Judge strives to make weddings special
District Judge Amy Marcinkiewicz believes in going the extra mile, but when it comes to performing wedding ceremonies in her office, she takes the festivities a step further.
“I put on the Ritz for them. I play music, I put out flowers, take pictures for them, I just love it so much,” she said.
Since taking office in 2022, Marcinkiewicz has performed 16 ceremonies. She said it’s her favorite part of her job.
“Just because (the ceremony) is in a district office doesn't mean it can’t be special,” she said.
From decorating her office with flowers and banners to giving couples three ceremony options to choose from, Marcinkiewicz said she enjoys being part of the experience.
“I have one more intense ceremony with poems and readings, I have one quick one ... I have them all written out in ways they understand,” she said. “After (the ceremony) we sit around and talk, they tell me their story.”
Marcinkiewicz recalled ceremonies between couples of all ages, even one during a blizzard in December.
The wedding was for the Goughnour family, who were scheduled to be married on Dec. 23, 2022. Two days prior, an ice storm hit, and more weather was on its way.
“There was that horrible snowstorm, and we had a 10 a.m. wedding scheduled for the next day. We didn’t have (the couple’s) phone number, just their address. So we drove to their house and said ‘You don’t have to come tomorrow if everything's closed,’” she said.
Thomas Goughnour said he was shocked to see Marcinkiewicz on his doorstep that afternoon.
“I didn’t know who it was. My son was like ‘Someone’s at the door!’” he said laughing. “(Marcinkiewicz) told us she’d have a trooper drive her to the house, and she’d marry us there.”
The couple decided to still get married in the office, and it remains one of Marcinkiewicz’s favorite stories to tell.
“It’s an honor, for someone to choose you to be a part of something so special and sacred,” she said.
“It was really good. She made it really special,” Goughnour said.
