Why Your Venue Wants a Licensed and Insured Wedding Officiant, and What to Ask

If your venue contract calls for a licensed and insured wedding officiant, it means the person marrying you has to show two documents before the wedding: a business license and proof of liability insurance. It is a venue rule, and marriage law has nothing to say about it. Many Augusta area venues now ask, and more are expected to. Here is what the paperwork is, why venues care, and what to ask before you book anyone, us included.

What does "licensed and insured" mean for an officiant?

Two separate things. "Licensed" here means a business license, the document a city or county issues to a business that operates there. It has nothing to do with being ordained. "Insured" means a liability insurance policy, which is coverage in case something goes wrong at your wedding and the officiant is responsible for it.

Augusta Officiant holds a business license and $2 million in liability insurance. We are also licensed to officiate in Georgia and South Carolina, which matters if your ceremony is across the river in North Augusta or Aiken.

What paperwork will my venue ask for?

Usually two pieces of paper, and neither one is complicated.

• A copy of the business license. It shows the officiant is an actual business that the local government knows about.

• A certificate of insurance. This is a document from the insurance company showing that a liability policy is in place and how much it covers.

Some venues want these well ahead of the wedding. Others collect them along with the rest of the vendor paperwork. Ask your venue for its vendor requirements in writing, then forward them to your officiant. That way nobody is chasing a document during the week of the wedding.

Is this required by Georgia law?

No. People get confused here, so we will be plain about it. Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 19-3-30) says who may perform a marriage: judges, magistrates, city recorders, and ministers or other persons authorized by their religious society. It does not mention insurance, and it does not mention business licenses.

The requirement comes from the venue. It is their property and their rules, the same way they decide which caterers may use the kitchen. If you are marrying in a backyard, there may be nobody asking at all.

Why do venues care who performs the ceremony?

Because they have seen what happens when it goes wrong.

No shows. An officiant who does not turn up stops a wedding cold. The venue staff are left scrambling, and the couple remembers where it happened.

Things going wrong on site. A wedding puts a lot of people, chairs, and candles in one place. Venues like every vendor on the property to carry their own coverage.

Paperwork filled out wrong. The marriage license is a legal record. A wrong date or a missing signature can mean the marriage is not recorded properly, and that causes real trouble later, when you need certified copies for a name change.

That is the whole reason a venue asks for a licensed and insured wedding officiant in the first place.

Can a friend still officiate at a venue that asks for this?

Sometimes. Ask the venue directly before you assume either way. A friend can get ordained online in minutes. A friend cannot easily get a business license in every county they officiate in, or afford a $2 million liability policy for one afternoon.

None of that is a knock on your friend. Plenty of friends give lovely ceremonies. The requirement is simply hard for a one time officiant to meet.

If having someone close to you involved matters, you can often do both. Your friend gives a reading or tells a story, and a licensed and insured wedding officiant handles the legal part. We wrote more about the choice in our post on asking a friend to officiate your wedding.

What should I ask an officiant before I book?

Ask these early. A professional will answer every one without flinching.

• Do you hold a business license, and can you send my venue a copy?

• Do you carry liability insurance, and can you send a certificate of insurance?

• Can you officiate in the state where my ceremony is? Georgia and South Carolina have different rules.

• What happens if you are sick or stuck on the day?

• Who fills out the marriage license, and what do we do with it afterward?

Our answers, for the record. Yes and yes on the documents. We officiate in both Georgia and South Carolina. We run a backup officiant system, so a ceremony is never left without an officiant. And at the ceremony we complete and sign your marriage license and hand it to you. You take it back to the probate court yourselves, in person or by mail, which gets your recorded license back to you faster. In Georgia it has to be there within 30 days of the ceremony.

Does a licensed and insured wedding officiant cost more?

Not with us. Hiring a licensed and insured wedding officiant costs the same here whether your venue asks for documents or not.

A License Signing, which is a legal signing with no ceremony, is $60 when you come to us or $100 when we meet you anywhere in Augusta or Richmond County. The Elopement Ceremony is $200 for a short ceremony with a set script, standard vows, and a ring exchange, for up to 20 guests. The Custom Ceremony is $400. It is written from scratch for you and includes one planning meeting and our attendance at your rehearsal.

Payment plans are available on every package, and you can split the cost into as many payments as you like. The Custom Ceremony works out to about $33 a month over 12 months. Our fees also support the Augusta Birth Center, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The full details are on our packages and services page.

Licensed and insured wedding officiant FAQ

Does Georgia make wedding officiants carry insurance?

No. Georgia law lists who may perform a marriage and does not mention insurance or business licenses. Proof of insurance is something many venues ask for under their own rules.

What is a certificate of insurance?

It is a document from the insurance company showing that a liability policy is in place and how much it covers. Your venue may ask your officiant to send one before the wedding.

How much insurance does Augusta Officiant carry?

We hold a business license and $2 million in liability insurance. If your venue asks for proof, tell us and we will get the documents to them.

Will my venue accept a friend who was ordained online?

That is up to the venue. Many Augusta area venues now ask every officiant for a business license and proof of liability insurance, so ask yours before you plan around a friend.

Do all Augusta venues ask for this?

No. Many venues ask and more are expected to, but each venue sets its own rules. Check your contract or ask your venue contact.

Check your date with us

We are a veteran owned, family run team of three officiants, Nick, Katie, and Jonathan. We have married more than 1,200 couples across the CSRA, from Evans and Grovetown to Aiken, and we have been the go to officiant team at Windsor Manor in Augusta since 2022.

If your venue is asking for a licensed and insured wedding officiant, send us your date and your venue's vendor requirements and we will tell you if we are free. Payment plans are there if you want them. You can also see what other couples say in our 5 star Google reviews.