Has anybody ever heard of this in their local area

by joe134cd 15 Replies latest jw experiences

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  joe134cd

  I heard of a JW wedding that:

  (A)wasn’t done in a KH, and was performed by an Elder.

  (B)The ceremony was done on a Sunday.

  I find this surprising for 2 reasons.

  I remember some years back as a PIMI when a friend of mine was getting married. The local elders refused to do it, because it wasn’t a KH venue. As I had it explained to me Jehovah’s spirit couldn’t bless a marriage if it wasn’t in a KH. In the end he caved to the pressure and took the KH option. Mainly because he couldn’t get a marriage celebrant to to do it. To be fair I have heard of marriages been performed in a secular venue.

  (2) what really surprised me., Was the service been done on a Sunday. Wouldn’t this be interfering with spiritual activities. The brides father was an elder himself. I wonder if this would have flown a few years back.
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  redvip2000

  I can tell you that when I got married, an elder officiated the ceremony and it was not held at a KH. And it was a Sunday I believe. So it can be done.
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  road to nowhere

  Aah, the magic Kingdom hall. The actual requirements are the signed license and vows of the local authorities.
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  sloppyjoe2

  When I got married it was not in a kingdom hall. An elder married us. Another elder said "its so much easier when it's not in a kingdom hall. There are so many rules we have to ask when it is." He was glad we didn't.
  
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  iloowy.goowy

  As an elder I officiated for weddings at a different venue at times, or at the home of family once, but most weddings were at the KH then reception elsewhere. And yes there are a lot of rules for using the KH, especially if you plan on moving chairs or putting up any decorations, usually only flowers. And also you have to write a letter to the BOE's service committee and they meet and decide to grant the privilege or not. When they don't grant the use of the hall then the couple is stuck with having to hold the ceremony elsewhere, usually at the same place as the reception.
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  New day

  Possibly off topic but a close JW relative died recently and had asked for me to give the funeral talk as an ex-elder but said relative was adamant that they didn’t want a KH funeral as that would be an infomercial. I did the talk at a hotel after the pretty much non JW burial. Talk went down really as it was all about the deceased and even non JW relatives said they would like such a personal eulogy when they handed in their dinner pail.
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  road to nowhere

  Ceremony and reception at the same place works well. Using a hall for anything related to recreation is forbidden.

  If you do want a KH wedding or funeral, lineup behind regular meetings, CO visit (all 3 or more congregations), assembly, pioneer school and other people wanting ceremonies. Wait 2 or 3 months.
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  Beth Sarim

  ...then they go and sell the KH to a church or a bingo palace in some places.

  After its been dedicated.
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  Beth Sarim

  Is the Borg in it's final death throws?
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  Black Sheep

  I know quite a few couples, many my family, all in good standing, who have been married at much nicer venues than KHs. AFAIK, none of them were pressured to wed at the KH.