Yes, I performed my daughter’s wedding ceremony.  As an ordained minister, it was an honor to perform the sacred and sacramental rite of marriage for my daughter and it was the beginning of a close bond built between my new son and myself. The modern world has new thoughts about who should perform a wedding ceremony.  Couples want these special vows to be administered by someone they know and love—by someone who knows and love them.

Officiating my daughter’s wedding was legally performed.  I had studied at seminary to obtain my ordination, and I meet all the requirements in the state in which the ceremony was performed.  But now you can get ordained on line to perform that special wedding ceremony for a loved one.  It wasn’t my seminary studies that prepared me to perform this special ceremony.  It was raising my daughter that prepared me—knowing her, remembering her from the day of her birth, watching her grow, sharing joys and sorrows throughout her life and realizing the love she had in her heart for her new husband.  These were the things that prepared me.  As the officiate, I was able to help my daughter and her husband create a ceremony that embraced what they felt in their hearts, their unique spirituality and inclusion of family members on both sides. 

If you have been asked to perform a wedding ceremony for a loved one, then you have been honored.  However, it is important to make sure that you do so legally.  Following is a list of suggestions to follow regarding getting ordained on line to perform a wedding:

1.  Do you homework.  Make sure you find out the laws of the state in which you are going to perform the wedding.  Each state’s laws vary.  Don’t rely on interpretations of the law as provided by on line sites. 

2.  Call the Secretary of State’s office to find out the statute. 

3.  Armed with information regarding the statute, call the county to find out what their requirements are.  If the clerk tries to give you information that does not meet the statute explanation, explain to them your understanding of the statute and your right to religious freedom.  They will probably cooperate.

4.  Pick an online site that provides a phone number and call it.  Give them a couple of days to get back to you.  If they don’t return your call, don’t use them.

5.  Make sure your site is incorporated so that they can legally provide services.

6.  Make sure you order a paper copy of your ordination and that it carries an original signature and seal from the organization.  Do not rely on email messages that say your are ordained. 

7.  Keep your ordination certificate in a safe place.  You may need to verify your status as an ordained minister if the marriage is ever challenged.

Remember, the ceremony is an act of love and ministry to the couple.  Enjoy the honor but remember your purpose is one of facilitating the love between the happy couple.