Becoming a Wedding Officiant in Montana is Ridiculously Easy

My oldest daughter is getting hitched this spring, and she and her fiance are busy checking off everything on their list of things to do before the rapidly approaching big day. He's a great guy, and my wife and I are assisting however we can to make their day special.

For various reasons, they're doing things a little bit differently than the traditional big church wedding followed immediately by a reception. They are going to elope this spring and then have a reception later this fall. Budgets are a big consideration, of course, as Mom and Dad are far from wealthy.

Originally, they were talking about simply going to the courthouse and having a judge officiate, but plans have changed, and they needed someone to do the duties. Here's where we come to the part where I recently became an ordained minister. 

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What does the law say?

Montana law makes it extremely easy for anyone to perform a marriage ceremony. Montana Code 40-1-301 lays out the details (bold emphasis added by me).

 A marriage may be solemnized by a judge of a court of record, by a public official whose powers include solemnization of marriages, by a mayor, city judge, or justice of the peace, by a notary public authorized pursuant to 1-5-630, by a tribal judge, or in accordance with any mode of solemnization recognized by any religious denomination, Indian nation or tribe, or native group.

Great! But how do I get recognized by any religious denomination without going to seminary school? It's surprisingly easy.

Getting ordained in Montana.

Thanks to several online churches (and I use that word loosely), anyone can make a few clicks and become an ordained minister. There are a few church options available, but I chose the one at the top of my search results, the Universal Life Church.

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The only requirement for Montana is that you must live in the state and be at least 18 years old. The process is technically free, but I opted to spend the $45 + shipping to get my official minister card and other materials. I mean, I gotta' look the part, right? My minister credentials should be arriving in a week or so.

That's it. Some counties may require registering with the courthouse, although this seems to be rare. I reached out to Yellowstone County to ask, and they told me no other paperwork was necessary. Hit me up if you want me to officiate your wedding. I'll probably need the practice.