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Friends, family could perform weddings without getting ordained under Michigan bill
Michigan couples planning their weddings could have a family member or friend officiate a ceremony without needing any kind of religious authorization under legislation that recently passed the Michigan Senate.
The proposal would also expand the list of elected officials who can perform marriages in the state. The bills in the package passed the Michigan Senate June 10, with support of every Democratic lawmaker in the chamber and three Republicans: state Sens. Jon Bumstead of North Muskegon and Michael Webber of Rochester Hills, along with Senate Minority Leader and GOP gubernatorial candidate Aric Nesbitt of Porter Township.
Under current state law, marriages in Michigan can be solemnized by judges, mayors, county clerks and religious practitioners. Because Wayne County is so large, the law allows employees of the clerk's office to also perform marriages.
Township supervisors, state lawmakers and civil celebrants would be added to the list statewide under the bill approved by the Michigan Senate. The legislation defines a civil celebrant as someone who is at least 18 years old and "works in accordance with the wishes of the client couple."
Sixty-one percent of Michigan adults identify as Christians, 6% identify with other religions and 31% of Michigan adults are religiously unaffiliated, according to the Pew Research Center's 2023-24 U.S. Religious Landscape Study Interactive Database.
By enabling judges and some local officials to solemnize marriages, current state law allows for non-religious marriage ceremonies in Michigan.
"But a lot of people don't want somebody they don't know conducting the most important ceremony in their life," said bill sponsor state Sen. Veronica Klinefelt, D-Eastpointe, in a June 3 hearing on her legislation. As a workaround, an officiant chosen by a couple will go online and pay a fee to obtain a certificate as an ordained minister. This new legislation would allow a couple's chosen officiant to skip that step.
State Sen. Kevin Daley, R-Lum, who opposed the legislation, characterized it as a blow to marriage. "Allowing just anybody to officiate a wedding will further weaken what should be a very serious undertaking," he said. "I'd be glad to support legislation to require real training to become a wedding officiant, thus adding an extra layer of dignity and importance to the proceedings."
A separate bill voted on by the Michigan Senate would increase the fine for violating the state's marriage license law from $100 to $500.
Michigan's marriage rate has steadily declined since 1970, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. It reached a low in 2020 of 8.4 individuals married per 1,000 residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, but marriage rates have not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels.
In order for the legislation to land on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk, the GOP-controlled Michigan House would have to approve the bills passed by the state Senate.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@ or 313-296-5743.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan bill to expand who can perform weddings passes Senate
