American Weddings Blog

In this series of articles, we’re answering questions about what we do here at American Marriage Ministries, and the role that online churches play in the wedding industry.

A lot of people want to know how to become ordained online, and what it actually means. Since there are so many options, it can be hard to sift through the different beliefs and guidelines. 

So why do people get ordained?

Becoming an ordained minister online is the easiest way for most people to officiate weddings for friends and family members. (If you've been asked to officiate a wedding, this is probably the best option for you, too!)

Webster’s Dictionary defines ordination as:

 “To invest officially with ministerial or priestly authority.”

 ...(continued)

One of the most common questions aspiring wedding officiants ask is, “…where should I get ordained online?” You might have been asked to officiate a wedding, or perhaps there’s another religious ceremony you want to perform. Or, maybe you just want to become ordained so that you can have the title “minister.” They are all legitimate reasons to get ordained, and for most people, the easiest way to make that happen is to get ordained online. 

The good news is that there are plenty of online churches and religious organizations, so there’s probably one that shares your values and beliefs. The next step is finding out what one fits your needs, how much each church charges for ordination (American Marriage Ministries doesn’t charge anything) and then clicking “get ordained.”...(continued)

Officiating demands a substantial amount of your personal time, effort, thought, consideration - and almost always, love.

So it’s only fair when a new officiant wonders, “How much should I charge for my services?”

The answer in short is this: Officiant fees vary drastically across the country, so you will have to do a bit of research to determine this magical number.

If you are considering performing ceremonies in a professional capacity, you will want to start by looking into what others are charging locally, and proceeding from there.

We recommend doing an online search along the lines of, “Wedding Officiant in [City Name]”. You can also use vendor searches for your area - like looking up Officiants in Wedding Wire's Vendor Search based on location.

 ...(continued)

We’re at Wedding MBA in Las Vegas this week, meeting with wedding professionals from across the country and preaching our gospel of online-ordination and wedding ceremony planning. One topic that has come up enough times to warrant a response is the following: are first-time wedding officiants a threat to professional wedding officiants? 

Put another way, when couples ask “Uncle Bob” to officiate their wedding ceremony, does that put professional officiants out of a job? 

The answer is a bit more complex than just yes or no. ...(continued)

Our ministers are the reason that we show up to work every day. Without our ministers, AMM isn’t much more than a few empty desks, a couple of computers, and a coffee machine… 

But when you stand with couples in front of their friends and families, you are preaching our gospel of love and community. You’re reinforcing our values. You bring the magic that transforms weddings into transcendant expressions of love and joy!

That’s why it’s so important to tell your stories, to let others know why AMM exists, and why you chose to get ordained through us to officiate weddings. ...(continued)