The Anonymous Officiant #3 : This groom started to cry moment's before the wedding ceremony because he missed his mother, but a sweet gesture by a quick thinking wedding officiant helped dry his tears just in time. Read the full story in this installment of American Marriage Ministries’ new candid column about real weddings and officiants: The Anonymous Officiant.

Learn the value of a great online portfolio and digital presence when marketing your wedding officiant business! These 6 business and marketing tips from Officiant Sherri Crawford can help you establish a solid brand on social media, choose the right photos and content for your website, take advantage of Google Business Profile to attract new clients, and reach out to couples for shining reviews after the ceremony is complete.

Is the average age of marriage in the U.S. going up or down? Learn about recent trends that affect how old most men and women are when they get married, and why outside factors like education, the economy, pandemics, and shifts in spiritual or religious views can play a bigger part in when a couple decides to marry than you might think.

The ultimate wedding regret! Learn what to do if a couple changes their minds about being married after the wedding ceremony, and what your legal responsibility is as a wedding officiant when it's time to return a signed marriage license to the clerk or registrar's office.

Have you been told by a clerk or registrar that you can’t officiate a North Carolina wedding because you were ordained online? We want to hear from you! Here are the facts: Ministers ordained online through American Marriage Ministries can legally serve as wedding officiants and solemnize marriage anywhere in NC.

There's a new script in our library! This ‘Parent Officiating’ wedding script is the perfect fit for when a couple asks a mother, father, grandparent, or mentor to officiate their wedding ceremony. Use it as is, or personalize this sample officiant script with details from your life and love story, add a unity ceremony, then put it all together for a sweet, custom officiant speech that’s ready to go on your marriage day! Written by ordained AMM Minister Dan Henkel.

Las ordenaciones concedidas por American Marriage Ministries son gratuitas, no caducan y no requieren renovación. Descubra cómo nuestra ordenación en línea es fundamental para nuestra misión de empoderar a las parejas y comunidades.

Get inspired by these sweet Irish wedding traditions, including the ancient Celtic Pagan handfasting ritual and a contemporary Irish wedding bell blessing! From decor to dancing, there are many lovely ways to incorporate traditional Irish wedding elements in your ceremony.

Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that Israeli couples are allowed to marry using Utah County’s online marriage services, and that these civil marriages must be legally recognized. Learn more about the ruling and how to get married online via Utah County’s remote marriage portal.

Learn the meaning of a love lock wedding ceremony, and what to say and do during this popular unity ritual! With a sample officiant script and variations for two locks, one lock with two keys, and multiple locks for blended families who want to include children in the ceremony.

Most couples need help writing their personal wedding vows, toast, or speech, but is a chatbot like ChatGPT or GPT-3 the right choice for inspiration? AMM tested A.I. bot ChatGPT to see what kind of vows it could come up with, and the results are in! Plus links to free officiant scripts, vow examples, readings and more.

Learn how HB878 and 2019’s paused anti-online ordination law work together in an ongoing attack against marriage equality in Tennessee. These bills would allow a person to refuse to solemnize (conduct) a marriage they object to based on their ‘conscience or religious beliefs,’ and make it illegal for an officiant ordained online to perform marriage. If passed, it will be easier for clerks and officiants to discriminate against same-sex, LGBTQ+, interfaith, and interracial couples in TN. (House Bill 878 / 2023 ; HB0213 / 2019)

Learn why so many women in the U.S. change their last name when they marry, how patriarchy and legal restrictions shaped this interesting wedding custom, and why it's important for wedding officiants to be aware of a couple's preferences when writing the wedding ceremony script pronouncement and completing a marriage license. Author Ann Zhao's tweet sparked this interesting discussion about where spouses do and don't change their surnames, and why, and we're here for it!

This Atlanta bride went viral on social media for disagreeing with a few traditional wedding vows during the ceremony... especially that promise to 'obey.' See what happened, how the guests and wedding officiant handled it, and our advice for officiants on how to make sure a wedding ceremony script is exactly what a couple wants, before it's too late!

This secret celebrity wedding ceremony was a total surprise, but after the wedding officiant caught their breath it was an instant hit! Get the full story in this week's The Anonymous Officiant, American Marriage Ministries' behind the scenes look at the wedding industry, featuring real wedding stories submitted by real officiants. (AMM Anon Officiant #11)

Sample thank you notes and expert 'how to' advice to help you write a thank you letter to your wedding officiant following the ceremony. Whether you're sending a heartfelt card to a friend or family member who officiated, including a letter with another thank you gift, or just looking for the perfect wording for an email to a professional officiant, we've got you covered!

Commemorate your winter wedding with a festive marriage certificate! These unique designs also make a creative wedding gift or anniversary gift from an officiant or family member, to frame and display at home for years to come. Great for a Christmas wedding, New Year’s elopement, or any cozy winter marriage celebration.

La gobernadora Kathy Hochul acaba de firmar una ley para aprobar la designación de oficiantes matrimoniales para un día en el estado de Nueva York. Lea acerca de la nueva licencia de oficiante de un día, cómo solicitar la designación en la oficina del secretario de la ciudad o pueblo, cuánto tiempo se tarda en ser aprobado para oficiar, y cómo la autorización de un día se compara con la ordenación en línea a través de con American Marriage Ministries al oficiar legalmente una boda en el estado de Nueva York, incluyendo la ciudad de Nueva York.

AMM Reverend Scarlett Mullikin is an LGBTQ wedding officiant who creates meaningful, authentic memorial services and ceremonies for fellow free-spirits, honoring unique people in the same ways they lived.

American Marriage Ministries remains carbon neutral as we head into a new year of weddings and opportunity. Protecting our environment is essential, and climate change is a social justice issue, too!

How designations like ‘online church’ and ‘online ordination’ have changed after a year of connecting with loved ones and communities online, Zoom, and Skype, and the power of technology to bring us together.