Why Become a Wedding Officiant?

The most often cited reason for becoming an officiant was to help join friends or family members in marriage. If you are the couple looking to find an officiant - why not ask a dear friend to perform the ceremony for you? The service can be tailored to fit you personally.

If you do not belong to a church, most of the time you cannot have a wedding ceremony performed at one. I will not say always - I am sure there are exceptions.

If you are not into any particular religion, that type of ceremony might not appeal to you anyway. Or if the two of you are from different religions, the non-traditional minister (officiant) can design a ceremony to please you both.

It becomes all about you - what is important to you. Choosing someone who knows you, will impart a special flavor to the day that cannot be captured by a stranger.

How do I become an Officiant?

There are several different ways to go about this. If you will only perform one ceremony, your local county offices probably have the option of you becoming an "Officiant for a Day" for a small fee.

That is what I did the first time. But I had so much fun, that when another couple asked me to perform the ceremenoy for them, I found a place to become a "minister" for free. That was the Universal Life Church. I have links to it on the links page. They have different levels of information that you can pay for. But the actual becoming a minister is free.

I have also included links to other "churches" that offer this service. Find one that matches your philosophy in life.

Where to Have the Ceremony?

The ceremony can be performed most anywhere. Most non-traditional officiants do not belong to a specific church that has a specific location. Parks, private residences, rental halls , they can be flexible. You pick the place and time and they can work with you.

What type of Ceremony?

The ceremony, since it is tailored to you, can range from traditional to modern. Or a blend of both. I have included a few sample ceremonies that you can start from.

There is no specific format that the ceremony must follow. The only part that must occur is the couple declaring that they take each other as husband and wife in front of the officiant and at least one witness. This leaves a lot of room for flexibility.

Timelines?

There is a timeline for paperwork to be filled out. I have links to all the states, you can check what is legal for whichever one you are located in. However, the couple does need to fill out paperwork ahead of time - there is a waiting period to be considered as in any legal and binding matter. The couple must have a cooling off period with the option to change their mind prior to the wedding. Most likely you have to sign and turn this paperwork back in within a set number of days after the actual ceremony for it to be considered legal and binding. 10 days after the wedding seems a pretty standard amount of time.

 

Loving Quote:

"Till I loved I never lived—enough."
~ Emily Dickenson