Can an Ordained Minister in Texas perform a legal ceremony in Oklahoma?

Question

I'm getting married in October, and a good friend of the family's is an Ordained Minister and she's agreed to do our wedding. Does anyone know if it would still be legal in the state of Oklahoma? Website references would be very helpful. Thanks in advance :)

Answer 1

Not legally, they need to be ordained by the state.  There are websites where the person can be ordained in the state you are looking for at a small fee.

Answer 2

I searched for Oklahoma Statutes, then marriage solemnization once in the statutes.  Double check with your clerk of court.  I believe it is OK that clarified that you must be a minister with a congregation to perform marriages.

"43-7.

§43-7.

  

   A. All marriages must be contracted by a formal ceremony performed or

   solemnized in the presence of at least two adult, competent persons as

   witnesses, by a judge or retired judge of any court in this state, or

   an ordained or authorized preacher or minister of the Gospel, priest

   or other ecclesiastical dignitary of any denomination who has been

   duly ordained or authorized by the church to which he or she belongs

   to preach the Gospel, or a rabbi and who is at least eighteen (18)

   years of age.

  

   B. 1. The judge shall place his or her order of appointment on file

   with the office of the court clerk of the county in which he or she

   resides.

  

   2. The preacher, minister, priest, rabbi, or ecclesiastical dignitary

   who is a resident of this state shall have filed, in the office of the

   court clerk of the county in which he or she resides, a copy of the

   credentials or authority from his or her church or synagogue

   authorizing him or her to solemnize marriages.

  

   3. The preacher, minister, priest, rabbi, or ecclesiastical dignitary

   who is not a resident of this state, but has complied with the laws of

   the state of which he or she is a resident, shall have filed once, in

   the office of the court clerk of the county in which he or she intends

   to perform or solemnize a marriage, a copy of the credentials or

   authority from his or her church or synagogue authorizing him or her

   to solemnize marriages.

  

   4. The filing by resident or nonresident preachers, ministers,

   priests, rabbis, ecclesiastical dignitaries or judges shall be

   effective in and for all counties of this state; provided, no fee

   shall be charged for such recording.

  

   C. No person herein authorized to perform or solemnize a marriage

   ceremony shall do so unless the license issued therefor be first

   delivered into his or her possession nor unless he or she has good

   reason to believe the persons presenting themselves before him or her

   for marriage are the identical persons named in the license, and for

   whose marriage the same was issued, and that there is no legal

   objection or impediment to such marriage.

  

   D. Marriages between persons belonging to the society called Friends,

   or Quakers, the spiritual assembly of the Baha'is, or the Church of

   Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which have no ordained minister,

   may be solemnized by the persons and in the manner prescribed by and

   practiced in any such society, church, or assembly."

Answer 3

Your minister friend probably knows the answer to this.  If I recall, she may need to apply for some sort of temporary permit to do the ceremony.

Or you could do what my brother and sister-in-law did.  We have an uncle who is a chaplain in the Canadian armed forces.  An ordained Baptist minister, but not authorized to perform services in the US.  They had a small civil ceremony (married by the mayor of Weehawken, NJ) for the legal aspect and then had the big wedding with friends and families using the guy who wasn't authorized in the states.