Becoming a wedding officiant just might be your next side hustle this summer.
Wedding party roles are now expanding and friends who once only served as bridal party members or guests are now stepping up to lead the ceremony in leui of more traditional wedding officiants.
According to The Knot’s latest Real Weddings Study, 40-percent of couples asked a friend or a relative to officiate their weddings in 2015.
Not everyone uses a cleric for their wedding and many non-traditional couples hire a professional non-religious officiant to perform their wedding ceremony. The rise in using non-cleric officials may reflect the change in religious affiliations.
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According to a 2014 Pew Research Center study, 35-percent of millennials are “religious nones,” and describe themselves as agnostic, atheist or not affiliated with an organized religion. Other reasons for a non-traditional officiant could be the unfamiliarity with a member of the clergy or a limited budget prevents you from obtaining a “celebrant.” Therefore, a friend or relative is a great way to fill that wedding party slot. Besides, no one can put the personal touch on your love story like a friend will.
Depending on wedding license rules and officiant requirements for states and counties, a friend can become an officiant within hours of the wedding ceremony.
So if you end up in a wedding jam or want to add a unique touch to your wedding ceremony, consider asking a friend to step in – everyboday’s doing it.
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