Marriage officiant

A Lutheran priest in Germany marries a young couple in a church.

A marriage officiant or marriage celebrant is a person who officiates at a wedding ceremony.

Religious weddings, such as Christian ones, are officiated by a pastor, such as a priest or vicar.[1] Similarly, Jewish weddings are presided over by a rabbi, and in Islamic weddings, an imam is the marriage officiant. In Hindu weddings, a pandit is the marriage officiant.

Some non-religious couples get married by a minister of religion,[2] while others get married by a government official, such as a civil celebrant, judge, mayor, or justice of the peace. A wedding without an officiant is called a self-uniting marriage.

  1. ^ Dyck, Cornelius J.; Martin, Dennis D. (1990). The Mennonite Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Reference Work on the Anabaptist-Mennonite Movement. Mennonite Brethren Publishing House. p. 541. ISBN 9780836131055.
  2. ^ Reju, Deepak (11 April 2012). "Would I Officiate a Wedding for Two Unbelievers? Yes". TGC. Retrieved 11 May 2018. Even though they may have little connection to a church, many couples today still want a traditional wedding ceremony with a pastor officiating.