Who can legally perform a wedding in California??? Please help!

[tandot]

My fiance and I first thought about getting married in Reno with the family there (it is just a 2 hours drive from where we live) in September. Now, we have planned a vacation in Trinity Alps here in California with all the family present in June (Almay Ranch). Our thought was to surprise everyone and have a wedding ceremony right there...a surprise for everyone.

My future brother-in-law just started working for the Lake County Sheriffs Department. Would there be any way to get him authorized to perform a wedding? What are the requirements??? We would like to work out the details before we reveal our secret.

Is there any way to make it work? This would be a really big deal for us. Please give us your advise. We are both in our early 40s and we both have been married before. I love his family and would love to surprise them. The place we are all planning our vacation is totally cut off from everything. No TV, no computer access, no phone.

We are together since 2001, met in Oklahoma, and finally moved to beautiful Northern California to be closer to his (and now my) family in 2004.

I know it is late...but can you please kick it up???

THANKS!!!

[Critters2]

1. I don't know of any state where sheriffs or deputies can do weddings

You need a judge or clergy. Unless you're Quaker, then the Clerk of your Meeting could sign. Or Native American Spiritual leaders. There are people with those easy-to-get ordination certificates who pretty much do nothing but weddings, with little or no prep or counseling beforehand, so you might consider that.

Wish I could offer you more help or hope.

[tandot]

2. Thanks, mycritters2.

Do you know how people get these ordination certificates? We didn't want it to be an overly religious ceremony.

[texanwitch]

5. I perform weddings.

Check the website for Universal Life Church.

[Critters2]

6. Here:

http://www.themonastery.org/?destination=ordination

[REP]

4. Not True; My Wedding Was Not Performed By a Judge or Clergy!

See my post below.

[REP]

3. Anyone Can Perform a Wedding in California; The Fee is $75

You can deputize anyone to perform your wedding. See http://www.dhs.ca.gov/hisp/chs/OVR/Marriage/FAQ.htm; see your county's website for further inofrmation.

[Critters2]

7. Wow. I've served in 4 states, and they all had the stipulations I named

Thanks for the education.

[Kali]

8. I was thinking - California...probably ANYBODY could do it

yep.

[tandot]

10. One more reason that I LOVE California.

After living in Oklahoma for 10 years and Texas for 2 years, California is the best State ever!!!

As goes California, so goes America..."

[tandot]

9. Thank you so much, REP. This is wonderful

We'll find a way to pull it off. This will be absolutely the best wedding EVER!!!

DUers are just the best! This will be awesome.

[REP]

11. Well, MINE Was The Best Wedding Evar...

But I'm sure yours will be great, too! Congratulations and best wishes!

[tandot]

12. How was your wedding? I love to hear wedding stories....

Every wedding is special and most people will say that "mine was the best wedding ever" ... and I truly believe that.

It is not the first wedding for both of us. We and the whole family were planning for a wedding in September in Reno. However, since the whole family will be vacationing together in June, we thought that would be the perfect surprise. We just thought about it this evening.