Ordained Wedding Officiant

Helping two people form a lifelong union by officiating a wedding is a loving, peaceful and memorable act. Whether you are presiding at the request of a friend or family member, or you’ve been called upon by someone you’ve never met before, taking a place at the altar is a tremendous honor. But to bind two people in marriage, you first have to become an ordained wedding officiant.

What is an Ordained Wedding Officiant?

An ordained wedding officiant is the person who performs the ceremony in which two people exchange vows to form a marriage. Officiants might serve as clerics in a religious capacity, or they might be public officials with authority to conduct legal ceremonies. For a wedding to be considered official under the eyes of the law, the officiant must be legally qualified to perform the service in the state where the event takes place.

What Does an Ordained Wedding Officiant Do?

A wedding officiant is a person in charge of the overall ceremony. Before the wedding, an officiant works with the couple to determine what kind of ceremony they desire and explains the vows and statements required to make the service legally binding. They stand at the front of the gathering and lead the ceremony as a sort of “MC”. At the end of the service, the officiant declares the pair officially married and introduces the new couple to their loved ones witnessing the commitment.

How Do I Become an Ordained Wedding Officiant?

There are several ways to become an ordained wedding officiant. The quickest and easiest is to complete the requirements online. The ULC offers free online ordination, a process that allows anyone who so chooses to become a minister right on our website. The ULC has just two core principles: to do only that which is right, and to allow people freedom to worship however they see fit. If those principles align with your own, we welcome you to join the UCL global family today.