WS Chronicle

By Busta Brown

More and more people are opting for civil ceremonies for marriages. This has made hiring a justice of peace quite a common practice in a few states of U.S., but Winston-Salem’s Angela Johnson says she has a more romantic and very affordable option.

“Every bride should have a real wedding experience at an affordable price, and beautiful and elegant,” Johnson said.

Johnson shared her experience as a witness to a wedding at the justice of the peace. “What people forget is that it’s the same place that civil hearings are held as well. So you’re sitting with your significant other waiting to get married, and right next door is a hearing for someone that just robbed a house down the street. And so when you go into to the justice of the peace, there’s nothing that resembles a wedding or anything romantic and beautiful and sweet.”

Johnson said that after she witnessed a justice of the peace wedding, “I thought oh, my goodness, I need to find a better way,” and she did. This past Saturday she and her husband, Dana, opened the first Wedding Chapel in the Triad.

“A lot of times people can’t afford these expensive weddings, and Happily Ever After Wedding Ceremonies is based from that,” she said.

Happily Ever After Wedding Ceremonies is located in Winston-Salem on 111 North Chestnut St., and yes, Johnson is an ordained minister and is licensed to perform wedding ceremonies. “I became ordained because I wanted to do this, perform weddings. It’s where my heart is. It gives me as much joy as the couples I marry. And I believe in one love, God’s love. And I want to help people that love one another make that next step.”

Happily Ever After gives each couple a beautiful gift, a reception and a photographer available to take pictures. During the interview, people stopped by to view the first Wedding Chapel in the Triad, and the response was very positive.