Virginia One-time Civil Celebrant Rule

To all my Virginia brides and grooms – want a friend or non-clergy member to officiate your wedding? Check out Virginia’s one-time civil celebrant rule!

This is a clip from Fairfax County’s website:

For a one-time civil marriage celebrant (non clergy), the person wishing to perform the ceremony must be a resident of Fairfax County and never have committed a felony. This documentation is submitted either by mail or in person to the Civil Intake Section of the Circuit Court. An order is prepared by the Court and presented to the judge… One-time civil celebrants may perform the ceremony only on the date submitted on the petition but can perform the ceremony any place within the Commonwealth.

Here’s more information for Fairfax County, but I’m sure you can find relevant information for your own city or county online: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/courts/circuit/marriage_info.htm