Where to Get Ordained Online for LGBTQ+ Wedding Officiants

Get ordained online to officiate weddings for LGBTQ+ couples! 

 

If you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or a loving ally – queer couples need your help on the wedding day! LGBTQ+ friendly wedding officiants are more important than ever. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best places to get ordained online to officiate weddings for the LGBTQ+ community. 

 

Why get ordained? 

 

What does ordination have to do becoming an LGBTQ+ wedding officiant?  Becoming a minister online is often the easiest way to meet the legal requirements for wedding officiants. With an online ordination from a reputable church, most states will allow you to perform weddings for friends and family and sign the marriage license. In some states, you may also need to submit your ordination documents to your local clerk’s office first. 

 

The best way to help couples find an LGBTQ+ friendly wedding officiant is to become one, and offer your services to your community! The second best way is to have an accepting friend or relative officiate your wedding by getting ordained online. Friend officiants add to an intimate, personal, and fun wedding experience. 

 

So let’s get started! 

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Where to get ordained online to officiate a wedding? 

 

It’s important to choose an online church that aligns with your beliefs and your budget. This means: 

 

• an LGBTQ+ affirming church
• a church that supports marriage rights for all people
• perhaps a nondenominational or interfaith church for nonreligious or alternative officiants
• and an organization with transparent costs and practices.

 
Each of the organizations listed below are inclusive and offer legally-recognized and legitimate ordinations. Since we are obviously invested in this space, we need to make it clear that the list below is solely based on our research, is subjective, and doesn't reflect the official positions of any of the other organizations included. 

 

This list is for general informational purposes only, and everyone should do their own research. While some of these churches take themselves more seriously than others, they nonetheless all provide legal ordinations and are therefore worth mentioning. 

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(Photo: Manuel Figueroa  / Unsplash)

 

 

4 Popular Options: Online Ordination for LGBTQ+ Wedding Officiants

 

 

1. American Marriage Ministries

 

We’re giving ourselves the number-one spot on this list because we believe we provide the most reliable free ordination on the internet, backed by the best training for wedding officiants. And we check every box for an inclusive, ethical, affirming church!

 

• Get ordained online for free with AMM

 

AMM believes that all people have the right to marry and perform marriage ceremonies, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or other defining qualities. We ordain people from all faiths and backgrounds, including Pagans, atheists, and agnostics.

 

And our free ordination grants full legal authority to conduct marriage ceremonies all across the US! 

 

 

2. Dudeism: The Church of The Latter-Day Dude

 

This modern religion was inspired by the film The Big Lebowski (1998), and bills itself as “the slowest growing religion in the world.” It was founded in 2005 and promotes a modern interpretation of Chinese Taoism (a 6th century BC philosophy) mixed with a little Greek Philosophy to encourage “going with the flow” and “taking it easy” in the face of adversity. 
 
A “Dudeist” Ordination is free, and presumably grants ordained “Dudeist Priests” the right to carry out religious ceremonies as representatives of the Church of The Latter-Day Dude. 

 

 

3. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

 

This inclusive church offers ordinations with the title “Pastafarian Minister.” There’s a lot to explore here, and the church itself is somewhat hard pressed to spell out exactly what it believes, but their intentions seem to be to make the world a better and more accepting place. That’s something we can get behind!
 
Their online ordinations appear to cost around $35, but have held up to legal challenges. So if you want to perform a wedding wearing a noodle strainer over your head (which is something some of their ministers wear) then this ordination is perfect for you!

 

 

4. The Universal Life Church

 

These folks have been around since the early 1960s, when Kirby J. Hensley started his church under the doctrine, “do that which is right.” Also known as “The ULC” or simply “ULC,” this group has spawned hundreds of offshoots over the years, which is why we’re just going to focus on the original church, based out of Modesto, California. 
 
The ULC has no traditional doctrine and promotes individual determinism, on the condition that doing so does not infringe on the rights of others. Their website says that, “We do not stand between you and your God.”
 

 

Other online ordination choices *might* be legal in your state… but check local rules

 

There are many other options for online ordination, just type “online ordination” into the search bar and you’ll see what we mean! Many of these churches are hard to define, but may align with your beliefs and values.
 
For example, The Church of Spiritual Humanism offers free ordinations through a religion based in reason, with the belief that human beings can solve the problems of society using logic and science. They are widely known as an inclusive, LGBTQ+ welcoming organization.

However, it’s important to be aware that some organizations are not recognized in all states, and some ordinations expire after a period of time. The Church of Spiritual Humanism, for example, writes on their site that several states may not accept their ordinations. 

 

Be sure to check the legal requirements in your state (and any other state you want to perform marriage in!) by clicking the link below before performing a ceremony if you aren’t sure about a specific online church:
 

• Minister Requirements: Weddings By State
• Get Ordained Online with AMM! 
• To find out more about AMM's values, read our Philosophy on Marriage

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(Photo:  Võ Mạnh Đức  / Unsplash)

 

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