American Weddings Blog

Over the weekend, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo released an executive order that allowed city clerks and other wedding officiants to officiate wedding ceremonies over the internet by video. The announcement marked the first such officia...

The first step before officiating a wedding, even before you start talking about the ceremony, is making sure you are legally allowed to solemnize weddings. Everyone has the legal right to do so, but much like other important life events, the government has found a way to involve itself. So, as a wedding minister, you need to ensure that you meet your state’s requirements – which...

If this is your first time officiating a wedding, your first concern might be, “how do I make sure the wedding is legal?” The good news is, it’s actually pretty easy. But, you’ll need to figure out the following: Do you need a government minister license, or is your online ordination sufficient?
 
Let’s start by breaking down the diff...

After years of preventing online-ordained ministers (and many other Virginians) from officiating weddings, lawmakers in Virginia might soon allow regular folk to officiate weddings for friends and family members. This development is part of an update to the Commonwealth’s marriage law currently making its way through Virginia’s legislature.
 
If passed, the law...

Late last month, an online church sued the Cleveland County Register of Deeds in North Carolina, alleging that the County’s Register of Deeds Betsy Harnage denied a marriage license to an unnamed couple because their officiant was ordained online. A few days later, local media reported that they were

After years of lobbying by ministers and couples, the Clark County government, which includes Las Vegas, has made it easier for online-ordained ministers to officiate weddings, regardless of religious affiliation. The updated requirements remove the need for officiants to submit proof of their religious affiliation, opening the option up to anyone that completes the appropriate application p...