DC

Friend as Officiant in VA?

oxdelaneyoxdelaney member
First Anniversary First Comment
Hi all-

I need your help. Does anyone have experience having a friend marry you in VA? We are getting married in Prince William County and would like our friend to marry us. He got ordained online. He isn't a resident of VA.

Thanks!
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Re: Friend as Officiant in VA?

  • Check with the county; I think he needs to register with the county or state as an officiant before he can sign off on your marriage license.  I'm not 100% sure on that, but I know that's how it works in DC.  Good luck!
  • I was at a wedding in VA where a family friend had gotten a special "one time" dispensation from a judge to perform the ceremony. As the site says "soley" on the internet ordination, there is probably some wiggle room.

    It is possible that they actually were married by the judge, but had the friend perform the ceremony anyway - no one would know...
  • I would recommend Reverend Wesely Peyton, tons of experience in the business and will work in PW County.  Don't get yourself into potentially hot water by not getting married by a legal licensed individual.  I believe he is out of Fairfax, VA.  Good luck to you.
  • An Internet ordination does not qualify you to perform weddings in Virginia.  While there is a procedure to register a friend to perform a wedding in Virginia, the friend has to be a Virginia resident (and also put up a $500 bond).  I'm afraid your only options are a) to have a quickie courthouse or other legal ceremony, and then have your friend preside over a nonlegal symbolic ceremony, or b) to have a legal officiant of some kind who is willing to sign off on your ceremony.
  • So to update- yes, in Prince William County, they don't allow people with online ordinations marry you.

    In Loudoun County, you can marry two people if you do the one-time form and post a $500 bond and are a VA resident.

    I am under the impression that PWC doesn't do courthouse weddings anymore.
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  • I was wondering what you ended up going with? My fiancee and I are getting married next October in PWC and were hoping to get a friend ordained to perform the ceremony. Did you have any luck with the online ordination? If so, any tips for us?

    Thanks!
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