Posts Tagged ‘ordaining’

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To Preach or Not to Preach

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

Although not a terribly new trend, getting a friend to preside over your wedding ceremony has recently come under some scrutiny.  The reason being that the main concerns stem from how legal it actually is from state to state and whether or not the couple or newly ordained officiant has to jump through extra hoops by filing additional paperwork even before the ceremony can even take place.

And where would one go to get ordained for just such an event, you ask?  Well, the majority of people do it online (big shock), mainly through the Universal Life Church or the ULC.  And we found a laundry list of celebrities who have jumped on the band wagon to become temporary “celebs of the cloth.”  This list includes Sir Paul McCartney, Carson Kressley, Kris Jenner, Courtney Love, Goldie Hawn  and even Conan O’Brien has recently got ordained to perform a ceremony on an upcoming show.

Surprisingly, the ULC does provide a fairly thorough website to address all sorts of issues related to the validity of its certification, appropriate sermons, and continued training options.  There is even a handy gauge to give you an idea how difficult it could be to marry someone from other states and in other states.

As with everything, it’s always best to do your homework on issues like these if this is something you are contemplating.  Here are some pros and cons to consider when making your final decision:

Pros:

  • It’s a way of making the ceremony ultra personal.
  • Your friend will be able to draw on your relationship to share heartfelt thoughts during the ceremony.
  • Since they know you well, they are likely to have a great rapport with the audience.
  • You won’t have to pay them a fee (though a thank-you gift is certainly appropriate).

Cons:

  • Depending on your state, you may be faced with bureaucratic hassles, like filing extra paperwork.
  • If your friend happens to be religious, they may object to getting a ULC certification.
  • Unlike a pro, your friend may have no experience dealing wit wedding day problems like a cranky child or a broken microphone.
  • Since they have never organized a ceremony, you and your groom will need to do so yourselves.

 

Supplemented from the November 2011 issue of Brides Magazine

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