If you’re a couple who is planning to have a wedding in Florida, or you’re one of the lucky ones assigned to be an officiant, then this guide is for you.
A wedding requires a lot of preparation, starting from the wedding attire up to the venue. A lot of factors should be taken into consideration to ensure that everything will go smoothly. That also includes your officiant.
What exactly is a wedding officiant?
A wedding officiant is someone from the religious or government sector that conducts the nuptial ceremony. It is a growing trend for couples to have their closest family member or friend perform their ceremony. This ceremony is legally called the “Solemnization of Marriage.”
How to perform a wedding?
As an officiant, it is important to understand the marriage laws when leading a wedding in Florida. Otherwise, there is the risk of the ceremony being unrecognized by the law. Officiating someone else’s big day is a huge responsibility, and preparing for it should begin at least nine months before the wedding. This task is a huge honor, so congratulations! Here are the steps you need to follow to become a marriage officiant in Florida:
- Make sure you’re ordained already.
Getting a marriage ordination has never been easier for Americans. This is the most uncomplicated way of gaining the legal right to perform the ceremony. Many online platforms, such as the American Marriage Ministries (AMM), can give you the legal authority to become a wedding officiant in Florida via a simple application process. To have an online ordination is all it takes to become an ordained minister.
- Determine if you need to prepare documents to register with the court.
First things first, you need to know if you are certified to solemnize a marriage in Florida. The Florida State Government requires anyone who wants to perform a marriage ceremony to be 18 years or over and an ordained minister, including those who decided to get ordained online. Among all the marriage laws in Florida, this one might come as a surprise: wedding officiants don’t need to prepare anything else to register with the courts. As long as you are an online ordained minister, you are permitted to conduct a wedding in Florida.
- Get ready for the ceremony.
Once you’ve completed your marriage ordination it is time to focus on preparing how you will conduct the nuptial ceremony. Here’s what you should do to get ready:
- Study the terminologies and conventions. Learn the seven essential parts of a wedding ceremony and know what to say or do for each segment.
- Write your script, taking into consideration your relationship with the couple or their preferences.
- Practice makes perfect. Recite your script repeatedly to memorize it and hone your delivery.
- Conduct your wedding in Florida and record it with AMM.
Besides your duty of performing the ceremony, the officiant also has to complete the marriage license for legal purposes. After this, the new officiant can be included on the AMM Wedding Wall by recording your wedding with the AMM Wedding Helper.
And there you have it! Be an official wedding officiant today and get ordained with AMM to easily perform a legal wedding in Florida!
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