How To Legally Officiate A Wedding
Most weddings are officiated by a notary public, members of the clergy, justices of the peace, judges, and in some states even the mayor is qualified to perform a wedding. If you have been picked by your friends or family to officiate their wedding, however, and you dont fit into any of these roles, it is important to find out the rules of the state you are under. To legally marry the couple, you would have to become a temporary officiant under the statutes of the state so that their marriage can be legal. So, depending on the location, it is important that the couple:
Contact Marriage License Authority
Once you are ordained, but before performing the ceremony, you may need to obtain documentation proving you are a licensed marriage officiant. These policies vary by state, and sometimes even from county to county. For more information about the rules in your area, visit ourState Marriage Laws page.
Most places will request some basic documentation such as an ordination credential, a letter of good standing, or signed statements of ministry. You can find all of these items, along with a host of other minister supplies, in the Minister Store section of this site.
What It Means To Be A Marriage Celebrant
To legally marry people in Australia, you must be an authorised marriage celebrant.
- Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants
- Commonwealth-registered religious marriage celebrants
- ministers of religion, who are registered with the state and territory registries of births, deaths and marriages
- state and territory officers
A Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrant is a celebrant that is registered by us.
There are over 9000 Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants in Australia. Some perform many marriages each year, while others only perform a few or none.
As a Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrant, you’ll play an important role in your community. You will also have legal responsibilities.
Read Also: Where Can I Get My Wedding Dress Cleaned And Boxed
What Does The Officiant Do With The Wedding License
The filing of the license is the most important job you have. You want it to be correct and returned timely. Each county in the USA does things differently, so it is essential that you check with your county to make sure you know exactly what they expect from you. Ask your county for a copy of a license and get familiar with it so you know just what to do. Once complete you must return it to the courthouse to be filed. Specific time requirements for returning the marriage license vary. Some courthouses give you only a few days to return it, while others allow a larger window. Regardless, we recommend returning the marriage license sooner rather than later.
We cannot advise you on how to handle the license in your particular county. This is where our Facebook Group can be valuable. Our officiants are more than happy to help with questions.
You should also be familiar with the procedures that couples need to follow in order to obtain the license. You want all the information so that you can advise your couples. These are the kinds of things that ensure your value to them.
Once the marriage license is complete and returned to the courthouse your job as an officiant is done! YOU DID IT!
What To Wear To Officiate A Wedding
Depending on the theme for the wedding you will be officiating, sometimes what you will wear to officiate would not be up to you. For this, it is a good idea to ask the couple what they might prefer you wear. If they are flexible about this, you can take your cue from the wedding. If there is no theme and no rules set in stone, then play it safe and wear formal black or something dark. In any case, here are some options for what to wear to officiate a wedding.
- If youre picking safe, then wear something formal that wouldnt upstage the couple. Whether youre a male or female officiant, a subdued color like grey, deep blue, or even black official attire would do. Definitely not white, which might clash with the bride especially in all the pictures.
- If the wedding has a theme and you decide to match it, then definitely consult with the couple. They should have some interesting ideas. Whether its a cosplay wedding, a bohemian-themed wedding, go with the flow and find what would suit the day.
- Accessorize. If you are going with the theme, for a boho wedding you could choose to accessorize with ribbons, flowers, or comfy footwear. If you are dressing formal and in subdued colors, you could decide to wear sparkly shoes and some other little bright accessories perhaps a tie pin?
Recommended Reading: What To Write On Wedding Rsvp Card
How To Be Able To Officiate A Wedding
To be able to officiate a wedding, a person would have to get deputized for it. Another word for this is ordained. Depending on the type of religion or ministry the couple is under, it might be required to sign a form, code of ethics or statement of beliefs. Some people can also get ordained off the internet. This is usually possible after a short search on the internet. It is, however, important to read all of the steps in some states, you would have to register with the city clerk to complete the ordination.
Either way, it is not an exhaustive process, so nothing to get bent out of shape from. The journey to completing this aspect of the wedding rituals is not a daunting one.
Do You Need Contracts For Wedding Officiant Services
Many officiants choose to have the couple sign a contract, and we strongly suggest you do so. Our Facebook group offers a few samples, but we suggest that you let your attorney review it. The contract will spell out who is responsible for what, and by when, which will help avoid any issues that may crop up in the future.
Recommended Reading: What Is A Black Tie Optional Wedding
S To Getting Ordained
The timeline and procedure will vary depending on the organization. Your ordination could take one day to register online, or it could be longer if your ordination service requires training or coursework before theyll ordain you. Look for a reputable one that offers basic, fast, and free ordination online but has additional offerings and support staff to answer your questions.
Join The Officiant Association
If youre serious about building a sustainable career as a professional wedding officiant, then joining the International Association of Professional Wedding Officiants may be the single smartest decision you can make. The IAPWO offers educational content, networking opportunities, and member discounts for many products and services your business needs, as well as producing an annual wedding officiant conference. We are proud to be an official partner of the IAPWO, and WeddingOfficiants.com offers discounted advertising packages and upgraded directory placement to IAPWO members. For more information about IAPWO benefits or to become a member, visit IAPWO.ORG.
You May Like: What Do You Need On A Wedding Invitation
Find A Website To Get Ordained Online
Just do a web search on how to get ordained online and you will find a few sites. The Universal Life Church is one of the top choices for most people. Another good option is American Marriage Ministries , thats where I got ordained! Check out the procedures involved and what they bring to the table in terms of providing a certificate, training, legal information, and other details.
Showing an online certificate is important as thats how states accept your validity as an ordained minister to officiate weddings. You can also get a hard copy with the organizations seal. Additionally, find out if the organization is secular or has any affiliations related to religion. Search for a non-denominational ministrys website. Ensure that the organization is legitimate. The ULC has been around since 1962, and has several celebrities who have become ordained ministers through their site and both Both ULC and AMM have a free ordination process.
How To Write A Wedding Ceremony Script
One essential task that an officiant needs to know is how to write a ceremony script. While many of us have a knack for it, some of us are just not gifted storytellers. Luckily this is perfectly fine. When many officiants start out, they want to create a completely different and personalized ceremony script for each couple. This sounds wonderful but can be quite difficult. You probably wont remember the wording and the words may not flow off of your tongue. What we suggest is creating a few ceremony templates, and filling in the blanks for each couple. This will allow you to look up to the audience and not stare at the script for the entire ceremony. Making eye contact with people in the audience and with the couple creates a good memory for them.
Also Check: Can You Plan A Wedding In 6 Months
Understanding Legal Intent And Civil Ceremonies
Your state will have specific laws and requirements about how a marriage license is to be signed. They will also have requirements for the wedding ceremony and what will constitute a legal marriage. It doesnt matter how large or small the ceremony is. As a wedding officiant, you have to make sure these requirements are met.
If you become a religious officiant, you will likely have specific religious guidelines to follow, too. In some cases, the requirements are as simple as asking the couple if they are sure they want to be married. If they provide verbal consent, youre good to go. In other states, there may be a bit more to it.
Its also important for the officiant to ensure the marriage license is filed properly with the county clerk. Sometimes, the couple will do this on their own. Other times, you will be responsible for filing the marriage license for the couple.
How To Become A Wedding Officiant In Nyc In 3 Steps
Are your best friends getting married and asking you to become a wedding officiant in NYC to marry them? Have you been invited to marry a couple, but you have no idea how to become a marriage officiant? Whether its for a large wedding or intimate elopement, couples are increasingly customizing their big day with personal touches and that includes having a friend or family member officiate their wedding in New York.
But you might have questions about how one becomes a wedding officiant in NYC. Do you have to live in New York? Can one really get ordained online and have the marriage be legal? The answers: no, and yes.
Follow these 3 steps to become a wedding officiant in NYC and legally perform your first wedding.
Don’t Miss: Where To Buy Randy Fenoli Wedding Dresses
Become A Legally Ordained Minister Online
The Universal Life Church provides free online ordinations that never need to be renewed. All that you need to acquire one is a computer, an internet connection, and less than five minutes of free time. We have ordained more than 20,000,000 people from around the world, from the Yukon to the Yucatan and Australia to Alaska.
Our online ministrys ordinations have been used for a variety of purposes, but most of our online-ordained ministers use it to perform legally-recognized wedding ceremonies throughout the world. In addition to wedding ceremonies, some ministers use their ordination to officiate burial ceremonies while others perform burial ceremonies. It is also important to note that our ministers are not obligated to use their ordination at all if they do not want to many of our ministers are content to follow this path.
Become A Wedding Officiant A Complete Guide
This wedding officiant course by Udemy facilitates step-by-step tutorials to start a wedding officiating business in the USA. It offers different wedding ceremony samples to make you understand the entire process. The instructor of this course, Lora C Mercado, is an experienced wedding officiant business owner since 2009, and a published author of over ten books. You need to be comfortable in public speaking and have a 3-ring binder with page protectors for taking printouts to join this course.
Key USPs
Learn how to obtain the legal credentials that enable you to perform weddings in the USA legally.
Learn how to get clients, convince them to opt for your officiating service, and provide quality results beyond their expectations.
Understand the essentials of drafting a legal contract regarding your officiant service.
Learn the fundamentals of creating and delivering a printed keepsake commitment ceremony certificate to your clients.
This self-paced course offers on-demand audio and video lessons, articles, and downloadable resources with lifetime access options.
The course facilitates a 30-day money-back guarantee and provides a course completion certificate at the end of the course.
You can
Review: The information is broken down well and the quality of printable PDFs are on point with what I am looking for to assist me in this journey. Kristina M Walker
Recommended Reading: How Much Are Weddings On Average
Advertising / Marketing Your Wedding Officiant Business
Before you start advertising, do some soul searching. What is your personality type? Are you comfortable speaking in front of a crowd? Are you more of a spiritual or religious person? Do large weddings or small elopement style weddings call to you? Are you interested in offering pre-marital counseling.These questions will help shape your officiant personality and attract the couples you desire. We are all unique and have our own gifts to offer. Always remember that! While we all have the same goal, to join people in matrimony, we are all different and there are couples out there looking for someone just like you!
Envision what you see yourself doing, and what your ideal couples look like to you.
Keep that picture in your mind. This vision will help you when you are marketing to your target audience.
There may be many other people doing what you do, but no one will do it like you, speak like you and offer the special gifts only you can offer as an officiant. Always be true to who you are!
What Is A Wedding Officiant
The definition of an officiant is a person who officiates at a religious service or ceremony, therefore a wedding officiant is a person who officiates at a wedding ceremony. To break it down further, an officiant is the person who presides over the ceremony and pronounces a couple legally married.
Recommended Reading: How Much Is A Disney Wedding
Meeting With Couples3 Lectures 3min
- Printable Ceremony Questionnaire
- Tips on Reading the Ceremony.02:22
- Key Points for a Successful Wedding Rehearsal01:11
- Tips for the Big Day02:17
- Printable Same Sex Ceremony – Added 2-27-153 pages
- About Handfasting Ceremonies – Added 5-22-152 pages
- Handfasting Ceremony Samples – Added 5-22-157 pages
- Printable Keepsake Vow Renewal Certificate – Added 6-10-151 page
- Additional Non-Religious Readings – Added 8-31-1603:48
- Printable Keepsake Marriage Certificate #200:00
- 978 Students
- 1 Course
Lora C Mercado started her officiant business in 2009. She has built a steady income doing something that makes her happy and being a part of such a wonderful moment.
Lora is also a published author, who has over ten books to date. In addition, she also is the founder of a grief healing website dedicated to helping people cope with the loss of a loved one.
Doing voice over work is another one of Lora’s talents. She has recorded many commercials and phone prompts for companies across the globe.
