Minister Training

Contents

INTRODUCTION 7

TEN STEPS FOR OFFICIATING A WEDDING 8

1. Get Ordained 8

2. Call the County Clerk 8

3. Create a Timeline 8

4. Organize! 9

5. Discuss the Couple’s Vision for the Ceremony 9

CEREMONY PREPARATION INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 10

6. Write the Ceremony 11

7. Finalize the Ceremony with the Couple 11

8. Practice the Ceremony 11

9. Perform the Ceremony 11

10. Sign the Marriage Certificate 12

NSUC Comprehensive Wedding Ceremony Script 13

WELCOMING 13

PROCESSION 13

OPENING WORDS 13

QUERY 15

BLESSINGS 15

READINGS 16

Poem: “How do I Love Thee” (Elizabeth Barrett Browning) 16

Reading from: “The Prophet” (Khalil Gibran) 17

1 Corinthians: 13; verses 4-13 18

INTRODUCTION TO THE VOWS 18

VOWS 19

INTRODUCTION TO THE RING VOWS 20

RING VOWS 22

RING CEREMONY AFFIRMATION 22

UNITY CEREMONY 23

Candle 23

Sand 24

Rose 25

Water 25

SIGNING OF THE MARRIAGE REGISTER AND LICENSE 26

MEDITATION OR PRAYER 26

PRONOUNCEMENT 28

CLOSING WORDS 28

SPEAKING TO THE CHILDREN 30

PRESENTATION 30

Supplemental Readings 31

Wedding Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson 31

Wedding Blessing by his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama 31

“Blessing of the Hands” by Unknown 32

“What is Love” by Unknown 32

Apache Wedding Blessing 32

Alabama Code – Title 30 Marital and Domestic Relations – Chapter 1: Marriage § Section 30-1-7 33

Alaska Code – Title 25: Marital and Domestic Relations – Chapter 5: Alaska Marriage Code – Article 5: Solemnization § Sec. 25.05.261 33

Arizona Revised Statutes – Title 25: Marital and Domestic Regulations – Chapter 1: Marriage – Article 3: Marriage License, Ceremony and Record § 25-124 34

Arkansas Code – Title 9: Family Law – Subtitle 2: Domestic Relations – Chapter 11: Marriage – Subchapter 2: License and Ceremony § 9-11-213 34

California Law – Family Code – Division 3 – Marriage – Part 3 – Section 400 34

Colorado Revised Statutes – Title 14: Domestic Matters – Article 2: Marriage and Rights of Married Women – Part 1: Uniform Marriage Act § 14-2-109 35

Connecticut General Statutes – Volume 12 – Title 46b: Family Law – Chapter 815e: Marriage § Sec. 46b-22 36

Delaware Code – Title 13: Domestic Relations – Chapter 1: Marriage – Subchapter I: General Provisions § § 106 36

Florida Statutes – Title XLIII: Domestic Relations – Chapter 741: Marriage; Domestic Violence § 741.07 37

Georgia Code Annotated – Title 19: Domestic Relations – Chapter 3: Marriage Generally – Article 2: License and Ceremony § § 19-3-42 37

Hawaii Revised Statutes – Division 1: Government – Title 31: Family – Chapter 572: Marriage – Part 1: Requisites, Procedures; § § 572-12 37

Idaho Statutes – Title 32: Domestic Relations – Chapter 3: Solemnization of Marriage § 32-303 38

Illinois Compiled Statutes – Rights and Remedies – Chapter 750. Families – 5. Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act – Part II. Marriage § Sec. 209 38

Indiana Code – Title 31: Family Law and Juvenile Law – Article 11: Marriage – Chapter 6: Authority to Solemnize Marriages § IC 31-11-6-1 38

Iowa Code – Title XV. Judicial Branch and Judicial Procedures – Subtitle 1. Domestic Relations – Chapter 595. Marriage § 595.1 39

Kansas Statutes – Chapter 23: Domestic Relations – Article 1: Marriage § 23-104a 39

Kentucky Revised Statutes – Title XXXV: Domestic Relations – Chapter 402: Marriage – Solemnization § 402.050 39

Louisiana Revised Statutes – Title 9: Civil Code-Ancillaries – Code Title IV: Husband and Wife – Chapter 1: Marriage General Principles – Part I. Officiants § §202 40

Maine Revised Statutes – Title 19-A: Domestic Relations – Part 2: Married Persons – Chapter 23: Marriage – Subchapter 1: General Provisions § § 655 40

Maryland Code – Family Law – Title 2. Marriage – Subtitle 4: Licensing and Performance § § 2-406 40

Massachusetts General Laws – Part II: Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations – Title III: Domestic Relations – Chapter 207: Marriage § Section 38 41

Michigan Compiled Laws – Chapter 551: Marriage § 551.7 41

Minnesota Statutes – Chapter 517: Marriage § 517.04 42

Mississippi Code – Title 93: Domestic Relations – Chapter 1: Marriage § § 93-1-17 42

Missouri Revised Statutes – Title XXX: Domestic Relations – Chapter 451: Marriage, Marriage Contracts, and Rights of Married Women § 451.100 43

Montana Code Annotated – Title 40: Family Law – Chapter 1: Marriage – Part 3: Solemnization § 40-1 301 43

Nebraska Revised Statutes – Chapter 42: Husband and Wife § 42-108 43

Nevada Revised Statutes – Title 11: Domestic Relations – Chapter 122: Marriage – Certificates of Permission to Perform Marriages § NRS 122.062 44

New Hampshire Statutes – Title 63: Domestic Relations – Chapter 457: Marriages § Section 457:31 44

New Jersey Permanent Statutes – Title 37: Marriages and Married Persons § 37:1-13 45

New Mexico Statutes Annotated – Chapter 40: Domestic Affairs – Article 1: Marriage in General § 40-1-2 45

North Carolina General Statutes – Chapter 51: Marriage – Article 1: General Provisions § 51-1 46

North Dakota Century Code – Title 14: Domestic Relations and Person – Chapter 3: Marriage Contract § 14-03-09 47

Ohio Revised Code – Title XXXI: Domestic Relations – Children – Chapter 3031: Marriage § 3101.08 47

Oklahoma Statutes – Title 43: Husband and Wife § §43-7 47

Oregon Revised Statutes – Title 11: Domestic Relations – Chapter 106: Marriage; Domestic Partnership § 106.130 48

Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes – Title 23: Domestic Relations – Part 2: Marriage – Chapter 15: Marriage Ceremony § § 1503 48

State of Rhode Island General Laws – Title 15: Domestic Relations – Chapter 15-3: Solemnization of Marriage § 15-3-5 49

South Carolina Code of Laws – Title 20: Domestic Relations – Chapter 1: Marriage – Article 1: General Provisions § 20-1-20 49

South Dakota Codified Laws – Title 25: Domestic Regulations – Chapter 1: Validity and Performance of Marriages § 25-1-30 50

Tennessee Code – Title 36: Domestic Relations – Chapter 3: Marriage – Part 3: Ceremony § 36-3-301 50

Texas Statutes – Family Code – Title 1. The Marriage Relationship – Subtitle A. Marriage – Chapter 2. Subchapter C. Ceremony and Return of License § Sec. 2.202 51

Utah Code – Title 30: Husband and Wife – Chapter 1: Marriage § 30-1-6 51

Vermont Statutes – Title 18: Health – Part 6: Births, Marriages and Deaths – Chapter 105: Marriage Records and Licenses § § 5144 52

Code of Virginia – Title 20: Domestic Relations – Chapter 2: Marriage Generally § 20-37.1 52

Revised Code of Washington – Title 26: Domestic Relations – Chapter 4: Marriage § RCW 26.04.050 53

Washington DC Code – Title 46: Domestic Relations – Subtitle 1: General – Chapter 4: Marriage § 46-406 53

West Virginia Code – Chapter 48: Domestic Relations – Article 2: Marriages – Part 4: Marriage Ceremony § 48-2-401 54

Wisconsin Statutes – The Family – Chapter 765: Marriage § 765.16 55

Wyoming Code – Title 20: Domestic Relations – Chapter 1: Husband and Wife – Article 1: Creation of Marriage § § 20-1-106 55