Performing Wedding Ceremonies

I'm a preacher, so I've done quite a few weddings. My understanding, however, is that you don't have to be a preacher or anything like that to perform a wedding ceremony in Texas. I'll try to remember to talk with some people tomorrow who know a little more about this than I do.

 

I had a friend who got ordained online just for the heck of it. They do look pretty shady.

 

This is apparently the rule in the state of Texas:

§ 2.202. PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO CONDUCT
CEREMONY. (a) The following persons are authorized to conduct a
marriage ceremony:
(1) a licensed or ordained Christian minister or
priest;
(2) a Jewish rabbi;
(3) a person who is an officer of a religious
organization and who is authorized by the organization to conduct a
marriage ceremony; and
(4) a justice of the supreme court, judge of the court
of criminal appeals, justice of the courts of appeals, judge of the
district, county, and probate courts, judge of the county courts at
law, judge of the courts of domestic relations, judge of the
juvenile courts, retired justice or judge of those courts, justice
of the peace, retired justice of the peace, or judge or magistrate
of a federal court of this state.
(b) For the purposes of this section, a retired judge or
justice is a former judge or justice who is vested in the Judicial
Retirement System of Texas Plan One or the Judicial Retirement
System of Texas Plan Two or who has an aggregate of at least 12 years
of service as judge or justice of any type listed in Subsection
(a)(4).

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/FA/content/htm/fa.001.00.000002.00.htm#2.202.00

However, the following clause appears to make it possible to avoid the previous clause:

§ 2.302. CEREMONY CONDUCTED BY UNAUTHORIZED
PERSON. The validity of a marriage is not affected by the lack of
authority of the person conducting the marriage ceremony if:
(1) there was a reasonable appearance of authority by
that person; and
(2) at least one party to the marriage participated in
the ceremony in good faith and that party treats the marriage as
valid.

 

I'm not ordained by an organization and have performed weddings in Texas and California. Not familiar with the current legal issues involved. It's been about 8-9 years. Same situation as you: I was asked by friends.