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Court weddings an affordable option

Anyone who has priced out the cost of a wedding these days should not be surprised at the number of court weddings taking place in Minot these days.

For a mere $25, the happy couple can start out their lives together free of the burden of paying for fancy gowns, flowers, gifts for attendants – all the trappings of today’s mega-marriages.

Court weddings are not new in Minot, but Ashley Beall is – at least as Municipal Court Judge. And Beall, it seems, likes performing municipal ceremonies in her courtroom. In fact, she has married more than a dozen couples since late June.

“When I first started as Municipal Judge I knew that one of the abilities that I had was to conduct wedding ceremonies,” Beall was quoted saying in a news story earlier this week. “We got many requests right away. People were calling and asking if Judge Beall was going to do weddings. I thought it was something fun to try out and we’ve had quite a few.”

There are many reasons people might opt for a court wedding besides cost. Couples might be of different faiths and don’t want to pressure each other into a wedding held in one church or the other. Church might not even be a part of couples’ lives; to each his own. And, court weddings are presumably easier to arrange. But that is not to say the bride and groom don’t desire a “special day.” And that is where Beall shines.

“As a married person it kind of reminds you of your own wedding vows,” remarked Beall. “It’s special. You are sharing a special moment with these people that you really don’t know. It’s neat to be a part of that. It’s very touching.”

Well said Judge Beall.

As we stated, court wedding are not new in Minot, but we – and more than a dozen happy couples to date – are appreciative of Beall’s zeal for facilitating matrimonial bliss in her courtroom.

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