Being a wedding officiant is very uplifting and fulfilling because you are helping to provide couples with an essential service… as opposed to trying to sell them something they don’t need. It’s great to be able to help people with something they do need!

Here are 9 reasons a couple may need a wedding officiant:

”What God and Match.com hath brought together let no man put asunder” is a timely and lighthearted adaptation of a traditional phrase. The original phrase is actually scripture from the Bible and has been used in wedding ceremonies for centuries.

The phrase is from the Holy Bible, in the Gospel According To Mark, 10:9 (the words of Jesus) ~ What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

One way to become an authorized wedding officiant is to become an ordained minister. You can be ordained online from a church body that is recognized by your state. You need to make sure that the online ordination church you select is recognized by your jurisdiction.

Even though there are many helpful sites on the internet that list all the states and their corresponding laws, ultimately you should visit the actual website for your governing entity. Go directly to the official website of your state/county/parish/municipality or whatever entity governs your area. It is of the upmost importance to find out the current laws and rules for the area/state/county where you will be performing weddings.

A wedding officiant is a person authorized to perform wedding ceremonies.
How do you become authorized as a wedding officiant?

That depends on where you are, as the marriage laws vary from state to state. Ordained Ministers, Justice of the Peace and Judges are allowed to perform weddings in some states, still other states may require the minister to be licensed or to file their credentials and other states may also allow a magistrate or a city clerk to perform weddings. So, when folks use the term “wedding officiant”, it can mean any or more of those things.

For the purpose of my site, to give tips to people starting a wedding officiant business, I consider a wedding officiant the same as a wedding minister and will use the terms interchangeably. When I say “wedding minister” I am referring to someone that becomes ordained specifically to perform ceremonies (such as weddings, baby blessings, recommitment ceremonies and house blessings) as opposed to a minister that is from a specific church and has a congregation, etc. Typically a church minister of that type only performs weddings at the church for members of his or her congregation. Whereas a wedding officiant/minister may be more open to all denominations and interfaith marriages .

Do you feel an authentic calling to perform ceremonies and sincerely want to serve others at such momentous and joyous occasions as weddings and baby blessings? If so, you can begin by finding out about the marriage laws of your state and what is required in your state for you to be authorized to perform marriages. Find an online church that offers online ordinations and make sure that the church body or denomination is recognized by the state. Online ordinations can be legal but not all are recognized by all states.