Will we all be replaced by virtual wedding officiants?

“Siri, you may now pronounce the couple husband and wife…”

With states like New York allowing virtual weddings, it’s not completely crazy to ask, “Will virtual wedding officiants start officiating wedding ceremonies?”

A few months ago, we’d have laughed at this question, but these days, it’s increasingly clear that the disruption hitting the wedding industry will cause long-lasting change. We’ve already seen some states change their laws to allow couples and officiants to be in separate places, connected by videoconferencing and there’s no reason to think that’s as far as this trend will progress. 

• These states are where you can - and can't - get married online

And just as shocking, expectations that have been established over decades have evolved in the space of a few weeks, leading us to believe that couples are much more flexible than we were told. Fancy reception halls, hundreds of guests, designer wedding dresses… it turns out couples were willing to jettison these once-essential wedding day items if they stood in the way of tying the knot.

In fact, what we are seeing underscores our suspicion that at the end of the day, the most important part of the wedding -- and the only really necessary part -- is the ceremony. That said, expectations of what a wedding ceremony is, and how it is conducted are in flux too, and wedding officiants need to stay on top of what’s going on. 

Is this what wedding ceremonies will look like in the future?

The Atlantic recently published an interesting article titled, “The Pandemic’s Long-Lasting Effects on Weddings,” and if you’re wondering how this space might evolve this is an interesting read. Their thesis, that even after big parties are safe, smaller, intimate ceremonies are likely to persist, certainly aligns with what we’re seeing and hearing from our ministers in the field.

They also picked up on the idea of a virtual wedding officiant, and here we are...

So if you’ve got the time, see what they have to say, and let us know what you think!

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