Ask a bridesmaid, best man, or member of your wedding party to serve as a backup wedding officiant 

 

Shit happens, but that shouldn’t keep your wedding ceremony from happening! 

 

Wedding officiants are human, just like the rest of us, which means even the very best among them can get sick, get a flat tire, or oversleep… Just like the rest of us.  

 

That’s why you should always ask a bridesmaid or another member of your wedding party to get ordained before the wedding day to serve as a backup officiant. 

 

‘Backup Officiants’ are just what they sound like. These are the heroes that swoop in to officiate your wedding at the last minute, when an unexpected disaster strikes and your primary officiant isn’t able to make it to the ceremony. 

 

Choosing a member of the wedding party to serve as your backup is a simple step toward a stress free wedding day. They’re already part of the wedding planning process and know the tone and style of wedding you have planned, plus it’s guaranteed that they’ll be wearing something fabulous for those ceremony photos! 

 

 

The best backup officiant will be a bridesmaid or wedding party member who : 

 

• Stays calm under pressure
• Speaks comfortably in front of a crowd
• Has a good sense of humor and can think on their feet
• And is familiar with the tone and vibe you want for your ceremony 

 

 

 

 

To prepare, your backup officiant will need to get ordained with American Marriage Ministries before the wedding ceremony. This is free and only takes a few minutes to complete. They might also need to register with the local government as an ordained minister, but only some states require this. 

 

• Get Ordained with American Marriage Ministries 
• Minister Registration Requirements by State 

 

If registration is required, it might take a couple days or weeks to process, so leave plenty of time to ensure stress-free paperwork and planning.

 

Then, provide your backup officiant with a simple ceremony script that will work in a pinch and come up with a sweet contingency plan for the wedding day.

 

Wishing you a wonderful stress-free wedding ceremony! 

 

 

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You might also like: 

 

• Exorcisms, Flus, and Flat Tires: Backup Officiants are Essential
   
• Wedding Officiant Do's & Don't's
   
• How to Ask Someone to Officiate Your Wedding - Our Favorite Way to Say 'Will You Marry Us?'
   

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