We’d like to thank Brides magazine for the shout-out in their recent article, “Friends Officiating Weddings 101: Everything You Need to Know.” Along with noting that having a friend or family member perform your marriage ceremony can be more intimate and personal — not to mention cheaper — than hiring a professional Wedding Officiant, the article also importantly points out that there are pitfalls, not the least of which is that all Officiants — whether friend or pro — must be ordained in accordance with all state and local laws.
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Getting Married At Sturgis?
If you’re into motorcycles, the number one event on your schedule is probably the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally early each August in the Black Hills of South Dakota. And if you’re into motorcycles and you’re getting married, what better place to tie the knot than at Sturgis? The population of the town of Sturgis swells from around 6,500 to a half million (or more) around the first week of August each year — a far cry from the handful of motorbike enthusiasts that gathered at the western edge of the state for the first rally back in 1938. With a half-million visitors crowding into Sturgis for partying, concerts and other activities,…
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Choose Your Wedding Dress, Flowers, Bridesmaids … and Your Officiant!
So you were recently engaged to get married — congratulations! Now the fun part — planning your wedding — begins in earnest. On your long list of things that need to get done, you probably know who your bridesmaids will be, and you have an idea what your wedding dress will look like, and where your marriage ceremony will take place. But do you know who will perform your wedding ceremony, the person who will guide you through your “I do’s” and pronounce you as husband and wife? If you belong to a church, your pastor or minister will probably be your first choice as your Wedding Officiant. But what…
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Can A Nun Become Ordained?
We are often asked: are Catholic nuns allowed to become ordained? Our answer is yes. And no. We’ll start with the “no.” Current canon law and the church’s catechism directs that “only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination” to serve as a priest — and only male priests can lead a parish of Catholic Christians, celebrate Mass, and bring new members into the church through Baptism. However, while they are not permitted to celebrate Mass, nuns may become ordained in compliance with state law, which does not restrict sisters from performing marriage ceremonies as an Officiant. Ordination through First Nation Ministry complies with all state laws, and is respectful…
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Performing A Marriage Ceremony At Burning Man?
How many people do you know that got married at Burning Man? It seems almost de rigueur these days that if you’re spending time on the playa, you might as well have your wedding on the playa. The single most important thing to keep in mind if you are planning to get married during Burning Man is that you must obtain your marriage license in advance — don’t wait until the very last minute! Your marriage license must be obtained in Nevada. You cannot bring an out-of-state marriage license into Nevada — your California, Arizona or Oregon marriage license is not valid in the Silver State. If you are coming…
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Minister Ordination Across State Lines
C., who serves as an executive assistant for a thriving Christian church in North Carolina, recently wrote us with the following inquiry: We are hiring a pastor from Oklahoma who is a licensed minister by the church he is leaving. We have ordained pastors in our church. In North Carolina, does he have to be ordained or would his Oklahoma license be legal in this state? If your incoming pastor was ordained through his church in Oklahoma and that church is not affiliated with your church, then his ordination and license will probably be terminated by that church upon his departure. In many (but not all) cases, a church that…
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Is A Religious Degree Also Considered “Ordination”?
Recently, D. asked us: I have finished all but two classes in my ordination tract because of needing to perform ceremonies. My degree is my license, right? Keep in mind that, unless it is specifically designated as such, a degree does not generally convey ordination on the degree holder. Ordination, per se, is an action taken by a church board to designate certain persons as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. (A person’s license as a minister is also generally granted as part of the ordination process, not as part of the educational or training path.) The degree recognizes that you’ve attained a certain specific level of training and…
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How To Become A Wedding Officiant
Wondering how to get ordained to perform marriage ceremonies? It's actually faster and easier than you think! You can complete the ordination process online for free in most cases...
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Advanced Training As A Celebrant For All Of Life’s Events
While most states have little or no educational or training requirements for those performing ceremonies, First Nation strongly encourages its clergy members seeking either basic or advanced training to consider the programs offered by the Celebrant Foundation and Institute. If you are pursuing a career as a Celebrant, or if you are considering a career as a ceremonial minister, the courses offered by CF&I provide the perfect fundamental education in all aspects of this vital work. Course training covers a wide spectrum of ceremonial duties, including weddings, funerals, vow renewal, baby welcoming, and coming-of-age celebrations, among others, toward certification as a Life-Cycle Celebrant™. The Celebrant Institute’s faculty is highly regarded, with extensive real-world experience. (Several…
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Are You Qualified To Perform Premarital Counseling In Tennessee?
A First Nation clergy member recently asked if being ordained as a ceremonial minister qualified him to provide premarital counseling in Tennessee, which entitles the bridal couple to a discount off of the regular $100 marriage license fee: Tennessee Code Annotated §36-6-413(b)(5) provides that couples who complete premarital preparation courses shall be exempt from the $60 fee otherwise imposed by that code section. The course must not be less than four (4) hours and completed no more than one year prior to the date of application for the license. Parties may attend separate classes. If they do, separate certificates must be filed. Our reply: Simply being ordained does not qualify a ceremonial minister to…
