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One possible avenue is to have a close friend get an ordination in the Universal Life Church, and then have them officiate your wedding.
This "ordination" fulfills the letter of the law that an ordained minister officiate your wedding. And is alot more personal than having someone you don't know show up, wave the wand and then depart.
I officiated my brother's wedding and got an ordination from Universal Life Church.
Everything is legal, and you can make the cememony as religious or non religious as you want. This "ordination" makes the marriage legal.
I officiated my brother's wedding and got an ordination from Universal Life Church.
Everything is legal, and you can make the cememony as religious or non religious as you want. This "ordination" makes the marriage legal.
Good luck!
To the original poster, I apologize, but I love playing devil's advocate.
Whether something is legal or not can only be decided by the courts, and the only NC Supreme Court case involving the Universal Life Church ruled that the marriage was NOT legal. As recently as 2006, the NC Court of Appeals ruled that ordination by the "Universal Life Church" did not meet the requirements of the North Carolina marriage statutes. Pickard v. Pickard, 176 NC App 193 (05-426) 02/21/2006
It is extremely unlikely the state would ever question such a marriage and the question would only come up if big money were involved. However, if big money were involved, I believe lawyers would salivate at the thought of a civil suit that questioned the legality of such a marriage.
It is extremely unlikely the state would ever question such a marriage and the question would only come up if big money were involved. However, if big money were involved, I believe lawyers would salivate at the thought of a civil suit that questioned the legality of such a marriage.
Hmmm, perhaps not. But I wonder if "spouses" fighting over property rights or alimony in a divorce might question whether there was a "marriage." Or maybe after a death in which a surviving "spouse" is seeking an inheritance, other heirs might be interested in questioning it. Or maybe a life insurance company seeking to avoid paying out proceeds of a policy claiming the policy was invalid. Where money is involved, you can bet anyone who can use the issue to their advantage will.
To the original poster, I apologize, but I love playing devil's advocate.
Whether something is legal or not can only be decided by the courts, and the only NC Supreme Court case involving the Universal Life Church ruled that the marriage was NOT legal. As recently as 2006, the NC Court of Appeals ruled that ordination by the "Universal Life Church" did not meet the requirements of the North Carolina marriage statutes. *****rd v. *****rd, 176 NC App 193 (05-426) 02/21/2006
It is extremely unlikely the state would ever question such a marriage and the question would only come up if big money were involved. However, if big money were involved, I believe lawyers would salivate at the thought of a civil suit that questioned the legality of such a marriage.
I don't think that ruling says quite what you suggest. The supreme court did not rule on the legality of the marriage ceremony per se, it only ruled that the finding of the lower court, having not been challenged, was conclusive on appeal (a technicality). It did not matter either way, because the marriage annulment was denied for other reasons. The dissent that was filed with the decision explains at length the relevant statutes and prior case law that applies to marriages performed by "ordained ministers" that are "authorized by his church". It's a strange dissent because it goes on at length about an issue that was not brought before the court, but my feeling is that a supreme court judge wanted to go on record saying that such marriages are in fact fully legal and have no basis to be challenged.
I'll put my two cents worth in here! First of all, it is controversial to be married by friends ordained on line. There is a possibility that might be challenged down the road and those marriages ruled invalid by the state. It was challenged once before and all marriages upheld that had been performed but the ruling did not address future marriages by on line ordained ministers. So, it is risky and if you want peace of mind, find a real minister to officiate. Most non-denominational ministers will perform a civil ceremony if desired by the couple. Second, magistrates in Wake County no longer go on site to perform weddings. Magistrates are attorneys legally authorized/appointed to solemnize marriages by the local county. Some magistrates in other counties are willing to go on location. In Wake County the ones that used to do that have all retired and as far as I know none of the others will go outside the courthouse. When you pay a minister to come to your location and officiate your ceremony, you are paying not only for the trip and their time involved but also for the time behind the scenes to develop your ceremony and personalize it, their advertising, their seminary education, their years of experience, just like any other professional. Rev. Kayelily Middleton
I'm getting married in April (not in a church) and we're using Robin Renteria.. She is probably a bit steep in price, but has received great reviews (from several recommendations).
My husband & I used Barbara Lodge and she was WONDERFUL. We both are not religious and she designed a ceremony specifically for us after getting to know the two of us in several meetings to design what we wanted.
I officiated my brother's wedding and got an ordination from Universal Life Church.
Everything is legal, and you can make the cememony as religious or non religious as you want. This "ordination" makes the marriage legal.
Good luck!
What website did you use? And after becoming ordained did you have register with the state or county before being able to legally perform a wedding?
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