Well that depends on the captain. They can't perform marriages at sea (or on dry land) by virtue of their maritime license alone, and no state has enacted a statute explicitly authorizing ships' captains to officiate marriages.
Can a sea captain officiate at a wedding?
In fact, in eleven states and many foreign ports, a sea captain can now marry another seafarer of the same sex. But what they’re not allowed to do is marry other people—that is, officiate at wedding ceremonies, pronounce that couples arrrr! now man and wife.
Who can officiate a wedding ceremony?
In order to officiate a wedding ceremony, you need to meet the requirements put for by the state in which the marriage is being performed. In all US states, a Judge, Justice of the Peace, Ordained Minister or other religious leaders can serve as a wedding officiant. Always check your local laws to be sure.
What are the duties of a captain during a wedding?
There aren't any hard-and-fast traditions or duties of the captain during a wedding -- especially in light of the fact that they don't usually conduct the wedding at all.
Can a captain officiate a marriage in Pennsylvania?
However, if a captain also falls into one of the categories of "persons qualified to solemnize marriages" prescribed in laws of the state they're in, then they're good to go. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, my home sweet home, these qualified persons are:
Can a ship captain perform a wedding?
But if that romantic image includes the ship's handsome captain as the wedding officiant, you might want to mentally scrub him from the picture: In most cases, ship captains are not legally allowed to perform weddings -- unless they also happen to be pastors.
Do cruise ships have weddings?
Weddings at sea range from elaborate affairs to simple ceremonies. One thing they usually all have in common, however, is limited size: In most cases, the close quarters of ships simply don't allow for a lot of guests. There aren't any hard-and-fast traditions or duties of the captain during a wedding -- especially in light of the fact that they don't usually conduct the wedding at all. The ship's captain may not even attend your wedding. Still, some cruise lines offer a souvenir wedding certificate signed by the captain. Although it won't hold up in a court of law, it might look nice in a frame on the wall or in a scrapbook.
Can a cruise ship captain do a wedding?
In America, a few cruise ship captains of Alaskan routes can obtain licenses to perform marriages, but the licenses are only temporary, and they can only be used in certain waters off the Alaska coast. After the wedding, the captain must mail the certificate to the local courthouse to be legally registered on site before the wedding is valid. The same thing holds true for some American cruise ships that travel to Bermuda. The captains of these routes can perform marriages with licenses issued in Bermuda, but only when the ship is in international waters . Many cruise lines offer wedding packages that include licensed officiants. In these cases, the cruise ship must be docked in a U.S. or Caribbean port, and the officiant oversees the ceremony in a dedicated space on the ship or on shore.
Who can officiate a wedding?
Any Judge – elected or appointed – can officiate a wedding ceremony. This includes small claims courts, magistrates and a Justice of the Peace . If you want to get married during regular business hours you will generally have to make an appointment. Some courts have certain hours during the week set aside to perform basic civil ceremonies, others might work you in between other scheduled court cases. Judges can officiate wedding ceremonies outside of regular business hours. For some judges, the only time they may have available is outside of regular business hours. They will generally charge you for their time and effort so it can be pricey. Some people prefer to have a completely non religious wedding ceremony and a judge, at any price, is the best option.
What is a wedding officiant?
A wedding officiant is someone who is legally qualified to sign the marriage license with you. A wedding officiant can perform a very simple ceremony in order to legally marry you. It only has to involve one question that you both have to answer. “Do you take this person to be your spouse?”.
Can a lawyer officiate a wedding?
It would seem logical that a lawyer could perform the legal task of officiating a wedding, however, that is not always the case. In many states, a lawyer can get permission from a judge to officiate a wedding ceremony if they aren’t allowed without limitations under the general law. Some couples are entering into a marriage contract very purposefully. Marriage can change many things in your life from a legal standpoint and depending on your personal situation, signing a marriage contract may or may not be the best thing to do at any given time. If the lawyer helping you with your situation is not able to officiate your wedding ceremony they may have someone else within their practice that can. It may be more expensive than other wedding officiant options but it may be worth the money to you to make sure everything you need to get done is done right and with the discretion you might need.
Can an ordained minister marry a married couple?
While ordained ministers are allowed to marry couples in every state there may be further qualifications you need to meet in order to marry a couple in a state in which you do not reside. Check with the local authorities that issue the marriage license you will be signing.
Can a secular person officiate a wedding in Indiana?
The state of Indiana allows certified Secular Celebrants to officiate a wedding ceremony. Many people get ordained online in order to meet the legal requirements to be able to officiate a wedding ceremony yet they perform completely non-religious wedding ceremonies. It’s very common for atheists.
