Prison Weddings With Wendy Wortham

08/07/2024

Clients traveling to Units tomorrow…

Fill up your vehicle tonight. Pack a lunch. Leave earlier than you need to. Make sure you have plenty of water. Do not drive through running water on roads. Turn around seek an alternate route.

06/07/2024

If you’re contacting me through any of my sites, I need you to double check your email as I’ve tried to respond to 2 inquiries today with invalid email addresses and no phone numbers.

The first thing I look for when an email is returned invalid is a phone number.

If none is provided I have no way to contact you so please include a phone number or go back through my site and contact me again. Thanks

http://tdcjofficiant.com/get-started/

04/07/2024

“Why did some TDCJ units stop taking photos on wedding day?”

The policy changed in 2022. Prior to that I paid $3 per photo and bought 3 photos at every Unit on wedding day so we walked out with photos.

Once the policy changed to not being able to buy photos, many Unit’s stopped offering them.

Because of this and because I know my clients want photos on wedding day, all of my vehicles are loaded either bouquets, veils and fun props so I can do my own wedding photos for clients as a courtesy.

04/07/2024

“How did Andreea from Prison Brides meet Cage?”

03/07/2024

Bonham, TX

28/06/2024

“Why haven’t you been posting more on your pages?” Between film projects and clients it’s easier for me to post on my personal page, Wendy Marie Wortham.

28/06/2024

Bu****it. An inmate cannot have more than one wife by law and policy.

Stupidity isn’t easy to fix but here goes and pay attention REALLY pay attention folks cause Marriage Fraud is a Federal Felony. The penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250k fine.

Too many dummies out here are telling people what they want to hear while sitting on their asses signing licenses. You know tampering with a government document. A state jail felony.

In 2013 Texas BANNED Proxy Marriage UNLESS the absent party was ACTIVE MILITARY and DEPLOYED.

In 2015 TDCJ initiated an Administrative Directive pertaining to inmate marriage. Texas like all other states in the U.S. has a Family Code.

EACH and EVERY state has a Family Code pertaining to marriage.

Bigamy is a crime in the United States and many other countries that involves being married to more than one person at the same time. It's considered illegal because it can undermine the integrity of marital contracts and create legal, social, and emotional complexities.

Let’s get started here…Julie Milner Chappel is apparently unaware of BOTH law and policy…

23/06/2024

Monday mail will go out from Parker County on my way to TDCJ Robertson Unit. I’m traveling to prisons everyday this week so Friday mail will go out next Saturday rather than Friday.

13/06/2024

Okay let’s get into it…

If you are on my calendar, my travel schedule and other commitments to clients have been worked around you.

Meaning I’ve orchestrated my life around your event and the location. I’ve committed my time, my travel and my calendar to you.

Contacting me at the 11th hour to make ANY changes to a confirmed date IS immediate grounds for termination of your contract and client status.

When I confirm a date with a prison, many people are involved. You are asked if you can commit to that date. I don’t just pull dates out of a hat around here.

Wendy M Wortham

09/06/2024

Attn: TDCJ Clients…

A paper gown (cafeteria smock) shall be made available for visitors who do not meet the dress code.

Hats may be worn, but cannot be offensive, and are subject to being searched.

Visitors are not permitted to wear ALL white.

06/06/2024

06/06/2024

I’m going to go over this AGAIN.

IF you are SCHEDULED and CONFIRMED on my CALENDAR, it DIRECTLY affects and IMPOSSIBLE my ability to add other clients on the SAME date.

Also I’ve already secured a hotel for the Polunsky Client who was the reason I couldn’t add my 2 male clients at Crain Unit I had to refund and THEN refer to ANOTHER officiant as the distance from Crain Unit to Polunsky is 3 plus hours from Crain.

So I bumped both Crain clients to someone else knowing I didn’t have the time to add them onto 6-11-24 then rented a hotel because I was scheduled in 4 units on the same day and knew I would be EXHAUSTED.

The Polunsky client had the audacity to say “I wasn’t being compassionate.” Listen I’m a businesswoman. I make a commitment to my clients. I make travel arrangements. I commit my time and my wallet to traveling and am effectively prevented from adding additional clients.

I’m NOW going to lose money on a non refundable hotel I no longer need AND also on the 2 Crain clients I could’ve accommodated had I known about Polunsky pulling a last minute cancelation but due to Polunsky contacting me today to reschedule, I had already referred both grooms to someone else because I couldn’t do their ceremonies due to the distance from Crain to Polunsky.

Today I had to move an Estelle Client to another officiant because it’s impossible to move from Coffield to Michael to Beto now that Polunsky has cancelled I couldn’t move Beto which I had added after referring both Crain Unit clients (a stack at the same unit same day) I lost both of those clients because I was accommodating the Polunsky client.

I certainly couldn’t be at Estelle at 11AM when I’m scheduled at Michael at 10AM so once again I had to refer yet another client to another officiant.

Now had I NOT had Polunsky on my calendar I could’ve moved from Michael easily to Crain and accommodated not one but two other clients but since I had already had Polunsky on my calendar it was too late so I added Beto a few days ago to move from Michael to Beto to Polunsky.

What I do requires a huge amount of planning and ex*****on. I have to look at all aspects of distance, travel expenses and then finally timelines.

Cancelling a confirmed booking with ME is non refundable period. Because you just wasted my time, my calendar and my income.

I have to make travel arrangements 7-12 days in advance whether it’s hotels, airfare, car rentals in another state, etc. I’m paying money OUT in order to make travel arrangements in advance.

PS- this post is NOT pertaining to a Warden cancelling an event. Instead it’s pertaining to a client who confirmed a date at Polunsky Unit that I had added to my calendar then made a commitment of time and travel to arrive there. This I had to move 2 clients to Crain Unit in order to be site at Polunsky Unit by 4:30 for a 5PM check in.

Today Estelle Unit tried to stack another booking that for obvious reasons I could not take on because in the midst of all of this chaos I had added Beto Unit at 1PM moving from Coffield and Michael about 27 minutes from Beto.

So I had to find another officiant for Estelle. This is why I limit new bookings to 10 per month and why when I confirm a booking and mark my calendar I’m inflexible regarding a reschedule. What seems minor to you is major to me because it costs me money, causes me stress and wastes my time.

Once you are on my calendar, you are confirmed and I will not refund you. I committed to you. End of story…

Wendy M Wortham

05/06/2024

Over the years I’ve had Units cancel. In September 68 of my clients were canceled due to the TDCJ lockdown.

Last week McConnell canceled due to a lockdown. That couldn’t be avoided.

However my travel schedule must be mapped out a minimum of 7-10 days in advance meaning I have made hotel or airfare reservations and blocked off my calendar to accommodate a client, the unit has brought on additional staff and this isn’t like rescheduling a hair or nail appt BECAUSE a lot of people ARE involved.

I’ve addressed this issue numerous times. I don’t have time to play games.

My role REQUIRES travel and planning. I cannot afford to continue rescheduling due to time and my client load as well as losing income on hotels and air travel, last minute changes upset my schedule and cost me money.

02/06/2024

Larger cities have their county on the top of the affidavit. You cannot use a Harris County Affidavit to obtain a marriage license in another county.

Also please be conservative when dressing for your prison wedding. The last thing I want is for my clients to be handed a cafeteria smock.

22/05/2024

If you go on any of my pages or posts and get salty, sarcastic, cynical or condescending about my clients I’m going to screenshot this info and post it on my personal page to give the attention you’re crazing.

PS- my personal page is Wendy Marie Wortham and it’s public.

14/05/2024

“Why do some units allow wedding day photos and others don’t?”

The policy changed in 2022. Prior to that I would purchase 3 unit photos on wedding day.

TDCJ no longer charges $3 per photo and now email them. Sadly this also created a window for many units not to offer them at all.

I will always ask for unit photos but cannot guarantee them as I will never make promises that I cannot keep.

11/05/2024

Heather and Lisa volunteered to come watch my Ferguson Unit clients baby on Tuesday. Thanks to everyone else who contacted me. We’ve got it covered thanks so much the response from everyone was overwhelming ❤️

11/05/2024

Clients- Need someone to sit with an 8 month old baby at TDCJ Ferguson Unit on 05-14-24. Please let me know thanks.

11/05/2024

Okay let’s get into it..

I’m not a game player. Time is critical to me and priceless. Therefore I don’t waste valuable time on people unworthy of my time.

When my office mails you a contract, the TERMS are CLEARLY outlined. Stop returning contracts WITHOUT satisfying the booking deposit.

My office will RETURN the contract to you with the deposit portion highlighted from this point forward. Read your contract!

You have 7 days from the event date to PAY YOUR balance in FULL.

Failure to do so WILL result in my PERSONALLY notifying you THEN canceling your event on my calendar.

Further in order to reschedule, you will be REQUIRED to pay in FULL as well as be charged a $75 rescheduling fee for taking a spot on my calendar without following the terms of my contract and satisfying your balance 7 days PRIOR to the EVENT DATE.

I will NOT under ANY circumstances make an exception. Pay me don’t play me.

My role REQUIRES travel. Travel INCURS both TIME and EXPENSES.

If you post salty comments or spam any of my social media, I’m gonna block your account.

29/04/2024

“I thought white was not alright?”

After September many TDCJ Units banned wearing white but each Unit is different. Some are sticklers while others aren’t but to avoid conflict please choose another color or incorporate another color so you aren’t wearing all white. Thanks.

29/04/2024

I’m going to go over this again… when you contact me I ask for your address. The reason I need it is because my office mails contracts on Monday and Friday.

If you don’t provide your address, you aren’t mailed a contract. If you have your inmate provide my name to the Unit and the Unit contacts me or you regarding scheduling, I contact them and advise them that you aren’t my client.

If you return your contract and don’t satisfy the booking deposit (outlined on page 1), you are not a client because you haven’t honored the terms of the contract.

Listen I DISCOUNT my booking deposit for people marrying an inmate because I KNOW the client is a single income household as a courtesy and also know that it takes months for this process.

If you cannot follow my booking process, I cannot help you. What I do requires the expenses of both time and travel. I’m not a volunteer. I spend hours corresponding with people contacting me. Time I could be spending doing something else.

So please follow instructions. If you want to book, I need your full name, address, the inmates name and number and the Unit.

Failure to pay your balance within 7 days of the confirmed event date will result in me contacting the Unit to cancel. I cannot guarantee my availability to reschedule either because I’m juggling many other clients who HAVE followed my booking process and warrant my time, calendar and attention.
Wendy M Wortham

26/04/2024

Many of you know Andreea from Prison Brides on Lifetime. Tuesday while I was moving from Estelle Unit to treat my brides to lunch she was arriving from London at DFW.

Yesterday after leaving Allred Unit, Cindy and I headed to Gatesville to check in and take Andreea to dinner and then prepare (finally after 3 years) for her wedding to Cage.

Today they were at long last married at Hughes Unit ❤️

19/04/2024

“Is Andrea getting married?”

Yes finally. We were originally scheduled at TDCJ Telford in September but due to the lockdown we were cancelled then he chained to Hughes.

Finally after 3 years of trying to get her married, Cindy and I will be leaving TDCJ Allred Weds and staying in Gatesville at her hotel and she’s marrying next Thursday.

Allred is another tight stack so everyone please be on site a minimum of 15 mins early.

Tuesday I’m in Huntsville then Weds Allred then Thursday Gatesville then Friday at Robertson & Taylor County Jail.

Remember you must arrive at shakedown with your ID and the marriage license. If you have handwritten vows, please hand them to me to clear in.

TDCJ allows open toe sandals but if you can’t walk in them please don’t wear them ladies. Practice walking at home if you’ve purchased new shoes for wedding day. Thanks

18/04/2024

“Why do some TDCJ Units allow photos on wedding day and others don’t?”

Originally the Administrative Directive allowed me to purchase 3 photos for $3 each. In June 2022 the policy changed and TDCJ no longer charged a fee and emailed photos.

Frankly I preferred buying them because I knew at every unit we would be leaving with them because after this policy change a number of units don’t even offer wedding day photos.

However I’m always going to ask and shamelessly beg because you can’t get a yes unless you ask for one.

Because it’s beyond my power I cannot guarantee unit photos but all of my vehicles have a wide array of bouquets, tiaras, floral headbands, wedding jewelry, props & fun stuff and I take complimentary bridal or groom photos as a courtesy.

08/04/2024

Okay I now have not 1 but 2 removed from visitation clients who were confirmed and scheduled on my calendar.

IF you have BEEN REMOVED as an approved TDCJ visitor you must file an appeal. You will NOT be reinstated unless you successfully overturn the removal.

I’m limited to the number of clients I can stack at each Unit so effectively once you’ve been confirmed I’m prevented from adding someone else who could’ve taken your spot. Please review pages 4 & 5 of your contract.

Moving forward… my contracts do NOT have a shelf life. Meaning once you’ve booked and paid your retainer your contract stays open and valid.

Individuals who have been removed from an inmate's visitors list can submit a written appeal to the Director's Review Committee (DRC), PO Box 99, Huntsville, TX 77342

27/03/2024

The Texas Family Code authorizes the use of an absentee affidavit to explain why the other party is absent. This form is REQUIRED if both parties cannot APPEAR IN PERSON to purchase the marriage license.

Each city (county) has their own affidavit. Smaller towns don’t have their county on the form and the top 2 lines (state of, city of) will be blank. You must write in the state and county.

Blue or black ink only.

There cannot be corrections on this form a correction will void the affidavit legality.

REMEMBER- the affidavit MUST come from the SAME county that you will be purchasing the license from. Meaning you cannot obtain a Tarrant County affidavit to purchase a license in Travis County or any other county. Further the license once the ceremony has been completed and the document signed MUST be returned and recorded from the SAME county clerk the license was purchased at.

24/03/2024

When a Unit contacts me regarding scheduling for a name I don’t have on my client list… there’s a problem.

In the past two weeks I’ve had 7 Units contact me regarding scheduling people I’d never heard of. People who hadn’t booked or retained me. People who had an inmate put my name on correctional facility paperwork without my knowledge.

I’m going to reiterate this again as I have for manh years now… if I don’t have a contract AND deposit on file for you, you do not have a commitment made to me and I effectively will not commit to you either.

My calendar is carefully orchestrated with intention and forethought as my role REQUIRES both TIME and TRAVEL.

Please stop having an inmate use my name and credentials at correctional facilities! I’m serious. I will not commit and confirm a date for anyone who is not a booked client.

Wendy M Wortham

19/03/2024

Attention TDCJ Allred Unit Clients-the warden wants at least 4 weeks notice for scheduling. In prior years I would stack 4-6 clients at each unit but due to this change at Allred, I’m now stacking 8-10 clients.

April 10th I will need everyone on site with their marriage licenses and ID’s we will finish all ceremonies then meet at a restaurant for lunch. Bridal photos will be scheduled at Lucy Park.

County Units- this change will not affect county scheduling.

15/03/2024

“Can I file my own divorce in Texas?”

Yes. Print the attached forms and use blue or black ink. You will file the divorce in the county you reside in.

https://www.txcourts.gov/media/515764/divorceset1forms.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3Z4ZZ5FlEA6yUtqxTdgXIl-e6TPsGDxc5D68qIq0VFtERyWR2GRukBvrs

11/03/2024

Another clerks office this time Henderson told my client “we don’t issue marriage licenses for inmate weddings.”

As we all know this is blatant discrimination and violates the Texas Family Code regarding issuance of a license but rather than argue… you can go to any county to purchase a marriage license.