Want a friend to officiate your ceremony? Here’s how to take the pressure off with ALL the tools they’ll need

For those we haven’t had the pleasure of introducing ourselves to yet:

We’re American Marriage Ministries, a federally recognized 501c3 non-profit organization. We offer free online ordination so that anyone can perform marriage anywhere in the United States. That means if you have a friend or family member that you want to perform your dream ceremony, or even if you’re just finally checking “get ordained” off your bucket list — we’ve got you covered! We offer this service because we are firm believers in equality, and that everyone has:

• the right to marry regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.
• the right to choose who performs their marriage ceremony.
• the right to perform marriage.

What most folks don’t realize is that in addition to free online ordination, we also offer a variety of helpful resources for friends and family members getting ordained, professional officiants, and engaged couples!

We empower COUPLES with choices and the ability to use their own voices when it comes to planning their wedding ceremony. Every year, more and more couples ask someone near and dear to perform their ceremony. AMM is here to serve as their primary source of information and guidance when it comes to online ordination and performing marriage.

Thanks to AMM’s unique Will You Marry Us? officiant gift box, couples can now give their officiant the real “wedding party treatment” and propose to their intended officiant! Not only does it give couples the opportunity to show their appreciation for the person basically emcee-ing their ceremony, it’s also chock-full of official credentials, attire, instructions, and literature to assist them in creating and delivering the ceremony from start to finish ensuring a totally personalized wedding ceremony.

Offbeat Bride's Executive Editor Catherine just got married this past Saturday with her best friend Chad as her officiant. She decided to use our Will You Marry Us? officiant gift box to ask him to be her officiant. Here's how she did it…

When I decided to ask Chad to be our officiant, we both had essentially no idea how it all worked legally and logistically. But I figured starting with the super fun Will You Marry Us? box was a good start. We decided to mail it to him (he lives in another state), and fill the box with goodies like candy, confetti, and a personalized card to make it extra festive and celebratory.

As you can see in the photos above (I posted this “unboxing” on Instagram for the funs!), he was pretty stoked. And as he started to unbox all of the contents, I realized we didn't have to know ANYTHING ahead of time — it was all there. In addition to the included code for him to get ordained online, there were resources for writing the ceremony, how to file the marriage license in my state, and everything else we'd need to know to make it official and super smooth.

The whole experience was such a trip. I think it let all of us feel like it was a truly meaningful thing (and it is!), and we were fully prepared to handle the process without having to compile all of that information ourselves. It was all just there for us, along with some extra fun goodies like a tote bag, a sash, a beautiful pin, official pens, and other fun goodies. Plus, Chad's totally ready to perform more wedding ceremonies if he's asked.

For the friends and family members who have been graciously asked to perform a loved one’s ceremony, or for those setting out on their own path of ordination: fear not! We provide step-by-step guidance, all of the essentials to get you started, and are always happy to answer the many questions that folks have about online ordination.

(Tip: If you still find online ordination daunting, our FAQ is an excellent place to begin!)

And to the professional officiants who choose us for their ordination — we make it super easy for you to maintain your portfolio! We’ll point you in the right direction if you require updated credentials or particular documents for registration. In our storefront you’ll find educational literature to grow your officiant knowledge, and even some gifts to give couples as a special touch. As a bonus, we will also be your biggest cheerleader. We love to follow your career, share your successes with our community, and help you continue to refine your business and officiant services.

…but your list of resources doesn’t stop there!

Our online publication American Weddings is frequently updated with Q&A’s, advice, tips, and insight from wedding experts all over the country. Be sure to follow and read American Weddings to keep you on top of all the trends and tricky questions when it comes to ceremony planning!

So, whether you are engaged and want to your BFF to marry you, someone who’s been asked to officiate, or a professional officiant: American Marriage Ministries has got you covered with all of the support and essentials for planning and achieving a truly meaningful and memorable wedding ceremony.