The Marryin' Judge of Marion County

06/08/2025

The most Portland thing ever: weddings in a romance bookstore: Grand Gesture books.

06/02/2025

I like a fancy wedding dress as much as the next guy, but my favorite weddings are the kind where people bring their whole personalities to celebrate what really matters to them.

06/02/2025

I often tell couples that I hope they keep something that's just for them -- something apart from their kids, apart from work and daily life. It's important to keep some sacred time for them as a couple, because it'd important to feed the relationship. I think Carlos and Jennifer are doing it right. Congratulations.

05/29/2025

Today, a Salem Parks and recreation worker spontaneously trimmed a few rose bushes to make a bridal bouquet. Salem's a great town!

04/12/2025

I've come to the point in my career where people think I *know* stuff, so they invite me to do fancy things, like be a keynote speaker. This feels uncomfortable. I have no special knowledge. I'm just here doing my best, like everybody else, having some success but also making some mistakes. But even if I don't know anything special, these events fill my cup. The law students I meet here energize and inspire me.

02/18/2025

See the photos: Justice Justin Kidd and Justice Pro Tempore Rachael Federico marry couples from across the Willamette Valley on Valentine's Day.

02/18/2025

https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2025/02/14/marion-county-justice-court-valentines-day-weddings/78466661007/

Couples weathered the remains of the snow and ice on Friday for Valentine's Day weddings at the Marion County Justice Court.

02/18/2025

https://nbc16.com/news/local/winter-storm-cant-stop-valentines-day-weddings-in-marion-county

Despite a winter storm that closed schools across the city, love prevailed in Marion County this Valentine's Day.

02/18/2025

02/12/2025

Pleased to testify today, along with Judge Juliet Britton and Christa Obold Eshlemanin favor of the Oregon Law Commission's bill to simplify and streamline the local court appeals process. The new bill improves access to justice by making the appeals process easier for pro se parties to understand.

01/24/2025

The Love Day is expanding -- officials in Clackamas and Deschutes County are joining us in spreading the love!

Clackamas and Marion County officials in Oregon are offering weddings on Valentine's Day, which coincides with the state's birthday, with services like ceremonies in multiple languages and festive additions.

01/17/2025

I keep a bowl of giveaway rings in case couples lack them, for whatever reason, on their special day. The rings mostly come from garage sales, or wherever I can pick them up for cheap. Some of them are silly -- like the light up plastic skull ring that my kid received while trick-or-treating this year. But it's not the material of the ring that counts; the important things are the love and commitment underneath that the ring symbolizes.

When I get an odd ring like that skull, I often wonder who will pick it. This week, that ring -- and a matching witch themed ring -- found their match in Suzette and Clay.

These two lovestruck artists met over Instragram(!) by admiring each other's work. A union of two intellects, they carried out an artists' long distance romance between Oregon and South Africa (!!) for years before Suzette took the plunge to come here.

Because Suzette was marrying in Salem, she thought it particularly appropriate to choose a witch-themed ring. (I didn't burst her bubble to tell her the witches were in the other Salem on the other side of the country!)