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How to have a friend or family member officiate at your ceremony
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ne of the most universal symbols of wedding ceremonies is the threetiered white cake, topped off by a plastic bride and groom facing each other in the traditional rites of marriage. We’ve all seen it, and pretty much all of us who are married have played one of those two roles. But there’s a third person who is necessary to a wedding ceremony, up front and center for all to see — the wedding officiant. Traditionally, that person would be a member of your local clergy, holding a Bible as the happy couple recites their 50 West Georgia Living January/February 2018
vows and “I do’s.” Increasingly though, the “preacher” leading the ceremony isn’t a full-time or even a part-time minister; it’s a family member or a friend, someone who can make the ceremony even more intimate and special by their shared knowledge of the couple. If you’re wondering how to perform such a ceremony for one of your friends, the answer is surprisingly simple. Getting ordained to perform a wedding is much easier than you might think. Assuming
HAISTEN WILLIS
you’re 18 or older, simply visit the website of a group such as American Marriage Ministries (theAMM.org) or Universal Life Church (GetOrdained.org) and register. As part of my vigorous research for this article, I registered with AMM myself to see what the process entailed. It took about five minutes and was no more difficult than registering for, say, a newspaper website. With just a few clicks, I received a fancylooking certificate with “American Marriage Ministries” in old-English letters and my name in bold. Simple as that! Print out the form, be sure to note the minster ID