Would you have a friend or family member officiate your wedding?
Wedding data shows that more people are embracing the idea of having their wedding ceremony performed by their friend and family. Sometimes, if the couple isn't religious or if they are not a believer, they will most-likely ask a friend a family member to marry them. It's hard for a gay couple to find a mainstream minister who will marry them, choosing a friend is the best option for them. Being a wedding minister is easy now days. To become ordained, you can visit "The American Marriage Ministries, a Non-profit organization or The Universal Life Church, fill out a form and you are good to officiate a wedding. You don't have to have a background on Theology, a religious training, attend a seminar or be part of a congregation and it's free to be ordained. The last few years, people are looking for ways to personalize their wedding ceremony. According to study, Americans grew, "The Knot" says " in 2017 real weddings study", 47 % of couples had a family member or friend perform their wedding.
The New York Department of Health states that the only people who has the right to officiate a wedding is " a member of the clergy or minister who has been officially ordained and granted authority to perform marriage ceremonies from a governing church body in accordance with the rules and regulations of the church body".
But lawyers warned that until laws are modified, marriages officiated by friend or family member with a certificate of Ministry could potentially be declared void by the court, if half of the couple wishing to divorce contest the validity of the union based on the officiant's qualifications.
