Wedding Officiant Requirements Illinois

If you're getting married in Illinois, make sure your wedding officiant meets these requirements:

• The wedding officiant must be an ordained minister, also known as a wedding celebrant, to legally solemnize a marriage in Illinois. All ordinations are recognized by the State of Illinois.
  
• No registration or licensing is required with the State of Illinois.
  
• Minimum age of wedding minister is 18 years old.
  
• The wedding minister's residency is irrelevant.

And interestingly, the Illinois marriage law states the following:

"209. Solemnization and Registration

(b) The solemnization of the marriage is not invalidated by the fact that the person solemnizing the marriage was not legally qualified to solemnize it, if either party to the marriage believed him to be so qualified or by the fact that the marriage was inadvertently solemnized in a county in Illinois other than the county where the license was issued."

Wedding Officiant Requirements Indiana and Michigan

If you're getting married in Indiana or Michigan, make sure your wedding officiant meets these requirements:

• The wedding officiant must be an ordained minister, a.k.a. wedding celebrant, to legally solemnize a marriage in Indiana or Michigan. All ordinations are recognized by the State of Indiana and State of Michigan.
  
• No registration or licensing is required with the State of Indiana or the State of Michigan.
  
• Minimum age of wedding minister is 18 years old.
  
• The wedding minister's residency is irrelevant.
  

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Wedding Officiant Requirements Wisconsin

If you're getting married in Wisconsin, make sure your wedding officiant meets these requirements:

• The wedding officiant must be an ordained minister, a.k.a. wedding celebrant, to legally solemnize a marriage in Wisconsin. All ordinations are recognized by the State of Wisconsin.
  
• No registration or licensing is required with the State of Wisconsin, but county registrars may ask for proof of ordination, and in some cases, a "Letter of Good Standing."
  
• Minimum age of wedding minister is 18 years old.
  
• The wedding minister's residency is irrelevant.​​​
  

Above five photos courtesy of Becky Brown Photography, Chicago

Chicago Wedding Officiant Requirements In Illinois, Indiana, Michigan & Wisconsin

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Top 13 Things That Make An Accommodating, Accomplished Officiant Stand Out

An accomplished Chicago wedding officiant, also a Chicago suburbs wedding officiant, should possess all of these attributes:

• First and foremost, the wedding officiant must be CONSISTENTLY dependable, and right up there with consistency, always PUNCTUAL to any meetings, phone calls, rehearsal and, especially, to the wedding ceremony.
  

• ​The wedding officiant responds promptly to your communications via email, text or phone.
  

• When a wedding officiant is willing to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your wedding ceremony starting, it shows they are fully accommodating and dedicated to helping make your wedding ceremony a success from start to finish.
  

• If there is an unforeseen circumstance that causes the wedding officiant to not make your wedding ceremony, they will have a well thought out backup plan in place.
  

• A wedding officiant must be professional and competent, a good listener, able to handle last minute surprises with grace and ease, and catering to your every need, as much as they are able.

• Skills that are necessary for the wedding officiant to perform wedding ceremonies and conducting rehearsals include being completely comfortable speaking before any size audience and having a clear, understandable speaking voice even when there isn't a microphone available.
  

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• A Chicago wedding officiant will, on the day of your wedding ceremony, coordinate with everyone involved in the ceremony in any way, which includes the members of the wedding party and all wedding professionals.
  

• ​When a bride and/or groom experience a bad case of nerves before the wedding ceremony, the wedding officiant will skillfully speak with them helping in calming them down with reassurances that everything will go as planned, and they are there to make sure you have the best wedding ceremony experience possible by being a calming presence.
  

• The rehearsal is guided with clarity and ease by the wedding officiant.
  

• A wedding officiant is pleasant and respectful at all times, open to new ideas, listens to your unique concerns, has a great amount of flexibility throughout the whole process and, especially, at your wedding ceremony.

• The utmost respect of the couple, their beliefs and life choices is given by the wedding officiant and knows that the wedding ceremony is about you, the couple, and not about them, thereby, saying only words that you approve for your finalized wedding ceremony script.
  

• An accomplished wedding officiant that stands out is one who has a genuine desire to be an officiant at a deeper level than just seeing it as income.
  

• Working well with other wedding professionals and never speaking negatively of clients, wedding vendors or guests, and doesn't badmouth or belittle other colleague officiants in their marketing is what makes up a respectable, professional Chicago wedding officiant, as well as a Chicago suburbs wedding officiant.
  

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