pages as they occur.

As noted, the primary radius of service for Jump That Broom is within a twenty (20) mile radius of Charleston, WV (the radius includes locations Charleston, South Charleston, Dunbar, St. Albans, Nitro, Cross Lanes, Teays Valley, Winfield, Liberty, Goldtown, Poca, Sissonville, Mink Shoals, Clendenin, Pinch, Belle, Dupont City, Seth). Locations farther than the primary radius will be charged the per-mile rate for round-trip service. If you live outside the primary radius, you can also choose a public location somewhere in between and I can meet you!

As with everything, plans can change. Please see the Refunds page for details.

I have other questions. How do I contact you?

If I haven’t addressed your question here or on any of the other website pages, please Contact Me.