Miami, Florida Wedding Guide
Become a Wedding Officiant in Miami as an AMM Ordained Minister. Learn more about getting ordained in Florida, officiant training, wedding ceremony planning, and more.
Become a Wedding Officiant in Miami as an AMM Ordained Minister. Learn more about getting ordained in Florida, officiant training, wedding ceremony planning, and more.
Miami’s tropical climate and Latin American culture make it one of the most exciting wedding destinations in the country. Couples should be aware that the Miami-Dade County Marriage License Bureau has mandatory premarital courses and waiting periods that must be observed in order to be legally married.
AMM’s guide to officiating weddings in Miami, Florida helps couples and wedding officiants ordained online through theamm.org understand their legal responsibilities and the requirements for performing weddings.
First things first, ministers ordained online by American Marriage Ministries may legally perform marriage and sign marriage licenses in Miami, Florida. Thousands of AMM Ministers have performed wedding ceremonies in Miami, and we are excited that you are considering this option as well.
Completing your American Marriage Ministries Florida Minister Ordination is your first step towards performing wedding ceremonies in Florida. American Marriage Ministries is legal in Florida, an IRS recognized 501c(3) non-profit organization, and the easiest way to perform weddings that reflect your values and beliefs. Our ordination is free, easy, and never expires!
Perform the wedding ceremony: The State of Florida does not have any mandatory requirements for the ceremony itself. In order to officiate a legal wedding ceremony in Florida, the couple's vows must reflect their intentions to make a legally binding commitment to each other.
Confirm the Couple has their Marriage License
Obtain and review the marriage license prior to the ceremony and ensure that:
When it comes time to sign the marriage license, it’s the couple’s responsibility to obtain and complete the marriage license, but just be sure to check that the paperwork is all correct before you perform the ceremony. That means names, dates, and any other important information is correct. You can check out some correct examples here. As the wedding officiant, you are responsible for filing the completed marriage license within 10 days of the marriage ceremony. The completed license must be filed with the issuing county clerk.
After the wedding, you will sign the marriage license and hand it back to the couple to turn it in. Then, you will have successfully performed all of your functions as the wedding officiant.
For The
Couple
When applying for a marriage license both members of the couple must be present. All applicants must present a valid federal or state government photo identification with the correct legal name, date of birth and signature. All US citizens and residents must provide their Social Security Number.
Non-U.S. citizens may provide an Alien Registration Card, U.S. State issued Driver’s License, or Passport number if Social Security Number has not been issued.
If either applicant has been previously married, they must provide the exact date of the last divorce, death or annulment. If the divorce took place in Miami-Dade
To speed up the application process, you can use the online marriage license pre-application. Print the document out, or bring the confirmation number with you to one of the Miami Dade County Marriage License Offices.
Issuance Office: Miami-Dade County Clerk's Office
Fee: $86 -- ($61 for couple's who complete online premarital preperation course)
Waiting Period: 3 Days For Residents - None For Non-Residents
Expiration: 60 Days
Return: Within 10 Days from the Wedding
For The Couple
& Officiant
Besides from being in a beautiful, warm tropical climate, Miami has a ton of fun activities and events happening year-round. From the Vizcaya Garden Museum and Gardens to the Wynwood Walls and Little Havana, you're sure to be able to pack in some side activities for before and after the ceremony. If you're strictly looking for wedding venues, you're sure to find something in Miami that suits your fancy. One of AMM's top picks is Briza On The Bay, a lavish ballroom with epic views of the Miami Waterfront. If you want a wedding entrance that will really blow your guests' hair back you can arrive at this venue in a helicopter! If you want an outdoor ceremony, check out Villa Woodbine. This venue has everything from a lush garden ceremony space full of exotic plants and trees, to a beautiful Mediterranean style villa.
Miami has a twenty-five mile long metrorail which is perfect for getting from the airport into downtown and other major conncections. From any major stop, Miami-Dade County's Bus System should be able to take you to, or near to, most locations within the city. If you're looking for something a little quicker, rideshare services such as Lyft and Uber should also be available.
Miami can be oppresively hot and humid during the summer months, so consider planning your wedding for the fall and winter months which tend to be a little more mild. Locals suggest visiting between September and April to avoid the summer heat.
For The Couple
& Officiant
You can complete a pre-application form online on the Miami-Dade County Marriage License Bureau website.
The Central Marriage License Bureau is located at:
Overtown Village South
601 NW 1 Court, Suite 1900,
Miami, Florida 33136
Or you can visit any of the other Marriage License Offices.
If you were ordained online, you probably want to make sure that you can legally perform wedding ceremonies in Miami. Good new, you can! In addition to a list of judicial officers and other public officials, Florida Law states that the following may perform marriage: all regularly ordained ministers of the gospel, elders in communion with a church, or other ordained clergy, which includes ministers ordained online by American Marriage Ministries.
Because the state of Florida does not maintain a central registry of ordained ministers and other officers that are legally allowed to perform marriage, it is the responsibility of the officiating minister to have proof of his or her ordination. That means you don’t need to register your credentials with your local government.
However, once you are ordained online through American Marriage Ministries, you should purchase a copy of your ministry ordination credentials from our store, as it is your responsibility to verify that you are ordained.
The Clerk's office in Miami does not determine the legality of an officiant, and does not have anything to do with the ordainment process. Once you are ordained, you do not register with the Clerk's office prior to performing a marriage.
Ministers ordained by American Marriage Ministries may legally perform marriage in the state due to the statutes of Florida State Statute 741.07, which states that:
“All regularly ordained ministers of the gospel or elders in communion with some church, or other ordained clergy, and all judicial officers, including retired judicial officers, clerks of the circuit courts, and notaries public of this state may solemnize the rights of matrimonial contract, under the regulations prescribed by law. Nothing in this section shall make invalid a marriage which was solemnized by any member of the clergy, or as otherwise provided by law prior to July 1, 1978.”
The state requires all Florida residents to take a four-hour premarital course or wait three days for the marriage license to be effective. This does not apply to non-Florida residents. A directory of premarital course providers is available online or at all district court locations. This means that the couple should either schedule their course, or file at least three days before the wedding ceremony. Since the marriage license expires if it is not signed within 60 days of issuance, the application should also not be more than 60 days before the wedding.
In order to become legally married in the state of Florida, both spouses must apply for a marriage license in person. In order to obtain their marriage license both spouses must be able to present valid identification with the applicant's picture, signature, and date of birth, a Driver License issued by any state in the U.S., Passport, a U.S. Military ID, Alien Registration Card, or State of Florida ID issued by DMV are acceptable. Anyone issued a Social Security Card must provide their number.
Yes. As long as ordained ministers meet the requirements of Florida State Statute 741.07, out-of-state ministers may perform marriages in Miami, Florida and anywhere in the State of Florida. As an American Marriage Ministry minister, you can perform wedding ceremonies in Florida, no matter where you are from.
A marriage license from the Miami-Dade County Marriage License Bureau costs $86.00. Other options include a marriage application with completion of premarital preparation course, which costs $61.00, and a duplicate license or amended license, which costs $30.00.
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