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 This Year? Here’s What You Need To Know…
You were engaged over the holidays? Congratulations! If you are getting married this year, now the fun begins — the planning, the worrying, the “sweating the details.” Okay, “fun” may be a relative term, but there’s no reason for one of the biggest days of your life to be daunting. The first thing to know is that you have options, even if you are planning everything on your own. Gather your resources — The Knot, Brides Magazine, and Bridal Guide are excellent places to start. And, now that you know who you will be marrying, it’s time to figure out who will marry the two of you! If you belong…
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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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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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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…
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State Of The Union: Performing Marriage Ceremonies In Tennessee
We recently received an inquiry from an out-of-state (non-resident) minister who was concerned about performing a marriage ceremony in Tennessee. His concern was not only about not being a resident of the state, but whether the local court clerk — who would be issuing the marriage license to the bridal couple — would accept and recognize the validity of his ministerial credential. The Tennessee attorney general has issued several opinions in the past about whether ministers or spiritual leaders of various religions (including imams, rabbis and other clerics and teachers) were authorized to perform marriage ceremonies in the state. Also addressed by the attorney general was his opinion regarding whether or not instant online ordination through the…
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First Nation Minister Kim Kirkley Celebrates Salik-Riffat Nuptials
The entire First Nation family extends its congratulations and warmest wishes for a lifetime of joy and love to Dr. Irim Salik and Mahmud Riffat, who were married last weekend at Park Savoy Estate, with Kim Kirkley serving as their Celebrant. Kim Kirkley, an ordained and licensed First Nation ceremonial minister, is one of the leading Life-Cycle Celebrants® in the New York and New Jersey area. In addition to her service as a Celebrant, she serves on the faculty of the Celebrant Foundation and Institute, focusing on Fundamentals of Celebrancy, Weddings, Ceremony Across the Life Cycle Certifications, and Advanced Marketing Courses. She is the author of several books, including “Love Stories: A Celebrant’s Work,”…
