I'm attending a wedding today for my cousin. I love weddings. They're always so much fun and everyone at them is typically in a cheerful mood. Weddings are a ceremony of tradition and ritual for most, but with our ever changing culture and society, there are a lot of nontraditional weddings happening out there. I happen to be a fan of nontraditional weddings. For example, I married my little sister. As in, I officiated the intimate outdoor wedding ceremony for her and her husband. I'll be officiating another wedding this summer.
I got ordained online back in June of 2011 when two close friends of mine asked me via email (they were teaching English in China at the time) if I would be interested in officiating their wedding in July 2012. I was deeply honored and excited about this opportunity. I went online and did some research on how I could do this. I found a site run by the American Marriage Ministries where you can get ordained. They ask that you take it seriously, of course, and only charge you to purchase printed credentials, marriage certificates, or a wallet ID. I'm sure many of you think it's a scam but I paid only $30 to get the paperwork I needed. Then, I simply brought my credentials to the county courthouse to have them put on file. Some of you might think this is a terrible sacrilegious act that's destroying the structure of marriage as we know it, but let me explain.
Often times a couple comes from different religious upbringings. Other times, a couple might not have any religious affiliation, yet still feel spiritually connected. These couples may find it difficult to find someone to perform their wedding who isn't a court judge. I see my role as an officiant to offer couples like these the chance to have elements of spirituality and sacredness incorporated in their wedding ceremony, without the boundaries of a religious tradition that doesn't mean anything to either partner. The ceremony can now be tailored to suit the two people whose union is being celebrated in a way they will remember and cherish forever.
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