Sister as moh and officiant

Not all counties allow online ordinations, so you need to check with the county you’re getting married in.

Yes, there could be all kinds of hiccups that need to be addressed.

Every state, every county can vary when it comes to their laws. NONE of us are qualified to give advice regarding the legalities of your area. Being ordained online is one piece of the process, they then (usually) have to register in that county where the wedding is taking place, which will require a fee. Again, you can't just become ordained and that's it, you MUST know the laws/requirements of your state and county.

What happens if in the excitement, a name is signed in the wrong spot, or the marriage certificate isn't signed off correctly, or in the correct amount of time? Are you prepared to be angry at your friend/family for essentially not marrying you? Things can go wrong, which is why it's stressed to hire Pros, thus limiting potential issues.

this site has information:

https://www.usmarriagelaws.com/marriage-license/wedding-officiants-requirements.shtml

That's a big ask of your sister. There are a lot of legalities that you need to research depending on where you are, and that could place a lot of stress on her. A professional can handle all of this, so why not let your sister just be the MOH and celebrate the day with you?

While this is a sweet sentiment, the officiant is the ONLY thing you need at your wedding to actually be married. And if that gets messed up...well you’re not married. This is when I would hire a professional every single time.

Why would you have your sister as both? Both roles have very different and arguably non-overlapping responsibilities during the ceremony. Why wouldn't you want her walking down the aisle with you and standing beside you as your witness, and if you don't want her as that, why wouldn't you give someone else the honor if sister is your officiant? This seems really silly, and overly complicated even barring potential legal ramifications.

You should go to the county/ county recorders office.

My FH’s grandparents are marrying us despite WW telling me it wasn’t great idea. We know they’ll be able to do it

we have all the legal stuff stuff figured out. I say go for it!

View Quoted Comment Agree completely

Check with the county that your getting married in if they recognize her certification.

there's no problem having your sister being the officiant, FH's brother and his wife got married by his dad. it was a beautiful ceremony and super personal, so i can definitely see why its appealing to you. he had all the legalities and certification necessary to marry them in MO, in our county. however, i see an issue here with that she's the officiant and MOH... the MOH is usually a witness. in my county, we need two witnesses that are the BM and MOH 99% of the time. i dont think there's anywhere that would allow her to sign off as officiant and witness. you would need to find someone else to sign the witness portion of your marriage certificate. do you have more bridesmaids? another MOH?

how are you guys handling the legalities? turning it in? are you filing it or is she? its a great way to end up annulled, if you dont file things properly. there are plenty of issues i think you need to address here. honestly i would keep her as MOH and have her do a reading instead, and hire a professional officiant.

A legal officiant would be aware of what hiccups there could be. I wouldn't risk the validity or legality of your marriage because you went with an amateur. I've been to weddings where I didn't know the officiant was a stranger to the couple because they did such a fantastic job. If you find the right officiant, you won't need to worry about sentimentality or legality.

Thanks everyone. My sister and I talked to the county and they said everything is perfectly legal. She is ordained and we technically only need one witness in the county we are getting married in, but I have 5 other bridesmaids. I want my sister to be both because we have always been very close, and my fiancé and I both cherish her and her wisdom and charisma and want her to share this day with us in a way no one else can. Besides marrying my fiancé, that’s what I want most out of our big day. ❤️

Don’t listen to what people say. If you want to have your sister as both, you do what makes you happy. It’s no one else’s concern outside of yours, your fiancé, your sister, and the location where you’re getting married. My brothers best friend became ordained and married them and six other couples (that I know of. I haven’t seen him in awhile.) They didn’t have issues and I haven’t heard of anyone else having any. They went up to the courthouse and checked to make sure that all the requirements were met before they went through with it. The process was simple and took less than an hour. I strongly recommend talking with the area that the marriage will be registered to. People online don’t always offer correct information and when they do, it’s not always correct for your location. ALWAYS check the facts for yourself. Good luck on your big day! I’m sure she will do a great job!

View Quoted Comment Thank you. I was a upset after everyone else’s comments, but you are right—it’s our business. Thank you!

View Quoted Comment People on here seem to forget that not every family is cut from the same cloth as theirs. Some people do something and it’s bad, others fully enjoy it. It’s all opinions. No one knows your situation better than you!