Can I have a family member officiate our ceremony?

Steph11518

We want to ask my fiancee's sister to be our wedding ceremony officiant. Is this legal in Colorado? Has anyone else had a family member officiate a non religious ceremony?

Thanks

kzagurski

It is legal as long as she doesn't sign the certificate. She's not authorized to do that (unless she becomes a minister through a website that offers that sort of thing), but couples can solemnize their own marriages in Colorado. So she could perform the ceremony but just not sign, or she could go through the ordination process online and then both perform and sign.

LesPaul

Exactly what kzagurski said.  You can self-solomnize, and then have her perform whatever ceremony you want.  She cannot sign the marriage certificate as officiant, though, unless she is authorized by the state to perform marriages.

Steph11518

Well isn't Colorado cool ha- thanks!!

benandmeggin

I'm a lawyer and anyone, including your dog, can marry you in Colorado.  If you go to the court house you can either pay a judge to do the wedding for you (I work for the judge who does most of them in Denver) or the clerk tells you to just marry yourself.  Best of luck in yoiur wedding!

wolfdancer024

We are having our best friend's brother officiate our wedding.  He got ordained to do their wedding in 2007 and is renewing so that he can do ours, but if someone doesn't want to pay the $25-$40 for the ordainment you can solemize your own wedding and just have a family memebr or friend stand up and do the reading for you!  I LOVE Colorado for this, espeically since we are not at all religious!