Officiating A Wedding In California

Family code sections 420 425 are the statutes pertaining to the performance of a marriage in california.
Officiating a wedding in california. As a marriage officiant in california it is your legal responsibility to fill out the marriage license in the presence of the couple and any required witnesses. How to officiate a wedding in california. In maine lawyers and notaries public are legal wedding officiants as long as they are state residents.
Ministers must complete the marriage license and return it to the county clerk within 4 days after the marriage. At a friend s recent wedding in sonoma calif the 102 degree june heat made the officiant s iphone shut down. California permits captains of the salvation army to perform wedding ceremonies.
A photocopy of the marriage license must be presented at time of deputization. There are two ways to be able to officiate a wedding in california. Their wedding won t be for a while all you covid brides grooms get it god bless ya but i decided to get ordained just to make sure i had.
One is to go through an online organization and be ordained a minister which could be a free process or may require a fee. Officiating family wedding in california. Once you become ordained you will be eligible to perform legal marriage ceremonies.
Marriage ceremony must be performed in california. California wedding officiants in california any priest minister or rabbi of any religious denomination of the age of 18 years or over may perform marriages. My husband s cousin and her fiancé asked me to officiate their wedding which is truly the greatest honor i can imagine and i am stoked.
Following the guidelines below will ensure that this process goes smoothly for all involved. The marriage officiant who performs the marriage ceremony must know the california laws regarding the performance of a marriage and the requirements for officiants. What statutes do i need to know to perform a marriage in california.