# Minister Ordained AFTER the Ceremony

**URL:** <https://forum.rosen.com/t/minister-ordained-after-the-ceremony/10619>\
**Category:** Divorce and Separation Answers\
**Created:** [July 30, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://forum.rosen.com/t/minister-ordained-after-the-ceremony/10619 "2010-07-30T18:49:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ChrisNolen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aca169/32.png) [@ChrisNolen](https://forum.rosen.com/u/ChrisNolen)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://forum.rosen.com/t/minister-ordained-after-the-ceremony/10619/1 "2010-07-30T18:49:26Z")

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The person who married my wife and I (we are now separated) was not an Ordained minister when he performed the ceremony.

We knew this and we did not care as he was our only choice for the wedding and he didn’t have time to get ordained before the wedding, so, he did the ceremony, signed everything and we went on our honey moon, 3 days later, he was registered online by the Universal Life Church Monastery as an Ordained Minister.

My question is this:

If he was ordained AFTER the ceremony, are we legally married?

Secondly, can he get into an sort of trouble for performing a wedding ceremony while not being ordained.

thank you

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**Author:** ![Erin\_Clarey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de0a6/32.png) [@Erin\_Clarey](https://forum.rosen.com/u/Erin_Clarey)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://forum.rosen.com/t/minister-ordained-after-the-ceremony/10619/2 "2010-08-02T14:52:06Z")

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The marriage is not valid if it did not take place in the presence of an ordained minister or magistrate.

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**Author:** ![ChrisNolen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aca169/32.png) [@ChrisNolen](https://forum.rosen.com/u/ChrisNolen)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 1:02pm UTC](https://forum.rosen.com/t/minister-ordained-after-the-ceremony/10619/3 "2010-08-03T13:02:06Z")

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Then how would be go about getting the marriage annulled?

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**Author:** ![Erin\_Clarey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de0a6/32.png) [@Erin\_Clarey](https://forum.rosen.com/u/Erin_Clarey)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://forum.rosen.com/t/minister-ordained-after-the-ceremony/10619/4 "2010-08-03T13:46:39Z")

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The marriage was never valid and therefore you need not have it annulled.

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**Author:** ![ChrisNolen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aca169/32.png) [@ChrisNolen](https://forum.rosen.com/u/ChrisNolen)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://forum.rosen.com/t/minister-ordained-after-the-ceremony/10619/5 "2010-08-06T16:10:29Z")

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So who would I contact in regards to setting this straight. I have a marriage certificate so obviously they assumed the minister was ordained.

Secondly, the person who officiated the marriage is a close friend of mine and I have no intentions of getting him in trouble if that’s the case.

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**Author:** ![Erin\_Clarey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de0a6/32.png) [@Erin\_Clarey](https://forum.rosen.com/u/Erin_Clarey)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://forum.rosen.com/t/minister-ordained-after-the-ceremony/10619/6 "2010-08-06T16:51:53Z")

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I would suggest you speak to someone in vital records.
