I recently filmed a wedding and encountered the wedding officiant. I asked him whether he was the pastor of their church. He laughed and said no, he was a friend who was ordained online through the Universal Life Church.

The more weddings I work, the more I am seeing this trend . Couples are asking friends or family members to be their wedding officiant, and that can be easily done by going online.

Universal Life Church Wedding Officiant

I looked up the laws in Nebraska for performing wedding ceremonies. According to www.getordained.com, ministers ordained through the Universal Life Church have performed thousands of legal marriages in Nebraska. And it’s not just Nebraska. Two close family members who got married in California and Oregon each had a friend who had gotten ordained online perform the ceremony.

I don’t have any information as to why this is becoming more popular — I can only assume. My assumption is that couples who follow this path either don’t have a church or other place of worship and don’t know a minister, rabbi or other person who would traditionally perform a wedding ceremony. I can say that typically the wedding ceremonies I’ve seen that fall into this category have little if any mention of God or religion. I’m also assuming that having someone close to them perform the ceremony is particularly meaningful to them.

So what exactly is the Universal Life Church? According to its website, it is a multi-denominational religious organization with members all over the world. It promotes “universal togetherness and religious expression” around the world. Anyone becoming ordained through this church is granted “all the rights and privileges afforded to clergy members of other faiths — including the ability to perform legal wedding ceremonies.”

Officiant should contact the county

Any officiant performing such a ceremony should contact the county clerk’s office in the county where the ceremony will take place to check on the documents needed. These requirements may differ from county to county.

Any supplies needed by the newly ordained is obtainable on the church’s website, such as the Classic Wedding Kit, which includes marriage certificates, a clergy badge, an ordination certificate and a wallet card license.

I don’t think these types of officiants are going to replace traditional clergy, but it’s interesting to see this trend develop.