Brother As Witness: Is It Allowed?

A wedding witness is a person who observes the wedding ceremony and signs the paperwork afterward. While the best man and maid of honor are typically chosen as witnesses, you can also choose your brother, as long as he is over the age of 18 and understands what is being said. There are usually two witnesses required to sign the wedding register, but you can have more than two people as unofficial witnesses.

Who can be a witness?

The good news is that, yes, your brother can be a witness at your wedding! In fact, you can choose almost anyone to be your witness. The only requirements are that they are over the age of 18 and that they understand what they are witnessing. This means that they must be able to speak the language the ceremony is being conducted in and be old enough to understand what a wedding is and why it is important.

Your witnesses can be related to you or not related to you, and they can be two females, two males, or one male and one female. Traditionally, the witnesses are the maid of honour and the best man, but you can choose whoever you want. It's very special to have someone in your family who is not part of the bridal party as a witness. You could also ask your siblings, parents, grandparents, or close friends to be your witnesses.

If you are eloping and it's just the two of you, the spouse of the officiant or a complete stranger can be your witness. This is also common at weddings with guests—you can ask a random member of staff at the wedding venue, someone who's there for a different wedding, or even a passerby on the street.

Legal requirements for a witness

The legal requirements for a witness at a wedding vary depending on the location of the wedding.

In the United States, for example, most states only require that the witness is able to understand and witness the wedding ceremony and sign their name. There is no age restriction, although the witness must be old enough to understand the ceremony. However, some states, such as Iowa, require the witness to be over the age of 18 and to show ID. In California, witnesses must be old enough to understand the ceremony and strong enough to sign the marriage license.

In the UK, witnesses must be over the age of 18 and understand what is being said during the ceremony. There is no requirement for the witness to be a UK resident, but they must be able to speak the language the ceremony is being conducted in.

The role of a witness

While there are no strict rules on who can be a witness, traditionally, the best man and maid of honour (chief bridesmaid) take on this role. However, any member of the wedding party, including the parents of the bride or groom, other family members, or friends, can be witnesses as well. Ultimately, it is up to the couple getting married to choose their witnesses, and it is considered an honour to be selected for this role.

How many witnesses are needed?

The number of witnesses required at a wedding depends on the location of the wedding. In the UK, for example, the law states that every wedding must have at least two witnesses, and there are only two spaces for witness signatures on the wedding register. However, if you would like to have more than two witnesses, you may be allowed to have more than one signature on each line, depending on the discretion of the officiant and the venue. It is important to note that while some officiants will allow more than two witnesses to sign, others may not.

If you are unable to have more than two official witnesses, you can still have more than two people as unofficial witnesses. They can be included in photos next to the register, for example, but they will not be able to sign it.

In California, there is no specific requirement for the number of witnesses, but there is a space for one witness's signature on the public marriage license and an additional space for a second witness if needed.

In India, three court-appointed marriage witnesses are required for a marriage to be solemnized in the marriage registrar's office.

Unofficial witnesses

While it is common for couples to choose the maid of honour and best man as their witnesses, you can also ask your siblings, parents, grandparents, or close friends to do the honours. The only prerequisite is that they are over 18 years of age and that they are able to understand, witness, and sign their names during the wedding ceremony.

If you are eloping, you might need to ask a stranger to be your witness. This is very common and could be a random member of staff at the wedding venue, someone who is at the venue for a different wedding, or even a passerby on the street. The role of the witness is to ensure the legality of the ceremony and the signing of the paperwork, so the witness does not need to be someone you know.

If you are unable to have more than two official witnesses, you can have more than two people as unofficial witnesses. They can pose next to the register for photos, for example, but they won't be able to sign it.

Frequently asked questions