American Weddings Blog

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 dropping the lawsuit. 

It turns out, the real problem was that the couple got married before applying for their marriage license – which is against the rules. You need to apply for the marriage license before the ceremony!

That's just the way things work. ...(continued)

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 process, pays the applicable fee(s) and completes the required training. 

While Clark County has recognized American Marriage Ministries ordinations for a decade now, this decision opens the doors to ministers of other religious organizations.

American Marriage Ministries applauds this decision by the Clark County Government, which lowers the barriers to marriage for couples of all stripes. We would also like to thank our ministers and other partners for supporting our efforts, and for working tirelessly to promote marriage equality across the country....(continued)