Getting married sounds complicated, but if you strip it down to the simple requirements, it’s actually pretty simple: A wedding only needs three things: you, your partner, and the person who officiates the ceremony and makes it official. This article is for all three of you – couples deciding on who should officiate their wedding, and aspiring officiants wondering how to get started.
Back in the day, most couples relied on their church ministers to officiate their marriage, but in 2021, that’s less common. Regardless if you aren’t a person of faith, or if your wedding aspirations aren’t churchy, or you just want to try something a little hipper and more modern than a stuffy clerical affair, you’ve got options!
These days, uncles, room-mates, and siblings are uniting couples in holy matrimony because we’ve realized that having someone who knows you makes a huge difference when it comes to creating a timeless wedding moment.
If you want a family member or a close friend to be your wedding officiant, but he/she/they aren’t ordained, here’s what you need to know to make that happen. You and your soon-to-be-minister will be very surprised at how easy it is to become a wedding officiant. So, without further ado, here’s how it works.
The Basics
If your family member or friend wants to become a legally recognized minister, then the simplest way is to get ordained online. Thanks to the 1st Amendment, all churches are treated equally, and allowed to regulate their internal affairs like ordination. This means that as far as the signature on the marriage license is concerned, it doesn’t matter if the officiant was ordained by the Pope Himself, or by an internet church.
And unless you happen to be friends with the Pope, it’s probably easier to go online and become ordained by an online church.
Becoming Ordained Online
Becoming an ordained wedding officiant online has never been easier.
- Grab a device that connects to the Internet, such as your smartphone or computer.
- Go to an online non-denominational ministry’s website, such as American Marriage Ministries.
- Click on “Get Ordained.”
- Fill out the ordination application.
- Check your email for confirmation, and once ordained, you’re ready to officiate a wedding*
It is important that your minister verifies their status with the county clerk to ensure that their appointment is recognized and legal before the wedding day. American Marriage Ministries is recognized in all 50 states and territories; however, some local governments have their own officiant registration lists that require officiants to submit documents and register.
Getting ordained online and becoming an officiant is a piece of cake. It’s one of the easiest ways to ensure that your wedding ceremony is personalized, with a wedding officiant who understands the you, and what you want. American Marriage Ministries was founded to empower couples and ministers, which means they provide extensive training and guidance every step of the way.
*some states and local governments require wedding officiants to register before solemnizing marriage.