Understanding Massachusetts One Day Marriage Designation vs Online Ordination for Officiants

Which is Best For YOU? Everything You Need to Know About the Massachusetts ‘One Day Marriage Designation’ vs Getting Ordained Online to Officiate a Wedding

 

Asked to officiate a wedding in Massachusetts? Congratulations! Performing a marriage ceremony is a big honor, and this important day will leave you and the couple you marry with wonderful, lifelong memories. As you prepare for your role, you’ll need to decide between two options that will authorize you to be a wedding officiant in the state: a one-day government permit to officiate, or getting ordained online as a minister.

 

To help you decide which option is best for you as a first-time wedding officiant, we’ve answered a few common questions and compared the pros and cons for each option. 

 

Let’s take a look! 

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Let's compare your options for becoming a wedding officiant in Massachusetts! We'll look at the one day wedding officiant designation, and online ordination with American Marriage Ministries. (Photo: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels)

 

 

• Option One: Massachusetts One-Day Wedding Officiant

 

1. What is the ‘One Day Marriage Designation’ (MA One-Day Permit to Officiate)?

 

Massachusetts is one of a few states that offer a one-day wedding officiant permit, called a ‘One Day Marriage Designation.’ This special designation gives non-clergy individuals the legal authority to officiate a single wedding on a specific day. 

 

How to Apply for a One Day Marriage Designation in Massachusetts? 

 

To apply for a One Day Marriage Designation, you must complete an application and pay a fee of about $25. You can apply online or by mail starting 6 months before the wedding date, up until 1 week before the wedding date (but no earlier, and no later).

 

Find more information here: Applying for a 1-Day Designation Certificate 

 

SUMMARY: 

• Application Fee is $25 
• Apply online or by mail
• Apply between 6 months and 1 week before the wedding date
• Repeat this process for any wedding you want to officiate

 

 

• Option Two: Getting Ordained Online to Officiate a Wedding in Massachusetts

 

2. What does getting ordained online to officiate a wedding in Massachusetts require? 

 

The second option is to get ordained online as a minister to officiate the wedding. Ministers who receive their ordinations through a recognized internet church like American Marriage Ministries (AMM) are legally recognized in Massachusetts, and have the same authority to perform marriage as traditionally-ordained clergy. Online ordination through AMM is free and only takes a minute to complete.

 

After getting ordained online, you’ll need to file your new minister credentials with the state before performing the ceremony. This requires purchasing minister credentials and paying a filing fee of about $50. You’ll want to begin filing your credentials about 4 to 6 weeks before the wedding date. Once you’ve registered as a minister in the state, you can perform as many weddings as you’d like to. 

 

Learn more about the process here: Wedding Officiant Registration Requirements in Massachusetts

 

SUMMARY: 

• Ordination is free with American Marriage Ministries (AMM) 
• Get ordained online in just a few seconds with AMM anytime before wedding
• Purchase minister credentials and file with the state 4 to 6 weeks before wedding (about $50)
• Complete process once to perform multiple weddings

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The best option for you depends on factors like how many weddings you want to officiate, the overall cost, wait time to become a wedding officiant, and if you want a spiritual or secular approach to performing a wedding. We'll help you consider each of these options more carefully below.  (Photo: Thien Vu / Pexels)

 

 

So Which is Better for Officiating a Wedding in MA? One Day Marriage Designation or Getting Ordained Online?

 

Now that you know the basics, let’s look at some pros and cons of these two options, and why one option might work better than another for you. 

 

• COST & GOALS: PROS & CONS 

Off the bat, it costs less money to become a one-day wedding officiant in Massachusetts than it does to get ordained and register your minister credentials – a $25 dollar fee compared with the cost of your paperwork and a $50 fee. But that’s not the full picture… you might want to consider your long-term plans:

 

One-time Wedding Officiant, Officiant for Friends & Family, or Professional Wedding Officiant? 

 

If you plan to officiate only one wedding in MA, then the one-day designation is the most cost-effective option.

 

However, if there’s a chance you’ll be asked to officiate a second wedding later on, then getting ordained online might be the best option. (And trust us—once your friends and family see how great you are, you’ll likely be asked again, maybe every wedding season!) 

 

Getting ordained online will also be the most affordable option for you if you want to become a professional wedding officiant and perform marriages on a regular basis in the state. You will only need to purchase and file your minister credentials once before officiating professionally. And because online ordination with AMM never expires, you’ll always be prepared to perform marriage. 

 

 

• WAIT TIME: PROS & CONS

 
Next, let’s compare the wait time for each option: You can apply for your one-day marriage designation between 6 months and 1 week of the wedding date. On the other hand, you will need to order your ministry credentials and file them with the state about 4 to 6 weeks before the wedding date. To decide which is best, you’ll want to consider the timing of the ceremony:

 

If there are fewer than 4 weeks until the wedding date, this means that it’s probably best to apply for a one-day designation (and save online ordination for your next wedding ceremony). 

 

If there are 6 weeks or more until the wedding date, you have time for either option. (Getting ordained online with AMM can be done in just a few seconds, and you can order your minister credentials online soon after.)

 

 

• SECULAR VS SPIRITUAL: PROS & CONS 

 

For some people, the appeal of the one-day wedding officiant designation is that it offers a secular (nonreligious) option for individuals who don’t want to become ordained within a specific church or denomination. This is a completely valid reason to choose a one-day license.

 

Ordination is a meaningful decision, and we encourage anyone considering ordination to officiate weddings to research their options carefully. It may be helpful to know that AMM doesn’t require you to hold any specific religious beliefs to get ordained with us. 

 

American Marriage Ministries is an inclusive, interfaith church that ordains people of all faiths and beliefs, including Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Atheists, Pagans, Muslims, Agnostics, and many others. We’re a charitable organization and proud advocates for LGBTQ+ families, interracial couples and their families, marriage equality, healthy communities, and environmental stewardship. 

 

We don’t require our ministers to hold any specific religious or spiritual beliefs, only that they agree to the 3 Tenets that guide our organization: 

 

• All people, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, have the right to marry.
• It is the right of every couple to choose who will solemnize their marriage.
• All people have the right to solemnize marriage.

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