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CountryRoads
Expert October 2018

Wedding Officiant in the state of Virginia

CountryRoads, on May 2, 2018 at 8:52 PM Posted in Wedding Ceremony 0 6

I am getting married in the state of Virginia. I am a little confused about finding an officiant. Does anyone know if a wedding officiant can perform ceremonies anywhere in Virginia, or do they have to be through the county where the venue is located? We are not using specific clergy through the church and we are not trying to have a friend/family member officiate. My question specifically regards civil celebrants/wedding officiants, how to verify they are legally able to officiate the marriage, and what I need to know in the process of hiring someone, particularly for Fauquier County. We want a professional, who is good, and obviously able to "make it legal". This may be a silly thing to ask about, but this process is new and unexpectedly confusing to me. Thank you in advance for any advice, information, or previous experiences.

6 Comments

Latest activity by CountryRoads, on May 4, 2018 at 9:42 PM
  • Sarah
    Master June 2016
    Sarah ·
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    You need to call your county clerk’s office and ask. That’s the only way to make sure you have the right answer since this varies greatly by state and sometimes by county/town.
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  • K
    Dedicated June 2018
    Kelli ·
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    You need a marriage license from the specific county you will marry in but the officiant can be from anywhere. Online ordained, a judge, priest, pastor or justice of the peace.
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  • P
    Expert June 2018
    Pina ·
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    My FH’s cousin got married last year and her brother was the officiant. From what I understand, he had to pay for a certificate online then present it to the clerk’s office. The marriage license does have to be from the county you are marrying in. It seemed like a pretty simple process. I would call Faquier County and ask.
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  • Lisa
    Super May 2018
    Lisa ·
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    I am in VA. Your officiant can be from anywhere but your marriage license has to be from the county/city your getting married in. They will ask for your officiant information when you go to get the license.
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  • Mrs.McFly
    Dedicated June 2018
    Mrs.McFly ·
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    I just went and got my license a few days ago and they give you a list of officiants that can perform it. All you need to do is email anyone on the list to see if they are available for your day.
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  • CountryRoads
    Expert October 2018
    CountryRoads ·
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    Thank you so much everyone for the feedback. This helps me out a lot. I was completely blindsided by this aspect of the planning, which should have been the first box I checked off. Best Wishes to All

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