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Can a christian officiant administer a wedding in a non-christian ceremony?

d0hboyd0hboy
First Comment First Anniversary
in Wedding Customs & Traditions Forum
I've searched around but can't find a specific answer.  Basically, I'm wondering if there are any christian officiants in vancouver that would administer a ceremony in a non-church setting, to a couple that is 1/2 christian (the groom is non-religious).

Bride = christian
Groom = non-religious
Ceremony Venue = downtown hotel
current officiant = a civil officiant that the couple looked up from the provincial registry (BC, canada).

a) do christian officiants exist? ie. somebody that would be willing to run a slightly more christian ceremony than a civil union would otherwise be.
b) do both bride & groom have to be christian, no exceptions?  
c) I know marriage classes are mandatory, particularly if one of the ppl is non-religious. is it sufficient to do a marriage prep class in another city (seattle) , or does it HAVE to be in the city where the marriage ceremony is taking place?
d) are those officiants willing to run that ceremony in a venue OTHER than a church?

Any and all help from theKnot community either speed up my searching or tell me I'm chasing a dead end. Many thanks, all. =]

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Re: Can a christian officiant administer a wedding in a non-christian ceremony?

  • jlhart76jlhart76 member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary First Comment Name Dropper
    Depends on the church rules and the person's personal preference. For example, my friend who is doing our ceremony is ok with the fact that my fiance is non-religious and we're doing the service outside the church.
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  • d0hboyd0hboy
    First Comment First Anniversary
    Interesting -- I appreciate the feedback.  So this doesn't preclude you even being part of the church's congregation?  I mean, the couple I'm asking for is from out of town and so don't have the contacts/networking (hence my question (C)).
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  • jessicabessicajessicabessica member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I have been to weddings that were basically non-religious but were officiated by a clergy member.  I think it depends on the church and the officiant.  I don't think you'll have a problem finding someone who will marry you if you're not part of the congregation, unless you have a super popular date, but you may have to pay a little more.

    I would post this on your local board to see if people can suggest specific officiants to contact.  Like you said, you need contacts/networking to figure out who to try.
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  • Jen4948Jen4948 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    Depends on a lot of things, like the denomination, the church in question, and the specific officiant.  Some will do it, some will not.  I think that you just have to ask around until you can find someone willing to do it.  Best of luck!
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  • daria24daria24 member
    First Comment First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer
    "Christian" is a very wide umbrella. 

    I would contact Unitarian Universalist ministers in the area-most UU ministers will marry anyone of any faith, do secular ceremonies, perform at any venue, etc. In my area, most UU ministers don't have a congregation or official church, they mostly officiate weddings, funerals, etc. 
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  • s-aries8990s-aries8990 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    You need to define Christian - there are many sects that won't allow what you're looking for - like Catholics or Mormons, especially if you want the wedding to be valid in the eyes of your Church.
     Daisypath Anniversary tickers
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  • SP29SP29 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    It IS possible, yes, but as said, will depend on the officiant and the specific religion.

    The officiant doing my wedding (in ON) is a Reverend from a United Church- my grandma knows and recommended him. My FH and I are not part of the Church, or any religion for that matter. Our officiant performs many wedding ceremonies that are not religious, and our ceremony will not be either (but still somewhat traditional). We are not required to take any pre-marital classes. As well, our officiant will perform the ceremony at any venue.

    Keep looking around if this is what you are looking for. Ask in your local board, do some googling online for officiants in the area. 
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  • CharliesWife12CharliesWife12
    First Comment
    We had a baptist pastor officiate our wedding outside of a church, and we were not members of his church, he was just in the location where we were getting married. His requirement was for us to complete pre-marriage classes (which we did in our home town), and he was happy with that.  I gave him a copy of our ceremony to review, and he had no concerns.

    Each pastor/clergy/father/etc will have a different opinion.  You need to ask around, contact people, and decide what is important for your wedding.
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  • mimiphinmimiphin member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    I saw that your talking about in BC. (Canucks Unite Eh!) I would worry about where your asking- in the LML (Abbotsford is where I'm thinking) in the heart of Bible Belt country its going to be a lot harder to find a minister to officiate the wedding. Around the Kootenays, Lillooet, Prince George (Anywhere beyond Hope really) It will be a lot easier to find. I would check with your local United ministers and see what they think.

    a) Kind-of, you have to find a minister who is willing to leave the church.
    b) Depends on the minister and how strict they are
    c) I don't know
    d) I had a friend in Lillooet get married on a mountain, its just personal preference from the minster

    Hope this helps :)
     

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  • arrippaarrippa member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    It depends on the pastor. My pastor has a saying-he will marry two Christians and he will marry two non-Christians but he will NOT marry a Christian and non-Christian. I would just check around. Try Methodist ministers. I use to attend a United Methodist church and the minister would marry anyone. 
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