How to Become a Licensed Wedding Preacher
To become a licensed wedding preacher, you can study at a seminary in the traditional way. But today, many people are choosing instant ordination through online or mail-away companies. Whether you've been told you have a gift for public speaking or you've been asked by special friends who want you to officiate at their wedding, you can easily become a licensed wedding minister, and it's totally legal. Once ordained, you'll be able to perform not only weddings but funerals and baptisms, as well.
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Instructions
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Becoming an Ordained Minister
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Attend a traditional seminary, Bible or divinity school. These institutions of higher learning are usually attended by students wishing to become ordained clergy. A degree usually takes three years beyond four years of undergraduate work, but varies based on denomination and undergrad courses.
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Apply online. Many online companies offer ordination to basically anyone who provides his legal name and address and, often, a fee. Such companies include American Fellowship Church and the Universal Life Church, which boasts 20 million ordinations worldwide on its website.
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Agree to the company's code of conduct or ethics. Generally you'll be asked whether you are becoming an ordained minister with good intentions and honesty.
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Choose a title that best describes your religious or spiritual intentions. Among typical choices are reverend, minister, pastor, deacon and preacher.
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Provide your legal name, mailing address and email address. An email confirmation will be sent to you once you complete the application. Your ordination is official once you receive a response email. For mail-in applications you can print an application from a website and mail it in with a fee.
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Learn the marriage laws of the state in which you intend to perform a wedding ceremony. State-specific laws must be followed to make the wedding legal.
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Know the basics. For a wedding ceremony to be legal, it must include the classic Declaration of Intent. This is generally stated as, "Do you take this person to be your husband/wife," followed by an "I do."
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