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 to a church, check with your pastor as soon as possible to make sure that he or she — and the church itself — will be available on the date you want to be married.
Of course, if you don’t belong to a church, your choice for the person who will perform your wedding ceremony is wide open. There are numerous guides available online to help you find a ceremonial minister (or Officiant, or Celebrant) in your area; most will perform a religious or non-religious ceremony, depending on your personal beliefs. (Both types of ceremonies are legal in all fifty states.)
However, to make your ceremony even more personal and special, keep in mind that you are permitted to select a friend or family member to perform your ceremony. The process to have someone ordained (legally authorized to perform marriages) is very simple, it usually only takes a day or so to get done, and it’s valid and accepted throughout the United States.
If you are considering asking one of your parents, a brother or sister or a friend to perform your marriage ceremony, make sure that you work closely with him or her throughout the process — confirm that they have received ordination, that they have registered with the state or county (if required), that you’ve planned out the various stages of the ceremony (including your vows), and that you have gone over the signing of your marriage license together.
Why is this last element so important? First of all, if you don’t properly sign the marriage license after the ceremony and return it on time to the issuing clerk’s office, then your marriage may not be certified as legal. Please make sure that you review your marriage license with your Officiant before the ceremony so that everyone is familiar with it.
There are usually several boxes on the form that must be filled in by you and your Officiant (including the date and location of the ceremony), each of you must sign it before sticking back in the envelope and mailing it in. Most states will provide you with a set of simple-to-follow instructions, so make sure you read them carefully and follow them to the letter.
(Additionally, some states don’t require witnesses, but some do — usually one or two, who must be adults over the age of 18. While the witnesses can be related to you, the Officiant cannot be one of the witnesses, since he or she is acting officially in a different capacity.)
If you decide to choose a friend or family member to serve as your Wedding Officiant, click here to get started. You’ll need to know where you are getting married, since the laws in that state might be a bit different, and the Officiant’s ordination must comply with that state’s rules and regulations — for example, if you live in Michigan, but you’re getting married in California, then you must obtain your marriage license in California and your Officiant’s ordination must comply with California’s laws.
And if you have any questions or concerns, don’t worry! Get in touch with us, and we’ll provide you with detailed but simple information to guide you through the process!
