You may kiss the bride…legally.?
My fiance and I are getting married in Columbus Ohio in June of 2009. We want one of our best friends to perform the ceremony, so therefore, we realize he needs to become an ordained minister. We checked out a few websites and it seems way too easy. On one of them, all he would need to do is enter in his name and he would be ordained (according to the website). I don’t feel like this is correct. Does anyone know the process of becoming ordained in the state of Ohio? (we are going to have someone else perform the religious part of the ceremony, but the actual vows and legal part are the what we want our friend to perform) Please help so we can be legally married after our wedding day!! 
Yeah, the online ordained thing – well, I’m a Reverend and so is my cat, Taffy!
You need to contact the state authorities to see if there is a way your friend can do this – MAKE SURE before you make any further plans. Oh, it seems like Ohio is rather strict in its rules, as shown below -
http://www.probatect.org/marriagelicenses/wedding_officiants.htm
its not freaking 2009 YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think you have to fill out a form from an insert in a magazine and then mail it in with your money order.
Why don’t you just do it with a regular minister
Use a real priest it will save you the trouble
Why not have your friend be the best man? It would be easier.
I dont exactly know about hte process, but just writing your name certainly isnt the answer. It would probably require some work, but find a minister to do it, easy and doesn’t make much of a difference, and maybe the friend would screw up or something.
For sure!
Each State is different on their requirements for "Minister" on what they will accept or not to make it legal.
Officiants: Any ordained or licensed minister of any religious society or congregation within this state may perform marriages. Before performing a marriage, ministers must present their ordination credentials to the probate judge of any county. The judge will provide the minister with a license to perform marriages. The minister must then present his license to the probate judge in any county in which he performs a marriage. Ministers must send a certificate of marriage to the probate judge of the county which issued the marriage license within 30 days after the marriage.
My sister did this and she actually got a licence to practice cerimonies for about fifty dollars. She is from Michigan. Her email address is fevus@yahoo.com if you want to ask her about this.
It does not mean that he can practice in a church because it is up to the ‘church’ to decide to hire him or not. It simply means that he can do the cerimony.
u shud be married after the registry of the marriage, which is usually when both the parties say I do.
well, u can go 2 a court and av a court marriage. but, y don’t u just av an ordained minister do everything for u in a church? i think dat would b easier.
It’s easier to become a notary public. Ministers are supposedly ordained by God not the government. I know that’s a weird statement, but I think it’d be easier for your friend to become a notary public.
The "Church of Universal Life"? Yeah, most states recognize those ministers as valid to perform the ceremony. Check their website; they often have links to state laws to make sure that those ministers are accepted by the state.
(If they’re not accepted, you run into HUGE church/state separation issues, so most states just don’t bother.)
I was a groomsman at a wedding officiated by a Church of Universal Life minister (who was actually a formerly ordained Catholic priest…)
The ordinationn from the internet church should be fine.But you must request a license to perform a marriage in Ohio and can receive one from the Office of the Secretary of State.
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/ElectionsVoter/ministers.aspx?Section=31
It only costs $10
I should think that if you have a truly "Ordained Minister" as recognized by the law in any State of the U.S. perform the ‘religious’ portion of your wedding service and witness the portion of your friend just asking the questions to which each of you answer "I do", and the Minister does the pronouncement of "I now pronounce you Man and Wife" and signs the Certificate of Marriage afterwards, then *I believe* that your friend could make the pronouncement — "You may now kiss the Bride" with the Minister’s blessing. Good luck and a very, very happy and long marriage!
Every state differs, so if I were you I would call the county courthouse and ask them.
It may depend on where you live. In Los Angeles County, the Registrar-Recorder have a program that "ordains" someone (just for that day) to officiate at your wedding….There is a time limitation when you apply.
Even though some of the on-line ordinations are just as easy as filling in a form, they’re just as legal as other kinds of ordinations. If you’re having a "real" minister do the religious part, then why are you put off by the on-line registration process? As far as I know, on-line ordinations are recognized as legal officiants everywhere in the US, with the possible exception of NYC (didn’t use to be recognized there, but I think that may have recently changed). If you want to be sure, then just ask at the licensing bureau. My fiance’s sister is performing our ceremony, and was ordained on-line in a fill-out-the-form church. I double checked here (Chicago/Cook County, IL) and it’s completely legal.
This organization is the classic "Become an Ordained Minister!" place: http://www.themonastery.org/
Although they’ve been made fun of by running ads in the back of Rolling Stone and other magazines, they are a real organization with real beliefs.