Title: How to Become an Officiant for a Wedding: A Guide for Friends and Family
Wedding planning is full of huge decisions for the couple about to be married, including the individuals that they’ll want with them at the altar when they exchange their vows and say “I do.”
During a wedding, the bridesmaids and groomsmen typically stand with the couple during the ceremony. The officiant is responsible for conducting the ceremony from beginning to end.
There are several different routes a couple could go when it comes to choosing an officiant.
They could choose a civil wedding officiant, such as a judge or justice of the peace, a religious officiant, such as a pastor or priest, or the couple could choose a professional officiant to lead their ceremony.
A growing trend in the wedding industry is for couples to pick a close friend or family member to be the officiant at their wedding.
For couples who choose this route, there are several steps the friend or family member needs to take in order to be able to take on this task.
1. Check local government registration requirements
Before anything else, it’s important to check state requirements to officiate a wedding.
Registration requirements vary from state to state, so you’ll want to properly conduct research on this far in advance so you don’t run into any trouble down the line.
2. Get ordained
In order to officiate a wedding, you first must be ordained.
In many states, the process of getting ordained is quite a simple one that requires just a few clicks online, a fee and a few days to process.
3. Plan accordingly
Being asked to officiate a wedding is a great honor.
Make sure that you are giving the job the time and commitment it requires.
As an officiant, you’ll want to meet with the couple several times before their big day to get an idea of how they want their wedding ceremony to go.
4. Brush up on your public speaking
During the actual ceremony, the wedding officiant must speak for a fairly long period of time in front of a large group of people.
Before the big day comes, make yourself as comfortable as possible by brushing up on your public speaking skills.
5. Don’t forget the marriage license
The officiant is traditionally responsible for making sure the marriage license gets filed.
The time at which a marriage license is valid depends on the state.
As the wedding officiant, look into the timeline in the state in which the couple chooses to wed, and remind them that this is something they need to get done.
A marriage license is a document signed by both spouses, the officiant and witnesses in certain states, and legally permits a couple to be married.
By following these steps, friends and family members can successfully officiate a wedding and help make the couple’s special day even more memorable.
