Officiating at Weddings and/or Committment Ceremonies

Any lay minister can officiate at a Wedding or Committment Ceremony if the ceremony is not mean to be legally binding. In other words, if you wish to do a handfasting ceremony that is meant to only last a year and a day, this arrangement would not be recognized by law, and therefore, state legal requirements do not need to be followed.

However, if the couple desires a legally binding marriage, each state has different requirements for the legality of wedding officiants. For some states, if you are authorized by your religious organization to perform these ceremonies (and in UEW, if you are a lay minister or ordained minister, you are authorized), then you are authorized by the state. In other states, you must register. In still other states, you must be fully ordained and comply with other requirements. Some states even have differeing requirements depending on the county you live in.

To find out the rules in your jurisdiction, inquire of the Clerk of the Court's office. They can generally provide you with all of the pertinent information. For a general overview, try this link.

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