Sacramento couples in have many options when considering wedding officiants. Learning how to choose wedding officiants to suit your special event is an important first step in planning your marriage ceremony. Understanding who can solemnize a marriage legally in California is another.

Whether you’re planning your event in Strawberry Manor, the River Gardens or West Sacramento, couples with a valid marriage license may choose to have a friend or relative be deputized as a "One-Time Deputy Marriage Commissioner" to perform a single marriage ceremony. Our listings also include other secular choices for Sacramento wedding officiants if that matches your vision for your ceremony in California.

Traditionally, California law allows the following Sacramento wedding officiants to solemnize a marriage ceremony: Priests, ministers, rabbis or authorized individuals of any religious group; judges or retired judges, retired or current commissioners of civil marriages, retired or current commissioners or assistant commissioners of a court of record; and current mayors of California cities.

Before making a final decision on your Sacramento wedding officiant, it helps to draw up a list of points he or she may need to know about the wedding ceremony. For instance, will it be a themed wedding that pays homage to the Sacramento Kings to reflect on that NBA game where you and your fiancé had your first date? Or will you be planning a rustic ceremony in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas? Perhaps you want a traditional ceremony in a church in Old Sacramento in the city’s most historic district. Whatever direction you go, it’s helpful for your potential Sacramento wedding officiant to know these things ahead of time in order to ensure you are a good match.  

To help get you started in planning your nuptials in Sacramento, please preview our list of vendors who may be able to fulfill your dreams for a perfect wedding.