Justice of the Peace
Newsletter

December 2006

       Wishing all JPs a Happy and Healthy 2007 with lots of Weddings

Does Marketing Your JP Services Make a Difference?
By Margaret B. Leicach, JP, Farmington CT

jpUS.org recently surveyed JPs to determine how they book, manage and perform ceremonies. More than 70 JPs responded and preliminary results were distributed at the CT JP conference in November. This is the first in a series of articles that will explore the data in more depth and the first of two that will address the topic of marketing. Before identifying the most popular marketing tools among JPs, which JPs do the most marketing, how marketing affects prices, etc., it seems important to determine whether marketing makes a difference in the number of ceremonies performed.
       Fifty-five (or 77%) of survey respondents were from Connecticut. The Secretary of the State’s office reports that there are about 6,000 JPs in Connecticut and that about 21,200 ceremonies (marriages and civil unions) are performed annually in Connecticut. The total number of survey respondents from Connecticut, therefore, represents almost 1% of the JPs in the state. Yet the number of ceremonies this group performed totals about 6.7% of all ceremonies performed in Connecticut between 10/1/05 and 9/30/06!
       Survey respondents from all states averaged about 17 ceremonies each in 2006, corroborating the impression that our respondents are among the most “active” JPs. We first asked, “Did all of these ‘active’ JPs perform about the same number of ceremonies in 2006?” The answer is “no.” Only 28% performed more than 20 and only 9% performed more than 50 ceremonies in 2006. Could marketing help account for this uneven distribution of ceremonies among “active” JPs?
          To answer this question we compared the 64% of survey respondents who used none or 1 marketing tool (“low-effort marketers”) to the 8% who used 4 or more marketing tools (“high-effort marketers”). While not statistically significant because of the small numbers, the results were nonetheless quite striking.
          High-effort marketers performed an average of 45 ceremonies in 2006, low-effort marketers an average of 11. Two-thirds of high-effort marketers performed more than 50 ceremonies in 2006 while 75% of low-effort marketers performed 10 or fewer ceremonies. 83% of high-effort marketers performed 6 or more civil unions in 2006 while 75% of low-effort marketers performed none at all. Apparently marketing does result in more bookings for ceremonies.

What picture is emerging? That the majority of JPs appear to approach their officiant role fairly casually (more like a delightful hobby than a business) is confirmed both by the data and by comments included with the survey data. As a group, we are conservative in the amount of effort we expend, both to book ceremonies and to prepare for and perform those ceremonies. Most of us don’t seem to really expect to make money performing ceremonies, some even performing ceremonies for free and absorbing out-of-pocket expenses: time, mileage, office supplies, phone, etc.
          Yet there appears to be a small, emerging minority of JPs who take a different approach. They prefer newer marketing technologies (web sites and email) to older approaches (newspapers, person-to-person, and phone book listings). They offer a generous, flexible package of services, use formal contracts and charge professional-level fees, which they collect up front. The amount of effort they put into marketing their services seems to parallel the amount of effort (lots!) they put into providing those services.
                Watch for the next issue's “marketing” article which will use survey data to illuminate this picture.

In the News

News from Texas We're proud to announce our second member from the Lone Star State. She is Edie Connelly who hails from The Woodlands, Texas. Performing marriages is the happiest of this JP's duties. She is also Judge, Administrative Hearings Officer, Coroner, Magistrate, Notary and Administrator (of Justice Court clerks)!        Meanwhile, if a controversial bill should pass the state legislature, Texas JPs will have some competition in their role as wedding officiant. The proposed bill would allow municipal court judges to perform marriage ceremonies. Right now the only civil officiants who can do so are JPs and higher court judges. According to the blog, Capitol Annex, the issue is money; existing officiants would prefer not to share this source of revenue. ...and from Vermont A second Vermonter has joined www.jpUS.org! Welcome to Louis Varricchio of Middlebury, who assumes the JP mantle on Feb. 1. New Jersey Passes Civil Union Law   On Dec. 14, the New Jersey Legislature voted to allow civil unions between same-sex couples and Gov. Jon Corzine signed the bill into law one week later. The first ceremonies may take place on Feb. 19, when NJ becomes the third state -- after Vermont and Connecticut -- to legalize civil unions. New Jersey no longer has Justices of the Peace. Two Questions for Massachusetts JPs On the new JPs-R-Us Discussion Board, this question remains unanswered: "Does anyone have any experience with the JP renewal process in Massachusetts? What happens after the seven years are up? Is it as difficult to be renewed as it is to become a JP initially? I would appreciate any comments. I have several years to go, but I am very curious." If you can shed some light on this question, please click here. Note: Anyone can read the discussions, but before you can post a reply, you must register. Please let us know if you have a problem and we will help. Turkish Speaker Wanted for Mass. Wedding A couple is seeking a JP who speaks English and Turkish to conduct a wedding around May 12th, 2007. Let us know if you qualify.

Arizona Football Fans Wed at Patriot-Lions Game       The first couple to wed in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. exchanged vows and then stayed to cheer on their favorite teams. The bride wore a Patriots football cap and jersey; the groom wore the Lions uniform.       Justice of the Peace Richard Griesel wore a black and white referee shirt under his suit jacket. He and the Arizona newlyweds, Brynn Gallo and Chris Nesbitt, and their 15 guests, watched the game from club seats near the 40-yard line. The Patriots won.       Read the story by MARIA CRAMER, Boston Globe 12/4/06 Second Conference for Conn. JPs One hundred JPs from Connecticut came to Central CT State U. in New Britain for a day of networking, learning and discussing.        Morning speakers included Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz; Director of Community Outreach Harland Henry; Registrar of Vital Records Elizabeth Frugale; and Hans Maurer, U.S. Dept. of State. JPs engaged in a lively give-and-take with Town Clerks from Fairfield, Berlin and Meriden.        After lunch, attendees walked across campus for small group discussions. See more photos on the jpUS website. A Brain Teaser? (from http://wowblog.rediffiland.com/ ) Q: A woman from New York married ten different men from that city, yet she did not break any laws. None of these men died and she never divorced. How was this possible?  Answer here.