American Weddings Blog

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)

Wedding officiants devote an immense amount of their time and effort to creating and perfecting the wedding ceremony, and as couples are realizing just how important the role of officiant is, they're looking for additional ways to express their gratitude.

Whether you’re saying Thank You for officiating the wedding ceremony, Happy Holidays, or Just Because, here are a variety of thoughtful gift ideas for your officiant:

Massage or Spa Treatment

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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)

Planning a wedding is an overwhelming task no matter how long or short the guest list is, but your wedding isn’t just about throwing a party. Marriage is a legal contract. This article explains what that means, and what you need to do to make sure you check all your boxes.

We’ve all been to the DMV. We know that most interactions with government bureaucracy can be intimidating and/or frustrating. Although your wedding will be recognized by all states, many county clerks have different rules and requirements regarding the marriage license. That's why you should consider these following points before visiting your county clerk office to obtain your license.    

First off, you should know the difference between the marriage license and the marriage certificate. ...(continued)