QUESTION
Can we have an internet ordained minister officiate our wedding in Pennsylvania?
Asked on Oct 19th, 2012 on Family Law - Pennsylvania
More details to this question:
I am getting married next weekend and we are having an issue with who's going to marry us. My fiance's brother is an ordained minister from Universal Life Church but when we went to get our marriage license today, we got a paper saying that internet ordained ministers without a church or congregation are not legal ministers in Pennsylvania. I talked to a lawyer friend and he said we should be fine because there were only 2 documented cases and both times the judges were in favor of what the couples wanted. I just wanted to double check on this because on the paper I received says that the court will not determined what is and is not a church and or congregation. I just don't want to have issues with this down the road so my question is, can we have my fiance's brother officiate the ceremony or should we find someone else?
1 ANSWER
The only people who will contest the legitimacy of your marriage is the two of you. If you both agree that this is going to be a valid marriage, then you have little concern. Your fiance's brother can marry you. If, at some point in the future, one of you decides to contest the validity of the marriage, the marriage will likely hold up in court, but if you want to make 100% sure, then have a church official or a local magistrate or judge marry you as well.
Answered on Oct 29th, 2012 at 9:37 AM