How to ordain a friend/family member?

Knottie1455676948 · February 2016

Has anyone had a friend or family member officiate their ceremony? My fiancé and I are looking into this option for the friend who introduced us. I'd welcome any advice or sites other people used.

Thanks! Catherine

holyguacamole79 · February 2016

This will depend on the laws of your state.

artbyallie · February 2016

Knottie1455676948 said:

Has anyone had a friend or family member officiate their ceremony? My fiancé and I are looking into this option for the friend who introduced us. I'd welcome any advice or sites other people used.

Thanks! Catherine

First, if you haven't, you should check to make sure an online ordination is legal where you're getting married. Some areas require a minister to have a congregation to legally officiate or simply don't recognize the certificates, or whatever.

That said, @adk19 got ordained to officiate a ceremony, I believe. Perhaps she can share the site she used.

kimmiinthemitten · February 2016

Obviously check your states laws, but There are a few websites that ordain people for fairly cheap. Universal Life Church is what our friend is using.

Cookie Pusher · February 2016

Second PPS about checking to make sure of your state's laws regarding online ordination. A friend of ours got ordained through Universal Life Ministries to perform our wedding.

AddieCake · February 2016

My husband got ordained online with Universal Life so he could perform the ceremony for his best friend and her partner.

PamBeesly524 · February 2016

2nd, 3rd or 4th Universal Life Church.. My brother used it to officiate our wedding, but my state also required a 1-day license that needed to be applied for ahead of time. I researched the heck out of my state laws because I wanted to make sure it was legal, I would advise you to do the same.

[Deleted User] · February 2016

artbyallie said:

Knottie1455676948 said:

Has anyone had a friend or family member officiate their ceremony? My fiancé and I are looking into this option for the friend who introduced us. I'd welcome any advice or sites other people used.

Thanks! Catherine

First, if you haven't, you should check to make sure an online ordination is legal where you're getting married. Some areas require a minister to have a congregation to legally officiate or simply don't recognize the certificates, or whatever.

That said, @adk19 got ordained to officiate a ceremony, I believe. Perhaps she can share the site she used.

Ditto everyone else. I'm ordained through Universal Life Church. The wedding I officiated in the US Virgin Islands did not require any additional paperwork. My sister and her groom took my certificate to get their marriage license. Done. If I were asked to do a wedding here in Chicago, I'm pretty sure I'd need some kind of dispensation from Cook County. So, I could do it, but I'd have to jump through some additional hoops.

ILoveBeachMusic · February 2016

This is not to knock those of you who can officiate because you got an on-line certificate, but is it really called "ordained"? To me that seems disrespectful to people who have gone through years of seminary/divinity school or what have you and are ordained through a church. "Certified" or "licensed" would make more sense to me. Sorry but it is a pet peeve.

[Deleted User] · February 2016

ILoveBeachMusic said:

This is not to knock those of you who can officiate because you got an on-line certificate, but is it really called "ordained"? To me that seems disrespectful to people who have gone through years of seminary/divinity school or what have you and are ordained through a church. "Certified" or "licensed" would make more sense to me. Sorry but it is a pet peeve.

My certificate says, "This is to certify [me] That the Bearer Herof Has Been Ordained on this day, the 3rd of January, in the year, 2013 and is officially recognized as a member of the monastery and has all rights and privileges to perform all duties of the ministry." The word 'ordained' is on there in a fancy cursive font. Yes, I've been ordained by the Universal Life Church.

artbyallie · February 2016

Ordination does not actually require formal schooling in all traditions. Looks like mostly only Protestant denominations, really.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordination

holyguacamole79 · February 2016

artbyallie said:

Ordination does not actually require formal schooling in all traditions. Looks like mostly only Protestant denominations, really.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordination

... and Catholics

STARMOON44 · March 2016

ILoveBeachMusic said:

This is not to knock those of you who can officiate because you got an on-line certificate, but is it really called "ordained"? To me that seems disrespectful to people who have gone through years of seminary/divinity school or what have you and are ordained through a church. "Certified" or "licensed" would make more sense to me. Sorry but it is a pet peeve.

It is really called ordained. You are ordained through, typically, the Unicersal Life Church, a denomination that chooses to make the requirements for ordination minimal, as is their right.

ILoveBeachMusic · March 2016

Got it, thanks for the explanation, all. I've never heard of the Universal Life Church but it does certainly have the right to set its own requirements for ordination.

How to ordain a friend/family member?

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