wedding advice

When we were looking into the details of our marriage in Montana we tried to find out who, exactly, could perform the ceremony.

Several people told us anyone could marry you in Montana. This was welcome news, since there wasn't anyone we knew in the area who fit in the traditional clergy/justice of the peace boxes and we didn't really want to hire someone just to do the ceremony.
We did have someone in mind - late in the evening after my brother's wedding, my uncle volunteered to officiate our wedding. I'm not sure he remembered his promise when we called him up several months ago to take him up on the offer, but he graciously accepted and did a wonderful job (complete with showing up to the day-before-the-wedding dinner dressed as a monk or jedi, depending on who you asked).

In the months leading up to the wedding, we realized Montana law did indeed limit who, exactly, could perform a wedding. I don't think my uncle falls into any of the categories, although I'm also fairly sure Montana wouldn't bother to check.

But rather than set us up for a possible headache, we found another provision in the law. Montana allows for a Declaration of Marriage without the need for a license or ceremony. Simply type up a statement which covers the specific details listed in the law, show up to a courthouse with two witnesses, pay the $53, and it's done. (Don't forget to get the blood test first).

I don't think many people take advantage of this option. Chouteau County officials said ours was the first Declaration of this kind they'd ever filed. They were happy enough to do it; they said it required less paperwork for them.



EDIT: I have been corrected. My uncle, is, indeed clergy. So we probably could have been fine under Montana's clause "in accordance with any mode of solemnization recognized by any religious denomination".

He says: The US Government is loath to judge the merits of various churches, so getting ordained through an ad in the back of a magazine is as legit as going to seminary in their eyes.

We were aware he'd gotten a back-of-a-magazine certificate. However, once we found the easy way out, we decided it wasn't worth it to check into how Montana determined if he was, indeed, acting in a manner recognized by "any religious denomination."