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How To Perform Wedding Ceremony For Friends

Opening Prayer Or Reading

Wedding Ceremony Master Class for Friend Officiants

This reading can take whatever form the couple chooses, though it typically includes a focus on relationships, love, and companionship. If the couple is not religious, poems are a great secular option to feature in this space.

Religious: As the Bible reminds us in Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 4:9: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?”

Secular: What is love? Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines and romance in the movies. We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. For love is the creator of our favorite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams. Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent, a seed that can flourish in even the most unlikely of places. And this radiance that never fades, this mysterious and magical joy, is the greatest treasure of all one known only by those who love. Unknown

Everything You Need To Know About Officiating Your Friend’s Wedding

This is not the time for a toast or roast!

While officiating a friend’s ceremony is a special honor, it can also prove to be a little overwhelming. After all, good friends don’t automatically make solid officiants. Before you start losing sleep over the thought of ruining your friends’ wedding day, take a deep breath. “Your friends asked you to officiate for a reason,” reassures Jessie Blum, a civil celebrant in Rutherford, New Jersey.

Register With The Nyc City Clerks Office

Covid-19 update: As of March 2020, all NYC City Clerks Offices are temporarily closed due to coronavirus. However, you can still register to be an officiant online and mail in paperwork. After you are ordained by an accredited online organization, go here to register as an officiant. At the end, there will be an address to send your paperwork by postal mail. You should receive your ordination within a few weeks.

After you get ordained by an accredited online organization, they will mail you a ministry packet. This will include several documents, including a letter of good standing from the church, as well as a copy of the churchs Articles of Incorporation. These are two documents that you will need to send to the NYC City Clerks Office to get officially registered.

For those living within the 5 boroughs, youll need to make a trip to the NYC City Clerks Office at 141 Worth St. in Manhattan. Bring the documents from the church, as well as a government-issued photo ID and a credit card to pay . Wait in the queue, but once your number is called youll fill out some paperwork and sign a huge registry book , and then its official!

For those not living in New York, you can mail in your notarized paperwork .

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Should Your Friend Officiate Your Wedding

Why shouldnt you have your friend officiate your wedding? Well, there are countless reasons. After many years as a professional wedding officiant Ive officiated thousands of wedding ceremonies. I am well prepared for the little things that can go wrong because Ive seen many possible disasters. I can improvise in a way that enables me to sweep away the glitches without any of the guests realizing that anything went wrong.

Over the years I have made a few mistakes, but after so many wedding ceremonies I am not phased by any last minute or unexpected additions. Im confident I can seamlessly integrate any unexpected addition to the ceremony. I can smoothen any mistake by one of the wedding party or other wedding vendor. Your wedding guests will not even know that anything went wrong. The wedding couple will be able to enjoy their wedding day without any unnecessary stress. I am also an impartial wedding professional that can accept any unexpected addition without the need to judge it.

Conducting The Marriage Ceremony

How to Perform &  Officiate a Wedding Ceremony

Texas law does not provide many details about the actual marriage ceremony and how it may be conducted. Instead of regulating what is said or done in a ceremony, the law focuses on time periods within which certain things must be done.

Once a couple obtains a , the law says the following about the ceremony itself:

  • There is a 72-hour waiting period between the issuance of a marriage license and the ceremony, with certain exceptions. Section 2.204.
  • A marriage license expires if a ceremony isn’t conducted before the 90th day after the license was issued. Section 2.201.
  • The officiant must determine whether the license has expired and is prohibited from conducting a ceremony if it is expired. Section 2.207.
  • A guide created for county clerks by the Department of State Health Services in 2015 on the best practices to use when issuing marriage licenses. It also offers some answers to common questions about the application process. Information on officiants can be found beginning on page 15. This document is available through the Internet Archive and is no longer being updated. Please check any information in this document for accuracy and completeness.

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Don’t Forget To Make It Official

A quick final note after performing the ceremony, make sure to fill out the marriage license! IMPORTANT: Laws vary by state, but marriage licenses are generally only valid for a period of 30-90 days. Visit ourState Marriage Laws page for more information. Communicate with the couple and do your homework the license should not be obtained too far in advance, and should be returned promptly to the correct authority after the ceremony to ensure that it doesn’t expire. In a majority of states, this is the officiant’s responsibility. While it is acceptable to mail the license, dropping it off in person is preferred in order to avoid any unforeseen complications.

Once the paperwork has been submitted, you have officially completed the wedding ceremony. Congratulations!

Note: this guide provides a basic overview of how to perform a wedding ceremony. More in-depth information and guidance can be found in the literature shown below.

Be Comfortable With Public Speaking

There arent a lot of qualifications to officiating the wedding of a loved one, but one is that you cant be afflicted with stage fright. You cant crumble under public speaking pressure, said Stanley.

Not every officiant has to be a natural orator, but officiants say you should be comfortable speaking in front of a crowd.

A common wedding sermon is to share the story of how the couple came together, to let different sides of the family and friends get to know a little bit more about the other half. Dusty Hoesly asks the couple to share their love story with him, and he combines the narrative into a short homily. To Hoesly, sharing the story fosters a feeling of intimacy at the ceremony.

Its incredibly personalized, said Hoesly. Thats no one elses love story.

Michael Stanley keeps it short and sweet. He personalizes his weddings with a sermon in the form of a poem he has written for the couple.

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Wedding Officiant Speech Ideas For A Friends Wedding + Templates

Written by Shutterfly Community Last Updated: Jul 15, 2020

Officiating your first wedding can be a bit nerve-wracking. Whether youre officiating for a relative or acquaintance, you want to make sure the ceremony is memorable for everyone, especially the couple. Theyll be busy with things like choosing their color scheme, sending out invitations and putting together a wedding ceremony program. To help them prepare for the ceremony, you should keep a list of deadlines, necessary legal documents and typical wedding ceremony proceedings.

Practice Your Public Speaking

How to Officiate at Your Friends Wedding

Before the ceremony rehearsal arrives, take time to practice reading through your script. Make notes about where to pause for effect and practice saying words that might get stuck on your tongue. This is a great way to get used to what you’ll be saying to minimize how emotional you may be on the wedding dayyou’ll be more familiar with the lines, so hopefully, you won’t get too choked up. Read through the script in front of a mirror to practice making eye contact with the couple and the audience. In addition, make sure the couple practices their lines and vows in advance, too.

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License To Marry In Colorado

After you’ve contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our online store to purchase whatever documentation will be required. We typically advise ministers in Colorado to get an Ordination Package. While Minister registration is not technically required in Colorado you may be asked to display proof of your ordination to the county clerks before they will accept the marriage as having been legally solemnized. Having this proof of your ordination will also provide peace-of-mind to any couple that you intend to marry. Additionally, please attempt to leave at least 3 weeks between the date of the wedding ceremony and your order, to ensure that you receive all of your materials in advance.

The state of Colorado is one of the few places in the United States that allows people to solemnize their own marriage. Colorado Revised Statute 14-02-0109 allows couples to perform their own wedding ceremony with or without religious authorization. The couple must, of course, meet the age and status requirements for marriage before performing a ceremony. It is important to note that, in the case of self-married couples, both the bride and groom must list themselves as the officiants on their marriage certificate and only the bride and groom may list themselves as officiants.

Keep It Short And Sweet

Unless your ceremony involves a religious service, try to keep the ceremony length to no more than 30 minutes. Any longer and your guests might start looking at their watches. If you want a memorable ceremony thats fun for everyonenot just the coupletry to make your ceremony interactive. The best thing you can do to make your ceremony unique is to get people laughing, Pushkine says. Wedding ceremonies can be a lot of fun without completely disregarding the serious element involved.

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How To Perform A Marriage Ceremony In North Carolina

to download a free copy of our North Carolina Marriage Officiant Guide.

How do you get ordained to perform wedding ceremonies for your friends and family in North Carolina? Getting ordained is simple, legal, inexpensive and takes just a few minutes! .

Minister ordination for North Carolina includes authorization to legally perform all of life’s celebrations, including marriage ceremonies , baby blessings , house blessings, re-commitment ceremonies , memorials , handfasting, and other rites and rituals.

Ordination as a Marriage Officiant and ceremonial minister complies with all state and local laws in North Carolina and is valid and accepted throughout the United States and everywhere around the world!

The laws in North Carolina make it unnecessary for persons performing marriage ceremonies to file their credentials with any state or local agency, but you must hold a current and valid minister’s license to perform such rites in addition, you must present your credentials to any legal authority and/or the parties to the marriage upon their request.In North Carolina, ordination or investment by the Church gives each clergy member the authority to perform the marriage rite. North Carolina and local officials in the state are removed from any responsibility for verification of minister credentials. North Carolina does not maintain a central registry of members of the clergy, and you are not required to undergo any specific formal training.

How To Write A Memorable Ceremony

How to Perform &  Officiate a Wedding Ceremony

Getting ordained is actually the easy part. Crafting an awesome ceremony, on the other hand, can be a bit daunting. Here are a few tips to help get you through the process.

In the end, a successful ceremony comes down to two things: research and practice. The more digging you can do for cute stories and moving anecdotes about the couple, the more personal the ceremony will feel. And the more you run through the ceremony in front of a mirror or a close, trusted friend the smoother its going to go on wedding day.

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Who Can Officiate A Civil Wedding

You will also need two witnesses to be present at the ceremony and to sign the marriage certificate. In the Philippines, the following persons may officiate a civil wedding: The Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court. The Presiding Justice and the Justices of the Court of Appeals.

What Must Be Said In A Wedding Ceremony

Each person entering into the marriage must say to the other: I call upon the people here present to witness that I, Person 1 take you, Person 2, to be my lawful wedded wife/husband. You may leave out lawful or wedded but not both you must use one of these words.

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Pronouncing The Couple As Married

Well now, in front of your closest friends and family , I pronounce you husband and wife/married! , you may kiss !

Variations:

  • Some officiants put this element after the signing, but I like to put it before. That way, everyone has clapped and cheered and the signing is more relaxed with a party-like atmosphere, rather than stiffer and more ceremonial.

Discuss The Couple’s Overall Vision For The Ceremony

Tips on How to Officiant a Wedding with Jon Hansen

Sit down and walk through the ceremony outline with the couple, as each will want something different. With religious ceremonies, there’s a reasonably set pattern and format, but with secular weddings, the couples sometimes want to throw out the entire playbook. It’s key to talk to them upfront so you can understand their vision for the ceremony.

Once you’ve figured out all of the deadlines, write them down. Mark up a calendar to outline when you need to have your documents by, when fees need to be paid, and when you need to have the couple’s marriage license turned in.

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Officiating A Wedding In Colorado

Next, you should contact the office of your local marriage authority . Let them know that you are a minister of the Universal Life Church in Seattle, and ask what they will require of you to officiate a legal marriage.

Select your County Clerk Recorder to quickly generate the contact information for your local marriage authority.

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