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These City Guides tell you how to officiate a wedding in popular locations across the U.S. – and we’re adding more every day!

Published Monday, Aug. 1st, 2022


Wondering how to officiate a wedding in Chicago? Los Angeles? New York City? Or some other city?

 

 

Check out our city-specific wedding officiant resources! 

 

 

Whether you’ve been asked to officiate a ceremony in a big city or a small destination town, AMM’s City Pages give you all the information you need to get started. Simply visit Weddings By State, select your state, and click the link for your city. 

 

 

Visit Weddings By State 
then select your state and city

 

 

Available City Pages are listed to the right of the main state page, like in the example below.

 

 

 

A screenshot of the AMM 'How to Get Ordained in California to Officiate Weddings' State Page, with a list of city references on the right

Each 'Weddings by State' page contains valuable resources for officiants in that state, 

with city-specific resources listed on the right

 

 

 

Why use AMM’s City Pages?

 

When we relaunched our website a few years ago, our goal was to create the most user-friendly and detailed wedding ceremony planning website for ministers and couples on the internet. (Well… that and the best place online to get ordained of course!) 

 

To deliver on this promise, we created officiant-focused City Pages. 

 

Clicking on any City Page will take you to useful step-by-step instructions for officiating a marriage ceremony in that city, including instructions about how to get registered as an ordained minister, how to sign the marriage license, and how to complete all your other responsibilities with the skill of an experienced pro officiant.

 

Check out the example below, designed for officiants performing services in Chicago, Illinois.

 

The Chicago City Page starts with the first step to officiating, online ordination, followed by any relevant instructions on minister registration (not required in Illinois), tips on returning the marriage license, and more.

 

 


A screenshot of AMM's How to Officiate a Wedding in Chicago, IL, City Page for wedding officiants and engaged couples

The Chicago City Page provides step by step instructions for officiants performing a wedding for the first time in the city, plus resources for engaged couples on how to get married there


 
 

We’ve also included helpful information for engaged couples. 

 

For engaged couples, City Pages also explain how to apply for a marriage license, how to get it processed, how to record and file a license after it’s been signed, and what sort of deadlines there are to return it. Plus tips on wedding planning, transportation, weather, and everything else couples will need to know to get started.
 
(For detailed information on how to get married in your state visit How To Get Married By State.)

 


What’s next for AMM’s City Pages?

 

Don’t see your city listed? We’re on it! 

 

Our current goal is to publish detailed instructions for every major city and town in the country, but we need your help if we’re going to make this happen!
 
We want to hear your tips about how to officiate weddings in your hometown or city. 

 

Is your local Court or County Clerk’s office hard to find? Does it take longer than advertised for the office to issue the marriage license? Do your local clerks ask ministers for additional credentials or proof of ordination? Is your town a popular destination for weddings that just shouldn’t be missed? 

 

We want to hear from you! 
Send us an email at [email protected] with details about your city. 

 

In the meantime, we’ve added hundreds of cities and towns to our officiant-focused state directories, and our researchers and writers are hard at work adding more every day. 

 

 
See if your city's on the list! 

 

Visit Weddings By State 
then select your state and city

 

 


 

You might also like: 

 


 

Stylized illustration of a wedding officiant getting ready to perform a marriage ceremony, close up on the bowtie, shoulders, and chin

Illustration by Jessica Levey

 

From Right Before You Step on Stage: A Wedding Officiant’s (Very) Last Minute Checklist

 

 


 

 

Asked to officiate?  

 

You only get one shot to deliver a perfect wedding ceremony.

 

 

There’s no ‘take-two’ when it comes time for a couple to say ‘I do’--  Wedding officiants only get one shot to perform a perfect wedding ceremony. 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL WEDDING OFFICIANT CERTIFICATION COURSE 

 

 

 

 

 

Give yourself the tools and training you deserve to succeed as a wedding officiant, so that you can stand beside the lucky couple with complete confidence on their big day. 

 

 

LEARN MORE

 


 


Lewis King
Lewis King

Lewis is AMM's executive director. He also wears other hats at AMM, like taking out the recycling, restocking the sparkling water, and watering the office plants.

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